Chapter 18: The Pathetic Kibutsuji Muzan
The clock struck one in the morning.
"Phew~ Finally done..."
What used to look like a scene from a gruesome murder case had now been scrubbed clean. The bloodstains on the ceiling, the furniture, even the walls—gone, thanks to meticulous and thorough cleaning.
The only things that still posed a problem were the blood-soaked clothes, curtains, and couch. Those couldn't exactly be cleaned with just water and detergent.
Yukinoshita Akira set the mop and cleaning cloth aside and let out a long sigh. He never thought he'd end up working as a house cleaner in the middle of the night. Life really was full of surprises.
"Umm... thank you. Really,"
Sitting on the couch, Yukinoshita Yukino spoke awkwardly.
She had helped clean up a little earlier, but it was clear that the whole mess had started because of her. Akira didn't just save her life—he cleaned up every last drop of the disaster too. That alone was more than she could ever repay.
"It's fine. But... what do you plan to do with these?"
Akira's gaze shifted toward the neatly wrapped pile nearby—items that would've been considered criminal evidence if anyone else saw them.
Because, after all, the blood on those things was real human blood.
Even if the 'human' in question had already turned into a demon.
"Don't worry. I'll handle it myself."
"You sure about that?"
"This is Chiba. And I'm a Yukinoshita."
"Ah, right. I almost forgot you're part of a fancy family."
Akira's voice carried a faint trace of sarcasm. If this had been the old Yukinoshita Yukino, she definitely would've snapped back with a snarky remark wrapped in barbed wit.
But this time, she only lowered her gaze, a trace of guilt in her eyes.
Because truthfully, even though Akira shared the same family name, he was never treated like a real member of the Yukinoshita household.
"If you want... you can just call me Yukino. After all... we're kind of family..."
Her voice trailed off by the end, her eyes glancing away.
Akira went silent.
Was this really the same Yukinoshita Yukino he knew?
The prideful, cold girl who always carried herself like a snow flower blooming alone on a mountaintop... was now showing such a soft and vulnerable side?
"Let's not. I'll keep calling you 'Second Lady.' Besides... I don't want to carelessly expose who I am. And honestly, I owe the Yukinoshita family a lot. That debt... I won't ever forget."
"I see..."
Even if it was just a fabricated identity, Akira still had real memories of living under the Yukinoshita name. Those memories made it hard to fully let go.
In his mind, even though he tried his best to live independently, the Yukinoshita parents had always treated him warmly.
Especially their mother—who spoiled him endlessly.
Compared to the elite-style education forced on Haruno, and the strict self-discipline imposed on Yukino, Akira was treated more like a true son than anything else.
Yukino didn't respond. She simply lowered her head in silence.
Akira didn't press further. After two hours of nonstop work—and having used the Mark earlier—his body was beyond exhausted.
"Um... Akira... do you really like Nee-san? Are you two...?"
Yukino hesitated before finally asking the question that had been weighing on her heart.
But when she turned to look at him, all she saw was the peaceful face of a young man fast asleep on the couch, hugging his sword close to his chest.
"Tch... Seriously?"
Yukino couldn't help but click her tongue.
After all that mental preparation, all that inner turmoil... and now he just dozes off like that?
Still, she could understand.
He had given it his all tonight. It made sense that he'd collapse the moment he could rest.
"Haaah... sleeping like that... aren't you afraid of catching a cold?"
With a soft sigh, Yukino reached for a light blanket nearby and gently draped it over Akira's body.
She turned to return to her room—but the hallway beyond was dark and silent.
A cold shiver crept down her spine.
After experiencing what had happened earlier tonight, even someone as composed as Yukino couldn't fully erase the fear lingering in her heart.
Her eyes shifted back to Akira. She bit her lower lip, hesitated for a moment, and then slowly moved closer... though she left just a bit of space between them.
Clutching the jacket she wore, she sat beside him and leaned against the backrest. Then, quietly, she closed her eyes.
And so—beneath the weight of the lingering chaos, in a room still echoing with unspoken tension—a boy and a girl drifted off to sleep, side by side, in the stillness of the night.
— — —
Elsewhere, in a secluded villa somewhere in Chiba, a sinister air filled the atmosphere.
Craack—
The sound of glass fracturing split the silence like a blade tearing through the night.
The villa was enveloped in total darkness. And from within that void, a pair of glowing crimson eyes radiated a terrifying intensity.
"So... she really died, huh. Tch. She even activated the curse I placed on her. What a pathetic failure."
The voice echoed through the room—neither distinctly male nor female, but cold enough to freeze the blood.
Whoosh—
A figure emerged from the darkness, blending into the very shadows.
"My lord…"
When the moonlight finally pierced the heavy curtains, the creature's form was illuminated.
Short, pink hair. Golden eyes. Skin pale as a corpse. His entire body was covered in dark blue tattoos etched with symbols of sin. Crimson claws protruded from his fingertips. He wore a cropped purple top, with beads dangling from his ankles.
In both of his eyes, two terrifying kanji glowed:
[上弦]and[参]
Upper Moon Three — Akaza.
"Any updates on the Blue Spider Lily?"
The voice—calm, yet chilling—carried the pressure of death itself. There was no need to raise its tone. Every word pierced straight through the soul.
"My apologies, Muzan-sama. We've manipulated many humans already, but... we still haven't located the Blue Spider Lily. However, I've issued a bounty for it on the dark web."
Splurt—
Without warning, fresh blood sprayed from multiple points on Akaza's body.
He groaned but didn't scream.
Not because he was strong—but because screaming in front of this creature was unthinkable.
In front of that man, fear consumed all other emotions.
"Akaza... how long have we been in this world?"
"Three months... Muzan-sama."
"Exactly... three months. We've spent three whole months in this world. I've wasted blood, time, and resources... even used my own power to create lower demons. And this is all you have to show me?"
Those crimson eyes flared.
Sitting in the darkness, cloaked in malice and supreme authority, was—
Kibutsuji Muzan.
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