"Sorry..."
He wanted to apologize to Kanao and explain his behavior, but when the words reached his lips, nothing came out. He simply turned back to the flickering flames of the bonfire and stared blankly into them.
Kanao tilted her head and looked at her uncle in confusion. After a while, seeing that he was only watching the fire, she lowered her head again and looked at the chicken leg he had just handed her.
The roasted chicken leg was still warm, but it had fallen to the ground during what had just happened and picked up quite a bit of dirt. Although her uncle had cleaned it off, some still remained. Kanao did not mind that, though. Instead, its aroma drew her in.
The girl gently pinched off a small piece of the chicken leg's skin.
The skin had been roasted golden brown and gave off a delicious aroma. She placed the little piece between her lips, and its wonderful taste made her pinkish-purple eyes curve slightly.
It tasted so good.
It smelled so delicious.
After finishing that little piece of golden-brown skin, Kanao unconsciously licked the corner of her mouth with her moist tongue. The delicious taste instinctively made her want to share the chicken leg with her hungry uncle.
But just as she began to raise the chicken leg, she remembered how angry he had looked earlier and drew it back.
Tilting her head, she glanced at her uncle, then lowered her eyes to the fragrant chicken leg again. Unable to share such delicious food with him, she felt as though it no longer tasted quite as good.
She lowered her head in disappointment and silently ate the chicken leg in her hands.
The bonfire burned. In its flickering light, the demon quietly stared into the flames, lost in thought, while the girl beside him ate her chicken leg in small bites.
The chicken leg was not large, and she soon finished it.
Then the demon roasted the rice balls, chunks of meat, and little steamed buns the girl had secretly stashed away and told her to keep eating.
Kanao was reluctant to see all the food she had hidden away being used up, but the feeling of having a full stomach was very comfortable.
After eating, Kanao leaned against the demon and watched the flames of the bonfire with him. Occasionally, when something stirred nearby, her pinkish-purple eyes would instinctively turn toward it.
Otherwise, the girl spent most of her time sitting quietly in a daze.
"Crack..."
Another piece of wood gave a crisp crack as it burned, jolting Su Mu out of his reverie. He turned his head. Kanao was still beside him, making no fuss, quietly watching the bonfire.
After looking at the well-behaved Kanao, Su Mu glanced around. Apart from the bonfire where he sat, the cave deep within the mountain was pitch-black. Only at its entrance could he faintly see some light, but that light could not reach them.
He patted Kanao's head.
The girl lifted her eyes and tilted her head, confusion in her gaze.
"Don't stay here all the time. Go outside and get some sunshine."
He spoke gently.
Unlike demons, who were suited to darkness, humans needed to bathe in sunlight regularly. Spending too long in a dark, damp place would inevitably cause all kinds of health problems.
Besides, Kanao was still very young and physically frail. He needed to be even more careful with her.
At his words, Kanao nervously gripped his sleeve, seemingly reluctant to venture out into the sunlight.
But humans were not creatures of darkness, after all.
"Go outside and get some sunshine. If you run into any danger, come straight back."
He patted Kanao's head again.
The girl was obedient, after all. Although she still seemed eager to stay beside him, she did as he said and walked toward the cave entrance, looking back every few steps.
Su Mu stood quietly where he was, watching Kanao walk toward the light outside the cave. To him, that light was something terrifying he could never touch.
Perhaps because she had spent so long in the darkness with the demon, the glaring sunlight made Kanao instinctively close her eyes when she stepped outside. Only after a while did she adjust enough to open them a little.
The girl unconsciously reached out a hand. The sunlight fell upon it, warm and comforting.
Kanao could not help turning back toward the dark cave. Inside, her uncle had already picked up the Nichirin Blade and begun practicing, though she had not noticed when. Now and then, flashes of steel shone in the darkness.
Kanao found a relatively clean spot near the entrance and sat down. As she basked in the sunshine, her gaze occasionally drifted toward the figure practicing swordsmanship inside the cave.
Time slipped quietly by.
Hiroshi Furukawa came down from Mount Sagiri to meet his companions, looking somewhat dejected.
When they learned that Master Urokodaki could not come to help, they all fell silent.
"Even without Master Urokodaki's help, we can still do this ourselves."
One swordsman gave an easygoing smile.
"That's right. It'll just take a little longer."
Another swordsman smiled.
Hiroshi Furukawa looked at his seemingly unconcerned companions and forced a smile. There were things none of them had said aloud. This demon did not appear particularly strong, but he was far more cruel and cunning than other demons, and much better at evading them.
None of them minded fighting a bloody battle with a demon, nor did they fear sacrificing their lives. What they feared was letting this demon escape their grasp. That was the one thing they could not allow.
"All right, everyone, keep searching. If you find any clues..."
Hiroshi Furukawa began to speak, but halfway through, he seemed to sense something and abruptly turned around.
A breeze blew past, rustling the leaves.
A girl wearing a smiling fox mask patterned with blue flowers landed lightly on the ground amid the drifting leaves.
She wore a short kimono patterned with plum blossoms and had medium-length black hair. Her figure was light and graceful.
The gentle breeze stirred her hair, lifting it softly.
Although the fox mask concealed her face, they could imagine how delicate and beautiful the features beneath it must have been.
The appearance of such a seemingly beautiful masked girl in these remote mountains left the swordsmen startled and curious.
"It's you?"
Hiroshi Furukawa immediately recognized this disciple of Master Sakonji Urokodaki.
"Hello."
Makomo placed one hand over her lower abdomen, lowered her head, and bowed slightly. Her voice was soft, ethereal, and lovely. "I'd like to hunt demons alongside you, my seniors."
Smiling, the girl raised her head and looked at them with her beautiful, delicate eyes:
"I would also..."
"...be grateful for your guidance."
Everyone froze for a moment. They had not expected this seemingly beautiful girl to ask to join their demon hunt.
Instinctively, they all looked toward their leader.
Only then did Hiroshi Furukawa seem to recover. Looking at the apparently earnest girl, he did not know whether to laugh or cry. "Hunting demons is very dangerous. Besides, you haven't passed the swordsman examination on Mount Fujikasane yet, have you? You probably aren't capable of dealing with those cruel demons."
At his words, Makomo lifted her head. The voice beneath her fox mask remained soft. "It's precisely because I haven't passed the examination that I need to see those cruel demons and face them myself. That way, when I face demons during the examination on Mount Fujikasane, I won't panic."
As she spoke, Makomo bowed again:
"Please give me a chance."