The Sun hung directly overhead. It was noon.
Inside the cave, Kanao groggily opened her eyes and looked around out of habit. Only when she saw Uncle beside her, running his hand over his blade, did she relax a little.
She took small steps toward him, then leaned against him like a kitten.
Su Mu, who had been gently stroking the Nichirin Blade, turned to look at Kanao.
"You're awake?"
"Mm."
The girl reached out with her little hand and added a small piece of firewood to the campfire. Her pinkish-purple eyes blinked as the flames suddenly leaped higher.
"We left the city in such a hurry that I forgot to bring food. Once the Sun goes down, I'll take you to find something to eat."
He spoke gently as he watched Kanao toss another twig into the fire.
Kanao looked at him and blinked.
He lightly brushed a finger over her little nose and said helplessly, "Even if you're hungry, there's nothing we can do. There's nothing to eat in this cave."
As he finished speaking, he glanced outside. Simply looking at that warm sunlight made his eyes feel as though needles were stabbing them, forcing him to lower his head.
But the moment he did, he saw a little hand held out in front of him.
That tiny hand was clutching a shriveled chicken drumstick.
Su Mu froze, then looked up at Kanao.
The girl held the drumstick out before him as though presenting a treasure.
"You actually stashed some food away?"
Su Mu was surprised.
Kanao blinked, then brought the drumstick toward his mouth, her eyes full of anticipation.
As far as the girl could remember, Uncle had never eaten anything. Who knew how hungry he must have been?
"I'm not eating."
Su Mu smiled as he took the drumstick. He found a clean twig, skewered it, and held it over the campfire. "I'll warm it up, then you can eat it."
Then he smiled at Kanao. "Do you have anything else to eat?"
He only asked casually, not expecting her to have any more food. The fact that she had secretly hidden a drumstick was already something of a surprise.
Then he watched Kanao rummage through her clothes.
Soon, a small pile of food began to accumulate on the ground in front of Su Mu.
A small steamed bun, several squashed rice balls, a little piece of meat, a few pine nuts, a small tangerine...
Su Mu stared at the little pile in astonishment.
"You're just like a little hamster. You really know how to stash things away!"
But after his surprise passed, he thought of Kanao's past and began to understand.
Having grown up without enough to eat, Kanao clearly had a strong craving for food and lacked a sense of security. Hoarding food like this came naturally to her.
He reached out and gently rubbed her head, saying with tender sympathy,
"You won't have to go hungry anymore."
Kanao blinked her lovely eyes as she looked at him.
Su Mu said nothing more and continued roasting the drumstick. Once he thought it was ready, he held it out to Kanao. "Go ahead and eat."
Kanao took the drumstick and instinctively moved to bite it, but stopped just before it reached her mouth. She held it out to him again.
"I can't eat this sort of thing."
He patted the girl's head. "Eating this won't ease a demon's hunger."
Kanao tilted her head and blinked, a thoughtful look appearing in her eyes. Then she naturally offered her arm to his mouth.
Last time, the demon Uncle had killed had said she was Uncle's food. Eating her should ease his hunger, then. If he took a bite of her...
Her fair arm came to rest before his lips. He could faintly smell something sweet, something fatally alluring. His throat moved involuntarily, and he nearly lost control and bit into it.
An endless craving for flesh and blood surged within him.
His expression turned ugly at once, and he slapped the girl's hand away with a little too much force.
"Don't do that again."
He kept his head lowered, suppressing the sudden surge of hunger for flesh and blood. His voice was no longer gentle and even carried a trace of anger. Kanao's unexpected gesture had nearly made him lose control of himself.
The longer he remained a demon, the stronger his craving for flesh and blood became. The slightest lapse could easily leave him consumed by a demon's instincts.
Once he gave in even a little, he would become a monster just like the demons of this world.
"Phew..."
He let out a small breath before finally calming the craving surging within him. Only then did he look at Kanao.
Perhaps his outburst had frightened her. She was huddled there in a daze, her eyes seemingly filled with terror.
An inexplicable pang of guilt rose in his heart.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something to Kanao as she curled up there. But once his lips parted, he could not find the words, so he silently returned to the campfire.
Kanao remained curled up where she was, feeling that she had angered Uncle and made him dislike her.
He might even drive her away.
The thought filled her with unaccountable dread and panic, as though she were about to return to that cold, damp darkness.
Time passed, second by second. Su Mu sat silently before the campfire, while the girl huddled fearfully off to one side.
"Crack..."
The burning wood crackled in the campfire.
The sound seemed to jolt Kanao awake, bringing her back to her senses. She cautiously raised her pinkish-purple eyes and saw Uncle sitting there in silence.
After a moment's hesitation, the girl took a small step. Seeing that Uncle did not object, she cautiously took another, slowly inching toward him. She tentatively moved closer, and only when he still did not object did she rest her little head against him. At once, her eyes narrowed in contentment.
Su Mu had noticed everything Kanao did. He regretted his outburst, but what filled him most was a kind of shock and fear.
The craving that had suddenly surged within him had nearly made him lose control, nearly made him do something he could never accept, nearly made him treat Kanao as food.
He knew Kanao's gesture had been innocent, but it had also made him keenly aware that he was no different from any other demon. If this continued, one day he would inevitably become a flesh-devouring
monster.
His will could hold out for a day, ten days, a hundred days, but certainly not a thousand. Perhaps not even that long.
If this continued, he would eventually succumb to the endless craving for flesh and blood, just like the other demons.
"Phew..."
He drew a deep breath and suppressed his emotions. Picking up the drumstick that had fallen beside him, he cleaned it off and handed it to Kanao. "Go ahead and eat."
Seeing that Kanao still seemed a little nervous, he lowered his eyes. "I'm sorry..."
He wanted to say more in apology, but in the end, the words would not come. All he could do was turn away and silently watch the campfire burn, his eyes fixed on its flickering flames.