Chapter 16- Dinner for Two

The chill of night swept over Japan. Crickets began to chirp from a safe distance. The moon, in his moment of modesty, hid behind a veil of clouds. A small group of travelers walked up the road. For a moment, they stopped and looked to the side of the road where two figures were partaking in a tender moment.

"You kissed me."

Shura's innocent smile disappeared. Her face gradually became graver.

She said, "Yeah…"

She waited in uncertainty for his response. Within a few seconds she got it. Haru's lips crashed against hers and he pulled her in. She was lying on top of him, her hands clutching handfuls of grass and her feet sticking up, as if an electric charge had run up them.

At last Haru pulled away, "You do know what you're doing, don't you? Shura… I'm just an old man."

"You're not really that old! I was just teasing you. You can't be more than thirty."

When he didn't speak, she said, "So… does this mean you're okay with this? Being with me in that sort of way?"

"Of course I am!" he said, "Every time you've left, I've missed your company more and more. N-Now I'm sure just how I feel. I've fallen for you."

Shura blushed and shut her eyes. She carefully scooted down a bit until she could comfortably rest on his chest. They were unsure just how long they remained resting in their tender embrace.

Haru felt his tense body finally relax and his mind start to slip off to rest. Just then, Shura shattered his security. She placed a hand on his chest, which had become fully exposed when his kimono had slowly slipped apart in their tussle. At first, she merely rested it there for support. But overtime, she seemed to take notice of the naked flesh. Her hand started to wander over his muscular torso. Haru's breathing became faster.

He said, "S-Shura…"

"Huh?" she asked sounding preoccupied.

"Would you like to have dinner with me? It's cold out here and there's a place we can go to nearby."

"That sounds pretty good."

She got up off of him only to find her body had gone stiff. She put her hand to her hips and reeled back until her head was nearly touching the ground. Then she pulled herself up again and gave a sigh.

"Before we head in, Shura… can I see you?"

"See me?" she asked.

"I have a basic idea from our encounter, but I want to really be able to picture you in my mind… if it's okay with you."

"Sure. Feel free to explore my body."

"What?! I just meant your face."

Shura laughed. "How cute! It really is fine though for you to get a better image."

Haru's lip scrunched up. He walked up to Shura and placed his hands on the top of her head. He slowly ran his finger tips across her face. He repeated this several times, only stopping to run a hand through her silky bangs. He began to now make his way down her neck and to her shoulders. For a moment, Haru stopped, taking interest in the demonic skull strapped to her left. Afterwards, he proceeded down the sides of her figure. His hands recoiled suddenly, as if burnt by a hot poker.

He asked, "You've been dressed like this the entire time?"

She said, "You've got a problem with how I dress?"

"No, I just… I had no clue." said Haru.

He added, "You're beautiful."

"I don't really know what you mean but… thank you."

"Shall we get something to eat now?"

"Yes! I haven't eaten since morning. I'm going to order three plates of fish. This'll be great. I haven't had a drink with you in ages."

Haru thought, "That's not exactly the kind of dinner I meant."

They walked into the restaurant. Shura immediately picked out a seat and made herself at home in her usual leg stretched out posture. She ordered several bottles of sake and some dumplings. Haru gave a sigh.

"Haru, can you pay for this?"

"I have no intention of starving so I sometimes work by chopping wood. You don't need to worry."

"If you say so. You better not be lying since I can easily pay for my fill."

"Like I said, don't worry. Let's just spend some time together."

Shura's legs slid off of the tabletop and switched to the seat next to Haru. She seemed to finally be getting the message. This was displayed most clearly in the way she wrapped her arm around his, happily clinging to him while wearing a mischievous smile.

In walked a portly fighter with a shaved head and bad teeth. He spotted Shura and started to scratch his head. The man let out a shout and then pointed dramatically in her direction.

He said, "It's you! I remember when you came in here asking for him. I see you've finally be been reunited. Heh heh, so he was your type after all!"

He started smiling enthusiastically. "Isn't that something? I suppose even a deranged killer can find love. What a world we live in."

"Get lost baldy!"

Shura threw an empty bottle of sake at him. He ducked poorly and received it to the head. The man stumbled backwards and quickly evacuated from the vicinity.

"Now where were we?" asked Shura.

"Awaiting our meal." said Haru.

The night went on at a pleasant crawl for them. Both cleaned out several plates of food. They also consumed several bottles of sake without showing any sign of reaching their limit. Shura and Haru reminisced about how they met. Shura told him tales of her strangest encounters and fiercest opponents. Haru spoke about his time as a samurai, though he didn't get into much detail on the battles. They seemed like sensitive subjects for him so Shura didn't press for more.

"Tell me about your early life." said Haru, "Where were you raised?"

Shura lowered her half empty glass. She started swirling the transparent rice wine and observed as it distorted her reflection.

After a moment more, she said, "I don't know. I've forgotten all of it. It doesn't matter to me. What I have now makes for worthwhile memories."

Haru wondered how someone could forget their past. They might try to suppress it the best they could or perhaps time would cloud such things, but he never imagined them truly being gone. He wondered what could make someone forget everything they were and start on a road of violence. He didn't worry for long. After all, she seemed happy as she was now.

"Haru"

Her voice brought him back from his cloud of thoughts.

Shura said, "You know I can't stay here forever, even though I care about you."

"I've known that for awhile now. Honestly, just promise me one thing. Don't go away for too long."

"Deal! As if I'd stay away for so long... I want to visit you as often as I can spare. All roads will lead me back to you."

As the night waned on and they ran out of food and drink, Shura became more nervous. Her heart began to race without showing any sign of stopping.

At last, Haru said, "I think we should call it a night. There's an empty room just around the back to stay in."

"A r-room?" she said. Shura expected her demon to take notice of her fragile mood and give a mocking laugh. Nothing came to fruition and she remembered their bitter quarrel. For a second, she found herself pondering the battle that would ensue in the future. She then began to remember something very different.

Haru said, "I'll pay the bill, so why don't you find a room?"

Shura didn't answer. Haru added, "I'll see you tomorrow morning right here."

Haru leaned in and kissed her on the lips. Shura wasn't responsive, rather she sat there in utter confusion and disappointment.

"Today was amazing and all, but… is that all?" she asked.

"Is that all? What do you-" he asked before turning a vibrant red. "Wait a minute. Let's slow down here! I mean we need to talk about when and how we go about it."

"I don't mind discussing it first. If you're interested…"

"Oh dear." he said rubbing the back of his head.

Author's Note: Character Analyses I consider Shura a pretty evil character. I just feel the need to not totally demonize her here. Firstly, she originates from a game where people answer their problems with sharp blades. Secondly, she's only picking fights with people wishing to fight back. It's also important to remember that Shura lived in a time that often glorified warfare.