Two figures listened as the Demon King disintegrated under the sun, letting loose an ear-piercing screech as his sinful spirit left the world with much reluctance. As much as they wanted to go out and witness the spectacle with their eyes as well, they refrained from doing so.
They had a charge to protect, after all.
On the right was a man in pure white. He was kneeling motionlessly, colorless hands clasped in loose fists over folds of a white cotton haori. The only colors present on his attire was a pale purple belt and cerulean patterns of spiderwebs on the sleeves. Placid silvery eyes stared directly ahead, as if not registering the carnage happening not a mile away, similar white hair reached past his waist and spread slightly onto the wooden floor. A sheathed katana, handle not wrapped and the sheath unadorned and exposing the wood it was made of, lay besides him.
To his left was a woman, dressed in the newest western fashions usually seen on males. A dark grey inverness cape unbuttoned over a black shirt and royal blue tie, it was finished off with pale grey slacks and polished loafers. An eyepatch covered her right eye, royal blue veins spreading like a trellis of vines over that side of her face, the other eye holding black sclera and irises with matching color of her tie. Similar to the man, her skin was deathly pale. Dark brown hair messily cut and tied back in a small ponytail. What was peculiar were the bubbles originating from her. They were floating in midair, seemingly made of a wide array of liquids and gases of all opacity and color. The liquid ones pulsed occasionally, some splitting in midair and others conjoining together, like water that lost it's gravity. From the woman, similar bubbles surfaced then broke free, floating into the nearest empty area.
The man moved, head turning ever so slightly to regard his female companion.
"Gosei-san."
The woman shifted, "yes?"
"The battle is over, you can stop making the chemicals now." The man fanned his hand to chase away a bubble containing yellowish-green gas that floated too close to his comfort. Gosei wrinkled her nose.
"Better safe than sorry?" A bubble that was about to escape was absorbed back into the cape.
The man didn't move, "when were you ever cautious, Gosei-san?"
"I'll have you know that I am not His Lordship's scientist for nothing-"
"Gosei-san."
Gosei sighed, "Alright, I'm sorry. I mean, I still haven't gotten used to the fact that I won't get ripped to shreds the second I say his name."
"It is dangerous for you to address him the way the way you just did, in front of your new allies."
"I know."
They lapsed into a silence that was neither comfortable nor awkward. It is a silence shared by two people that scarcely knew each other aside from their similarities, the man silently watched a bubble pulsing by, tinted the brightest shade of green. He heard the jubilant shouts outside, and crying, lots of crying. The scent of blood had crept into this very room, carried by the winds.
Slowly, the room increased in brightness until Gosei hissed and stood up, a patch of skin on her hand smouldering from contact with the sun. The bubbles simultaneously floated towards her, assimilating into her form until nothing was left. The man, too stood up, picked up his weapon and retreated into the darker corners of the room.
"It's is over, then." Gosei sounded relieved, though her face betrayed contemplation, "I was expecting to die along with him, to be honest."
The man nodded with shared sentiment.
"I do not know what will happen afterwards." He murmured, "perhaps the Corps would disband, since their purpose does not exist any longer." He turned away abruptly, then softly, as if to himself, "I have not yet conquered the sun, like the other lady."
"You mean Kamado?" Gosei leaned against the wall, at the man's affirmative, she shrugged, "yeah, well, I suppose we deserved it?"
They thought back to the blood they spilt and consumed, the deeds they done and reveled in and boasted to their now dead master. Silence lapsed once more.
"I would like to have another chance at being human." Gosei suddenly spoke up, "even if it meant only interacting at night and starving myself to minimalize suspicion."
The man stared at her silently, rubbing a thumb over the rough wood of the katana. They both had a chance at being human, yet both of them failed miserably. They both knew, deep inside, that the chance would never come.
"What about you?" Gosei looked at him, "look, I know my plan is absolute crap and fantasy, so I kind of want to listen to yours, see if I can copy a few points."
"What made you think that I have one?" The man smiled dryly, acknowledging his companion face to face for the first time.
"I mean, you probably don't want to jump out into the sun right now and join the others down there." Gosei joked, "that was my plan B if pretending to be a human doesn't work out."
The man didn't answer, he looked forewards again.
"I know pretending to be a human is hard, but at least you have some of your human memories." She gestured to herself, "I, on the other hand, don't even remember the proper procedure of a tea ritual. All he left me was-" she broke off abruptly, turning away suddenly and crossing her arms over her chest.
Silence, again, but not the comfortable type. This one was heavy and brooding, one where the people stuck in it can do nothing more than to think disheartening thoughts about the foggy obscure future.
"Yushiro-san is planning to live on as well." The man said finally, "although he would be adverse to any of us staying with him, or indeed, having any contact, I am sure he can give you advice on disguising as a human."
Gosei blinked, "thank you."
"Glad to be of help, Gosei-san."
"What about you then?" She twisted to lean sideways. The combatants seemed to have forgotten about them.
"Back to where I lived. As a demon."
"Natagumo mountain? Why?" Gosei looked interested, "I heard that the conditions there were pretty harsh."
"Nostalgia." Was the short reply. Gosei let out a short puff of a laugh, hidden behind the back of her hand.
"Not to seem too rude, but can I come with you?"
"Why?"
Gosei shrugged, "I always find it better to have a companion, maybe it's because I lived thirty years without interaction with anyone but him." At the man's silence, she chuckled awkwardly, "please? I mean, you can just coop me up in a house if you wish, and I won't even bother you, I'll even do any housework for you and if I found the cure against sunlight-"
"The cure against sunlight?" The man's silver gaze was scrutinizing.
"Yes? That was what I was working on for the past years."
The man lapsed into silence once again, thinking once more.
"Fine." He said finally, "I agree to be your companion."
"Thank you!" Gosei turned and bowed to him deeply, when she straightened, she held out a hand, "I never caught your name, sir."
The man took it and shook, appearing quite familiar to the western gesture, "Hajimeru, Hajimeru Itaji." He then hesitated, "spider demon."
Gosei's face changed into one of understanding, "Gosei. Uh…Nokohana Gosei. Yes, I made up a surname on the spot, seeing as I did not remember my original one."
"Nokohana, dark blue flower?" Itaji's eyes shone with something akin to bitter mirth.
"Of course."
A few days later, a couple arrived in Hokkaido by the night train by the Infinity Express. They had little to no luggage. The woman was wearing a dark grey Western cape whilst the man wore a pure white haori with peculiar spiderweb patterns.
They went out into the night and disappeared within the shadows.