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“Huh? What was that?”

The demon looked at Kotaro, and became very cautious. That punch caused him to feel pain more than anything.

‘He is cautious.’

Kotaro looked at demon who was so confident, to become more cautious. Though it was a bad move to let that demon know that he has a special ability, for now both of them got a bit of time to breathe.

That demon was stronger than they thought. 

Till now the demon didn’t attack them seriously and was just dodging them at most. 

Yet, that made them out of breath.

To land just a hamon-infused punch, it took time and both of their efforts. But that punch was shallow and didn’t penetrate much deeper. But it indeed slowed down the healing process.

“That punch made me feel pain. And it would be not fair if I don’t show you pain, right?”

‘This guy…!’

The demon laughed maniacally, and then bones started to come out of his body. Spiked bones came out from every part of his body, and he just gave a jolt to his body and all the bones just like bullets shot off from his body to every direction!

<Demon Blood Arts – Bone Rain>

“Mitsuri, dodge them! Hide behind that tree!”

Mitsuri quickly listened to him and went behind the tree, but at that moment, a spiked bone pierced that tree.

“Mitsuri!!”

“I-I am alright, Kotaro-san.”

He saw Mitsuri was bowed at the correct moment, and dodged that one. Just now he was scared that Mitsuri was pierced by that bone.

“Don’t go on caring about your woman when you are in pinch, human!”

And then he fired more pointed bones towards Kotaro, who just noticed many of them coming towards him. He jumped back dodging one, but then one after one all started to fall from the sky towards him.

That demon had quite a control to make the bones make fall towards him. Kotaro was retreating backwards, but his foot stumbled on a root making him fall on ground.

“Hehehe… Die!”

‘What should I do?!’

The bones were about to fall, and with his condition he is not way able to dodge them even if he stands up and starts to run. 

‘Wait? A root!’

He looked at the root, the culprit for his fall and touched it. And with no hesitation he started to infuse it with hamon.

‘I have never done it, but please work!’

<Hamon Infusion: Overgrowth>

Crackling sparks passed through the tree, and rapidly a branch started to grow bigger and bigger at his direction.

“Yes! Its working!”

He infused more and more hamon, and that branch became bigger and wider almost covering in front of him. And the bones fell on him like a rain, but all of them were blocked by the branch in front of him. Some bones pierced it, but still none of them were able to reach Kotaro.

“Kotaro-san!”

He turned his head to find Mitsuri coming towards him with tears in her eyes. She looked at him uninjured, which made her relief.

“Are you alright, Kotaro-san?”

“I am al--- Gah!!!"

At that moment, a stopped bone which was stuck in the branch just shot itself, and pierced in Kotaro’s abdomen. 

“K-Kotaro-san?”

Mitsuri’s eyes started to shake, as she saw Kotaro being pierced by a big bone in his stomach. The blood started flowing out very fast making a pool beneath him.

Kotaro just looked at his stomach with an unbelievable gaze, since he couldn’t believe how the bone spear which was blocked by the branch could pierce him?

“Hahaha… Hahaha… Surprised, aren’t you? I was also surprised when I saw that branch blocking all that bone spear for you. But so, what? I threw another bone hitting the stuck bone making it go through the branch!”

Demon laughed euphorically looking at Kotaro’s frustrated face, with the addition of Mitsuri’s crying face. The pain emitted by both of them just made his heart jump with joy.

“Ahh! For this… for this, I hunt humans!”

“Kotaro-san. Wait for a bit. I will carry you to a pharmacist.”

Mitsuri just looked at Kotaro and tears just fell from her eyes. How could she let him die? Even if she dies, she can’t let Kotaro-san die for her? It was her whim that he tagged along and now he is suffering instead of her.

Slap!

“Kotaro…san?”

Before she could go ahead on scolding herself, a slap from beneath made her mind jolt.

“Cough! Cough! W-Why are making a lamenting face? I don’t like it.”

“B-But, Kotaro-san---”

“S-Stop it, Mitsuri. It’s not your fault. Moreover, 

I haven’t died, nor do I wish to. I am a man who conquered death, understand?”

“Mmm.”

“Then, why are waiting for? Didn’t you wanted to become a demon slayer to protect me? Then, Mitsuri… protect me.”

Drip! Drip!

Tears started to fall from her eyes. Those words just somehow made her feel unimaginable strength inside her. But her self-esteem made her feel that she will fail.

After getting married, and spending time with Kotaro, Mitsuri gained very much confidence in herself. She loathed herself, for her strength, but after Kotaro’s acceptance she slowly tried to love herself.

She decided to use her strength to protect him. But after all that, her beloved is now in the state of life and death!

“C-Can I do it, Kotaro-san? A girl like me---”

“Of course. After all, you are Mitsuri Kenshin, right?”

She looked at Kotaro with her teary eyes who looked quite proud calling her name.

“Y-You know, when you said it, I thought that it is so weird. But… it really made me happy. Cough! Cough!”

“Kotaro-san!”

“I am alright, Mitsuri. I will be okay. Just believe in me, who believes in you. Your strength is not a curse, it’s a boon. After all, with that strength now you can protect me, right?”

Mitsuri’s eyes widened and once again got filled with tears. But instead of whining she stood up and turned back.

“Go.”

And after nodding, with tears overflowing from her eyes she walked towards the demon. 

She wiped her teary eyes, and what left in them was a determination.

A determination to protect.

“Kotaro-san believe in me. I also believe in him. He promised that he won’t die, then I will protect him!”