Sis, We Really Should Kill This Weird Demon After All, Shouldn't We?

"..."

Shinobu Kocho sat on the edge of the bed with her arms folded, quietly watching the boy clowning around before her with her pale violet eyes.

One second.

Two seconds.

Ten seconds.

Kiyohiko's body suddenly convulsed. Then he pointed a trembling finger at the ceiling and groaned in a faint voice that seemed to come from the edge of hell:

"Great-Grandma... I can see Great-Grandma... She's waving at me from across the river... She's holding a bowl of duck blood vermicelli soup, too... It smells so good..."

"Pfft."

A barely audible sound rang out in the quiet room.

Shinobu hurriedly raised a hand and covered the lower half of her face with the wide sleeve of her haori.

Her flawless, masklike smile cracked for an instant, and the curve of her eyes and brows became lively and genuine.

"Stop acting."

Though she was trying hard to suppress it, her voice carried a barely perceptible hint of amusement and exasperation.

"That was just ordinary wisteria extract, with the concentration adjusted. For a demon, it would only numb your tongue and make your muscles mildly sore and weak at most. It couldn't possibly kill you, much less make you see... some great-grandmother."

Hearing that, Kiyohiko, who had been at death's door a moment ago, instantly rolled his eyes back into place. As if nothing had happened, he neatly pulled his tongue back into his mouth and wiped his drool on the pillow.

"Oh, so it was an anesthetic."

Kiyohiko blinked and looked at Shinobu with an innocent expression. "I thought it was some kind of 'Smiling Half-Step Death.' You scared me to death. Miss Shinobu, you really shouldn't joke like that next time. I have a weak heart, and a scare could easily do me harm."

Shinobu lowered the sleeve covering her mouth. Though she quickly regained her composed manner, a little more warmth appeared in her eyes.

She looked at Kiyohiko, her gaze growing inquisitive, as though she were looking at some strange creature she had never seen before.

"You really are strange."

She spoke softly, her tone no longer as confrontational as before.

"You're a demon, yet you did something like that in a place like Mount Fujikasane..."

"A demon in a hunting ground full of food not only refrained from eating, but spent his own strength healing his prey. In the end, he even came close to being reduced to nothing to help his prey kill his own kind..."

She leaned forward, her purple eyes fixed on Kiyohiko's, as if trying to see through to his soul.

Kiyohiko slowly sat up straight and put away his irreverent grin. His gaze grew clear and calm, a reassuring look that made him seem like a different person from the clown of a moment ago.

"Miss Shinobu, do you believe in instinct?"

Kiyohiko's voice was calm, no longer hoarse or playful as it had been before.

"On Mount Fujikasane, I heard screams. I saw those young kids lying in pools of blood, their lives slipping away, their eyes full of fear and the desire to live."

"I knew I was hungry, and I knew it was dangerous for me. But I'd always find all sorts of reasons to convince myself, even if those reasons didn't hold up at all. Believe it or not, I couldn't stand the feeling of watching living people turn into cold corpses before my eyes."

"I wasn't thinking about grand principles or trying to be a hero. I just didn't want them to die. It's like reaching out to help someone without thinking when they fall in front of you. To me, that's how it should be. Of course..."

Kiyohiko smiled self-deprecatingly and pointed to the two sharp canines in his mouth. "There seems to be another, completely opposite instinct in this body. I don't deny that, and I think that's why you hate me so much."

"But you have to believe me: since I became aware, I really haven't hurt a single person."

Shinobu's pupils contracted slightly. "Of course, I believe you."

"I also believe that one day, humans and demons can live together in peace."

Kiyohiko glanced at the Bond Value. Hmm... still negative. I almost believed her.

"As for why I didn't resist just now..." Kiyohiko brought the conversation back, tacitly leaving the subject of humans and demons alone.

His gaze softened a little as he looked at Shinobu, a hint of helpless indulgence in his voice.

"Because you're a doctor."

"Huh?" Shinobu froze, clearly not expecting that answer.

"When a doctor gives a patient medicine, what can I do as the patient but follow the doctor's orders? Even if the medicine tastes absolutely awful and carries a dose of malice aimed at me."

Kiyohiko shrugged, then his expression grew serious.

"Besides, I know you're angry. You have a strong scent of anger about you. That's your hatred for demons.

"If drinking this cup of tea can calm you down a little and make you believe me, and make you feel a little safer, then I'll drink it. Anyway, like you said, it won't kill me."

"I know you're a good person, Miss Shinobu. I don't want to hurt you. There's no need for any complicated reason."

With that, Kiyohiko flopped back onto the bed and resumed his lazy manner.

"Oh, no, I can't go on. The numbness is setting in, and my tongue's getting tied again. Um, Miss Shinobu, now that I've drunk the tea and said my piece, could I have two more rice balls?

"Those two earlier really weren't enough to fill a gap between my teeth. Even the sawdust-flavored ones would do..."

[Shinobu Kocho's Bond Value: -10]

It finally went up. Sure enough, my emotional intelligence is still great. Everything before was just an accident. It almost made me lose confidence.

Seeing the system notification, Kiyohiko was secretly pleased with himself and began to feel quite pleased.

After hearing Kiyohiko's words, Shinobu stood where she was, unmoving for a long time.

She watched the boy on the bed, who had started whining about being hungry again. Her fingers tightened around her sword hilt, then loosened, then tightened again.

For an instant just now, she had seen a glimmer in the boy's eyes that resembled her sister's.

That kindness that sought nothing in return, that... stupidity of saving others even at the cost of hurting oneself.

"There are no rice balls left."

"But there are a few fish in the kitchen. I'll have someone bring them to you."

"And..."

Shinobu stepped forward and straightened Kiyohiko's rumpled blanket, then gave him a serious reminder. "Get some rest for now. A member of the Kakushi will come in a little while to take you to see the Master and the Hashira."

"The Master believes you, but the other Hashira still have objections to you."

"When you get there, no matter what happens, you must hold yourself back. I believe in you."

When Shinobu finished speaking, her trademark gentle smile returned to her lips.

If Sis were still here, she'd surely like this strange demon.

It isn't impossible for humans and demons to live together in peace.

"Um... Miss Shinobu, can I ask you a favor?"

"Go ahead. Maybe I'll consider it."

"Could you say 'moshi moshi'? I really want to hear it. Please?"

Sis...

We really should kill this strange demon after all, shouldn't we?