Chapter 19: CH. 19: Live My Share As Well
Coincidence?
Kenshi glanced at Kanao and found a hint of shock appear in her normally indifferent gaze. Even her body had started trembling slightly.
"Hanako..." Kanao murmured.
"You know her?" He couldn't help asking.
This time, Kanao didn't flip a coin at all.
She just looked at the seemingly sleeping girl and softly said. "Hanako Aoki, she was master student, but went missing a year ago during a mission."
Kenshi instantly understood.
Shinobu had said over the past two years, twelve demon slaying missions had been issued for Sakurai Town.
Eleven were safely resolved. Only one year ago did the dispatched member and crow not return.
But what surprised him was that the person who was missing is actually Shinobu's student.
He recalled that the original manga did mention Shinobu having other students.
Unfortunately they never appeared in the main story, only her flashbacks.
Because they had died.....
They were all killed by demons!.....
Kenhsi just fell silent.
"So you do know each other!" Hearing their conversation, the demon laughed loudl. "When I saw the butterfly pin on your head I wondered if you were acquainted. But this makes things easier! A year ago I was still weak, unable to fully conceal my aura. Like you two, after killing the small fry she also found my hiding spot. She was very strong, I had to use some tricks to capture her alive!"
Speaking to here, a playful smile appeared on Godhikaru's face. "Then I experimented on her. I placed demonic seeds in her body. After continuous day and night adjustments, I finally completely turned her into a demon! Now... it's time for your reunion!"
As he clapped his hands, the branches around Hanako Aoki completely unraveled.
Next, Hanako Aoki's eyes quivered, opening to reveal somewhat lifeless eyes.
Godhikaru stroked her face affectionately. "Go! My beloved! Kill and devour them, like I had you do before!"
"Yes..." Hanako Aoki responded lifelessly, taking the sword passed to her by the branches.
Having become a demon, her previous nichirin blade could no longer be used. So the Demon had prepared an ordinary iron sword for her.
Useless against demons, but just right for slaughtering humans.
Receiving the sword, Hanako Aoki suddenly leapt into the air like a butterfly, gliding diagonally towards the two as she cut through the dome easily.
Kenshi instantly became vigilant. He recognized that sword technique—Insect Breathing - Butterfly Dance: Caprice
It's traits were erratic footwork and nearly unpredictable stab attacks.
Godhikaru stood behind with his arms crossed, spectating.
"Yes, just like that! Give me a heartwarming slaughter fest! Hahaha!"
But unexpectedly, the midair butterfly dance suddenly halted.
Hanako Aoki landed on the ground. Looking at Kanao before her, tears suddenly flowed from her eyes. "Little Kanao..."
Kenshi and Kanao were both startled.
Kenshi tentatively asked. "Do you still remember.... anything from before?"
Kanao's eyes were also livelier than normal, even showing a hint of hope.
"I remember..." Hanako Aoki suddenly wept, saying in choked sobs. "Little Kanao, please, kill me, okay? I'm in so much pain! I've already... ah!"
Behind her, the demon furiously punched his own fist. Hanako Aoki immediately felt unbearable pain surge through her body from the gesture, the agony interrupting her next words.
"You dare betray me!" Godhikaru yelled in rage.
Hanako Aoki's skin suddenly twisted and bulged, as if something was squirming and swelling underneath.
Accompanied by hanako's wails, countless branches burst from her skin. Some coiled around her torso, others deeply pierced out like tentacles.
As her screaming ceased, the branches also stopped growing.
But immediately after, her body slowly began moving.
A slash of a blade came right at kenshi and Kanao!
The power and speed were greater, but without any technique, it only looked like she lost control of her body.
Kenshi and Kanao easily avoided it.
"Hanako..." Kanao seemed to want to say something, but was forced back each time she got near by the fierce blade slashes.
"Please, little Kanao, kill me!" Hanako Aoki still wept. "I've become a demon already, eaten people too. There's no going back now!"
Seeing her former sister's current state, Kanao's body couldn't stop trembling. An inexplicable emotion swelled in her chest.
This was the second time she felt this emotion. The first being at Sister Kanae's funeral.
People seemed to call this feeling—sadness...
Kanao deeply inhaled, her sword-wielding hand finally steadying.
Since it was irredeemable, then she would do it with her own hand...
Kenshi suddenly blocked Kanao's path.
"Forcing you to do this would be too cruel. I'll handle it!" He said. "You go stop that bastard behind."
That's right...
Kanao looked towards the sinister-faced demon. He was the root cause of this entire tragedy, he was the one who truly needed to be destroyed!
Kanao instantly darted at the demon. Perhaps due to anger, she was faster than ever before!
Hanako Aoki tried attacking her, but she was blocked by kenshi.
"Flower Breathing Style - Fifth form: Peonies of futility."
Nine slashes instantly rushed towards the demon, but were obstructed by a gigantic tree trunk bursting from the ground.
Then two enormous wooden hands moved to surround Kanao, but were only able to grab the afterimages.
Godhikaru sharply raised his head. Kanao had leapt into the air without him noticing, hurtling at him.
"Blood Demon Art : Willow of Bonelessness!"
He roared furiously. Countless branches burst from behind him, stabbing at the midair Kanao. They didn't look like branches but tentacles, like boneless swords.
"Flower Breathing Style - Second Form: Honorable Shadow Plum!"
Kanao's sword technique instantly formed a barrier, severing the endless incoming attacks.
Although she blocked the assault, the moment Kanao neared she was still knocked back by the sudden underground attack.
Even then she recklessly charged again.
She would cut off this demon's head with her own hand! Veins erupted on her forehead as her eyes turned red. Just thinking about what this nasty demon had done to her senior sister made her blood boil.
As the battle raged on one side, the fight on the other side was quietly coming to an end. What surprised kenshi was that although the Demon was occupied by Kanao, Hanako Aoki's attacks did not weaken at all.
Could it be that this demon can multitask?
He seized an opening, dodged the attack and then slashed towards the controlled Hanako Aoki's neck. Even though she raised her sword to block, kenshi's blade pierced through her defense and sliced off her neck due to its special abilities.
Just as he cut her neck, he felt a depressive feeling rock his mind, but he used his breathing techniques to calm his mind.
Hanako felt the world spin and then her face was pressed against the ground. After coming to her senses, she revealed a relieved smile. "Thank you."
Kenshi walked over and gently tidied her hair. "Hello senior sister, I'm kenshi Tanaka, a new student of master Shinobu."
"Eh? Is that so? So.... You're my junior brother?" Although dissipating, Hanako still looked very surprised.
"Mm." He nodded. "Is there... anything you want me to pass on to Master?"
Hanako's smile faded. After a while, she softly spoke. "I'm sorry... I disappointed Master... I'm sorry... I didn't protect myself well... I'm sorry... I didn't fulfill my promise before departure..."
Kenshi gently stroked her forehead, hoping to provide her some warmth in her last moments.
"Thank you!" Hanako smiled at him. "You must become very strong! Carry my share as well and live on properly! Become Master's most outstanding disciple!"
He also revealed a smile: "I will!"
Having received a satisfactory answer, Hanako finally dissipated completely, leaving only a butterfly hairpin in his hand.
On the other side, despite the demon's desperate resistance, his neck was still sliced by Kanao in the end.
With his death, the sakura filled space also started vanishing.
The two returned to the original world.
Kenshi frowned as his eyes narrowed. He used his senses as he examined his surroundings.
The trees were still blooming and the night's people were still seeking pleasure, but all that had transpired earlier had disappeared like ashes. Only the butterfly hairpin in his hand remained.
Kanao walked over and took the hairpin from his hand, a hint of grief appearing in her eyes.
"Hana...she is a girl very afraid of pain." She softly said. "But even so.... she never gave up on arduous training, dreaming that one day she could become master's most outstanding disciple and her pride!"
Kenshi remained silent and merely listened quietly.
Kanao continued. "One year ago, Hana passed the final selection and became an official member of the Demon slayer corps, just after also receiving her first mission. Before setting off, she had sworn certainly that she would return very soon and told us to definitely prepare a feast. But no matter how long we waited, even till the prepared feast is rotted and gone bad, Hana never came back..."
This was the first time Kanao had said so much to him, but all he could do was be an attentive listener.
Suddenly, kenshi looked towards the massive sakura tree in front of them. The Sakura flowers on it were still silently blooming.
His gaze landed on the trunk as he said to Kanao. "It's not over yet... Hana's revenge isn't done yet!"
Kenshi suddenly rushed forward and stabbed his sword into the giant tree trunk!
In the dark night, A piercing shriek suddenly resounded!
Weekly Power Status
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