FULL STORY SUMMARY

Rated M for mature/Rated E for explicit. Reader discretion advised.

To free the Earth from Kibutsuji Muzan and Mujōna's tyranny and demon reign, a new organization prepares and trains for battle.

AUTHOR'S NOTES

💗I'LL UPDATE TONIGHT! IT'LL BE A REALLY GOOD CHAPTER!💗

And I almost forgot: I don't know exactly when, but Eyes Like Rubies: Part 1.5 WILL be a thing! Literally everyone voted yes besides two people out of thirty-six votes!

️読んでくれてありがとう ️

CHAPTER VOCABULARY

* gongu oni: gong demon; Kamabisushii.

MEDIA DICTIONARY

* Thoughts

* "Dialogue."

* 'Telepathic dialogue.'

* "'Hearing someone's thoughts.'"

* "Past conversation."

* {Sound}

* [Movement]

NODOKA

For the past six months, Nodoka and Kokushibou had lived in the human realm together. The couple isolated themselves from the world and lived in a cove surrounded by waterfalls and the wilderness.

The love they felt for each other impossibly increased, and their relationship strengthened.

Eventually, they decided to return to the demon realm to handle important matters.

Nodoka and Sunō walked side by side in the halls. As they walked, Sunō attempted to juggle and twirl her fans.

For the past six months, Sunō took dance lessons and was in the company of her three best friends; Ame, Ninjin, and Yorokobi.

"Nodoka, look at this!" she exclaimed. Sunō twirled around and threw her fans in the air. Then she tried to elegantly catch her fans, but failed miserably. "Oh no! I almost had it!"

"That wasn't too bad, Sunō," Nodoka said. "Just keep prac—" She paused when she sensed a familiar presence nearby.

Kamabisushii.

Pouting, Sunō repeatedly attempted the dance move and failed miserably each time. "Oh, I messed it up again! Nodoka, I—"

"Sunō, stay right here," she interjected. "I need to handle something."

Nodoka teleported to Kamabisushii and found him speaking to a group of attentive servants. The gongu oni was wearing a fancy tuxedo and looked dashing. The scent of human women and expensive cologne wafted from him.

Nodoka approached him and said, "Kama, I need to speak with you."

"Sure, Doka. Of course."

Then the two white-haired demons went to a secluded area. Kamabisushii raised a questionable eyebrow and said, "What do you want to speak with me about?"

"Nothing much," she said. "I just haven't seen you in a while."

Kamabisushii playfully poked her shoulder and laughed, "Of course you haven't seen me in a while. That honeymoon of yours took nearly forever to end!"

Shocked, Nodoka gasped, "Honeymoon? And Kama, how do you know about that? We didn't tell anyone else."

"Because of your mark," he said with a wide grin.

She instinctively touched the area on her right shoulder where the mark was located. The mark was hidden underneath her buttoned peacoat and she had yet to reveal it publicly. "…Kama, how do you know about that?" she whispered, her lips quivering.

Kamabisushii rested a gentle hand on her shoulder and said, "Do not worry, Nodoka. I won't speak of your business to anyone; gossiping isn't my thing, anyway."

"But how do you know of this, Kamabisushii? How?" she said in a raised voice, which conflicted with her usual quiet and soft demeanor.

"Because when you approached me, I sensed not only your presence, but Kokushibou-sama's as well," he chuckled. "The same thing happens with Lady Mujōna and His Lordship."

Nodoka anxiously rubbed and pressed against her mark, wincing. "O-Oh my God… Can anyone else sense this?"

"It depends, really. Some demons have keen senses, while others don't. I got my acute senses from Lady Mujōna, so of course I'll be able to distinguish presences, auras, and souls with ease. Besides Lady Mujōna, no one else's senses are keener than mine, so the least they'll pick up on is a stronger presence than yours."

Upon hearing that, Nodoka's face softened and the rapid thrumming of her heart ceased. The twisting, churning, and turning of her insides settled like a roaring sea at the end of a storm. "…Oh, thank you, Kama. I really needed that."

"Are you not happy with your mark, Doka?" he asked, his eyebrows knitted with worry.

"No, I am happy. In fact, it's one of the best things that ever happened to me. It's just that this is the first time anyone has ever… wanted me," she said softly.

"Because you are for him, and he is for you," he said. "Fate brought you two together and it'll keep you together."

Kamabisushii's words soothed and warmed her quailing heart. She embraced him and said, "Oh, thank you, Kama. I don't know what I'd do without you."

The two white-haired demons embraced each other for a while until she said, "Could I ask you something?"

"Of course, Doka."

"Why aren't you with Nakime? You're usually with her at this time."

Upon hearing the mention of Nakime, a faint sly smirk appeared upon his handsome face, but only for a moment.

The smile was barely perceivable, but it didn't pass by Nodoka.

Nodoka withdrew and said, "That look… You only get that look when you— Kama, what did you do?"

Kamabisushii held a blank expression and monotonously said, "Nodoka, what are you talking about?"

Nodoka's face contorted in repulsion as she hissed, "You slept with her, didn't you?"

Shocked, he gasped in disbelief and dramatically clutched his chest. "What? No! Of course not!"

"Yes, you did, Kama. How did you even do that? She's practically a robot." Then her eyes opened wide as she said, "…You told her the story about the French fisherman."

✧THE FRENCH FISHERMAN: an inside joke between I and one of my friends who shouldn't be reading this story, but is. Hey, Christina! (No, I won't explain it. If you know, you know.)

"Oh, dear Heavens, no! I didn't tell her that story, Nodoka!"

"Then how else did you convince her?"

"I didn't convince her to do anything because nothing happened between us."

"So, why do I get the feeling that you're lying?"

"If you think I'm lying, then so be it. I refuse to engage in such ludicrous accusations!" he growled.

Nodoka gazed into his grey eyes and saw the most minuscule, unperceivable gleam of lechery. "…You did have sex with her," she gasped. "We have to tell Lady Mujōna."

"Wait, what? We don't need to tell Her anything!"

"Yes, we do, Kama. It'll be much better if we tell Her instead of Her finding out on Her own."

An unsettling atmosphere of uneasiness, worry, and uncertainty surrounded them.

Kamabisushii heaved a deep, sorrowful sigh and said, "Nodoka, why must you expose my each and every turn? Remember when you almost had me killed due to your nosy behavior?"

"Kama, if we be honest with Lady Mujōna, She'll surely forgive your actions. Also, I didn't almost have you killed; I saved your life."

A vein angrily throbbed upon his forehead and his navy-blue claws extended. "Nodoka, Lady Mujōna is spending time with His Lordship and their two beautiful children. Do you really want to disrupt them?" he snarled.

Nodoka contemplated upon his words, then frowned. "I'm sure that She'll want to know of this immediately, Kama. Imagine if His Lordship found out before Her. I'm only trying to help you."

Pouting, Kamabisushii said, "…Fine. But we'll tell Her when they return."

Before she opened her mouth to respond, he said, "We mustn't disturb them with something as petty as who's having sex with who, Nodoka! And besides, the only way to contact Lady Mujōna is through Hakanai and Hikiharau, and that's only for emergencies."

A pained expression crossed Nodoka's face as she felt twinges in her heart. "…You have to go through the twins to speak with Lady Mujōna? Why didn't She tell me about this?"

…I must've failed Lady Mujōna! I failed Her for the second time!

"She didn't tell you bec—"

Nodoka looked as if she was on the verge of bursting into tears as she cried, "But She practically tells me everything, Kama! I should've known about this before you; I'm her attendant. I'm her righthand! God, I knew that I disappointed her with my pathetic behavior! I need to apologize, beg for forgiveness, and fix—"

"Nodoka, Lady Mujōna didn't tell you because She wanted you to relax and spend time with Kokushibou-sama!" he injected, his voice echoing through the halls.

Kamabisushii quickly covered his mouth and composed himself. "…Sorry for that," he sheepishly whispered.

Nodoka turned away as tears threatened to pour out of her eyes. She tensed as he embraced her and cooed, "Relax, Nodoka. She specifically told me to take the reins of this place. Hakanai and Hikiharau assist and work under me."

Sniffling, she returned his warm embrace as her black claws sunk into his back. "…O-Okay, Kama. Okay."

"Also, She didn't tell you because I'm Her favorite," he laughed, smirking.

Upon hearing that, a wide grin reluctantly spread across her face. It had always been an inside joke that Kamabisushii was Mujōna's favorite solely because he was her first conversion.

"Not true," she giggled, wiping her tear streaked face.

"Yes, it is true! I'm Her first conversion and you're Her second. Of course, She prefers me over you."

The two white-haired demons laughed and playfully poked each other while they returned to Sunō.

ZENITSU

Zenitsu and Nezuko excused themselves and stood in a secluded area. The yellow-haired demon kept his eyes locked on his trembling hand that now had a mind of its own.

The gradual feeling of losing control of his entire body threatened to consume him entirely. A lurching, subtle inclination to submit to his demon side entirely made him feel unable to breathe.

"We can't tell Tanjirou about what happened," she said. "You know how he gets."

Perspiration formed upon his forehead as he recalled when Tanjirou was willing to kill him. "O-oh yeah, h-heh. Don't worry; I won't say a thing!"

Zenitsu nearly toppled over when his hand began to twitch erratically. He hid his hand behind his back and smiled adoringly at her, breathing heavily.

Beaming, Nezuko slashed the air and opened a portal. "Now, let's go!" she laughed.

"N-Nezuko, where does that portal lead?"

"To the human realm, of course!"

"To do what?"

"To kill!" she exclaimed, her bloodlust seeping through the air.

Upon hearing that, Zenitsu went into a panicked state and his jaw dropped.

The bloodlust Nezuko emitted reluctantly enticed and encouraged him to join her as well. His hand vibrated and throbbed wildly at the tantalizing thought of slaughtering humans with his lover.

Oh my God, it's getting stronger!

Shit, shit, shit!

Before he could even think of a response, Nezuko laughed as she playfully took his hand and pulled him through the portal.

Then everything went black.

Zenitsu groggily opened his eyes and found himself laying on the grass, feeling lightheaded. He sat up and gasped when he saw Nezuko speaking to Tanjirou, who looked completely—

Human?

Tanjirou can hide his demonic features? Oh my God!

Nezuko saw that Zenitsu had awakened and approached him. "You still haven't gotten used to dimensional travel, huh?" she laughed.

"N-no I haven't, Nezuko," he stammered as she helped him up.

Tanjirou approached him and happily extended his hand. "Hey, Zenitsu!"

The yellow-haired demon took his hand and said, "H-hey, Tanjirou…"

"While you were sleeping on the ground, Nezuko told me that you unlocked your full demon form! What's it like?" Tanjirou drew even closer, an excited gleam in his eyes.

"Uh… I— It's really nice, you know! All that stored up power is just released and it's… it's a-amazing! Heh!"

"Come on, you two!" Nezuko cried out. "I smell some humans nearby!"

The scent of humans brushed past Zenitsu's nose, which made his hand violently twist and contort. Zenitsu felt his demon side gradually gaining control of his entire arm as well.

I don't want to kill any more people, but if I don't, I'll blow my cover!

Gulping, Zenitsu stammered, "H-hey, how about instead of doing that, maybe we could—"

"Come on, Zenitsu!" Tanjirou shouted as he and Nezuko ran along the path. "Hurry up!"

Zenitsu reluctantly broke into a sprint and trailed behind his, his heart pounding in his ears.

Shit, shit, shit!

Oh, Gramps, please save me!

The three demons crouched behind a bush as they watched two travelers stagger along the path. The two travelers wore scraggly kimonos and were covered in dirt and scars from head to toe.

"Zenitsu, on the count of three, you take the shorter one, and I'll take the taller one," Nezuko whispered. "One, two—"

"Wait, Nezu—"

"Three!" Nezuko leaped out of the shrubs and pounced on the taller traveler. She mercilessly slashed his neck, then grimaced at the bloody mess.

"That was such a sloppy kill!" she whined, pouting.

The shorter traveler trembled in place with his eyes wide, petrified.

"Zenitsu, it's your turn," she said.

…I don't want to kill this man.

Zenitsu's bloodthirsty hand throbbed with delight as he shakily stood up and withdrew his blade. The mere thought of slaying innocents enticed his demonic side greatly.

Zenitsu and the traveler locked eyes and held each other's stare, quivering.

Pure, unadulterated terror and innocence were within the human's eyes.

But I have to.

Just as he raised his blade to kill the traveler, Nezuko slashed the traveler's throat. A minimal amount of blood spattered everywhere, and blood gushed out of his neck profusely as he crumbled to the ground.

"That was much better than the last one," she said with pride. "And I'm really sorry, Zenitsu. You were taking too long, but I promise you'll get the next one!"

Zenitsu was astonished by what just happened which caught him off guard and let his demon side gain more control of his body. Bloodlust began to cloud his mind and override his senses, distorting reality.

Nezuko…

Suddenly, a sparrow approached and stood before him. The sparrow fluttered its wings and inched closer to him.

Zenitsu gulped as he shakily backed away from the sparrow. "What?"

"A bird?" Nezuko asked. "Weird…"

The sparrow stalked closer until Zenitsu's back was against a tree, then sat perched upon his shoulder.

"I think that bird likes you, Zenitsu," Tanjirou laughed.

Zenitsu's arm violently twisted and jerked with the desire to gouge the small bird's eyeballs out. He refused to give in, and fought tooth and nail as he gritted his fangs. "S-shoo!" he bellowed. "Go away!"

Suddenly, the sparrow began to sing.

The sparrow melodious chirps somehow assuaged and placated Zenitsu's raging bloodlust. He immediately felt himself gaining control of his body and gawked at the bird, dumbfound.

Oh my God… The bird's singing helped me contain my bloodlust!

"W-where did you come from?" he whispered, breathing heavily.

The sparrow looked up at the sky above, which was clear and painted a stunning azure.

It must be talking about Tengoku! This has to be a gift from Gramps!

"Were you sent by a man with a scar on his cheek and a moustache?"

The sparrow knowingly nodded.

Zenitsu felt the urge to burst into tears, but held himself together.

I knew it! Oh, Gramps, thank you, thank you, thank you!

"I should give you a name!" he exclaimed, his eyes watering with joy. "…How about... Nohito?"

The sparrow shook its head.

"Shunsho?"

The sparrow shook its head again.

"Kuboko?"

The sparrow angrily shook its head and pecked his shoulder.

"Ouch, okay, I get it! How about… Chuntaro? Do you like Chuntaro?"

The sparrow stared at him and seemed to roll its eyes, but was somewhat pleased.

"Okay! Chuntaro it is!"

Nezuko and Tanjirou didn't understand any of what just happened, but laughed and went along with it.

The three demons continued hunting for potential victims until they found a lone traveler. The traveled carried a bag of coal as he followed the path.

Out of the corner of his eye, Zenitsu saw Tanjirou's eyes revert to their demonic state. Tanjirou's eyes became a reddish orange with slit pupils which looked similar to Muzan's, but without the lines.

"Zenitsu, you can kill this—" Before she could finish, Tanjirou pounced upon the human and violently slashed him to bits.

Gore, flesh, organs, and intestines were strewn everywhere, along with remnants of fabric and lumps of coal.

The burgundy-haired demon continued ravaging the corpse until there was nothing left. Then he turned and faced Nezuko and Zenitsu with a blank, unreadable expression.

Zenitsu saw that Nezuko was gaping at the spectacle and was shocked as well. A strange, unfamiliar gleam shined in her pink eyes.

Oh my God. Is Nezuko's conscious returning?

"…Tanjirou, that was supposed to be Zenitsu's kill!" she hissed. "I'm so sorry, Zenitsu."

Nope. She's still out of it.

Tanjirou stared at his claws, the blood of an innocent man glistening in the light. "…I'm going back to the demon realm," he said as he summoned a portal and went through it.

Nezuko pouted as she summoned a portal as well. "I think we should go back as well, Zenitsu. Let's go," she sighed as she went through the portal.

Before they left, Zenitsu looked at Chuntaro and said, "…There's something really wrong with Tanjirou, isn't there?"

Chuntaro gave a sorrowful nod.

Zenitsu looked at the sky above as his heart sank even further.

This nightmare will never end, will it?

SANEMI

For the past six months, Sanemi vigorously trained and only focused on improving. With each devastating blow he delivered to his targets, it pushed him further away from the life he lived before.

The memories of the true Sanemi Shinazugawa slowly faded away, and were replaced by a strong, aching desire—

A gnawing hunger to become a powerful demon and live up to his rank.

Every now and then, his mind would wander to the green-eyed demon, but he would quickly concentrate on achieving his goal.

Daki had vanished a while ago, and after speaking to Gyutaro about her whereabouts, Sanemi began to disregard her entirely.

Well, he tried to, at least.

FLASHBACK:

After his third encounter with Daki, Sanemi found himself looking forward to seeing her again. The woman was unusual, rude, temperamental, and always seem to be in a bad mood.

And that intrigued him.

Besides Kokushibou and Douma, Daki was one of the few Upper Moons who actually interacted with him, even if the interactions weren't as pleasant.

After a few weeks, Sanemi realized that Daki wasn't in The Dimensional Infinity Fortress at all. Something deep down told him to try to find her, so he obliged.

For days, Sanemi scoured the forever shifting fortress until he ran across one of the Lower Moons in an empty corridor.

The blue-eyed demon smiled faintly as he wandered through the halls. The kanji for 'Lower Moon One' was on his pupils.

This guy looks pretty weak, but I'm sure he has the highest lower rank for a reason. I'll play nice and be cautious.

Sanemi approached him and said, "Hey, can I ask you a question?"

The blue-eyed demon hummed as he continued walking and staring ahead. "Yes?"

Sanemi scoffed and walked alongside him.

It's like they always make their hatred for us so clear every chance they get, and I'm really getting tired of it.

"Have you heard anything about Daki? Like, where she is?"

"May I ask why you want to know such a thing?" he asked, smiling eerily.

"I think it'd be best if you didn't," Sanemi said.

The blue-eyed demon paused and stared at Sanemi directly, which made chills run down his spine.

Even though Sanemi towered over the demon, he was still intimidated. The feeling of uncertainty and danger practically wafted off him.

After a disturbing eternity of staring at each other, the blue-eyed demon broke into a wide grin and said, "Ah, well, you should check with Gyutaro."

Perplexed, Sanemi said, "…Gyutaro?"

"Yes. He's currently present."

"…Alright. Thanks." Sanemi walked away, then came to an abrupt halt.

I should get his name just in case.

"Wait, what's your—" Sanemi turned around and saw that the blue-eyed demon was nowhere to be found.

…That guy is fucking creepy.

After asking around and wandering through the fortress for a while, Sanemi eventually went through a portal that led to a simulation depicting a town at midnight.

There, on one of the many roofs, was a dark figure. The dark figure leisurely leaned against a post and repeatedly threw a ball at a wall.

Sanemi leapt on the roofs and approached him from behind. A sudden breeze made the lanterns swing and illuminated the dark figure, which made Sanemi gasp at the sight.

A shirtless, grotesque male demon with yellow scleras was staring back at him. He had a pale grayish complexion, and his hair was black-to-lime green. The demons' limbs were impressively muscular, but his waist was unbelievably skinny.

"I've heard that you've been looking for me," Gyutaro said. "What the hell do you want?"

Sanemi disregarded his disturbing appearance and said, "I need to know where Daki is."

Upon hearing that, Gyutaro's eyes widened as he stalked closer to him. "Why do you want to know?"

The two demons stood face to face and held each other's stare. Sanemi balled his fists and said, "…I have my reasons."

"And what may that be?" Gyutaro shoved him and smirked maliciously, a psychotic gleam in his eyes. The kanji for 'Upper Moon Six' was etched on his pupils.

Upper Moon Six… Isn't that Daki's rank?

"I said, why do you need to know where she is?" he said, coming even closer. Gyutaro's bloodlust permeated the air and made Sanemi feel nauseous.

Sanemi stood his ground and refused to show any fear. "Why do you share the same rank as her?" he asked.

Scowling, Gyutaro took a few steps back and said, "Because she's my sister, asshole."

Shocked, Sanemi's eyes widened beyond belief as he said, "Sister? You two look nothing ali—"

"And so I've been told," he interjected. Then Gyutaro tilted his head and glowered when he saw Sanemi's fists. "…Your rank. How'd the hell you get that rank?"

"I earned it," Sanemi said dully.

A gleam of jealously flashed in Gyutaro's eyes, but only for a moment. Then he smirked and said, "…Nice."

The white-haired demon relaxed his muscles and unclenched his fists when he felt that Gyutaro wasn't currently a threat. "…So, can you tell me where she is?"

"Not until you tell me why you want to know."

Sanemi furrowed his brows in bewilderment, displeasure, and stupefaction.

…Why do I want to know? Why do I even care?

What the hell am I even doing?

"…Never mind. Forget I asked," he said. As Sanemi left the strange dimension, he felt Gyutaro's cold, harsh stare.

GYUTARO

Gyutaro climbed up walls and leapt over roofs, then sat perched upon a windowsill. He kept his eyes locked on Daki, who was applying makeup.

"What the hell are you looking at?" she hissed. "Why the fuck are you here?"

"Ume, someone asked about you," he chuckled.

Daki raised a questionable eyebrow and scoffed, smirking. "Who?"

"Some asshole."

"I need more details than that, fuckface."

"Eh… White hair, about this tall, looks like he's ready to kick someone's ass 24/7. One of Her Ladyship's demons, as a matter of fact."

Upon hearing that, Daki dropped her pot of charcoal liner and it shattered on the floor. "Damn it!" she spat, rummaging through her vanity dresser erratically.

Perplexed, Gyutaro leaned against the windowsill. "The fuck's your problem?"

"Nothing. I'm fine." Daki began to apply eyeliner with unsteady hands that trembled slightly.

"You don't look fine to me. Weren't you the one who said that we gotta be honest all the time?"

"I'm fine, Gyutaro," she sighed, annoyed.

Gyutaro's eyes lit up with a psychotic, malicious intent as he said, "You need me to kill anyone?"

"No, Gyutaro!" she shouted. "I'm fucking fine! Now, is that all you have to tell me?"

"Yep."

Then Daki turned and playfully shooed him away with a smug grin. "Goodbye, fuckface."

He rolled his eyes and began to leave, but paused. "Is Kaigaku the real reason why you left?" he abruptly asked.

Daki stopped applying her makeup and stared at him directly through the mirror, holding his unsettling stare. "Yes," she said, certainty edging her voice.

"Alright."

As Gyutaro leapt over buildings and caught glimpses of the Red-Light District below, he thought to himself.

Master said that Kaigaku is untouchable, and of course that Demon Sun is as well.

That Kaigaku fucker doesn't even deserve his rank. All that blood Master gave him only overpowered him and he can't even use it correctly.

As much as I want that rank, the Upper Moon Three rank will forever belong to Akaza.

Fuckin' bullshit, I tell ya.

Fuckin' bullshit.

TIMESKIP: TWENTY YEARS AGO

LUNA

Luna groggily awakened in a hospital bed to the sound of the door opening. Two nurses entered and one held a pink lump in her arms. The nurses approached Luna and said, "Congratulations. It's a girl!"

Luna gave a weak smile as she took the lump in her arms. Then she opened the pink blanket's crease, revealing a beautiful newborn child.

The infant's skin was a lovely toffee, and her brown eyes were filled with Light from the Heavens. Her features were ethereal and delicate, and her lips were full and adorned with a beautifully crafted cupid's bow.

Just like her mother.

"She's so beautiful!" a nurse gushed. "She looks exactly like you!"

"You both look like angels," the other gasped.

Because of a curse.

Luna smiled at the cooing newborn and said, "Thank you for your kind words. I'd like to know where my husband is."

Just as one of the nurses opened her mouth to respond, they heard a loud commotion coming from outside.

"Sir, you have to sign in!" a man shouted.

"Not until I see my wife!" a man retorted.

Then a man barged into the room with security trailing behind him. "Luna!" he softly exclaimed as he rushed to her side.

The security officers stood in the doorway, gawking and ogling at the beautiful woman lying in the hospital bed.

The man turned to them and hissed, "Get out of here and stop staring at my wife!"

Now alone, the man gently took the newborn into his arms. "Luna, we have a daughter. We really have a daughter!"

"Yes, we do, Hakujaku," she weakly laughed.

Hakujaku lovingly cradled and rocked his daughter, cooing to her. "Oh, she's just so perfect and beautiful, Luna. She's the spitting image of you."

…Of course, she is, for that is her fate.

Luna gave a weak nod and finally relaxed now that she was at ease. She stared at the ceiling, the soft sounds of her daughter's coos echoing in her ears.

After a while, he said, "…Luna, I'm sorry that I wasn't here for the birth. I got held up at the office and—"

"You don't have to explain yourself, Hakujaku," she said. "I know that you wouldn't purposefully miss this for the world."

Hakujaku moved his lips as if he wanted to say something, but nothing came out. After a few moments, he said, "…Since I wasn't here earlier, you should take the liberty to name her. Have you thought of anything?"

Luna and her daughter locked eyes for what felt like an eternity. The newborn's eyes were filled with Light and wonder, and her eyelashes were beautifully long.

"...Himari. Her name is… Himari; The Sun."

"Luna, that's— That's perfect!" he exclaimed, his brown eyes shimmering with delight.

With worry and anxiety written all over her angelic face, she said, "Hakujaku, I need you to promise me something."

"Anything for you, Luna. Anything."

"I need you to promise me that you'll protect her… forever," she said, her plum-colored eyes pleading with him.

Perplexed, he said, "Of course, Luna! That's a guarantee."

"I mean it, Hakujaku. Please protect her with your life and always put her first."

Hakujaku gazed into her plum-colored eyes with his brown ones and said, "I'll protect Himari with every last ounce of my soul, Luna. I promise."

This child is special and sacred, and must be protected. For if she falls into the wrong hands, all that we know will be destroyed.

This burden— No, this curse, has been casted upon her because of my actions.

I thought that what I did was… right.

I really did.

Hakujaku and Luna held each other's hand as they stared at their newborn daughter. While his eyes were filled with love and excitement, her eyes were filled with restlessness and worry.

My time in this realm will inevitably soon come to an end, but all that I ask is to let me be with her if only for a little while.

Please.

The shrill sound of a phone ringing interrupted The Maeda Family's peaceful bonding. Hakujaku looked at his phone and said, "…I have to take this, Luna."

"Are you sure it can't wait?" she asked.

"It… It can't."

Luna heaved a deep, sorrowful sigh and rubbed her temples. "Alright, Hakujaku. You can go."

As he left and took the call, Hakujaku mouthed the words 'I'm sorry' to her.

Now alone, Luna stared at the infant who looked exactly like her.

Himari, your father has promised me that he'll always put you first. I pray that he doesn't let his greed and ambition prevent him from taking proper care of you.

I am so frightened for you and I hate that I won't be here for you like a mother should.

This is… my fault.

The infant squirmed in her mother's arms as she cooed softly.

The feeling of holding my child in my arms is an uncertain sea of true bliss. I felt this same exact way when I first held Hikari.

Himari is my second chance at being a mother… if only for a short, fleeting moment.

Himari balled her tiny fists and stared at the door. The newborn seemed to be waiting for her father to return.

Luna and Himari waited for Hakujaku to return for a while. They closed their eyes and gently dozed off, the sounds of Himari's cooing lulling her to sleep.

Suddenly, a nurse entered the room. "…Ms. Maeda?"

Luna's eyes shot wide open as she attentively sat up. "Yes?"

"Your husband, Hakujaku Maeda, wanted me to tell you that he had to handle an important matter at his workplace."

Upon hearing that, Luna's heart sank for the millionth time. "…Okay. Thank you for telling me."

Now alone, Luna held her daughter closer to her as silent tears poured from her eyes.

Oh, Himari. Words cannot explain how sorry I am for everything.

I just hope that one day you'll be able to forgive me.

Your sister will always be my Light, and you will always be my Sun.