Chapter 8- Shura's Mistake
The next time Haru had opened his eyes, the demon slayer was nowhere to be found. He called out for her several times to no avail.
He shrugged. Looking up to the sky, he thought, "I can't blame her. Guess she got tired of my lackluster company. I wonder… will she come back again or is this the end?"
"Hey" said a feminine voice.
Haru's mouth opened in surprise. He tilted his head towards the direction he'd heard her.
"Shura…"
Shura smiled and then walked up beside him.
"You came back huh?" he asked.
"You're just figuring that out now?
He cheerfully said, "Sorry, I thought when you left like that, you must made off."
"Oh…" she said, "I overslept. When I woke up, there wasn't any time left to spare or my prey would have escaped."
"No need to explain really…" he said waving a hand leisurely.
Shura's eyes narrowed.
"Why are you lying to me?" she asked.
"Eh?"
"What's the fake smile for? Don't tell me you're upset that…"
"I'm not angry okay?" he said.
There was a pause as both of them simply gazed at one another.
"It really bothered you huh?"
"A little. You could have at least warned me before disappearing like that. But like I said, it's nothing to worry about. You're under no obligations to listen to the worries of someone you barely know right?"
"That's right. What I choose to do is my business." said Shura, "That said…"
She lowered her eyes, the gesture so small it would fail to escape only the utmost scrutiny.
Shura said, "I'm… sorry."
"What?!" asked her demon.
Haru jumped to his feet. He said, "Who said that?'
He spun around, a bewildered expression on his face, as he listened for the strange voice to repeat itself. Shura crossed her arms and remained silent. There was no way she was introducing the demon right now.
At last Haru settled down. He said, "I suppose it was nothing. Oh… right. You were talking. Um… like I said. There's no need to apologize. Still, thank you."
Shura continued to cross her arms, but this time she turned away.
What am I apologizing for? What's gotten into me?
"So…" interrupted Haru, "how was your hunt?"
"Mmm." she said as she tried to regain herself, "The fight was somewhat decent. The demon's defense was trash, but it nearly got the jump on me and it could heal... a lot! Still, it was a one sided battle."
She took a breath before continuing, "I'm glad it proved mortal though. It would've been boring if it couldn't die. But I can't deny I enjoyed thrashing it again and again. My prey tends to be weak in that regard."
"Healing abilities don't sound so great given how you use it to your advantage."
Shura laughed. "True enough."
Clearly in a good mood, Shura said, "I'm getting cold. Let's go get drinks."
"Eh? You're fine with that?"
"Fool. Quit questioning me."
"Okay, okay." he said. Best seal my lips or I'll wind up paying for my own drink.
Shura said, "Let's go. Defeating a notorious demon warrants a little celebration and I'm damn thirsty."
Shura headed down the road. She stopped to see Haru lagging behind as he used his sheathed sword as a makeshift walking stick to feel the ground ahead. She slowed down until he was beside her and began to chat with him. Leisurely, they made their way to the village together.
Author's Note: I know not to explain the joke, but Haru is saying that healing doesn't sound so great when Shura will just slice you up every time.