Chapter 6

When Aori first met Giyu Tomioka, it was 000 who sent her there.

To be honest, she was really scared at the time.

Azhi knew nothing. Logically speaking, as a novice, her first task should have been very easy and simple, the kind of task that would be completed by itself if she just left it alone.

The reality was quite the opposite; Azhi encountered a hellish start and struggled to recover from the ordeal for a long time.

When Azhi opened her eyes, she found herself in a dark and terrifying forest. It was autumn, the grass and trees were withered and dull in color, and an ominous aura permeated the air, just like in a horror movie.

—I have a feeling that this is a place she would never have set foot in before she lost her memory and was on a mission.

What was even more unbearable than the terrible environment was yet to come for Azhi.

System 000, who was having friendly conversations and envisioning a bright future with her before entering the mission world, suddenly encountered some kind of shock, and its entire code became a mess.

[...Alert...Error...Unknown error detected...]

[...Alert...Error...Task Target...Alert......]

The incessant mechanical alarm in my head, broken and incoherent, made it impossible to communicate. Even the slightest rustling in the forest made me nervous and terrified.

While waiting, Azhi, weak, pitiful, and helpless, hugged herself tightly, wishing she could shrink into a ball. Her eyes, alert and alert, looked around, gradually filling with tears.

It took 000 a long time to recover, and by then Ah Zhi's head was throbbing from the noise.

However, the system, upon recovering, did not immediately comfort its host, nor did it give Azhi much time to react. Instead, it flooded her mind with messages about the mission target being seriously injured and about to die.

[Alert: Target 'Giyu Tomioka' is about to die. Please take immediate action!]

[Alert: Target 'Giyu Tomioka' is about to die. Please take immediate action!]

【…………】

Aori was too terrified to think straight. She followed 000's guidance in a daze and found the mission target, [Tomioka Giyuu], lying on the ground in a relatively secluded spot, his condition unknown.

He lay in a pool of blood, seemingly attacked by something, his blood soaking the ground, his chest rising and falling very weakly, looking as if he was about to die.

Azhi was stunned when she saw it.

If the mission objective dies before the mission is completed, who knows what terrible things might happen next? This is something the system cannot predict.

But 000 told her anxiously that there was still a chance to salvage the situation.

Having lost all her previous memories and unable to reveal the system's existence, Azhi, amidst the increasingly piercing alarm of 000, suppressed her inner fear, her fingers trembling, and almost sobbing as she lunged forward...

…………

As Aori was protected by the recovered Giyu Tomioka, they moved forward. Shedding the initial impression, the now-awakened Giyu Tomioka was clearly more real, which added a bit of weight to Aori's light heart.

The mission target is a really good person; I didn't abandon her because I thought it was too much trouble. This is a real world.

However, after traveling together for only a short while, Azhi encountered an incredible strange thing.

They were ugly and strange-looking, with mouths full of fangs and drooling as they lunged at her irrationally, trying to devour her flesh. She was so frightened that she trembled and dared not open her eyes to look.

The initial objective should have been to be attacked by these things, but the situation has now been reversed. Giyu Tomioka is very skilled; he used his sword to kill these strange creatures.

Azhi knew she was a huge burden, so she could only try to stay quiet and not cause trouble for the mission target, until she saw an ugly and huge "alien".

Countless terrifying wrists were wrapped around his body, the morbidly twisted body was very tall, and the bulging veins seemed to want to crush the person hanging in mid-air, holding a knife.

It was a boy with flesh-colored hair, wearing a fox mask to ward off disaster, dodging the attacks of the "alien" in mid-air. It looked somewhat thrilling, and the tortoise-shell patterned haori made a whistling sound in the wind.

He is in a very dangerous situation.

Then, her target joined in. They seemed to know each other and worked together seamlessly, severing the "monster's" hand several times. However, even so, they couldn't do anything to the monster for the time being.

This "monster" can regenerate its arms and heal itself, but the swordsman will bleed continuously when injured, his body will become weak, and he will feel tired.

That's so unfair.

Azhi was extremely worried, her heart seemed to be hanging in mid-air, and her gaze followed the target's movements up and down.

She took only a small step forward without making a sound; most of her body was still hidden by the grass, and at a considerable distance, so she shouldn't have been noticed.

In this situation, Azhi witnessed the most terrifying scene firsthand—the monster with its huge eyes, which had been staring intently at the young swordsman, quickly shifted its gaze to her and stared at her intently.

To others, this might have been just a fleeting moment of distraction, but the exceptional young demon hunter seized the opportunity.

With the hum of swords striking hard objects, the young swordsmen, ignoring their own wounds, seized the moment when the demon's attention was diverted and swiftly severed its neck.

Then, against the backdrop of the evil spirit turning to ashes and disappearing completely, he staggered back a few steps, panting heavily as if exhausted.

Azhi felt a chill run through her body. She had never seen anything so terrifying before, and she stood there dumbfounded.

There was one thing that puzzled her, and she couldn't get an explanation from 000.

Whether it was her imagination or not, the moment the evil spirit looked at her, the even more terrifying evil spirit seemed to see something that terrified it, and its whole body trembled.

Azhi was confused: [What just happened? That ghost... why did it seem like it was afraid of me?]

000 brought Aori here via a spatial jump, and having just used up almost all of her strength to treat Giyu Tomioka's fatal wound, it's already quite remarkable that she can still speak.

However, Azhi is indeed more perceptive than before.

It stated succinctly: 【You've misunderstood.】

So Azhi stopped thinking about it.

If the monster were to appear before her again, she would be more terrified than anyone else and cry faster than anyone else. How could a ghost be afraid of her? She stopped thinking about it.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

"…………"

"Giyuu?" Aori called out several times in a soft voice, but received no response. She had no choice but to grab Giyuu Tomioka's sleeve and shake it, her eyes revealing a hint of urging.

Giyu Tomioka's gaze remained fixed on Ori, but upon closer inspection, a hazy mist shrouded his deep blue eyes. He seemed lost in thought, appearing completely out of sorts.

Azhi didn't know what to say. She was so angry that she almost fainted. How awful Tomioka Giyuu was! He was distracted when she was talking about something so important.

The black-haired swordsman's lips were pressed into a straight line. Even when he was distracted, he exuded an aura that kept strangers at bay, as if anyone who got too close would be pierced by his sharpness.

Azhi, however, was not afraid of this threat at all, or rather, she had become accustomed to it and knew that she would not be hurt.

In some cases, this could be described as taking advantage of someone's favor and becoming arrogant.

"Sigh!" Aori tilted her head and looked at Tomioka Giyuu, who was engrossed in his own world and didn't say a word. She knew that he didn't like these superficial things. She pursed her red lips and made a muffled sound, "So what do you like?"

"These are all I have left."

The girl fiddled with the gold and silver jewelry, her neck drooping slightly, revealing a smooth curve. She looked somewhat dejected, as if she were murmuring in distress, "If only I could be as amazing as you."

If it weren't for the Demon Slayer Corps' covert protection, Ori would have had a hard time surviving in this dangerous place.

She is very self-aware; the only thing she can rely on right now is the wealth she has gained from her pretty face.

Although she was not very competent as an intelligence agent, she still managed to amass some wealth by posing as a courtesan at a tokitoya.

The girl's voice rose slightly at the end, still soft and gentle. Tomioka Giyuu snapped out of his daze and suddenly met Aori's eyes again.

My heartstrings were gently plucked, creating ripples.

His clear eyes reflected his expression at that moment, as if they had seen through all his thoughts, enticing him to reveal the desires hidden deep in his heart.

All the negative emotions that had been building up over time surged to his chest, waiting for an opportunity to be released. In an instant, Yoshiyuki Tomioka clenched his teeth, his tightly clenched fists trembling slightly.

What does he want?

At first, he wanted his sister to come back; now he wants the evil spirits that harm people in this world to disappear; he wants... many, many things.

But the reason he kept these wishes buried in his heart was because Giyu Tomioka knew that some of them were unrealistic hopes, impossible to realize now or in the future, while others were difficult to achieve at the present stage.

Either way, it sounds rather ridiculous.

Although she didn't know the reason, Aori asked the question out of concern. She was so sincere, but unfortunately, Giyu Tomioka was destined not to be able to give an answer.

"…………"

The black-haired swordsman's suddenly lowered eyes seemed to hold a multitude of emotions, complexly intertwined and converging into a deep, unfathomable pool.

Azhi didn't understand. She blinked blankly, then realized she wouldn't get an answer this time.

Well, completing the task is indeed not so easy.

While feeling dejected, Azhi comforted herself that it was for the best. Compared to a casual answer, she would rather have Yoshiyuki Tomioka give her a serious and thoughtful reply.

The melodious sounds of string and wind instruments drifted over, their ethereal quality amplified by the distance, blending with the songs of the courtesans to create a unique auditory effect that made one's mind drift.

"Where's Sabito?" Azhi lazily rested her cheek on her forearm, her beautiful eyes looking up with some confusion.

The raven said they would come together this time.

Why didn't he come?

A note from the author:

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[Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers][Sprinkling flowers]