Chapter 69 — The Problem Haruno Faces!
"Breakfast time~~"
A gentle voice echoed from the kitchen that morning.
Yukinoshita Yukino emerged, carrying a tray filled with freshly made dishes. Her movements were elegant and precise as she set the food neatly on the dining table.
A week had passed since Busujima Saeko officially moved into Yukinoshita Akira's apartment. And not long after that, with the excuse of "not trusting Akira," Yukino decided to move in as well.
Of course, Akira didn't object. The apartment was spacious, and there were plenty of rooms. Having one more person wasn't an issue at all.
In fact, her presence was more of a blessing. Having Yukino around was like having a professional chef living with them. Why would he complain about that?
As for her supposed reason—"to keep an eye on him"—Akira couldn't help but laugh inwardly.
If he truly intended to make a move on Busujima Saeko, did Yukino really think she could stop him? The only reason nothing happened was simply because he had no such intention.
"Oh right, Yukino. Could you let Shizuka-sensei know I won't be coming to school today?"
"Hm? You have something to do? Don't tell me you're going demon hunting again?"
Yukino's tone was calm. She had long gotten used to Akira's habit of going out at night to exterminate demons.
"No, not this time," Akira replied while sipping his tea. "I finished refining the complete forms of Flame Breathing and its sword techniques last night. Your sister's been busy lately, so I'm going to find her today."
"I see. Alright, I'll handle your absence notice with Hiratsuka-sensei."
"Good. Thanks."
The real reason Akira wanted to see Yukinoshita Haruno today wasn't just to teach her the Flame Breathing technique—it was because something had been bothering him.
It had been over a week since he defeated Lower Moon Six, yet there hadn't been a single movement from the enemy's side. That silence felt unnatural.
Knowing Muzan Kibutsuji's cowardly and cunning nature, Akira was certain he had already been marked as a major threat.
While Muzan himself was unlikely to take direct action, Akira had expected him to send new demons—stronger ones, perhaps even from the Upper Moons. But so far… nothing.
The eerie calm felt wrong.
Click.
The sound of a door opening interrupted his thoughts.
Busujima Saeko stepped out of the bathroom, still a little sleepy, her hair damp and glistening.
"Good morning, Akira-kun, Miss Yukino."
"Morning, Saeko," Akira greeted casually.
"Good morning, Miss Saeko," Yukino replied politely.
Saeko took her seat, glancing at the breakfast already laid out before her—miso soup, grilled fish, and perfectly cooked rice.
In this apartment, Yukino and Saeko took turns cooking. Today happened to be Yukino's turn.
After breakfast, time passed quietly. Soon it was time to head out.
Yukinoshita Yukino and Busujima Saeko left together for school, chatting softly as they walked.
Meanwhile, Akira remained behind. Though he planned to visit Haruno later, it was still too early in the day.
— — —
Across town, in another part of Chiba City…
Inside a luxurious bar called Angel's Stairway, Yukinoshita Haruno looked utterly exhausted. Her normally radiant face was pale, and dark circles shadowed her eyes.
Over the past few days, the area surrounding the bar had been shaken by a string of disappearances.
In just three days, five young women—each beautiful and full of life—had gone missing.
Even worse, three of them were bar staff, one was a pianist, and the last was a waitress.
Five women vanished in succession—it was chaos.
The bar had been forced to suspend operations temporarily. After all, how could business continue when all the victims were employees of the same place?
They disappeared without a trace, leaving behind no clues, no signs of struggle. Naturally, suspicion began to spread.
"We couldn't find a single lead," said one of the managers earlier. "One disappeared on her way home, two just vanished out of nowhere, and the last two… they were taken right from inside the bar."
Haruno's expression grew darker. She rubbed her temples, weary from sleepless nights.
Although Angel's Stairway wasn't wholly owned by the Yukinoshita family, they held the majority of its shares.
That made Haruno responsible for the establishment—and for the safety of its workers. The pressure weighed heavily on her.
Five women, all gone without a word. No ransom demands. No threats. Not even a single clue.
From everything she'd investigated, only one conclusion began forming in her mind—one that chilled her blood.
Those women had likely been devoured… by demons.
She had never seen one herself, and a part of her still doubted the idea—but the pattern was too bizarre to ignore.
No motive, no witnesses, no evidence. It defied all logic.
Ring—ring—ring.
Her phone's sharp ringtone cut through the silence.
Already tense, Haruno quickly grabbed it. The caller ID read: Yukinoshita Akira.
"Well, speak of the devil. I was just about to call you," she muttered under her breath before answering.
For the past several days, she had been too busy to even visit her younger sister.
"Akira, so you finally had time to call me?"
"Your Breathing Technique is ready," Akira replied on the other end.
"Oh? Finally done? For a moment I thought you'd forgotten about me. I came to you first, remember? So why did Miss Busujima get taught before me, hmm?"
"Cut the teasing, will you? Where are you now? I'll come to you."
"Oh? You'll come to me, huh? Don't tell me… little Akira-chan has finally accepted his feelings for his lovely Onee-san? How touching~"
"Quit it. Just send me your location."
"Fine, fine. I'll send it now. I'll be waiting, Akira-kun."
The call ended.
Moments later, a notification pinged on Akira's phone. Haruno's message had arrived—with a location attached.
"Angel's Stairway? A bar?" he murmured, frowning slightly.
Don't tell me… she spent the whole night there?
A faint sense of unease crept up his spine. If some drunk stranger dared to get too close to her, that would be… troublesome.
After all, in the public eye, Akira was still regarded as the "Yukinoshita family's prospective son-in-law."
His expression hardened. He quickly changed clothes, grabbed his keys, and took his Nichirin Blade—carefully sealed within its scabbard.
Then, without wasting another moment, he left the apartment.
Since the family car had been used earlier to take Yukino to school, Akira would have to rely on public transport this time.
— — —
Back at Angel's Stairway, Haruno set her phone down, a faint smirk curving her lips.
She could already picture Akira's reaction once he realized she was at a bar—he'd rush over, flustered and worried.
Places like this were prime targets for "abductions" or "drunken accidents." From Akira's perspective, it must sound like a dangerous situation.
Of course, Haruno wasn't actually concerned. In truth, she found the whole idea amusing.
Meanwhile, Akira himself was unaware that Haruno was quietly savoring the thought of teasing him.
Now that three main Breathing Techniques—Water, Thunder, and Flame—had been completed, Akira began to wonder:
If Haruno learned Flame Breathing, would she display the same natural brilliance as Yukino?
Or would she be the exact opposite—someone with no talent for it at all?
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