Chapter 73: I Am Doing Well, Shinobu
"Sister... Sister! I've finally found you! Sob..."
Kocho Shinobu hugged Kanae's waist tightly, her arms wrapped so firmly that she feared if she let go, the person before her would vanish again like a bubble.
She buried her face in Kanae's chest, hot tears instantly breaking the dam and soaking the front of Kanae's simple garment.
She wept aloud, crying without any regard for her image, her sobs heart-wrenching.
In these past few months, she had countless times seen her sister torn apart by demons in her nightmares, and countless times bitten the corner of her blanket to weep silently in the dead of night.
She forced herself to be strong, forced herself to become an emotionless killing machine.
But now, in her sister's warm embrace, all her disguises were completely shattered.
Feeling the petite body trembling from violent sobs in her arms and the hot dampness spreading across her chest, Kanae's eyes instantly reddened.
A sharp pain called "guilt," like a dagger, twisted fiercely in her heart.
She knew how much of a blow her unannounced departure would cause her sister, but she had underestimated the depth of this pain.
Looking at the sister who used to be proud, lively, and always liked to circle around her, but was now haggard and holding onto her desperately like a drowning person clutching at a final straw, Kanae's heart was breaking.
"Shinobu..."
Kanae's voice trembled, thick with nasal congestion.
She slowly lowered her head, resting her chin gently upon Kocho Shinobu's messy hair.
She reached out with both hands, one arm wrapping around Shinobu's back, while the other hand, with extreme gentleness, stroked Shinobu's hair again and again as if soothing a frightened kitten.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry, Shinobu. I've made you worry."
Kanae closed her eyes, two lines of clear tears sliding down her cheeks and dripping onto Shinobu's Haori.
This was her dereliction of duty as a sister.
In order to save a demon, she had pushed her own sister into an abyss of pain.
The other diners and the owner in the noodle shop were stunned by this sudden scene, stopping what they were doing and exchanging glances.
But watching those sisters weeping in each other's arms, no one spoke up to disturb them, simply averting their gazes in silence.
In this world full of chaos and separation, being able to reunite was, in itself, a huge luxury.
After a long while, Kocho Shinobu's crying gradually subsided, turning into intermittent sobs.
She greedily inhaled the familiar, comforting scent on Kanae—a scent mixed with faint herbs and sunshine, an aroma she had dreamed of smelling for the past few months.
Suddenly, as if remembering something extremely terrifying, Kocho Shinobu's body stiffened abruptly.
She jerked her head up from Kanae's embrace.
On that face, originally flushed and tear-stained from crying, the vulnerability and reliance instantly faded, replaced by vigilance.
She stared fixedly into Kanae's eyes, her hands gripping Kanae's shoulders tightly.
"Sister! Where is that demon? That demon didn't do anything to you, did it!"
That demon must have used some despicable means to control Sister!
Now that Sister is right in front of me, that demon must be nearby!
As long as she found it and killed it, Sister would be safe, and Sister would return to being the Flower Hashira who led her in slaying demons!
"Tell me, Sister, where is it? Were you controlled by it?"
Kocho Shinobu spoke extremely fast, firing questions like a machine gun.
Her gaze scanned Kanae's face and neck like a radar, attempting to find any traces of being controlled by a Blood Demon Art, or any bite wounds from a demon.
Watching her sister's eyes filled with hatred and worry, a deep sense of powerlessness welled up in Kanae's heart.
She knew Shinobu too well.
Shinobu's personality was distinct in its loves and hates, and her hatred for demons was carved into her very bones.
But she could not lie to Shinobu, nor could she let Shinobu harm Tatsu.
Kanae took a deep breath, trying hard to make her expression look as calm as usual.
She slightly curved her eyes, revealing that gentle smile, so familiar to Shinobu, that seemed capable of melting ice and snow.
She reached out and placed her hand gently on the back of Shinobu's hand.
"I am doing well, Shinobu."
Kanae's voice was soft yet firm; she looked straight into Shinobu's eyes, attempting to convey her own calmness to her. "I have not been controlled by anyone, nor have I suffered any harm. You don't need to worry."
However, this composure, in Kocho Shinobu's eyes, became ironclad proof of having been deeply "brainwashed."
"I don't believe it!"
Kocho Shinobu snatched her hand back, her voice rising sharply, causing people around them to look over again.
Her emotions became agitated once more.
"Sister is so kind, and hates those man-eating demons so much, how could she possibly be with a demon voluntarily? This is absolutely impossible!"
Kocho Shinobu retorted loudly, her logic impeccable within her own worldview. "He must have used some method! Or... or he left some curse on you! Let me check!"
Before the words had even faded, Kocho Shinobu gave Kanae no chance to refuse, directly taking action.
She yanked at the collar of Kanae's Haori, pulling it down slightly.
"Shinobu..."
Kanae was startled and instinctively wanted to stop her, but seeing her sister's nearly frantic gaze, her hand stopped in mid-air.
She knew that if she did not let Shinobu confirm it herself, she would absolutely not give up.
Kocho Shinobu's gaze scanned Kanae's exposed fair neck and collarbone like a searchlight.
There were no bite marks, no bruising, no traces of injected venom.
Unwilling to give up, she grabbed Kanae's arm and rudely rolled up the sleeve.
On the fair arm, aside from old scars left from sword practice, there were no new wounds, much less any marks left by a demon.
"How could... how could there be none..."
Kocho Shinobu's lips trembled slightly; she turned over Kanae's hands, checked her fingernails, and even leaned in close to smell if there was any foul, fishy odor of a demon on Kanae.
None. There was nothing.
On her sister, aside from that familiar scent of wisteria and the newly acquired smell of smoke and food from the ramen shop, there was nothing unusual.
Her pulse was steady and strong, her body temperature warm as usual.
She was completely and utterly a normal human, a human who had suffered no harm whatsoever.
But the more this was the case, the more panic grew in Kocho Shinobu's heart.
If her sister hadn't been controlled or coerced, then could it be... that her sister had truly betrayed them voluntarily?
No! This was even more unacceptable to her than her sister being killed by a demon!
"Sister..."
Kocho Shinobu's examination movements slowly came to a halt, and her hands dropped weakly to her sides.
She looked up, gazing at Kanae with an extremely unfamiliar, extremely fearful look, tears uncontrollably welling up again. "Tell me... is this... is this..."
She dared not even ask that question. She was terrified of hearing the answer that would completely destroy her faith.
Watching her sister's crumbling appearance, Kanae's heart ached as if twisted by a knife.
Meanwhile, in that absolutely dark inn room not far from the noodle shop.
A massive quilt still bulged in the corner. Scarlet eyes were quietly open in the darkness, unblinking.
Tatsu could not hear the commotion in the ramen shop, nor could he see the sisters' reunion.
He was waiting. Waiting for the person who had promised to bring him a soft-boiled egg. Waiting for the only god he had in this world.
"I will be good..." In the darkness, the demon emitted a whisper barely audible, "waiting for you to come back."
Loving Book So Far? Check Out 30+ Advanced Chapters At PA Treon
patreon.com/FictionOP