With the summoning of Kurumi Tokisaki, a massive specter of the Demon materialized behind Izumi Kyōka.
The Yasha, clad in a snow-white kimono and wielding a two-meter-long silver katana, chilled the air the moment it appeared. Its oppressive aura transformed into a gale sharp enough to slice skin, rattling the prison's iron door with a creak.
"Yud Bet."
Kurumi raised her flintlock, aiming it at the Demon and Kyōka. "It won't hurt much, but brace yourself—flooding your mind with memories isn't exactly a pleasant experience."
"I'm ready."
With permission granted, Kurumi pulled the trigger. The Yud Bet bullet pierced through both Yasha and Kyōka in an instant.
The moment it struck, countless memories surged into Kyōka's mind.
'These are…' Kyōka murmured, 'Mom's memories.'
Carefree childhood days.
The moment her ability, Demon, awakened.
Being recruited as a government assassin.
Becoming a mother for the first time.
And—
"Demon!"
Her mother, fighting desperately against the enemy's mental control, summoned Demon Snow with the last shreds of her will. In her final moment before losing herself, she gave one last order:
"Protect my child!"
Without hesitation, the loyal Demon swung its blade.
Blood sprayed. A woman's head fell. A man's chest was pierced.
And in that final instant, Demon was transferred to Kyōka.
'So… it was true.'
Through Yud Bet's power, Kyōka had inherited her mother's memories. She stood frozen, the weight of the truth pressing down on her.
Kurumi hadn't lied.
Her parents were government assassins.
Their killer wasn't her own ability.
Demon had been a final gift from her dying mother.
What expression was she even supposed to make now?
Relief? Regret for misunderstanding the truth? Or frustration for not learning it sooner?
Warm tears spilled from her eyes, splashing onto the cold floor.
"Tears…?" Kyōka whispered. 'I thought I'd run out of them long ago.'
Izumi Kyōka's life was, without a doubt, a tragedy.
Her parents—government assassins—had kept her in the dark. By sheer chance, she became a killer for the Port Mafia.
To save her, her mother had ordered her own ability to kill her. Yet Demon Snow, meant to be a guardian, was branded a curse—a maddened power that slaughtered her family.
Secrets and cruel twists of fate had turned Kyōka's life into a nightmare.
'Why… did it have to be like this…?'
If anything in her life had been different, her story wouldn't have ended this way.
If her parents had been luckier that day.
If the government had found her sooner.
If the one who discovered her hadn't been Akutagawa Ryūnosuke.
Maybe Akutagawa had genuinely wanted to save her—a girl who'd lost all meaning in life.
But instead, he gave her killing as her purpose, drowning her deeper in suffering.
Of course, how could someone who'd lost their own way guide another to the light?
All Akutagawa had done was pull Kyōka from one abyss and shove her into a deeper one.
Now, faced with the truth, Kyōka fell into silence.
Kurumi didn't offer comfort or advice. The facts were laid bare. Whether Kyōka accepted them—and what she'd do next—was hers to decide.
The dungeon was stifling. Aside from the occasional distant cough, only silence lingered.
Time passed before Kyōka finally lifted her head. Her expression was unreadable—neither hollow nor vibrant, just calm.
"Any thoughts?" Kurumi asked. "Like, say… wanting revenge for your parents?"
"No." Kyōka shook her head slowly. "Assassins live by killing. They knew death was inevitable. My parents wouldn't want me to avenge them."
"Seems you've made peace with it."
"Yes. Thank you… for showing me the truth."
Kyōka knelt, pressing her forehead to the ground. "I can never repay this debt. Please, Lady Tokisaki—accept my loyalty."
"Lady Tokisaki? Ugh, way too formal. I'd hate hearing that every day."
"Then… what should I call you?"
"Hmm…"
Kurumi tilted her head, a mischievous smile curling her lips. "How about… big sister?"
"Sister?"
"You're adorable, Kyōka. I've always wanted a cute little sister."
"But isn't that…"
"No good?"
"N-No, if that's what you wish."
"It's not an order. I'd be happy if you really saw me as your sister."
Kyōka opened her mouth, hesitation flickering.
Finally, she voiced the question gnawing at her.
"Why… help someone like me? We've never met before. Why are you so kind?"
"The reason?" Kurumi patted her head. "Same as spotting an injured kitten on the street—I couldn't just walk away. If I left you to rot, you might've ended up like me. And that'd be a shame."
"Like you?"
"Falling is terrifying, Kyōka. Once you embrace it, the change is irreversible."
Kurumi's voice was soft, almost nostalgic. "Morals, virtue, kindness—all those beautiful things vanish. Until one day, you're left with nothing. The world rejects you, casting you into the dark. A monster no one understands."
The image sent a chill through Kyōka.
She understood.
If the darkness consumed her completely, she'd become a creature banished from the light—forever trapped in solitude.
Staring at Kurumi, she whispered, "Sister… are we the same?"
"Same? No. We're alike, but you're just a lost child, tricked into the abyss. We're fundamentally different."
Kurumi smiled.
"When I fell… I did it with open eyes.
I reached out and embraced the darkness."
--+--
T/N: I assume she's talking about the original Kurumi.
--+--
T/N: Also, this is the last of the chapters today, and from now, I will be uploading 3 chapters every day. But if you head over to my patreon you can read up to 20+ Chapters! The chapters in this book is shorter than the Uma Musume one so it's a little more.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
p@treon.com/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.