"𝐇𝐞'𝐬 𝐎𝐧 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐝𝐞" - 𝙺𝙽𝚈 𝚡 𝙼𝚊𝚕𝚎!𝙾𝚌

🅃🅆🄴🄻🅅🄴

"Forgive me, Lord Tengen, Tsukumo-Kun..." Hinatsuru says weakly.

Tengen shakes his head as he cradles his wife, "Nevermind, stop talking."

"Tengen-San, be more gentle." Tsukumo scolds as he gracefully lifted Hinatsuru's chin, feeding her a small pill, "Hinatsuru-San, this is a pill that will help heal you, please be careful ingesting it."

Hinatsuru nods slightly, using her low energy to explain to the two the situation, "I realized Warabihime-oiran was a demon, but she became suspicious of me, as well. So I drank some poison and tried to slip out of the House, but it seems this belt that I was given by Warabihime-oiran was for spying on and killing me."

She tilts her head to the side to worriedly look at Tsukumo, "Tsukumo, do not trouble yourself with me. Please go now. You heard that sound just now, did you not? The demon is on a rampage."

Tsukumo looks at Tengen, "Tengen-San, please go fight the demon, I will help heal Hinatsuru and keep her safe."

Tsukumo quickly notices a shift in Tengen's aura and he immediately bows his head down against the wooden patio, "I'm sorry for suggesting such a thing, do what you wish."

Tengen frowns, "You're sure you two are going to be all right?"

Tsukumo furrowed his brow, "You're... you're worried for both of us?.. not just..." the demons words were broken as his mind tried to wrap around the fact that Uzui genuinely cared for him.

Tengen sighs, holding his wife close to his chest, their heartbeats fusing together to make an aura that Tsukumo had never felt before. Such a pounding sense of security and love. Something he never really saw in Tenegn, genuine love.

Tengen hums, "There's no need for you two to do anything more. Once the antidote starts working, leave Yoshiwara. You hear me?"

"Tengen... I can't leave you and the boys here... I have to stay." Tsukumo immediately intersects, perturbed at Tengens willingness to leave his weak wife alone with a demon, "You cant-!"

"We don't have time for this," Tengen sharply cut Tsukumo off with a definitive tone, "Hinatsuru is strong, she can survive..."

Tsukumo clenched his fists and his flaming eyes met Tengens unwavering gaze, "You're not leaving her here like this, and you're not leaving me here with her."

"Huh? What nonsense are you sprouting?" Tengen blew a raspberry at Tsukumo, rolling his eyes.

Tsukumo sat up, his head lolling to the side as his eyes and expression became dull and void, "What if my demon nature crawls out? What if, as your wife is a weak rabbit, my wolfish hunting nature breaks out and I devour her? What will you do? Such regret no one can live with."

"What demon nature? I've never sensed such demonic tendencies from you. Not to mention, Tsukumo, that even with your face angry and contorted, your sound beats against your ribcage as gently as your smile. You know, it sounds like a dull piano."

Tsukumo blinked and mocked the urge to hit Tengen, he raised his hand and pretended like he would, "Tengen... are you stupid?"

{*}

"Ngh! Urah! Wriggle, wriggle, wriggle, wriggle! You're really grossing me out, worm belt!" Inosuke cries as he twists his body, slicing the obi sash, "Hahaha! Look how sluggish you are! You got greedy and swallowed up too many humans! An attack by an overweight worm... will never land on Lord Inosuke! Grow a spine, and don't come back until you're ready!"

As Inosuke cut between the entwined threads of the obi, two women fall from the sashses cocoon-like traps.

"Capture him alive."