Kanae Kocho had risen to her feet at some point. She stumbled across the debris-strewn ruins and came to stand before Rokuya. Her eyes, which always shone with gentle light, were now filled with lingering fear, heartache, and an indescribable feeling.
She looked at Rokuya's slightly trembling arms, then suddenly reached out with both hands and threw herself into a tight embrace, heedless of everything else.
"Thank you... Rokuya. If it hadn't been for you..." Kanae's voice caught slightly. She buried her face in his broad chest and listened to his pounding heart. To her, it was the most reassuring sound in the world.
Rokuya froze for a moment. Feeling the warm, soft body in his arms, he drew a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the ravenous hunger brought on by unleashing his ultimate move. He dropped his sword and wrapped his arms tightly around Kanae, resting his chin gently on the crown of her head. Though tired, his voice held an unassailable conviction:
"I told you, as long as I'm here, no one can lay a hand on you. But... I'm really hungry right now, Kanae. When we get back, I want ten bowls of your fried pork cutlets..."
Crunch-
The crisp sound of chewing rang especially loud in the quiet side room of the Butterfly Mansion.
Sunlight slanted through the wooden lattice windows covered in washi paper, spilling over the natural-wood dining table and illuminating a mountain of spotless porcelain bowls. Takanashi Rokuno sat cross-legged on a floor cushion without a shred of decorum, holding his eleventh bowl of rice. He picked up an astonishingly thick fried pork cutlet with his chopsticks and unceremoniously stuffed it into his mouth.
The golden, crispy coating shattered between his teeth, and abundant meat juices burst across his tongue, mingling with