The demon's fingernails suddenly grew long, and with a casual swipe, he cut the stick in Yōsen's hand in half as if it were tofu. Yōsen frowned and quickly retreated.
"Hehe~ Scared, aren't you, little demon? You haven't eaten a human yet, have you? You look so weak." The demon provoked and taunted Yōsen.
Yōsen remained unmoved. What he needed to consider now was how to stall him and then kill him using the sun. The moon was still high in the sky, and it would be several hours until dawn. Thinking of Shinobu's nimble blade, Yōsen wished he had that blade.
Since there was no other way, he could only use all his strength to hold him until the sun arrived. Yōsen actively attacked, quickly approaching the demon. Using the sharpened end of the remaining wooden stick that the demon had cut, he swiftly swung it, leaving a few shallow cuts on the demon's body. The stick also cracked, and Yōsen immediately pulled away.
"Are you tickling me?" The demon looked at the weak Yōsen and scoffed disdainfully. He was no longer in a hurry to attack; the ant's final struggle made his originally irritable mood pleasant.
No! The damage is too low! He threw away the wooden stick in his hand. Looking at the demon's sharp fingernails, he thought, if he can do it, can I? Yōsen thought this, trying, but his fingernails showed no change.
No? What if I concentrate all my strength in my hand? Yōsen tried to mobilize his body's strength, and the bulging muscles of his right hand were full of power.
It works!
Yōsen pushed off with his leg, leaping several meters, his speed astonishing. Under the demon's surprised gaze, his right fist pierced through its chest. The demon reacted, angrily severing Yōsen's right hand with its fingernails. The right hand flew off and fell to the ground. Yōsen raised his left leg and kicked the demon away with a powerful leg whip.
He covered his injured right hand. In a few moments, his right hand recovered as good as new. Even Yōsen was surprised. If such an injury could heal, could that demon also heal?
"Damn it, damn it, it hurts so much!"
The demon looked at his pierced chest, sweating profusely from the pain. Such a large wound would take at least half an hour to heal. When he saw Yōsen's right hand recover, he screamed in horror.
"How is that possible! How could your hand grow back so quickly? Such regeneration speed is only possessed by the Twelve Kizuki! What exactly are you?!"
What are the Twelve Kizuki? Yōsen didn't pay much attention, but he understood that not every demon possessed this recovery speed. If so, if he encountered a demon again, could he also act recklessly like this, since no matter how severe the injury, it would heal? As this thought emerged, Yōsen remembered the voice from before.
"Cherish your body, otherwise I will be sad."
For some reason, Yōsen didn't want her to be sad, so he abandoned the idea. And the owner of this voice seemed very important to him.
Intense pain suddenly filled Yōsen's mind. Whenever he was about to remember something, the pain would strike. It seemed as if something was preventing Yōsen from recalling his memories. The severe pain made Yōsen kneel on the ground, even his heart felt a fine, pricking pain. When his right hand was severed, Yōsen didn't even blink, but now he was tormented like this.
Why would she make me suffer so much?
Who is she, exactly?
As Yōsen knelt in pain on the ground, the demon had already begun to move stealthily, inching closer to the woman's position, still muttering curses, but careful not to disturb Yōsen.
"You stinky brat, I haven't lost! As long as I eat that Marechi, I will definitely win! Just you wait, I'll make your life a living hell!"
Getting closer and closer to the woman, the demon became more and more anxious. Finally, only a few meters remained, and the demon could wait no longer, launching himself in a dive towards the woman.
"Caw caw, just ahead! The demon is just ahead!"
"Tap tap tap."
Shinobu burst out of the woods, her eyes immediately falling on the demon. In an instant, she drew her nichirin blade and leaped into the air.
"Insect Breathing: Dance of the Butterfly, Caprice."
No, it's too late! That person is going to be eaten!
Although she attacked quickly, the distance was still too great. Just as the demon was about to touch the woman, Yōsen blocked in front of her, taking the full force of the attack. A very deep wound was carved into his chest. Yōsen swiftly swung his right fist, blowing off the demon's head.
The headless demon flew backward, landing on the ground, its hands flailing wildly, attempting to attack Yōsen.
Almost! Almost! Why did you interfere with me? I will tear you to shreds! The demon roared in its heart.
Yōsen came to the demon's side. Since it had lost its sight, its random attacks couldn't harm him at all. Yōsen grabbed the demon's hand and, with a strong pull, ripped off its entire arm. He didn't stop until he had forcibly torn off both of its arms.
"Mr. Yōsen?"
Shinobu had arrived behind Yōsen at some point. Hearing her voice, Yōsen stiffened for a moment, then slowly turned around to look at Shinobu.
"I..."
"Mr. Yōsen, you didn't die even after being poisoned by me. That's truly surprising. Also, what are you doing?"
Shinobu, of course, knew that Yōsen had protected the woman on the ground. As a demon, and an injured one at that, not to mention she had just briefly checked and found the woman was a Marechi, Yōsen could actually endure and protect her. Shinobu could hardly believe it.
"..."
"I just... did what I wanted... to do."
Yōsen glanced at the demon on the ground, still raging impotently, and then said to Shinobu,
"Use your... blade to kill... him."
After speaking, Yōsen remained silent. He really wasn't used to it.
Shinobu swiftly injected the poison into the demon's body. In a few breaths, the demon vanished. Looking at the dissipating demon, Yōsen thought about how he had also been injected with poison before. If the poison hadn't dissipated, he would have died like this too.
Meanwhile, Shinobu provided basic first aid to the woman and waited for the Kakushi to arrive to take the woman back. Finally, she looked at Yōsen again, her beautiful purple eyes filled with inquiry.
"Mr. Yōsen, you are not one of the Twelve Kizuki, yet you were able to overcome my poison. How did you do it?"
Yōsen thought for a long time, met Shinobu's eyes, and in her curious gaze, uttered three words,
"I don't know."
Shinobu's smile almost faltered, but she quickly calmed down.
"Mr. Yōsen."
"?"
"Do you have anywhere you want to go now?"
"No."
"Will you... come home with me?"
The air suddenly solidified, with only the sleepless birds in the mountain forest occasionally singing.
The silent Yōsen slightly lowered his head, his sapphire-like eyes faintly looking down at Shinobu.
"Why?"
Looking at his blue eyes, which seemed to hold countless stars, Shinobu's pleasant voice carried a hint of tenderness,
"Because I am very curious about you."