Chapter eighteen:

"Heartless"

A bitter, grating laugh reverberated through the house, chilling your bones, making the both of you cover your ears which felt as if they were about to explode.

The demon launched towards your master, its long claws moved faster than he thought, asserting a small cut on his cheek as Muichiro dogged. Without leaving him a second to breathe, the mirror demon kicked him skywards. His grip loosened, separating the sword from its user. The demon creepily snickered, preparing to pierce him as Muichiro calculated the window of opportunity he had to grab his sword again and slice its head off.

It would be easy. As a pillar, he only needed to use his breathing to rotate his body in the air, take his sword, and cut his head off, but something else caught his attention sooner.

The whole scene happened in slow motion before your dull eyes; focused on the creature that had eaten that poor woman and had no regret. You gritted your teeth, angered that he had dared to do such an act. The hatred, the guilt, the anger, were all greater than any self control you had.

Your legs moved on their own accord. With lightning-defying speed, you sprang in the air, caught your master's nichirinto's by its handle; twirled it before closing the space between you and the demon's neck, who was facing your master.

The demon had smelt the faint scent od vanilla imprinted on your clothes, thus he knew what you were attempting to do. He let out a snicker, and yet, with the slightest gesture of turning around to face you, with the slightest twitch of his muscles; before he was able to do any of that, he felt his jaw break. He did not have a second left to live to know that he had received a bone-breaking kick from the mist pillar, who looked down on him with his ever so terrifyingly hollow eyes.

"Mist breathing, first form: Low Clouds, Distant Haze." you muttered, lower and toneless, as the metal came in contact with the demon's greenish flesh.

Muichiro landed just when the demon's head plummeted. You alighted a few seconds afterwards, looking back at the appalled face, with a disgusted look of superiority: It was a stare of pure hatred towards that being who had believed himself to be stronger and eaten innocents; that of a merciless person towards those who dared abuse their strength.

The heartless, stony face of yours engraved his last memories, all that remained of him crumbled into gray ashes.

It took you four seconds to pick up the flying nichirinto and kill the demon. You moved thoughtlessly, angered by the sight of that hideous being.

You blinked thrice, returning to reality. Alarmed by your stupid action, you went pale.

The nonplussed Muichiro did not respond to the anxiety that clouded his student's mind. Despite knowing that you had infinite potential, he hadn't realized how cold and merciless your fiery self could be, cutting off the demon's head without a second thought the instant the sword slipped from his hand.

"I-I'm sorry, Tokito-sama! It wasn't my intention to get close, I-I don't know why I did that! I didn't think it through!" your words came in a rush trying to justify your actions and ask for forgiveness and mercy.

Your rambling about how Ubuyashiki would scold you and how stupid your actions were, fell deaf in the ears of the pillar. He refrained from responding in any way or displaying any emotion other than his typical numbness. He made his way to the door and waited patiently until you realized it was time to leave.

He won't even talk to me! Now he must be really angry... I disappointed him, like I always do.

You followed him, fixated on your zori sandals through the village's main road. You were so centered on your own thoughts that you collided with his back and plopped to the ground. He had halted in an blink, once he had calmed his mind and organized his ideas.

You would've minded the fall if it hadn't been for the sight before you: him.

His stare sucked everything out of you: your emotions, your anxiety, your fast-beating heart. It was simply soft. Not numb, not angered, not disgusted, not pitiful. His minty blue eyes weren't empty, they felt rich.

It was the second time you had seen them turn vibrant; it was the second time in many years, way before you came into his life. His eyes spoke words more beautiful than his stolid lips.

He knelt in front of you.

"I'm not mad at you" he muttered, extending both of his hands. Yours delicately laid on top of them, with the contact he reassured the hold before standing up with you. "But you shouldn't have done that. What if the demon noticed your presence? Don't act irrational again."

You nodded, teary, sniffing. "Let's go home"

As you two walked hand-in-hand, Muichiro kept taking brief glances at you drying your tears. He couldn't help but let out a sigh. Of course the demon had noticed, but he wasn't going to tell you that. It wasn't necessary, he could scold you about being more cautious later.

Even if the situation had been different, even if the demon had been stronger...

«I wouldn't let it lay its claws on you.»