She continued to attack me with her trendils. I simply dodged and encountered her attacks, but I can't land a meaningful hit on her which frustrated me.
"Your attacks are weak. Is it because you only eat infants rather than adults?" I confronted her.
She scoffed. "What do you know from humans nutrition, huh? You should have thanked me because I get rid of those annoying creature. They can only cry and cry without any use. They only a burden to your life."
I rolled my eyes. "Well, like it or not, you were an infant once. Does your brain get mossy to equalize your skin colour?"
She attacked me. Seems like my provocation worked.
"Shut up! I am now a demon and the strong one! That man even told me that I am marvelous. Babies give me a lot of nutrition from their mother's, they don't have aging cells so that I won't get any wrinkles," she laughed.
"That statement is so stupid to the point I get a headache," I retorted.
"What did you say!?" She attacked me with her trendils. I cutted her trendils but it keep appearing. "Seems like, you are an annoying type. Blood Demon Art, Dance of the Spores!" Her Trendils began to grow Spores from her current Trendils. It grow larger and she attacked me with these.
'Disgusting.'
Nature Breath: Fifth form; Flaring Lights in the Night.
I swing my sword and creating sparks that burned those trendils. I keep swinging to eliminate those trendils.
"That's hurt!" She shouted and became more aggressive. "Blood Demon Art; Flower of Death!" Her Trendils grew flowers around them. It have an intoxicating smell.
I covered my nose and mouth with my sleeve. 'Shit, these are poison.' I jumped backwards several times to escape from those flowers, but she keep approaching me. 'She is good with long-range combat, I can't get closer to cut her head.' I inhale once I got a fresh air and prepared my stances.
Nature Breath: Sixth form; Gusts.
I draw my sword backwards and swing it forwards, targeting the demon lady in front of me. Gust of wind creating a blade like and cut through that demon in half, but not her neck.
I cursed internally. 'Again.'
Nature Breath: Sixth form; Gusts, Six Strikes.
I striked with more wind blade as I run forward. I jumped, reached her neck and beheaded her.
"Whew, that's arduous," I sigh and sheated my sword.
"Woah, you finished it already?" Uzui came behind me.
"I know you heard my fight, why don't you helped me?" He shrug. I looked around, checking if there's demon. 'Where are those minions that delivered the baby? Wait! Where's the baby!?' Panicking, run around, checking my surroundings.
Thud.
I turned to the sound direction and saw Uzui-san beheading the floating demon. He carried the baby.
"Uzui-san! Thank god the baby is safe!" I approached him and he handed me the baby.
"You take it and returned it. My wives gonna be flamboyantly mad if I carry another baby."
"I think they will squeal in delight if they saw you handle a baby well," I smiled.
He scoffed. "Seems like we are done. I wanted to flamboyantly slay some demons so I will patrol longer. You returned that thing and get back to your house," he pointed at the baby and me.
"Eh? Are you sure? Will you be okay?"
"Shut up you dimwit," he pressed his index finger to my forehead and scowl, "I only slayed one demon tonight because you flamboyantly got the big fish," he sigh, "I am going to flamboyantly be a Pillar in no time, you don't need to worry about me."
"Eh? You are??"
"Yes, now I'll go flamboyantly, bye," he disappeared. I sigh and go back to the village.
I saw a commotion in front of one of the house.
"Excuse me, is this baby is one of yours?"
"My baby!" A lady grabbed the baby and cried. "Thank god! Thank god you're okay!"
"Thank you! How do you find my child?" One of the man came up to me.
"Your baby was kidnapped, but I manage to knocked the kidnapper. I and my friend already handle it, you all do not need to worry," I smiled.
"Thank you so much, how can I ever repay you?" The mother's baby is holding my hand.
I smiled and replied, "just make sure you raise your baby well. That will be enough."
After that, I bid them farewell.
'I am glad that solved the problem. They don't need to worry anymore.' I looked at the moon above me. 'I missed Giyuu.'
Syuu.
My instinct warned me and I stepped back. There's a big needle flying in front of me. It stabbed a tree trunk beside me. I looked to where the needle came from.
"Ah, how annoying. It should have been placed in your head," a girl sound echoing the night. "Your instinct is pretty good. Are you a demon hunter?"
'Seems like Uzui-san missed one.'
I grabbed my sword sheat and turned to the demon direction. "Your guts to talked to a demon hunter is admirable. Sadly, that is also stupid." I inhale.
Lightning Breath: First form; Thunderclap and Flash, 3 folds.
I dashes to her and beheaded her. But then, I feel something wrong. I turned around and have a big needle struck through my chest. 'Shit.'
"Hahaha! Who is stupid now?" I saw her again. I looked at what I just beheaded, and it turned into a slumpy ball of meat that is now disappearing.
'Fool. How foolish of you Hanabi.'
"HAHAHA! You are rather easy to play with. I don't understand why you caught their attention so much," she smiled menacingly.
'They?' I thought but then shrugged off the thought because my rage is bigger right now.
I let out my bloodlust aura. It reached her now, causing her to flinch.
"Me? Your food?" I walked to her and she is now trembling, not moving an inch, "watch that mouth of yours," I glared at her menacingly, "A weak demon like you can not even move when I let out my bloodlust," I swing my sword and slayed her with no effort.
I wagged my sword to dispel her blood from my sword and sheathed it.
Deg.
I fell on my knees. 'This needle has poison. Shit.' I take out a small bag of medicine from shinobu. 'I remembered I did ask for an antidote for some poison.' I pulled out the needle fom my chest, 'khrg,' I winced in pain.
I grabbed an antidote from the bag and inject it through my skin. 'This should help before I arrived at Butterfly Estate,' I control my breath to slow down the poison to spread. I walked stumbling and slowly.
'I want to see Giyuu.'
❃❃❃
I fluttered my eyes open. The ray of sunlight blind my eyes for a second.
"Ah, you're awake. Good morning Hanabi-chan."
I turned my head to find the source of the voice. I smiled when I saw a long hair woman with butterfly pattern haori. She has a kind smile on her face. I smiled back at her.
"Morning, Kanae-san."
Kanae approached my bed and sit on the chair beside my bed. "I am glad that you are awake. I was so shocked when I found you unconscious in front of butterfly estate. I was panicking when I found out you were poisoned," she frowned.
"I injected an antidote from Shinobu to slow down the poison before, so I guessed I am alright," I give her a cheeky smile. "Where is Shinobu?"
"She is currently handling the child that we brought here. That child is really cute, but Shinobu keep complaining about how she can't do anything by herself," she sweat dropped.
"You adopted a child?" I asked the Flower Pillar.
"Yes, you should meet her after you're not bedridden. Her name is Kanao and she is a really cute."
"Ah, then when can I be off the bed?"
"Eh? You are still weak Hanabi-chan, don't rush yourself," the Flower Pillar said in worry.
"Is that so," I sighed. Suddenly, something snapped into my mind. 'Oh, shit! I promised Giyuu to meet him this morning!'
Kanae seems to notice my panick face and get worried. "What's wrong, Hanabi-chan?"
"It's just that-ah-Tengu! Where's my crow!?" I panicked on my bed causing Kanae to even worried about me. "I have to tell Giyu-"
My words got cutted off because the door is opened. There stand Giyuu, scanning the room and spotted me. I froze.
Kanae noticed the situation and quickly bid farewell to me and leave the room. Giyuu fixated his gaze at me and approached me.
"Hanabi, are you alright?" He caressed my cheek. He looks worried.
I touch his hand on my cheek. "I am okay. I am sorry that I can't meet you as promised," I looked at my sheet.
"Don't be. You did well," he kissed my forehead. I blushed.
"H-how did you know that I'm here?"
"I was hoping that you are here. Because if you're not, you must be asleep or..." he didn't finished his sentence. I hold his hand.
"I will not leave you, remember?" I give him a warm smile. He nod.
"Where's your partner? Did they leave you or something?" His gaze get darkened.
"No, it's Uzui-san who is my partner. We seperated when we finished the mission, but there's a demon when I get back, so it's no one's fault," I explained. "Anyway Giyuu, don't you have a mission today?" He frowned.
"I do. I must get going now, get rest when I am not here, alright?" He standed up.
I nod. "I will. I will recover in no time, don't worry!" I clenched my fist and bring it upwards to show him I'm alright. He frowned.
"Don't push yourself and get some rest. See you tomorrow," he left.
'He got a long mission huh? It's still morning,' I sweat dropped as I see through the window.
I laid back and pull my sheet. My heart fluttered when I remember the kiss from before.
'I hope he returned safely,' I thought as I closed my eyes and fall back to sleep.
❃❃❃
"It's all your fault!" Hakku shouted at me while holding both of my shoulder.
"Why do I have to get a stupid sister such as you? If you didn't open that door that night, I won't be killed. I will still be alive right now!"
My tears streaming down on my cheeks. "I-I am...sorry..." I muttered while trembling.
"Sorry won't fix anything! You should have died with me! You don't deserve your life right now!"
❃❃❃
I jolted awake from my dream. Tears running down from my eyes. I wiped it away.
"Nightmare?" I look at Shinobu.
"Yeah," I smiled.
She handed me a cup of strange liquid. "Drink it."
I assume that is a medicine so I gulped it down in one go. I winced from the taste.
"You will have a recovery training the day after tomorrow. How's your wound?" She take the cup from me.
"I almost didn't feel a thing, thanks Shinobu," I smiled at her and she smiled back.
"Good. Anyway, I don't see that guy pay you a visit, does he really have a heart? You two were so closed," Shinobu questioned while have her hand on her hip.
"Do you mean Giyuu? He is in a mission right now. He did visit me this morning, and yes he does. He just lacking on interaction," I smiled sadly while thinking of him.
"Hmm? You are really head over heels for him," she teased.
"What? No, I am not!"
"Hahaha, but you are~," she teased me more while skipping away from my bed and get out from the room.
I pouted.
I look out to the window, staring at the moon that shine so brightly. "Yeah, maybe I am," I muttered while hugging my legs. I remembered how he kissed my forehead this morning and I am blushing again.
'Sometimes I do wonder if he feels what I feel towards him.' I stare at the wall of the room. 'But all of his action said more than his words,' I chuckled. "I missed you Giyuu."
❃❃❃
"HANABI!" Uzui suddenly opened the door.
"Don't make a ruckus you stupid head!" Shinobu who is currently in my room shouted at Uzui angrily.
Uzui ignore her and approached me. He inspect me closely and then snort. "You look fine. I can't believe my flamboyant self get through those troubles just for this," he sighed with a frown.
"Well, you did leave me and you missed a demon there, so it is pretty much your fault," I retorted.
"You brat! Fine, I flamboyantly apologized to you for my incompetent. Happy?" His face shows how annoyed and insincere he is right now. I laughed.
"AHAHAHA! I can feel how insincere you are with your apology," I giggled, "but I'll accepted it. Thank you for your effort in trying to apologize."
He rolled his eyes. "You're very welcome." He took a sit besides my bed and hold his chin. "Anyway, brat, do you know where might be the Twelve Demon Moons are right now?"
I frowned at him. "If I know, the head of Demon Slaying Corps will called me and I won't be here right now. What do you think of me? Spy? Of course I don't know where they are."
"That's not what I meant. You are pretty good at gaining information yourself right? Well, maybe you know something like where there's constant missing humans or something."
"Why? You want to hunt the Lower Moons?"
"Yeah, that's my intention," he shrugged.
"That's dangerous, Uzui-san."
"Our job is dangerous, brat. There is no significant difference between facing normal demons and Twelve Demon Moons, you can get killed in both ways."
"Stop calling me that, didn't you just screamed my name minutes ago? Also, facing Twelve Demon Moons is another level."
He sighed. "If you don't want to spill it, then fine. I will leave right now," he get up from his seat and heading towards the door.
"Try east," I said, catching his attention. He glance back at me. "East mountain tend to be more dangerous than others. Missing person also always from there," I said to him. He smirked at me.
"Thank you. Hinatsuru, Suma and Makio send their greetings and hope that you get well soon," he bid his hand and walked away.
"Send my greetings and thank to them!" I shouted at him before he gone completely.
"You both are noisy," Shinobu frowned from the other side of the room which I replied with a laugh.
❃❃❃
A/n: yeay, I made it ٩(｡・ω・｡)و
Next chapter will consist another pillar, can you guys guessed it?
How do you guys think about this chapter?