Chapter Fifteen

Chika rode on Sanemi's back, pounding her little fists against his back while beckoning Genya to come over.

"Hurry up! What kind of behavior is this, dawdling like this! Do you still want to be my apprentice?"

"Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!" Xuanmi clicked his tongue, rolled up his sleeves, and stepped forward.

Chinatsu's punches rained down fast and densely, and seeing no opening, Genya simply aimed at Sanemi's lower back and raised his foot...

A pair of eyes filled with murderous intent looked over.

Sanemi, supporting himself on the ground, turned his face to the side, his gaze fixed on Genya, clearly conveying—

You dare!

Xuanmi shuddered at the look in his eyes, his raised foot froze in mid-air, unsure whether to put it down or lift it up.

He could tell that his older brother was really angry, so he grabbed Qianxia by the armpit, lifted her up, and ran into the fog.

"Hey hey hey? What are you doing? What are you doing?" Qianxia was startled by Xuanmi and kicked several times in mid-air, completely bewildered.

"You! You! Guy!"

Sanemi pushed himself up to his feet, the blade scraping against the ground with a screeching sound that sent chills down one's spine.

No one knows what he did, but in the blink of an eye he was in front of Xuanmi and kicked Xuanmi in the side.

Genya, carrying Chika, and the other two, flew away with a "whoosh."

Chika, who landed with a thud and rolled several times, was startled. She spun and jumped, and the moment she landed and regained her footing, she didn't even need Genya to shout; she took off running as fast as she could.

"Disciple!! Run!! The Demon Slayer Corps has gone berserk!"

In the blink of an eye, the person had disappeared into the thick fog.

Xuanmi, who hadn't had time to run, stood frozen in place, clutching his waist and stretching out his hand to call out weakly into the mist.

"Qian... wait for me!"

"Shinazugawa—! Genya—!"

Sanemi drew out the last syllable of his name as he approached step by step, his Nichirin Blade hanging at an angle, its cold light gleaming and reflecting off his gloomy face. The thick fog surrounding them seemed to freeze, and the temperature suddenly dropped several degrees.

Xuanmi shrank back half a step, his Adam's apple bobbing, his voice trembling, "Brother...?"

Suddenly, a deafening thunderclap exploded without warning deep within the thick fog, and blue-white lightning instantly tore through the gray fog curtain, the blinding light so intense that people couldn't open their eyes.

"Blood Demon Art—!"

Upon hearing this prefix, Sanemi's heart sank. He instinctively raised his sword to his chest, the blade aimed at the direction from which the sound came, ready to counterattack at any moment.

"Lightning Domain Unfolds! Shatter with lightning—"

"Bang!"

A massive bolt of lightning ripped through the sky, striking down and exploding around it.

The exploding lightning bolts resembled countless blue and white venomous snakes, writhing and spreading across the ground.

The blinding arc of light illuminated the entire thick fog as if it were daytime, making even the soil on the ground appear dazzlingly clear.

Sanemi squinted instinctively, his eyelashes trembling from the light. Finally, he raised his hand to shield his forehead, his fingers still gripping the hilt of his sword tightly, watching his surroundings warily.

However, nothing happened after the flash.

As the light gradually faded and the thick fog rolled in again, all that remained beside him was the empty ground.

He turned his head and glanced at the spot where Xuanmi had just been standing.

He pursed his lips tightly, his knuckles turning white from gripping the knife hilt so hard, and the ferocity in his eyes intensified.

......

Chinatsu practically dragged her along, and people said that despite her small stature, she was quite strong.

After running for an unknown amount of time, and confirming that Sanemi was not chasing after her, Chinatsu leaned against a tree, panting heavily.

"Whew~Whew~Whew~ Oh my god, that scared me to death! Where's your brother? Did he chase after...huh?"

She turned to look at the person beside her whose hand she was holding, and froze.

I remember when he left, Xuanmi was wearing a dark purple outfit, paired with black trousers and wooden clogs. How come he's changed into striped trousers, a red shirt, and a long black coat now?

He's grown taller? His fingers also seem longer.

Qianxia looked down at their intertwined hands, long, fair, with distinct knuckles, cool to the touch, like a piece of jade.

Follow the hand upwards, then look up.

"Ah! It's you! Touma!"

Chika's eyes widened in surprise.

Douma blinked and lightly tapped her head with his fan. "It's Douma, not Touma!"

"Ee~ Almost, almost." Qianxia scratched her head and looked at him with bright eyes. "What are you doing here?" She peeked behind him. "The person I just pulled, it wasn't you all along, was it?"

“Yes, it’s always been me,” Douma squatted down, his hands on his knees, and looked at her with a smile. “In the thick fog, with all the crackling and popping, I just wanted to come and see, and as soon as I got there you dragged me running.”

Chika smiled and opened her mouth—

"lie."