Even though Yumeko turned into a snake, her wounds didn't disappear. A deep long cut split her side, bone and guts peeking through. After swallowing Kiyohime, though, the damage mended fast, flesh knitting in a sickening way.
Haru was shocked at her act but steadied himself. To stop her from absorbing Kiyohime's demonic energy completely, he readied a fierce strike. But suddenly she opened her jaws and released purple-black gas. Haru quickly covered his face and retreated immediately.
But after releasing the poisonous gas for a moment, she coughed, releasing a bit more of gas which soon disappeared.
He hefted Muramasa, scanning her for a weak point, wherever that was now. Once the gas cleared, he'd carve her up.
'Sashimi or barbecue?' he mused.
"Wait!" she hissed, human words slithering out. "You had questions right? Ask! I'll tell you everything!"
"Buying time?" Haru said coolly. "Give it up. I'm curious about the 'Yellow Springs Hundred Demons,' but not enough. Killing you matters more."
Her snake face twisted. She let out a harsh screech before she spat a flame, forcing him back, then slithered out of the tea room in a flash.
Haru grunted, his ahoge twitched at the direction she ran to and chased her. But first, he nudged Tsuda aside with a kick, sparing him the fire. The boy groaned, slipping from sleep to blackout. Although Haru figured it was gentle enough but blood on his mouth was telling something else.
He tracked her to the backyard, near a woodshed. She waited, bold and unafraid. As he moved to strike, her tail flicked, dragging out a red-clad girl; Shion, unconscious.
Haru's face darkened, a bad feeling rising.
"If you dare to take a step forward, I will strangle her to death!" As she said, she tightened her tail around Shion.
He stopped, as she'd hoped. But before she could gloat, his lips curved coldly.
"Kiai!"
Enhanced by magic, Haru exploded forward beyond the ordinary human limits. Amid a shrill flute-like sound, Muramasa traced phantoms in the air. Before she could shift, the blade gashed her belly, flesh spilling out in a grim mess.
Her jaw snapped at him. He blocked with the sword, locking her jaws open, then punched a fang's root and yanked Muramasa free. A venom-laced tooth hit the ground, oozing.
"Damn human!" she roared, voice airy from the lost fang. "Aren't you afraid I'll kill her?"
She dangled Shion higher, threatening to drop her.
"Go ahead," Haru shrugged. "Just warn me so I can dodge the splatter."
"…You don't want her safe?" She blinked, stunned.
He spat. "Save her? When'd I say that? I have never met her, why should I care?"
"Then why chase me?!" she pressed. "You're with that boy, clearly to rescue her!"
"Nope. Misunderstanding. I was hired by that guy. If it wasn't for profit no one would be willing to help others." Haru said, hands spread. "You saw his sword and the orb. Deal was, as long as I saved the girl, those treasures would be mine."
"And now—"
"He's out cold, thanks to you. I'll just take them. Why bother with her?"
"Then why hunt me? Grab your loot and go!"
Haru's gaze roamed at her, like a big greedy wolf. Even in snake form, she shivered, her scales prickling.
'He's after my body…' she thought, torn between disgust and pride. He'd chosen her over Kiyohime, doesn't that mean her charm won.
"I've been stuck with salted fish too long," Haru said, almost shy.
She shuddered. She ate people but now someone wants to eat her.
"If she dies, what'll you tell the boy?" she tried, grasping.
He tilted his head. "One swing, problem solved."
His tone implied her question was dumb.
She paused, then spat, "You're inhuman. A beast!"
Being cursed by a merciless demon stung, even if he was playing a part. 'No…. Why do I feel excitement deep in my heart?' He quickly shook it off before slashing at her.
Yumeko could only spit out flames to fight back in a hurry, but the attack trajectory was just a straight line after all, and Haru, who was prepared, easily dodged it and tore another wound on her body.
'This guy's relentless. If it continues like this, I'll be in pieces soon… I have almost no demonic energy's left and wounds are everywhere on my body that I can't flee… I didn't want to do this, Kiyohime!'
Her scales heated, glowing red and waves of heat surged out in all directions.
Haru was alarmed, fearing she would self-destruct? But in fact he'd read too much fiction. Not everyone knows how to self-destruct, at least Yumeko didn't. Besides, even if she knew how to do it, she wouldn't, given how much she loved her life.
The strange phenomenon that was happening to her was evolution. From snake to dragon.
At her peak, her chances for evolution was near-certain failure. Now, dying, her odds were even slimmer. Yet she had a card: Kiyohime. Her sister's untapped energy, nearly intact, was hers to claim. Their bond made it seamless. And Kiyohime's secret; dragon potential, hinted by rare horns, gave her a chance.
Before Haru's eyes, her white scales turned into blazed red color, her form stretching thicker and longer.
Bang!
Her scales shattered, but strangely no blood flowed. Instead a meaty scent emitted out; her flesh had cooked.
Her head stretched stiffly towards the sky , jaws gaping with a pained hiss that faded to silence. Her eyes turned pale and her pupil gradually disappeared.
"Dead?" Haru was about to step forward when his instinct and his ahoge warned him.
Bang!
A boom rocked the ground. Her overheated body burst and her blood vaporized into a sweeping gust. Fearing poison, Haru swung Muramasa seven times, dispersing the mist. When it cleared, his eyes tightened.
"Did I misjudge this?" He gripped Muramasa, fully alert. The creature demanded his all.
In terms of size she is slimmer now and about ten meters long but its shape has shifted. Scales grew broad and sharp, fish-like, with white patches on her belly hinting at unformed organs. Her tail coiled gracefully, but her upper half was human; a woman's torso, bare and striking. Blue-green hair spilled loose, one gold eye, one red, her face blending Yumeko's allure with Kiyohime's grace.
What chilled him were the bat-like wings.
No matter Eastern or Western myth, snakes are the closest creatures . Haru assumed her as a near-dragon, a forced subspecies, far from true power.
'There's still a chance,' he thought.
His eyes glinted. He rushed forward, leaping into the air, Muramasa slashing cleanly under the moon.
The whole process was clean without any unnecessary moves. The old Dream Yumeko couldn't have dodged without tricks. But this one smiled and raised her arms to cover her face. The scales on her forearm instantly thickened into a bone shield.
Clang!
Sparks flew but in the end Muramasa left only a scratch. Haru was shocked but before he could adjust himself a killing intent flared from her side. Her other hand's nails lengthened into swords, aiming for his guts.
The reflexes Haru developed over the years were brought to the extreme at this moment. His body instinctively dodged, blocked and parried.
Her blades grazed him, drawing blood but missed his vitals. He planted a foot on her plump and exerted force, springing back. As he was about to land, her grin turned wicked.
Fingers aimed at him,midair and helpless. "Die, human!"
Her nail-swords broke away from the body shot towards him like arrows. Too late to dodge, he took three hits. Two sank into his gut, one in his thigh.
Head lowered his head, his face buried in shadows with no visible expressions. Yumeko took it for defeat. She wiped his footprint from her skin and moved towards him with a sultry smile. "What's wrong? Weren't you planning to eat me earlier?"
Leaning in, she whispered, "Your sword can't touch me now. We're leagues apart… Do you regret it? Fear death?"
She was right. Post-transformation, he'd lost his edge. Her strength hadn't soared; neither she nor Kiyohime excelled there but her agility had. Reflexes, instincts, resilience; all beyond human limits. With Kiyohime's shape-shifting, every inch of her was a weapon.
Yet….
"What's funny?" he murmured.
"What?"
Yumeko felt uneasy and subconsciously pulled back.
He looked up, her form and the moon in his eyes. A calm smile spread. "I get it…"
"Hey, ugly… do you know 'mirror flower, water moon'?" he asked lightly. "Untouchable illusions, gone at a touch…"
"Ugly?!" Yumeko rushed forward with her ten nail-swords outstretched to shred him.
Haru couldn't evade. Facing death, he didn't panic. Instead he stayed steady, gripped his sword, squared his stance, and swung. Muramasa's red edge melted into the moonlight.
"With this, I'll cut even those illusions!"
There was neither a magnificent momentum nor awe-inspiring murderous aura. It was as ordinary as one of the countless sword swings that Haru made during his daily training. But at this moment it surpassed its limit.
Yumeko was completely unaware of what's happening. When she came to her senses her sword like nails along and with her fingers fell; severed clean.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
Yumeko looked down and saw blood dripping from a bright chest wound.
This wasn't something someone can use in the false realm. It was a true realm. It is unavoidable, undeniable and matched only by equal will.
It severed illusions, doubts, phantoms. Simple, yet vast: the One Sword realm. After eight years, Haru crossed its threshold under the moon.
........
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