"Yo-"
*Puff~*
A faint exhale. Smoke billowed outward, ghostly and sudden, obscuring the demon's face before it could finish its snarl.
The creature hissed and leapt back, claws ready. But Kagerou didn't move to chase, didn't even bother looking at it.
Instead, his gaze shifted lazily toward the woman on the ground, the one who had piqued his curiosity.
"You," he said, voice calm, a hint of a smirk tugging at his lips. "What's your name, lady?"
The words shouldn't have felt so casual in a place like this, but they did.
Those silver-gray eyes of his glimmered faintly in the moonlight, calm, unreadable, yet strangely intent.
As if he wanted to know everything about the trembling woman before him.
Kanae's breath hitched. Her mind spun. How could she forget that face? The same man who had ignored her completely at the gathering before.
And now... he suddenly looked at her like this? With that kind of interest?
"Y-Yo-" she tried to speak, but the words caught in her throat.
Behind him, the demon's expression twisted into pure rage.
"How dare you ignore me!" it roared, lunging forward.
Kanae's eyes widened. "B-Behind you!"
But even with the warning, Kagerou didn't flinch.
Didn't even turn his head.
Those unreadable eyes stayed locked on Kanae, as though the demon didn't exist.
'Lunatic!' Kanae thought, horror rising. The demon's claws were mere inches away from his skull.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
One second. Two.
But the sound she expected, blood splattering, flesh tearing, never came.
When she opened her eyes, her breath caught.
The demon's claw had pierced clean through Kagerou's head…
Yet no blood dripped. No scream followed. Only that same faint, curious smile remained on his face.
Even the demon froze, its arm still inside what should've been his skull.
"Y-You…" Kanae stammered, voice trembling. "W-What-"
"I said," Kagerou interrupted softly, his tone unchanged, "What's your name?"
"N-Not that... your head-"
The demon snarled, yanking its arm free. "Witchcraft?! What are you?!"
It slashed again and again, through Kagerou's chest, his throat, his side. Each strike met nothing but drifting smoke. Every blow passed clean through his body, scattering wisps of gray that curled lazily around him before reforming.
Through it all, Kagerou didn't even glance at his attacker.
His eyes, sharp and steady, never left Kanae's face.
And in that silence between attacks, the faint scent of smoke lingered…
Heavy. All-consuming.
Like death itself was breathing beside her.
There were no words to describe the sight before her.
Was this still the reality she knew?
A dream? Or perhaps… had she already died?
Seeing the horror in her face and the confusion in her eyes, Kagerou let out a slow, lazy breath.
"You don't have to worry about the demon," he said softly. "He's already dead"
Kanae blinked, her mind refusing to process the words. She turned her gaze toward the demon.
It was still standing there, breathing heavily, trembling, its eyes darting between the two of them.
Just like her, it seemed to be questioning reality itself.
A strange, almost pitiful sight… if not for the blood still dripping from its claws.
"But… it's still aliv-"
"No," Kagerou interrupted, his tone calm, absolute. "It's dead"
And then-
From the mist that hung around them, behind the demon... Another Kagerou stepped out.
Kanae's eyes widened. Every instinct screamed that something was wrong, that what she was seeing shouldn't exist.
The demon sensed it too, trying to turn its head... But it never got the chance.
*Shhhk!*
A flash of silver. A whisper through the air.
The Tento's edge traced a perfect line through the night.
The cut was so clean that for a moment, the world seemed to pause.
The demon's head began to turn, as if trying to look back... And then it saw him.
Kagerou.
Standing behind it, blade still poised.
Its head spun further, 180 degrees.
And there he was again.
Kagerou, still in front of Kanae, his expression unchanged, calm as the drifting mist.
"W-Wha-"
The demon's mouth barely formed the sound before its head, body, and even the confusion in its eyes began to crumble into gray ash.
And just like that, it died, full of question marks.
"..."
"..."
Silence stretched between them.
Kanae couldn't believe what she had just witnessed.
Her gaze shifted toward the man in front of her, still standing there, still smiling, as if nothing had happened.
But then, before her very eyes, his form began to waver… softly unraveling into drifting wisps, like mist caught by the wind.
Another impossible sight.
Her heart raced, her thoughts scattered. Everything her eyes saw screamed real, yet her mind refused to accept it.
*Cling!*
The crisp sound of a blade being sheathed broke the spell.
Kanae's eyes darted to the source, Kagerou, standing there, solid, calm, the Tento now back inside his Haori.
The one who had cut the demon down. The one who, just moments ago, was in front of her, now standing there, she wasn't even sure if this one was the real one.
"…W-What was that?" she finally asked, her voice trembling.
Kagerou tilted his head slightly, as if her question were trivial.
"Lady," he said with a faint smile, "you still haven't answered mine"
He stepped closer, slow, unhurried, the faint scent of smoke following each movement.
When he reached her, he extended a hand.
Kanae hesitated for only a moment before taking it.
Kagerou's grip was warm, real.
"So," he said, voice low, almost gentle,
"What's your name?"
He waited.
But Kanae only stared, words trapped somewhere between confusion and disbelief.
Kagerou let out a quiet sigh through his nose, amusement flickering in his eyes.
"This is the third time I've asked that question," he said, tilting his head slightly. "…Or should I introduce myself first? Is that what you want?"
He paused, then smiled faintly. "Fine, I'll do it"
Straightening, he released her hand and stood with quiet dignity. His gaze didn't waver.
"My name is Kagerou Rengoku," he said. "The eldest son of the Rengoku household"
For a heartbeat, the faint scent of smoke lingered again as he smiled, calm, unhurried, yet somehow… sincere.
"Now then, Lady," he continued softly, "will you honor me with your name?"