A brand-new day has started, and the mysterious mist has once scattered, gathering all kinds of people for this feast
Ibaraki and Shuten are excited for battles to ensue, so they have snacks and even a large cup of cola courtesy of Shuten's pantry
"I wonder who is the first one who will fight?"
Shuten's asked as she saw people that looked strong waiting for someone to make the first move
"I want to join..."
Ibaraki said tiredly as she tried her best to restrain her competitive side by eating snacks
"But... I don't know how strong they are, and I am not good against magic and stuff"
Ibaraki said sadly since she is completely immune to fire magic and physical attacks, but other magic will surely hurt her
"Aren't you the one who attacks a group of mages once?"
Shuten remarked as she's doubting that's the true reason why Ibaraki didn't fight like she used to
Ibaraki sighed and looked at Shuten directly in the eyes
"I am afraid of dying... no, it's more accurate to say that I am afraid of not seeing you again"
Shuten hugs Ibaraki tightly
"I promise that whatever happens, I will be at your side, didn't I?"
Ibaraki smiles as she gets rid of her negative thoughts
"Thanks... I wanted to fight the samurai girl since I wanted to cross swords with her"
Shuten smiles mysteriously after seeing that Ibaraki loudly retorted
"Literally!"
As she summons her bone sword and toward the silver-haired girl near the cherry tree
Shuten smiled and said, "So she is the bone of her sword," because she thought it was a good joke
The silver-haired swordswoman that is relaxing near the tree as she helplessly looks at her mistress who keep eating snacks left and right without stopping
Suddenly, she felt something was wrong and drew her sword, but a bigger sword appeared in front of her and knocked hers out of her hand
Youmu looked at the perpetrator as she looks at something she has never seen before
"What are you?"
She asked while being wary at the girl in front of her
"What?! You have never seen an Oni before?"
Ibaraki is surprised seeing a ghost, doesn't know what Oni is since they are they came from hell from her understanding
"Why did you Attack me?"
Youmu asked angrily since they didn't have met yet she got attack suddenly
"Is that sword for decoration? Fight me!"
Ibaraki thrust her sword as Youmu hurriedly takes out a larger sword as they clash making the sound of metal resounded through the surroundings.
"That's more like it!!!"
Ibaraki's body emits faint heat but the more they crossed their swords the heat is getting stronger and stronger
Youmu is certainly fast with her counterattacks, but Ibaraki uses flame to destroy Youmu's Rhythm and making sure that she can't catch a break whenever they clash
Youmu can be seen struggling to breath since the air near Ibaraki is dry and hot and she can't disengage because Ibaraki would always be near her, and she can't shake her off
"Well... I guess this is the maximum limit where I could still be sane in a fight"
Ibaraki whispered as her bone sword was swallowed by flames. She suddenly slashed horizontally, releasing a streak of flame at Youmu, who was too tired and dehydrated to dodge the attack.
It explodes and Youmu can be seen blown away near the cherry tree
"Well, I'm glad you are still half-human because those tricks won't work on ghost"
Ibaraki said while crossing her arms, she stretched her hand to help Youmu
"I don't really understand what is happening"
Youmu accept it and complain about the sudden assault
"Well, you could say I have hatred against Katana wielders"
Ibaraki said nonchalantly like she didn't almost kill Youmu out of instinct
Shuten arrives and gives Youmu a glass of blue liquid
"Thanks"
Youmu didn't see what's inside the glass and gulped it in one go
"What's this?! It tasted sweet and cool"
Youmu exclaimed while being curious at what the drink is, Shuten sees this and decided to do what she at best
"It's Poison"
Youmu believed what Shuten said, got suddenly effected by a phantom pain and she thinks that she will die.
Ibaraki saw this and looked at Shuten who is happy at the suffering Youmu
"Well, I guess she is fine..."
Ibaraki muttered quietly as she let the scene unfold itself
"Ehh? I'm not dead?"
Youmu questioned reality as Ibaraki sweat drop
"Aren't you supposed to be dead to begin with?"
Ibaraki retorted Youmu who is confused what is happening
"Besides, that drink isn't even poisonous"
Youmu froze and looked at the Oni who scammed her back-to-back and sees her smiling, she buried her face in the ground because of shame
"It reminded me when I've been tricked by you"
Ibaraki said while looking at Shuten who suddenly displayed a wry smile
"Yeah... you didn't talk to me and treated me like air for a week... and It's not a pleasant experience to be honest"
"I thought you were a Masochist, I guess I'm definitely mistaken"
Ibaraki said while Shuten suddenly blushed
"That's in the past! I'm not an M! That's just a facade!"
In order to not be thrown out, Stella lied of being an M and gives a passionate speech on how she will still stay no matter how much bad thing Sofia did to her. Sofia agreed since she is tired of grinding in games, so she let Stella do the hard work and she will just gacha.
"How could you lie to me?! *Fake sobbing*"
Ibaraki teases Shuten making the latter wanted to punish her, but she will lose undoubtedly
"Despite knowing it, you're still making me act like one!"
Shuten angrily exclaimed as the memories of embarrassment comes flooding back
"Because it's amusing"
Ibaraki just replied honestly and looked at the frustrated face of Shuten
"Um... what is the relationship between you two?"
Youmu asked, and the two Oni looked at her and they answered truly
"Lovers"
They both simultaneously replied, making Youmu confused
"I think you will get it soon if you grow up"
Ibaraki said after seeing the confused expression in Youmu's face
"I think she is older than us"
Shuten chimed, making Ibaraki looked at Youmu
"Nah... she is quite not yet mature; I think it's better that way since being forced to mature is a negative if you ever asked me"
Ibaraki muttered, making Youmu not catch what she said, but Shuten did
"I see..."
Shuten decided to drop the subject since it's approaching towards a sad turn
"I'm an adult too!"
Youmu burst out, thinking she has been underestimated by the two of them
"Yes, you are/Indeed"
They both said it the same time, making her can't catch who said who
"I guess we have our private time, and it seemed the battle near the shrine is at peak already"
Ibaraki said while she looked at Marisa who is fighting another Oni. The Oni have a ginger hair, has two long straight Oni horns on her head, decorated with ribbons. She wears a tattered pale pink blouse, a long purple and pink skirt, and three chain accessories tied to her belt. Her eyes are brown.
"So, it's actually a loli..."
Shuten said while looking at the scene
"So, the smaller they are, the stronger they've become what a weird world we live in"
Ibaraki said jokingly, until the Oni become big, topping the Shrine, the surroundings seemed not to be affected much
"Agree..."
Shuten said silently, meanwhile Youmu looked at the scene completely surprised
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I guess I won't do promises since it's counterintuitive, and I guess I like to go with my own pace... I actually can't write because it's 3k words and my body for some reason don't like to write no matter how much I force myself.