— — — — — —
The mont she saw the ssage, Kanae Kocho jolted upright, fully alert.
She'd tried talking to demons before. It never ended well.
Sotis they'd pretend to negotiate, only to use the opportunity to escape. Others tried sneak attacks. So even kidnapped hostages to bargain with.
Ironically, the ones who flat-out rejected her were usually the most straightforward.
So now? Kanae couldn't help but be suspicious. She had a sinking feeling that Ryo was trying to lure her away from the Butterfly Mansion… to ambush her.
And honestly, it wouldn't be the first ti sothing like that had happened. If she weren't as strong as she was, she probably wouldn't still be alive to tell the tale.
Not that she could tell it. She never had the nerve to bring these things up to Shinobu—didn't want to make her worry. Or worse, angry.
"…Should I give it one more try?"
Kanae stared down at the diary in her hands. After a mont's hesitation, she decided… to trust again.
She walked over to her desk, picked up her fountain pen, and wrote:
{"I'll agree to et you, Mr. Demon. But… could I ask what the conditions for that are?"}
A mont later, words began appearing on the page in response.
["Just a quiet place will do."]
["To make it happen, write in the diary that you invite to answer your question face-to-face. You can ask whatever you like."]
Kanae's gaze lingered on the first line, and her eyes dimd with a flicker of disappointnt.
"A quiet place, huh? Sounds like the perfect setup for an ambush…"
Even so, she ntally braced herself.
She wasn't weak. Unless this demon was one of Muzan Kibutsuji's Twelve Kizuki, she figured she'd have a decent chance at escaping if things went south.
Sure, there was still risk—but this person had shown concern for a child's emotional state before. That didn't scream "cold-blooded killer" to her. So… maybe the gamble was worth it.
With that in mind, Kanae picked up her Nichirin Blade and quietly slipped out the back door of the mansion, diary and pen in hand.
Back inside, Shinobu looked up from her work and spotted her sister sneaking off through the window.
"…Huh?"
She tilted her head and blinked, puzzled.
The Butterfly Mansion was located on the outskirts of town.
It was the Taisho era, and much of Japan still clung to its traditional wooden architecture. That made it easy for Kanae to find a narrow, shaded alleyway tucked away in a quieter district.
But she didn't enter it imdiately. Instead, she stood just outside the shadows, bathed in sunlight.
Everyone knew demons couldn't survive in sunlight—it turned them to ash instantly.
Kanae might've been willing to et Ryo, but she wasn't stupid enough to walk into a trap without any precautions.
So, facing away from the sun, she scribbled down her invitation in the diary.
---
[Ding!]
["Kanae-Is-So-Cute" has invited you to answer: Can demons and humans really get along?]
Ryo blinked when he saw the notification pop up.
Then, with a shrug, he tapped "Accept" on the Dinsional Forum.
In the next instant, he was transported from his room in [No Na] to a dim, old-fashioned alleyway with a distinctly Japanese flair.
Standing a short distance away was a beautiful woman in a dark uniform and a haori draped over her shoulders, butterfly ornants in her hair.
"Ah?"
Ryo appeared out of thin air, startling Kanae enough to make her flinch slightly.
She looked him over in silence, then tilted her head and said, "Mr. Demon?"
Ryo gave her a dry look. "I'm not Mr. Demon. And you're not Shinobu, are you? You're Kanae Kocho."
"Ah… well, I guess you're right," Kanae replied with a sheepish smile, feigning innocence.
She realized belatedly that all their past conversations had been under Shinobu's na.
Awkward.
Still, Ryo didn't press the issue. Not everyone could afford to be as arrogant and confident as soone like Aizen, who believed he could control everything.
People like Kanae had every right to be cautious. Using a false identity to protect herself wasn't deception—it was survival.
With that thought, Ryo shrugged and said casually, "Either way, the outco works in my favor."
That line made Kanae's brow twitch, and her wariness kicked up a notch.
Then, without warning, Ryo reached out and made a grabbing motion in the air.
The air around them exploded with a deafening crack.
Kanae jumped in alarm, clapping her hands over her ears and stumbling back a few steps.
"Sorry about that," Ryo said with a chuckle. "I was adjusting to the air pressure. Didn't an to scare you."
"Air pressure?" Kanae gripped the hilt of her blade tighter, voice sharp with suspicion. "And did you figure out what you needed?"
Ryo ignored her guarded stance and, oddly enough, seed pleased.
Then he smiled and said:
"Yeah. I think I could probably twist Muzan Kibutsuji's head off and use it as a soccer ball."
"…Is that so? You're very strong, Mr. Demon."
Kanae gave a calm, polite smile.
'Crushed air with his bare hands…Talking like Muzan's head is a toy…You sure you're not Muzan himself?'
Before she could say anything more, Ryo looked at her and said gently: "No need to be so tense. I don't an you any harm."
He turned toward the alley's corner.
"And that goes for you too," he added, smiling warmly. "You don't need to worry—I'm not here to hurt either of you."
Then ca a line that made the temperature drop: "Because humans… can't resist anyway."
As he said it, a figure leapt down from the nearby wall—Shinobu Kocho, Nichirin Blade drawn.
"Demon! Get away from my sister!"
"Shinobu?" Kanae gasped, eyes wide.
Shinobu landed beside her, sword raised, expression cold and ready to strike.
"We'll talk later. Right now, the important thing is getting rid of this demon."
"Demon sounds a bit harsh, don't you think?" Ryo chuckled, glancing at her with amusent. "I do have a na, you know."
"I know," Shinobu said icily, voice dripping with murderous intent. "Muzan Kibutsuji. I've been looking for you for a long ti."
Ryo's expression twitched.
For a mont, he looked genuinely offended.
He took a deep breath… and exhaled slowly.
Then he stepped forward, out of the shadows, into the sunlight—arms outstretched, completely unhard.
Kanae's eyes went wide with horror. Her body froze.
Shinobu's sword slipped from her fingers and clattered to the ground. Her face was twisted in shock and disbelief.
At that mont, the sisters had the exact sa thought:
"A demon… standing in the sun?!"
"Muzan has overco his weakness—has he beco the ultimate lifeform?!"
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