Granny Thayer, Demon Slayer || Collab with SophieKestrel

Chapter 23: Arty's Hero

A nearby cough made Violet look up. An old man sat up a few meters away. A crown clanged loudly to the floor as he pushed himself up off the ground.

For a second, she took in his features as though observing a stranger. Thick gray hair. Wrinkles bracketing his lips and lining his forehead. A bit of a paunch from one too many gulab jamun. A few eyebrow hairs poking up prouder than the rest.

Then she saw those familiar twinkling brown eyes, and her heart skipped a beat.

"Raj?"

"Violet?" His voice was croakier and quieter than she remembered.

She dug into her pockets and pulled out the hearing aids (which, despite several weeks of not being charged, miraculously still had a few drops of battery left) and snapped them onto her temples.

Raj blinked down at his wrinkled hands with a gasp.

"I'm sorry," said Violet, a little miserably. "I realized Dole was right about one thing—I couldn't stop him without undoing everything he's done, the good and the bad."

"What are you talking about?" said Raj. He grabbed the crown and hurled it like a discus across the hallway.

Dole, who was starting to get to his feet with a groan, stood up at exactly the wrong moment, and the gold crown collided with his head. He tumbled to the ground and didn't move. Violet supposed she should check on him eventually, but for now she shrugged and turned her attention back to Raj.

"The crown's not coming back..." said Raj. "Which means..." He took Violet's hands and kissed them reverently. "You broke the curse. I'm finally free!"

Violet furrowed her brows. "You're really not upset? I didn't get to check with you before deciding, and it all happened so fast..."

"So fast? I've been praying for this for decades."

"I know you wanted to look your age, but feeling your age is"—she rubbed her now-aching back—"not all it's cracked up to be."

A whimper filled the air, and next to them, Saya sat up.

"My hair," she moaned. "It's so sticky and gross. I think it's got demon blood in it." Her eyes landed on Raj, and then Arty. "Oh, wow—you're, like, old. And who the hell are you?"

Arty blinked at her politely. Violet chuckled.

"Saya, meet my grandson Arty. Arty, these are my traveling companions: Saya, Raj, and—"

LB surged upward with a groan. "Where are those demons?! Let me at them! How long was I out?"

"—LB," Violet finished.

LB caught sight of Arty, who smiled and lifted a hand in greeting. His eyes widened. "Who—" he began, but his question was cut short by an abrupt 'poof!' In his place, a white rabbit darted behind a potted plant too small to hide him.

Arty's smile dropped. "Is that... normal? Is he okay?"

"Don't worry," said Violet. "That just happens whenever he sees a—wait..." No new pretty girls had entered the scene. She raised her eyebrows at the rabbit, who vigorously preened the topknot-shaped fluff on his head.

Saya clapped her hands gleefully. "I knew you weren't over it, but this is even better than I hoped for."

"Over what?" Arty asked her, still looking concerned.

Violet hadn't known bunnies could glare, but this one was pinning Saya with such a vicious stare that it was easy to see why his mother named him "Lethal Blade." In fact, Violet half-expected him to stab her with that silhouette of a sword on his back.