One question, one answer. Another question, another answer. The two of them kept at it, chatting calmly while they attacked Giyū.
And he, caught between the two of them, flanked from both sides, ended up reduced to nothing more than the backdrop for their conversation.
His brow was furrowing by the second.
But neither of them noticed.
Or rather, they did notice… they just didn't care.
Until, finally—
"Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant Flux!"
He snapped.
The flow of water transformed into a whirlpool that burst out violently, with him as the axis!
The pink mist dispersed all at once, and the dozens of afterimages shattered into pieces in unison.
The real Marcus came staggering out of the haze.
'What a goddamn monster!'
He caught his balance, and when he saw Giyū with steam practically coming off his entire body, he cracked an awkward smile.
"Easy there, easy…"
"The two of you…" Giyū glared daggers at them. "If you want to chat, chat. But why… am I… the one who has to be the target?"
Marcus and Shinobu looked at each other.
"Because you're the one who takes attacks the best?"
"…"
Giyū's face darkened even further, and just as he was getting ready to charge back in—
"CAW!"
A familiar squawk echoed from the night sky.
Everyone looked up.
A Kasugai crow came flying down in the distance and perched on a nearby branch.
"Message from the Master!"
"Giyū Tomioka, Shinobu Kochō, bring Marcus, Tanjirō Kamado, and the demons accompanying them back to Headquarters immediately!"
"No failures will be accepted!"
As soon as the message ended, silence fell.
Giyū's sword went still. Shinobu blinked and relaxed. Marcus stood stock-still for a moment… and then smiled.
"Looks like I'm going to save myself the explanations."
And just like that, out of nowhere, the battle came to an end.
Giyū sheathed his sword without saying a word and stood off to one side, his face impassive and his gaze lost in the sky.
Shinobu walked up to Marcus. "Let's go. The Master wants to see you."
Marcus nodded and turned to look back.
There, a little figure was running toward him as fast as it could, her tiny footsteps pattering out a rhythm.
It was Nezuko.
She had already gone back to her small form and was coming over with a completely serious look on her face.
When she reached Marcus, she stretched out her arms and started climbing up his uniform, which was way too big for her, until she made it onto his back.
Because there, on his back, Marcus was carrying a wooden box.
Even though he'd changed clothes along the way, obviously he hadn't forgotten about Nezuko's little house, which he always carried with him.
The little one lifted the lid on her own, hopped inside, and let nothing but her little head peek out.
On the distant horizon, a thin thread of sunlight was already beginning to break through.
"Hmph!"
Letting out a displeased huff, she slammed the lid shut.
Marcus smiled. "If you're sleepy, sleep."
"Mmm."
Meanwhile, Ivy and Pearl were watching the scene from the shadows of the forest, dying of envy.
"How nice…" murmured Ivy. "Getting to ride on Master's back…"
"Tsk…" Pearl made a dismissive gesture, though… her eyes kept drifting that way over and over. "There's nothing to envy… even if he asked me… I wouldn't even want to…"
Marcus looked at them with a smile.
He walked toward a sturdy tree and drew his sword.
Swish
A few pink flashes cut through the air and a square hollow was carved out of the trunk.
When he pulled out the chunk of wood, it turned out to be just the perfect size for the two of them to fit inside.
He sheathed the blade and gestured to them.
"Come here."
Ivy was the first to arrive, trotting over in a hurry. Pearl stood frozen for a second before she snapped out of it and rushed after her.
Marcus pointed at the hollow. "In you go."
The two of them climbed in without a peep of protest.
Then, Marcus blinked and activated the arrows.
The chunk of wood slowly lifted off the ground and hung floating in the air.
The two of them, inside the trunk, were looking out with their eyes wide as saucers.
"This…?"
Marcus patted the trunk. "Make do with this for now. When we get there, I'll find you something better."
Ivy and Pearl looked at each other and nodded.
"Yes!"
"Okay."
They had no idea what awaited them next, but with the attitude Marcus was showing, it was clear he wasn't going to abandon them.
At least, not until the experiment was done.
Marcus cut down another tree to make a lid and fitted it on top. Only then did he nod, satisfied.
Then he turned toward Kanao, who was still standing silently a few meters away.
Under the moonlight, her cheeks were still flushed… She'd been like that for a good while now.
Walking over slowly, Marcus planted himself in front of her.
Kanao kept her head down, not daring to look at him.
"Kanao."
"Marcus… kun."
Seeing her like that, Marcus smiled even wider.
"Kanao."
"... Yes."
"Long time no see."
"... Yes."
"Have you been well?"
"... Yes."
"..."
Marcus pulled a face. "Do you know how to say anything other than 'yes'?"
Kanao lifted her gaze, shot him a quick glance, and lowered it again in an instant.
"I know, I know…"
"What do you know?"
"I know how to say… I know how to say…"
She got stuck for a good long while, her face getting redder and redder, until finally…
"Does… does… does your butt still hurt?"
"..."
Marcus stood petrified.
So did Kanao.
Because the moment she realized what she had just said, she wished with all her soul for the ground to open up and swallow her whole.
"I-I didn't… I d-didn't mean it like that… it's just… Shinobu-nee said she had stabbed you… and a-and I was just worried…"
But seeing her in that kind of state, Marcus smiled again.
A huge smile.
"Kanao."
"... Mmh?"
"You're beautiful."
!!!
Kanao's head exploded.
"So don't worry, it doesn't hurt anymore," Marcus said, quite pleased. "Though if you give me a little more tenderness, I bet it'll hurt even less."
Kanao lowered her head again and didn't open her mouth.
Just when Marcus was starting to think she wasn't going to answer him, a tiny voice thin as a mosquito's buzz reached his ear.
"Then… y-you… from now on… be a little more careful."
Marcus was taken aback for a moment.
Then he smiled.
"I'll keep it in mind."
Shinobu was watching it all from the side, and her smile grew warmer and warmer.
When she lifted her gaze toward the horizon, where the sun was starting to break through, a flash of nostalgia crossed her eyes.
Sister… are you seeing this?
Our little one has found her boy.
Just like you said, in the end she's changed… She's not the girl she used to be.
And he's very different too: he's managed to do what you always dreamed of.
He's capable of accepting demons without his heart wavering, of living alongside them in peace. So rest easy. In the days to come, I'll still be here…
Always for you… watching over all of this…
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If we hit 200 PS, I'll drop another chapter! 💎🔥 You know what to do 😏
THANKS FOR READING!
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More chapters ahead of time? Find me: P-a-t-r-e-o-n → Athome790