Akira muttered under his breath, crouched beside the mechanical frame,
"This motorbike I got from that demon isn't bad. It's definitely a few decades ahead of its time… but still not good enough. I'll probably need to upgrade it a bit before I can actually use it."
The morning sun filtered softly through the wisteria trees. Right now, Akira was in the garden of a Wisteria House, examining the bike he'd taken from the Bike Demon he killed yesterday.
Fortunately, the kind old woman who owned the place had allowed him to use the garden for his "mechanical experiments." So Akira started working on the motorbike, the very first thing that morning, tools and parts scattered around him.
From within his mind, Selena's voice echoed telepathically, calm and amused.
"I think so too. But where exactly are you going to get parts for it?"
Akira sighed, tightening a bolt. "I don't know, I just need to check some shops. There should be old junk dealers or maybe a bicycle shop, right? I can find something there."
Then, as if a thought suddenly hit him, he looked up and said, "Oh, sister, about the Mugen Train arc. Can we get there?"
Selena replied in a calm tone.
"Well, if you really cared, you should have gone with Tanjiro's squad."
Akira grinned. "You can somehow get me there, right? You can manipulate my fate."
"I already told you, right, I can't do much," Selena answered. "I can't manipulate things enough to make you win or make someone lose. At best, I can get you there somehow, but I can't interfere with the fight itself."
Akira smirked. "As long as I can get there, that's enough."
Selena let out a sigh in his mind. "How are you even planning to beat Akaza without a Nichirin blade? Are you going to use poison?"
Akira chuckled, tightening another bolt. "What's the fun in that? I want to fight him fair and square."
"You always play around too much," Selena said exasperatedly.
"There's nothing wrong with having fun, right?" Akira shot back with a grin, adjusting the motor's frame.
As the two continued their telepathic banter, Erika stepped out from inside the house. "Oh, you're actually working on this thing," she asked, peering at the scattered tools.
Akira looked up and smiled. "Yep. It's not bad at all, but I still need some parts to fix it."
Erika tilted her head. "Are there any motorcycle repair shops near this place?"
"Probably not," Akira replied. "But not impossible. We might find something in town. Wanna come with me?"
"Really?" Erika asked, surprised.
"Yeah," Akira said, grinning. "I also wanted to explore Taisho-era Japan, after all."
Erika smiled faintly. "When?"
"In an hour, maybe."
"Okay," Erika said brightly. "I'll get ready!" She dashed back inside.
Akira chuckled softly. "Something tells me she won't be happy when she sees we're heading to a scrapyard."
Selena laughed in his mind. "Oh? And what gave you that impression?"
"Come on, even I'm not that dumb," Akira said dryly. "But what can I do? This is Taisho-era Japan. There's not much around."
"Well," Selena teased, "it's Erika. She knows you. Just enjoy exploring the town together."
Akira sighed, smiling faintly. "I'll try my best."
One Hour Later
Both Akira and Erika stepped out of the Wisteria House, walking side by side. They wore clothes that looked a bit too western for the era, white coats over their star chase uniforms, hoods drawn over their heads.
"I should've brought some traditional Japanese clothes," Erika muttered. "We stand out like this."
Akira shrugged. "We can buy some if you want."
Erika shook her head. "No, maybe next time. So what are we buying, anyway?"
"I don't know," Akira said. "First, we'll hit a scrapyard for bike parts, then look around the market for anything interesting."
"Okay." She nodded, and they set off.
They arrived at a small junk dealer's shop run by an old man, who welcomed them warmly. Akira began looking around, crouching beside an old, broken record player.
Erika blinked. "Are you going to buy that? How's that supposed to fix your motorcycle?"
Akira smirked. "The interior's good. I can use the inner parts. Look, metal gears, springs. Perfect salvage."
He picked up some metal pipes, gears, and a few other pieces. Then he looked back at Erika. "See anything you like?"
Erika crossed her arms and gave him a look that said 'Do I look like I shop for junk?' without speaking.
Akira chuckled. "Okay, okay. We'll try the next shop then."
After gathering a few parts and machines, they went to pay. The old man asked, "Young man, how are you going to carry all these things?"
Akira paused. He could easily store them in his inventory, but not in front of people. And he planned to walk around with Erika after this, so carrying a pile of junk wasn't ideal.
The man continued, "I can have it delivered to wherever you're staying."
Akira smiled. "Sure. Send it to the Wisteria House."
"The Wisteria House, eh?" The old man nodded. "Alright, I'll make sure they're delivered."
Akira didn't fully trust the man, but he seemed honest enough, and if he tried to cheat him, Akira would track him down to the ends of the earth.
As they left, Erika suddenly asked, "Oh, I forgot to ask, how much money do you even have?"
"A lot," Akira replied casually. "The Ubuyashiki family is generous after all."
Of course, being someone from another world and a future one at that, Akira hadn't brought any currency of this era. So, to earn money, he had traded something far more valuable: his knowledge.
He had sold several new poisons and medical formulas to the Ubuyashiki family. Among them was a medicine designed to slow down Kagaya's illness. It couldn't cure it completely, but it could at least buy him more time. Akira didn't boast about it, but that was his way of paying respect. He hadn't just "played around" in the Butterfly Mansion, after all.
For his contributions, they rewarded him generously.
Erika nodded, satisfied with the answer. "Oh, I heard there's a market nearby. Shall we go there?"
Akira smiled. "Sure."
They walked toward it, and soon the market came into view, a bustling street lined with wooden stalls selling food, fabrics, trinkets, and antiques.
"Oh, so this is what markets looked like in the Taisho era," Akira mused. "It's kinda like ours, but everyone's just… dressed old-fashioned."
Erika gave him a look. "Yeah, what did you expect? This is the Taisho era, not the Edo period."
"At least there's not much of a crowd," Akira said, scanning the calm flow of people.
That much was true; compared to modern Japan, it was peaceful.
Erika crossed her arms. "I still don't get how you always hate crowds and avoid them, but when it comes to anime conventions, you act like nothing's wrong."
Akira gave a melancholy smile. "Well, some prices are worth paying… if you want to achieve something."
Erika sighed, shaking her head.
They strolled deeper into the market, glancing over displays of pottery, trinkets, and sweets. But nothing seemed to really interest them. Most of the wares were too mundane or too old-fashioned for their tastes.
Then Akira's eyes lit up. "Oh, look, Erika! It's a hairpin stall!"
He grinned. "In anime, when two characters go on a date, they usually buy something like that, right? You want one?"
Erika gave an exasperated sigh, then smiled a bit. "Sure, why not?"
They approached the stall, a small stand run by a kindly woman selling handcrafted hairpins and combs, each one decorated with floral carvings and delicate colors.
Akira leaned over the counter. "Alright, pick what you like."
Erika smiled slyly. "Since we're here… you choose. I want to see your taste."
Akira blinked in surprise. "Huh? Me?"
"Yes, you," she said, a playful gleam in her eyes.
"Fine," he said, straightening his posture. "I'll get you the best one."
Selena's voice giggled in Erika's mind. "Are you sure you want him to choose, knowing his taste?"
"It'll be more fun this way," Erika replied telepathically. "Besides, he needs to learn about these things."
Akira scanned the items carefully, then pointed at a comb with rose motifs. It was elegant and fancy, but not gaudy.
"I'll take this one," he said.
Erika looked at it and smiled softly. "Yeah… It's actually good. I like it."
The old woman chuckled. "Young man, you've got a good eye. That one's one of a kind."
"How much is it?" Akira asked.
"Three yen," the woman replied.
"Sure," Akira replied, handing her the coins immediately.
The vendor blinked in surprise, then laughed. "Young man, you should learn to haggle at a market! You could've gotten it cheaper."
Akira smirked confidently. "I won't back down over the price when it comes to a gift for a girl. The price is fine."
He said it coolly, but inside, he was thinking, "Three yen? Who even bothers to haggle over that?" Still, he had to sound cool at least once in his life.
The woman burst out laughing. "Hahaha, then I should've raised the price a little!"
Akira turned and handed the comb to Erika. "Here, I think it'll suit you best."
Erika accepted it with a faint smile. "Yeah… it looks good. Your taste has improved."
Though secretly, she really wanted him to put it on her hair, but she was too embarrassed to ask.
After that, they wandered around a while longer, the two stopped in front of a modest little bookshop. Its wooden sign creaked faintly in the wind, and the smell of old paper drifted from the doorway.
Akira stepped inside first, his eyes immediately scanning the shelves. He picked up a thick, dust-covered volume. "Oh, an encyclopaedia of plants and animals."
"Why that?" Erika asked.
"We're in another world," Akira said matter-of-factly. "Who knows what plants or animals exist here? It's worth checking. Oh, and buy some novels. We'll be here for a while, and there's no entertainment."
"Hmm, that's true." Erika nodded and began browsing through the shelves. Together, they bought a small stack of books, Akira with his encyclopaedias, Erika with a few novels that caught her fancy.
By the time they left the market and returned to the Wisteria House, the sun was already high. It was a small town, so they didn't spend much time there, but the quiet morning stroll had its own charm.
After lunch, Akira immediately went back to work on his motorbike. Good thing the old man kept his word and delivered the goods.
The clinking of tools echoed softly through the garden, and by the time night fell, he finally leaned back and smiled in satisfaction.
"It's done," he murmured, wiping sweat from his forehead. The demon's bike, once a cursed relic, now gleamed under the moonlight, reborn through his hands.
Erika appeared beside him. "It's night. Are we going to hunt a demon or something?"
Akira shrugged. "I don't know. The crows haven't sent a message yet."
And as if on cue, two black shapes swooped down from the night sky, Raven and Rose, their Kasugai crows. They circled the pair before landing nearby.
"Emergency mission! Emergency mission!" Raven cawed.
"Next town, slasher! People missing! Go now, go now!" Rose echoed.
Akira exchanged a glance with Erika and grinned. "You heard them. Are you ready?"
"Sure," Erika said, adjusting her sleeves. "But are we flying there, or using your new bike?"
Akira smirked. "Well, it's freshly repaired, and we need to test it. Let's go."
He mounted the bike, kicking it to life. The engine roared, a deep, metallic growl cutting through the calm night.
"Come on, Erika," he said, patting the seat behind him.
Erika sighed, shaking her head with a half-smile, then climbed on and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Hold tight," Akira said, grinning as the wind brushed his hair. "We're heading to the battlefield."
The motorbike surged forward, tires kicking up dust as they sped into the night, toward their next fight,