At some point, unnoticed, the rain began to fall.
A soft spring drizzle spread across the mountains, fine and unbroken, breathing life back into the land as tender buds pushed through the earth and fresh green unfurled across branches and fields alike.
Kanao Tsuyuri resumed her quiet ritual of gathering flowers. Though it was not yet the season for the blue spider lily to bloom, she never neglected her daily habit, wandering through the hills with her basket in hand.
Most days, Soma would sit at the mouth of the cave, carefully sorting the petals she brought back. With bits of string, he would weave them into delicate crowns and place them gently upon her head.
The girl who had once seemed like a lifeless puppet—silent, withdrawn, and empty—had changed. She had grown brighter, her eyes more alive, her expressions softer and more vivid. And as the days passed, she had begun to blossom into a beauty as gentle as spring itself.
A breeze stirred, lifting the hem of her dress as she returned, her flower basket swinging lightly at her side. She sat beside him at the cave's entrance and leaned her head against him without hesitation.
Soma raised his hand and softly stroked her hair, the silky strands slipping effortlessly through his fingers.
"If… one day, you find yourself alone," he murmured, gazing out at the radiant spring beyond the cave, "you must learn to be happy. Every day."
"I don't want to be alone," Kanao muttered quietly. "Just a little longer… it'll be summer soon. When that time comes, the flowers will bloom. It won't be long now."
"Yes… not long now."
A flicker of longing passed through Soma's crimson eyes. He seemed about to say more, his hand still resting gently on her head—
—but suddenly, his body stiffened.
A violent tremor ran through him. The veins at his temples bulged, as though they might burst at any moment.
Kanao pressed her lips together, watching as he clutched his head with both hands.
"Kanao… go practice your sword. Go farther away."
"Uncle…"
She wanted to say something more.
"Be good."
His voice was deeper now, strained and heavy.
Kanao bit her lip, lingering for a moment as she looked at him. Then, silently, she adjusted the flower crown on her head, picked up her wooden sword, and walked out of the cave—out into the boundless light.
Warm sunlight poured over her, gentle and comforting.
And yet, her heart longed only to return to the darkness behind her.
Within that darkness, a pair of blood-red eyes had already opened—watching her with a hunger so intense it bordered on madness. More than once, he nearly stepped forward, driven by instinct—
But the sunlight held him back.
He remained where he was, unmoving, his figure swallowed by shadow, his hands clutching his head in silence.
Kanao tightened her grip on her sword.
Slowly, she exhaled.
Then she began to train.
From the first light of dawn, until the sky dimmed into twilight, and finally surrendered to night, she practiced without pause—again and again, her movements growing sharper, faster, harder to follow.
The gentle spring rain mingled with her sweat, soaking her clothes until they clung to her frame. The flower crown upon her head had long since fallen apart, its petals scattered across the ground.
"Ha… ha…"
At last, she collapsed to the ground, her body trembling as she struggled to breathe.
Only after a long while did she gather enough strength to lift her head.
Night had come again.
Under a sky strewn with stars, the moon cast its gentle glow across the mountains, its light resting softly upon her delicate face.
It was dark again.
She could finally return to the cave.
Though her body ached with exhaustion and each step felt heavy, her heart was strangely light, almost eager. When she reached the entrance, she saw him—her uncle—standing in the depths of the cave.
It was unusually dark.
The fire that was always burning, always lighting the space between them, had gone out.
And he had not lit it again.
"Uncle…"
Kanao called softly, clutching her wooden sword as she looked at his back.
Silence answered her.
A suffocating, oppressive silence—
broken only by the faint sound of uneven breathing, as though something within him was being forced down with all his strength.
Step by step, she approached, until she finally stood beside him.
His hand was gripping the blade of his Nichirin sword so tightly that it had cut deep into his flesh. The edge bit into him mercilessly, and blood dripped steadily from the wound.
"Uncle…"
Kanao reached out and took his bleeding hand in hers. Warmth spread across her palm as his blood soaked into her skin, staining her small hand a deep, vivid red.
She lifted her head and looked at him—
at the man who stood there, breathing heavily, as though teetering on the edge of becoming something else entirely.
"I… may not be able to hold on any longer."
Soma spoke in a low voice, each word strained with pain, as though dragged from the depths of something collapsing inside him.
For a moment, Kanao Tsuyuri felt as though her breathing had stopped. Yet her small hand only tightened further around his bloodstained one, her voice soft but resolute.
"You don't have to endure it, Uncle."
"No."
Soma turned to look at her, his crimson eyes steady despite the torment within them. "There are things worth holding onto… more than life itself. If I cross that line, then I might as well be dead."
Kanao lowered her gaze, the starlike brightness in her eyes dimming into shadow.
"I thought I could endure it," he continued, his voice growing quieter, heavier. "I believed my will would be enough—that I could last until that moment came. But… I overestimated myself."
A faint, bitter breath escaped him.
"To have held on this long… I've already reached my limit."
"…I can't anymore."
There had never been an exception.
Not among demons.
And he would not be one.
No matter how strong a person's will might be, it was never without its end.
Kanao bit down on her lip, her head bowed. Her fingers clenched so tightly around his hand that her nails nearly broke the skin.
Gently, Soma pried her fingers away, one by one. Then he placed the Nichirin Sword into her hands.
"Take it."
Her lips trembled, but she obeyed, gripping the hilt tightly.
"Go… get the chains we brought. Bind me." His voice was low, controlled only by force.
Kanao stood frozen, unable to move. No matter how hard she tried, she could not bring herself to do such a thing—to bind him, to restrain the one she loved most.
"…Please, Kanao."
There was something in his voice now—something close to pleading.
Her head drooped, and at last she turned, walking slowly toward the corner of the cave. From the shadows, she dragged out a set of heavy iron chains.
By the time she returned, Soma had already moved to a natural stone wall within the cave. He braced his hands against it and spoke without turning.
"Go on. Tie me… tightly."
Though every part of her resisted, she could not refuse him. Not when he looked at her like that.
The chains clattered as she bound him.
The moment she finished, he began to struggle.
The iron links rattled violently, echoing through the cave as he pulled against them with mounting force—but no matter how he strained, they held fast.
Seeing this, Soma allowed himself a faint, almost relieved expression.
Then he looked at her again.
"If, in the end… you still can't find that flower—"
"No!"
Kanao shook her head desperately, her voice breaking. "I will! I'll find it for you, Uncle—I will—"
"Listen to me."
He cut her off, his tone suddenly firm.
"If you truly can't… then use that blade."
His crimson eyes locked onto hers.
"Cut off my head."
She shook her head again and again, refusing, unable to accept it.
"That would be mercy, Kanao," he said quietly. "You know it. You can feel it. Becoming that kind of demon… is worse than death."
"I don't want that. I won't become that."
"I…"
Kanao's grip tightened around the sword.
"If it comes to that, ending me will be a release," he continued, his voice growing strained. "And listen carefully… I'm already losing control. Until you find that flower, no matter what happens—don't trust me. And also… also—"
"—Ghh…!"
The words cut off.
Something inside him snapped.
The last fragile thread of restraint shattered completely.
His head lifted.
Those crimson eyes opened wide—and this time, there was nothing left within them but hunger.
Pure, unrestrained hunger.
He stared at her.
At the warm, living flesh before him.
At the blood pulsing beneath her skin.
All restraint was gone.
"Kanao… come here… come closer."
His voice had changed—warped, trembling with desire.
"Let me go. Undo the chains."
Kanao clutched the Nichirin Sword, shaking her head frantically.
"You always listen to me, don't you?" he coaxed, his tone turning soft, almost pleading. "Help me… take these off. I'm in pain… these chains hurt…"
His voice grew hoarse.
"I'm so hungry… give me something to eat. Just a little… I'm so… so hungry…"
He swallowed, his gaze never leaving her.
"Just one bite… just let me bite you once. I'm starving… I really can't take it anymore…"
Kanao shook her head, over and over, tears blurring her vision.
"You're not Uncle."
Her voice trembled.
"You're not him anymore."
She collapsed to the ground, still clutching the sword, repeating the words as though they were the only thing holding her together.
"You're not Uncle… you're not…"
...
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