The being before my eyes was clearly not human. But she was not an oni, either.
Silken hair, a gorgeous kimono, and above all, the maddened affection in the eyes that gazed at me. It was Kiyohime herself, the Berserker from the game I had enjoyed in my previous life, Fate/Grand Order.
"Ki, Kiyohime...?"
A trembling voice leaked from my mouth. At my call, she approached with a look of rapture and pressed her face against my chest.
"Yes, I am your lovely wife, Kiyohime. To think we would meet again in a place like this... Ahh, this scent, this warmth. As expected, you are splendid no matter what form you take, Master."
A scorching heat was felt wherever her hand touched. It was a fatal temperature I had never experienced since becoming an oni. I tried to push her away in panic, but her strength was beyond imagination.
Calling me 'Master'... does she see me as her Master? Instead of Fujimaru Ritsuka? Because of the Blood Demon Art? And she noticed right away that I'm an oni. Well, no, she's a Servant. Actually, for Kiyohime, who became a serpent-dragon, it would be strange if she didn't know.
Is this my Blood Demon Art? An ability to summon Servants?
If so, this was something that transcended the dimension of a mere Blood Demon Art. A realm of mystery that even Muzan couldn't hope to match.
Of course, it's unclear whether it's a summoning or something created based on my memories. There are many Blood Demon Arts that handle summoning. Doma creates his tattoos from ice, and Gyokko handles sea creatures.
Perhaps this is an extension of that. There's no guarantee it's a cross-dimensional summon. But at least it was fortunate to have a Blood Demon Art with meaning.
But my joy was short-lived, as I realized the danger of this situation. This was still the early Meiji era; within the darkness of night, hungry oni lurked. This wasn't even my territory; I was a drifter moving around to avoid the Demon Slayer Corps. An oni who claimed this as its territory could be here, too.
Above all, I had just finished dealing with one trash-like human.
"Master, by the way, what is that filthy lump of meat over there?"
Kiyohime's gaze turned towards the corpse of the criminal I had partially devoured. Her eyes turned icy cold in an instant.
"Don't tell me... you put such a vulgar thing in your mouth? For your noble lips to touch such filth... I cannot forgive this. Rest assured, I shall burn it all away!"
"Wait, Kiyohime! Don't!"
Despite my attempt to stop her, crimson flames erupted from her mouth. It was a destructive force, closer to a dragon's breath than anything comparable to a Blood Demon Art. In an instant, not just the corpse but the surrounding trees were engulfed in flames.
With a disturbance of this scale, it was only a matter of time before the nearby Demon Slayer Corps or other oni would notice.
"Over there! Flames... is it a Blood Demon Art!"
Had they seen the flames, or were they originally on a mission targeting this area?
Three men appeared from the darkness along with rough footsteps. They wore black corps uniforms and carried nichirin blades at their waists. They were ordinary Demon Slayer Corps members with sharp eyes that spoke of real combat experience, though they lacked the overwhelming pressure of the Hashira seen in the original work. Still, they were likely of a middle rank or higher?
Well, even if they were Hashira. In this era, there wouldn't be any Hashira I know. Well, maybe one. Rengoku Shinjuro, Kyojuro's father, would likely be active. It's hard to know the exact period from the era name alone, but it's close to the end of the Meiji period.
"Two oni? No, one of them is... human?"
One of the members muttered, seemingly confused. Kiyohime's appearance was too noble and beautiful to be an oni. However, the blood smeared around my mouth and the burning flames nearby spoke for the situation, and seeing the horns on Kiyohime's head, they seemed to judge her as an oni again.
"Master, please step back."
Kiyohime unfurled her fan and stepped in front of me. Flames once again began to swirl around her body.
"Insects who dare to disturb our conjugal bliss have appeared. If you are not liars, there is no need to burn you... but if you intend to harm Master, that's a different story."
"Kiyohime, wait! They're humans!"
I shouted urgently. But the Demon Slayers had already drawn their swords and taken stances.
"Shut up, you oni bastards! What nonsense is this after eating people! , First Form──!"
One member leaped towards me. Even a low-ranking member's nichirin blade is fatal to an oni. As I tried to knock the member away with controlled force, before that blade could reach my throat, Kiyohime's fan sliced through the air.
Kwaaang!
With a tremendous shockwave, the member was sent flying backward. Kiyohime had merely swung her fan, yet the member's sword was broken, and he was embedded in a tree, groaning.
"How dare... how dare you point a sword at him?"
A chilling madness laced Kiyohime's voice. Behind her, the form of a giant serpent flickered into existence, composed of flames.
While her abilities might be unknown, Kiyohime's physical strength should rank among the weakest of Servants. And yet this much? Well, even Strength Rank E is supposed to be on the level of a national athlete, right? Throwing around what looks like a teenage boy should be easy, and the fan she wields is a Servant's weapon, so breaking a Japanese sword shouldn't be difficult.
But this is dangerous. If this continues, all those members will be burned to death.
I had not yet abandoned my human heart. Even though I ate trash-like humans to survive, I couldn't let Demon Slayers, who were innocently fulfilling their duty, die.
"Kiyohime, stop!"
At my strong shout, Kiyohime flinched. She didn't withdraw the flames, but she stopped her attack and looked back at me. Her eyes were brimming with tears.
"Master... why are you protecting such rude people? Do you dislike me trying to protect you?"
"No, that's not it. But now is not the time to fight. Let's get out of here first. Please."
At my earnest plea, Kiyohime soon blushed and nodded.
"Ahh... Master's request...! Yes, I understand. If it is your wish, I will endure this anger for now."
I grabbed Kiyohime's hand and leaped into the forest in a single bound. As my oni physical abilities resonated with Kiyohime's magical energy, we achieved a speed that ordinary members could never hope to match.
A shout of "Wait, oni!" came from behind, but we had already vanished into the darkness.
Only after arriving at a dilapidated shrine far away could I catch my breath.
Tonight will be the starting point where many things will change. I, who had no Blood Demon Art and chose to flee rather than fight even ordinary members, have now obtained a Blood Demon Art and gained control of a Servant.
My goal was set.
Though burdened with this cursed body that must eat humans, I will use this power to sever the cycle of this tragedy. Together with Kiyohime's somewhat heavy and burning love.
"By the way, Master, you held my hand tightly just now, didn't you? Ahh, this is no different from a proposal now. Tonight... be prepared♡"
"Ki, Kiyohime. We, we just met though? In this world, I mean."
"Fufu, that is not important. We are husband and wife, after all. A fated couple connected by our souls, transcending our bodies, right? Be that as it may, your body has become much sturdier than what I knew. Even at the Servant level, it should be fine, right?"
Looking at Kiyohime sitting on top of me, I had an intuition.
That withstanding her affectionate assault while maintaining my humanity would be a far more perilous ordeal than any fight with Muzan.