Kaein's POV
"Really? You pick the shrine gate for your tantrum?" I yelled as the demon lunged, claws extended. Its hand caught the torii beam above me, splintering the wood with a crack that made me stumble back. Fantastic. Just what the villagers needed, a cursed spirit demolishing their sacred gate.
It hissed, it's black eyes glinting in the moonlight. "You'll die before sunrise, human." it pointed out at me.
I had to turn severally to notice who this motherfucker was talking to, "Cute," I said, rolling under its swing, mud squishing beneath my boots. "But do you say that to everyone, or am I special? Think I trained years for your ass to beat me like that?" I jabbed the blade into its side and warm blood spattered my sleeve. "Honestly, your fashion sense is all wrong for a demon. You're supposed to be scary, not… messy."
The thing shrieked, and I felt the scrape of its claws across my shoulder. Pain shot through me, but I didn't slow. Pain was background noise by now. Every hunt reminded me why I kept living while my family didn't. I twisted the blade and shoved it in deeper. The demon staggered but didn't fall. Figures.
"You're stronger than you look," it growled.
"Thank you for noticing," I replied, ducking under its next swipe and flipping over a rice paddy embankment. "Really, I try. People don't usually appreciate the effort it takes to kill your kind cleanly."
It lunged again. I barely blocked, the force pushing me back. "You know," I said, gritting my teeth, "most demons don't scream quite like that. You sound like a kid throwing a tantrum. Grow up."
It screeched, claws swiping at my ribs. I cursed and twisted the blade into its chest, feeling the black blood warm on my hands. It shrieked louder, flailing, before staggering backward. I didn't give it time to recover. Another stab, right through the stomach.
Finally, it fell. I forced myself to stay standing. Every muscle ached, blood running down my side, my arm sticky and numb. No sense of victory. Only another corpse, another reminder of the faces I'll never see again.
I leaned against a bamboo stalk, catching my breath. The mud under my boots squelched, my sword felt heavier than it had five minutes ago, and the night was silent again, except for the faint cry of an owl. I swiped my sleeve across my forehead, tasting iron.
"Ugh," I muttered. "Another one bites the dust. Great."
I let my gaze drift over the shattered torii, the bent bamboo, the ruined edge of the rice paddy. Rural Japan was supposed to be quiet, peaceful. At least, that's what the villagers thought. I snorted. Peaceful wasn't part of my life anymore. Not since my real family got wiped out.
I wiped sweat and blood from my brow. One thing was certain: I hated demons more than ever. Hated them, and I'd keep hunting them until there wasn't a single one left alive. Every strike, every kill, was a promise. A vow I carried like a stone in my chest.
That's when I noticed movement. Someone was walking toward me down the path. Slow and careful. He didn't run, and didn't panic. He looked… human.
"Need a hand, or are you going to bleed out here all night?" the stranger said.
I squinted, suspicious. "Who are you?"
He smiled, easy and annoyingly calm. "Renjiro. Just passing through."
I frowned. "Passing through? At midnight? In the middle of a demon fight?"
He shrugged, hands tucked into his sleeves. "The night's quiet, and I like a bit of excitement."
I didn't move. "Excitement, huh? You've got a funny way of showing it. You do realize that was a demon back there?"
"Yeah," he said. "I saw it. And I saw you survive." He tilted his head. "Impressive. Not many people around here would still be standing right now."
I shifted uncomfortably, still leaning on the bamboo. My shoulder throbbed, my ribs burned, but I didn't want his help. Didn't need help. Never needed help apparently and could only shrug my face, yeah shrug my face at how mysterious he was .
He crouched slightly, tilting his head with that unnerving calm, and gestured to my side. "You're bleeding. Let me help."
I almost laughed. "Seriously? You think I need some stranger bandaging me?"
He just reached out, and his hands were warm. I froze. Not out of fear because I'd fought worse than a stranger's hands but because… damn.
I blinked, quickly looking away. "Get off me."
"Relax," he said lightly. "I just want to stop the bleeding. You can still fight if you need to."
His face caught the moonlight just right. High cheekbones, dark hair brushing his collar, eyes that seemed to see too much his round eyes were so mesmerizing.
I felt my chest tighten, and for a moment, I forgot about the fight and I just… looked.
H
e noticed me staring. "Don't worry, I don't bite… much."