Shinichi had told himself he was prepared for this.
He had braced his heart for the worst.
But seeing her there, a graceful nightmare dancing in the air, his mind still went completely blank.
It was Shinobu's face, but the warmth and tenderness that had defined her were gone, replaced by a bottomless cold in her violet eyes.
And the real, insect-like butterfly wings that now adorned her back were a horrifying testament to what she had become.
The powerful demonic aura radiating from her was undeniable.
He had been a fool to hope for anything else.
Shinobu had been turned into a demon.
While Shinichi stood frozen, Maru-ni—now bristling like a hedgehog with poison needles—was in a state of pure panic.
He had recognized her scent and appearance the moment she appeared, but he could not comprehend why his master's partner was attacking him with such relentless fury.
'Did she really hold a grudge from that time I scared her when we first met?' he thought while whimpering.
'I didn't know humans could be so petty!'
Fortunately, the demonic blood he shared with Shinichi had given him an extreme resistance to wisteria poison.
The needles, which would have been fatal to any other demon, were causing him pain, but it was only superficial.
Shinobu, hovering in mid-air, seemed to realize her wisteria toxin was having little effect.
Her slender hands shifted under her wide haori, and her speed suddenly multiplied.
She became a blur of purple light, and a slender, stinger-like blade materialized in her hand, a thin purple silk thread wrapped around its tip.
"Blood Demon Art: Spider Dance of a Thousand Silks," she murmured, her voice a soft, detached whisper.
The next second, the air was filled with a web of shimmering purple threads, all rushing towards Maru-ni from every direction.
Maru-ni, sensing a far greater danger, refused to be a passive victim.
With a snarl, a flash of anger lit his scarlet eyes.
He stomped his front paws on the ground, his powerful muscles coiling.
Boiling blood surged through his veins, violently expelling the poison needles from his hide.
At the same time, black lightning began to crackle across his fur.
Blood Demon Art: Phantom Wolf Blitz!
Swish!
Maru-ni's body transformed into a bolt of black lightning, a focused spear of pure power aimed directly at Shinobu.
The countless purple threads and the bolt of black lightning collided.
There was no loud explosion, only a dazzling, silent flashing of light.
The furious shadow wolf could be seen tearing frantically at the seemingly endless silks.
The threads were weak individually, easily torn, but more would instantly rush in to fill the gaps, each wave stronger and more numerous than the last.
Slowly, Maru-ni was being ensnared, a powerful beast struggling in vain against a spider's web.
And once her prey was entangled, the spider revealed her fangs.
The long blade in Shinobu's hand began to spin, her cold purple eyes locked on her target.
"Blood Demon Art: Scorpion's Rain of a Thousand Stings."
The single blade instantly multiplied into a torrential downpour of venomous stingers, each tipped with a dangerous, gray light.
They rained down on Maru-ni, piercing his tough hide.
This time, the toxin was completely different.
It wasn't wisteria. It was a terrifying, corrupting poison that made Maru-nii's head swim and his fur stand on end from the smell alone.
It was the unique, rotten poison of an Upper Rank demon.
"AWOOOO!!"
Maru-ni's shrill, pain-filled howl finally snapped Shinichi back to reality.
Seeing his loyal friend engulfed in a vortex of purple silk and poison, Shinichi's eyes widened in horror and shame.
He drew his sword, his mind screaming at him.
'Shinichi Moriki! What in the hell are you doing!?'
"Forest Breathing, Seventh Form: Wood Dragon Slash!"
A torrent of green blade light erupted from his sword, taking the form of a roaring dragon.
With unstoppable, terrifying momentum, it tore down from above, slicing the entire web of purple threads trapping Maru-ni clean in two.
No matter how strong the web, it was still just a web in the face of absolute power.
Shinichi's blade didn't stop.
After shredding the silk, it met Shinobu's stinger with a sharp CLANG!
The purple figure was sent flying backward like a kite with its string cut, gliding dozens of meters through the air before gracefully regaining her balance.
A flicker of confusion crossed her face.
Her beautiful butterfly wings fluttered slowly as she tilted her head, looking strangely at the human who had interfered with her hunt.
Shinichi stared back, his own expression a storm of complicated emotions.
He wasn't a fool.
He could see the blankness in her eyes.
She had lost her memories.
"I always thought this kind of cliché, dramatic plot only happened in stupid novels," he muttered, gripping his Nichirin Sword and shaking his head helplessly.
"Woo~" A pathetic whimper came from behind him.
Maru-ni now swollen and covered in welts, had reverted to his normal Shiba Inu form.
He hid behind Shinichi's legs, his black eyes watery with indignation as he bit his master's pant leg.
"Sorry, Maru-ni" Shinichi said, feeling a fresh wave of guilt.
"This one's my fault."
'Huh? 'Shinobu watched from mid-air, her head tilting further.
'The wolf demon turned into a normal dog? Was I mistaken?'
Since it wasn't a demon, and the human wasn't a demon, her hunt was over.
She could leave.
Thinking this, she turned, but before she could flap her wings, she heard a sharp whistle cut through the air.
Swish!
BANG!!
A Nichirin Sword flew past her and embedded itself deep in an abandoned iron furnace, blocking her path.
She turned back to see the human man staring at her, his expression now one of grim resolve.
"Shinobu, I'm sorry," he said, taking a deep breath.
"I might have to be a little rough to get you to come back with me. But hey, maybe it's better that you've lost your memory. At least you won't be angry with me for this until you get it back. As for what happens next… I'll leave that to future me to worry about. But right now, I'm taking you home!"
He raised the Nichirin Sword in his hand, aiming its tip at her.
Shinobu frowned.
She couldn't understand a word he was saying, but looking at him made her feel a strange, deep sadness.
Deep in the fog of her mind, a blurry but familiar image was trying to surface.
But before any real memory could take hold, Shinichi, in his state of high tension, blurted out the first thought that came to his mind.
"Although… Shinobu, you seem to have gotten a lot taller after becoming a demon. You were small and cute before, but I wonder if you can keep this height after you change back?"
The words left his mouth, and the air instantly froze.
Visible blue veins began to pop on Shinobu's forehead.
Her delicate eyebrows twisted into a mask of pure, unadulterated rage.
A furious, overwhelming demonic aura exploded from her body.
There was no longer any need to worry about her running away.
But Shinichi felt a wave of profound regret wash over him.
'Maybe I shouldn't have said that.'
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