But mentally, Upper Moon Six seemed to have taken quite a blow.
The demon could have crushed those two on a whim, yet now he could barely meet their eyes.
"Long time no see, my friend."
Tetsu no Sosuke drew his gaze away from the two of them and turned to Upper Moon Six. With a smile, he said, "I went away for a while to take care of some things. Were you lonely without me around to talk to?"
"..."
Noro Kira chose to remain silent. He even closed his eyes.
Tetsu no Sosuke sighed. "Seeing that you still have the strength to close your eyes puts my mind at ease. Speaking of which, you haven't eaten human flesh or drunk human blood in so long. Aren't you hungry?"
Noro Kira's eyes snapped open, a trace of longing in them.
Tetsu no Sosuke leaned close to his ear and whispered, "How about we make a deal? Tell me a few things I want to know, and I'll secretly give you a person to eat. What do you say? Sound fair?"
"...Are you even human?"
Noro Kira's eyes went wide. Of all the things he could have said, that was what came out.
"It does feel strange, being asked that by you." Tetsu no Sosuke sighed. "Oh well. If that's how you feel, I guess the deal's off."
"What is it you want to know?"
Noro Kira's question made it seem as though he might be willing to talk.
But Tetsu no Sosuke only smiled. "I'm not telling you yet."
"...Why?" Noro Kira asked.
"Because... someone might find out." Tetsu no Sosuke smiled again, then sighed. "Tell me, why has that master of yours left you here for so long? He lets you suffer pain, torment, and humiliation without lifting