"Grandma..."
Komatsuse opened her mouth, hesitating to speak. She didn't know if she should tell her grandmother the truth. Her parents had been brutally murdered by a demon, and she herself had narrowly escaped death. Now, she had no choice but to go to the terrifying place where that demon was.
Perhaps her grandmother wouldn't agree to her going at all; after all, her grandmother was old, how could she withstand such a heavy blow?
Thinking of this, Komatsuse felt a pang of sadness, but then she clenched her fists tightly. No, she couldn't let her grandmother know about this pain and danger; she would bear it silently alone.
In her grandmother's warm embrace, her restless heart gradually calmed down. Komatsuse secretly made up her mind: Yoizumi was very strong; last time, it was he who saved her from danger. Since that was the case, he would surely be able to save everyone this time too!
Komatsuse took a deep breath and slowly pulled away from her grandmother's embrace. Then, she bent down and carefully picked up the sharp long blade that was placed nearby. When she looked up, she saw her grandmother's worried face and couldn't help but smile.
"Grandma, don't worry, I'm just going out for a bit and will be back very soon!" Komatsuse tried to make her voice sound light and cheerful, as if this was just an ordinary outing. However, only she knew the difficulties and obstacles she would face on this journey.
As if afraid that she would change her mind because of her grandmother's plea, Komatsuse dared not linger. She didn't even wait for her grandmother to respond before turning and quickly walking towards the door. Her grandmother's soft calls came from behind her, but she gritted her teeth, didn't look back, and her steps became faster and faster.
The old woman's stooped, frail figure still stood quietly at the doorstep, her gaze following her granddaughter's receding back. It wasn't until Komatsuse completely disappeared from sight that the old woman slowly walked to a chair by the door and sat down, trembling.
She sat there quietly, just as she had countless times in the past, silently watching and waiting, hoping that her beloved granddaughter would return safely.
Not far away, Komatsuse encountered Ishii Kawa, who had fallen behind due to his wobbly legs. She said nothing more and prepared to continue on her way.
"Komatsuse!" Ishii Kawa suddenly grabbed her hand, frowning.
"You're not really still going there, are you? It's very dangerous there, we should be running for our lives!"
"Ishii Kawa, Yoizumi still needs me to go! Let go!" Komatsuse vigorously shook her arm, trying to free her hand.
Ishii Kawa gripped tighter. He knew that person was a monster, and that pretty boy was probably already dead! Going there now would be nothing short of suicide. Recalling the horrific scene of that person's death made his heart pound.
He admitted that in this regard, that pretty boy was stronger than him, but he was very clear about his own strength.
Facing that monster beyond comprehension, he could do nothing. At the very least, he couldn't just watch the girl he loved go to her death!
"Komatsuse, you must come with me! Stop thinking about that pretty boy; how could he possibly survive against a monster like that!" Ishii Kawa forcefully pulled Komatsuse's hand, intending to lead her back.
"Ishii Kawa! Let go!" Seeing that she couldn't break free, Komatsuse, in a moment of desperation, actually drew her nichirin blade, raising it with difficulty with one hand, the tip trembling as she pointed it at Ishii Kawa.
"You..." Ishii Kawa reluctantly let go. At that moment, his heart ached terribly. The girl he had loved for years, after he had only been away for a few days, was actually drawing her blade against him for a man she had only known for a few days.
Having successfully broken free, Komatsuse picked up the scabbard and rushed towards the small plaza without stopping.
I must catch up, I must catch up!
Yoizumi, please hold on a little longer!
Seeing her turn and leave without hesitation, Ishii Kawa clenched his fists, lowered his head, gritted his teeth, and still followed her without a second thought.
I don't care! At worst, I'll risk my life to keep Komatsuse alive!
..."Hoo... ha..." Heavy and hurried gasps echoed in the air.
At this moment, Yoizumi had become unrecognizable, a gruesome sight. Splattering venom shot out like dense raindrops in all directions; even a single drop, as small as a bean, landing on him would instantly cause a searing, bone-chilling pain.
His originally pale, snow-white face was now clearly marked with black blood vessels, crisscrossing like a grotesque, terrifying spiderweb. These black lines indicated that the poison had spread to every corner of his body, mercilessly eroding his flesh and bones.
To counteract this dreadful poison, Yoizumi had no choice but to divert some of his energy to try and dissolve it. However, this undoubtedly made his already difficult situation even worse. Fortunately, the enemy, Lower Moon Four, seemed to realize that stealth was no longer effective against Yoizumi, and no longer concealed her presence, instead directly appearing to engage Yoizumi in a head-on confrontation.
"Are you only capable of hiding? Come and hit me! Hahahaha!" Mukago was in an excellent mood. Seeing that the opponent was utterly defenseless, and her poison had already invaded his internal organs, it wouldn't be long before he would be at her mercy. Then, she would tie him to the rooftop to receive the sun's baptism!
"Yoizumi!"
Accompanied by an anxious and loud shout, Komatsuse stumbled and ran wildly towards them. She was clutching a long blade, her steps somewhat unsteady, but the grip in her hand did not lessen in the slightest. As she drew near, she suddenly swung the blade with force.
In that instant, Yoizumi, with quick reflexes, swiftly raised his arm and steadily caught the nichirin blade that was thrown to him. Immediately after, he unhesitatingly drew the precious blade, which gleamed with a chilling light. The cold moonlight fell upon the blade, as if coating it with a layer of icy brilliance.
Yoizumi gripped the hilt tightly, his deep and bright sapphire-like eyes now fixed intently on Mukago on the rooftop. At this very moment, he had only one unwavering goal—to do everything possible to cut off her head!
As for Mukago's potential attacks, he no longer cared. The most important thing at hand was to fully dedicate himself to dissolving the rampant poison within his body. Even if he sustained serious injuries as a result, it wouldn't matter, because with his powerful regenerative abilities, his wounds would always heal as good as new.
At this moment, the situation was about to undergo a dramatic reversal!
A nichirin blade?
Mukago broke out in a cold sweat when she saw the blade. How could a demon have a nichirin blade?
It's fine, it's fine.
As long as he can't get close to me, it's fine. Mukago somewhat regretted using her Blood Demon Art so recklessly just now; she had consumed too much power.
Her crimson eyes then looked at the chestnut-haired woman, and she immediately grinned.
Rare Blood!
It was truly like a pillow arriving just when one was sleepy. A few bites of Rare Blood would make the previous consumption insignificant.
Komatsuse felt a chill down her spine and swallowed, but seeing Yoizumi in that state, her heart ached terribly, and she was filled with indignation. What had that stinky demon done to her Yoizumi!
Didn't she know not to hit someone in the face?