"So beautiful~" Shinobu exclaimed softly after the fireworks display ended.
Yoizumi, who had been watching only Shinobu the entire time, hadn't seen them at all, but still nodded in agreement.
"Mm."
"So, do we have any other plans?" To be honest, Shinobu didn't want to go back yet. It was a rare moment for the two of them alone, and she wanted to stay a bit longer.
"Yes, but first I need to buy konpeito for Nezuko. She's angry," Yoizumi mused, having been bonked on the head by Nezuko for forgetting to buy her konpeito.
"Is that so~" Shinobu chuckled softly. She thought she had seen a konpeito stall earlier.
"Let's go look for it~"
As they walked along the night market street, a small white dog with a wagging tail ran straight towards the two of them.
"Ugh…" Disliking furry creatures, Shinobu instinctively tried to hide behind Yoizumi, but found that Yoizumi's grip on her hand suddenly tightened.
"Hm?" She looked at Yoizumi in confusion, seeing a tense expression appear on his usually indifferent face. He was staring at the approaching dog, as if on guard.
Could it be… Yoizumi was afraid of dogs?
But this wasn't how fear looked… Raising her hand to shoo the dog away, and after the white dog ran off dejectedly, Shinobu held Yoizumi's slightly trembling right hand with both of hers, her voice full of worry.
"Are you alright?"
Yoizumi didn't know what was going on; just looking at that creature, his skin would faintly ache as if being torn and bitten.
He vaguely rubbed his temples, and after his tense nerves relaxed, he told Shinobu that he was fine.
"Is Yoizumi afraid of dogs?"
"…Not afraid…"
This feeling… Yoizumi felt it was more like… "It's… aversion."
Perhaps it was related to the memories he couldn't recall. What he remembered in Swordsmith Village were only the memories of being with Tanjirou and the others.
"Don't be scared… don't be scared… I'll protect you~" Shinobu softly comforted her lover.
It wasn't fear, huh… Never mind… "Mm, Shinobu will protect me."
After this interlude, the two successfully found the konpeito stall. Yoizumi bought two jars; these would last Nezuko for a long time.
"Let's go." The journey was a bit far, and Shinobu's shoes weren't suitable for long-distance travel. Yoizumi bent down, hooked her legs, and lifted her into his arms. Shinobu was surprised for a moment, but then wrapped her arms around Yoizumi's neck.
Staring at Yoizumi's profile, she asked softly, "Where is Yoizumi taking me?"
"Hm… A secret?" Yoizumi thought for a moment, then responded in Shinobu's tone. The book said that when creating a surprise, one should maintain an air of mystery.
"A secret~" Shinobu repeated, finding it novel that such words would come from Yoizumi's mouth. She would have to look forward to it then.
Her arms around Yoizumi's neck tightened, and she rested her head on his shoulder, humming a song in good spirits.
Her voice was soft and uniquely charming, entering Yoizumi's ears little by little.
Accompanied by Shinobu's singing, Yoizumi moved swiftly through the night… A man held his girlfriend's hand, and his good friend walked beside him, secretly holding the woman's other hand without his knowledge.
"Sorry, Lingxiang suddenly has something and can't send you home," the man apologized to his girlfriend.
"It's okay, Zhexue will send me back, don't worry," the woman, called Lingxiang, said understandingly.
"Ming, don't worry, I'll be responsible for sending her back, mission accomplished!" Zhexue said with a grin.
A "click" sound was extremely distinct in the deserted, open area. The three of them looked in confusion towards the direction of the sound.
After seeing what was there, their faces instantly turned pale.
The woman was the first to scream, her sharp voice piercing the night sky. Yi Shui impatiently covered his ears.
"Mon… monster!" Ming said in horror, but still raised his hand to shield Lingxiang. That bluish-gray skin, horns on its head, and cat-like vertical pupils in its eyes—it didn't look human at all!
"Monster? I'm a kind ghost here to tell you, poor fellow, the truth." He skillfully flicked the photo he had just taken, hitting the man in the face with such force that it made him stumble back a few steps.
His cheek stung terribly. Ming was utterly confused. Truth? What truth?
He raised his hand to peel off the photo stuck to his face. After seeing its content, his pupils constricted. He turned incredulously to look at his beloved girlfriend and best friend behind him, his fingers trembling violently with anger.
"You… you two! Why would you do this to me!" Ming demanded furiously.
Yi Shui crossed his arms, watching the scene with mockery in his chestnut-colored eyes.
The person who was just saying how happy he was, all his past happy moments, everything had turned into a knife stabbing him in the heart.
Look… How ugly the three of them were, bickering.
Love, such a thing, really is fickle.
How did that saying go?
It was something like… Never doubt true feelings, but true feelings change in an instant.
Thinking of this, Yi Shui grew a little annoyed.
He raised his palm and waved it towards the three. A strong gust of wind directly slammed them against the wall.
Only then did they snap back to reality. Now was not the time to argue, there was a monster here!
Blood Demon Art: Burning Water.
Yi Shui snapped his fingers, and water appeared beneath Lingxiang's and Zhexue's feet. Their attempts to escape were immediately halted, and they stumbled to their knees.
Ming, however, was not affected. He looked back hesitantly at the two who couldn't move.
"You leave! I will kill these two!" Yi Shui stared down at the two crawling on the ground.
"Don't kill us! Please!" The two pleaded hysterically, their faces covered in snot and tears. Having lived smooth lives, they had never encountered such a bizarre event, and their psychological defenses had long since shattered.
"Degenerates like you who defile love shouldn't be alive." Yi Shui's almost obsessive conviction had already declared their end.
Not planning to let them die easily, he decided to torment them. His sharp nails easily sliced through their skin, and blood splattered.
As he was about to continue, the man named Ming actually returned, kneeling on the ground, his voice full of pleading.
"Please, let them go."
"Their crime isn't punishable by death, please…"
Ming was in tears. Having experienced such a drastic turn of events, he was on the verge of collapsing. One was the lover he had liked for many years, the other his childhood friend. After being betrayed by both, he still couldn't bear to watch them die.
Yi Shui looked down at Ming in confusion.
Why?
They had clearly been hurt.
Perhaps he truly loved this woman… loved her so much that he chose to forgive even betrayal?
Yi Shui couldn't understand and closed his eyes.
"Then you die too."
The raised hand had not yet fallen when his arm was suddenly severed and fell to the ground without warning.
A large amount of blood sprayed, and he painfully clutched his severed right arm.
What's going on!
"Honestly, on such a rare holiday, can't you be a bit more well-behaved?" Shinobu said helplessly, jumping down from Yoizumi's arms.
Yoizumi looked at the demon in front of him, thinking about how to kill it.
After all… neither he nor Shinobu had their nichirin blades.
Could he only use the sun?
Then what about his surprise?
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