Demon Capital Slayer

Chapter 52 Taking a Step Back and Moving Forward Two Steps
"From a probability perspective."

"If we don't find a cultivation manual to study, who knows what kind of big scene we'll encounter next time the Cat Paw Society is asked to do something?"

Yujian made a joke, but Yurika's smile vanished.

Seeing this, the boy realized that his words might be ambiguous.

"Sorry, I didn't mean that."

Lily sighed.

"No, it was indeed my fault as the president that I failed in my duty and did not conduct a proper risk assessment."

The atmosphere between the two became awkward, and Yu Jian didn't know what to say, as he was not good at communicating with people.

Suddenly, he smelled a faint scent of blood in his nostrils, which made Yu Jian's eyebrows immediately stand on end.

Without saying a word, he quickly grabbed Baihexiang's hand, the bandages wrapped around it now seeping bright red blood.

At this moment, Isshiki Ran, who had finally managed to calm her daughter down, came over.

"It's getting late, I'll drive you two home. Um, what happened to Airan's hand?"

"It's nothing." Lily instinctively tried to hide her hands behind her back, but found that the sword was gripped tightly and she couldn't pull them out at all.

Miken firmly gripped Yurika's wrist, scrutinizing her bandaged palm.

Although she had noticed the bandages on the wound beforehand, Lily herself hadn't mentioned it, assuming it was just a minor injury. However, after more than ten minutes, the bleeding not only didn't stop but started seeping out, which was no longer something to be taken lightly.

"When we were drawing the weapons, we didn't have enough paint, so Aizen used a knife..." Akane Isshiki explained in a low voice.

Yujian couldn't help but stare wide-eyed at Yurika, who quietly shifted her gaze to the side.

"Let me see the wound." At this moment, Isshiki Ran finally showed the reliability expected of a middle-aged man.

After a brief examination, he made a judgment immediately.

"The wound is a bit deep and will probably need stitches. If it's not treated soon, it could easily get infected. It's best to see a doctor."

"Mr. Isshiki knows medicine?" Mitsuru asked in surprise.
"It's not really a profession; I was just forced to learn some things when I was young," Isshiki Ran sighed wistfully.

As soon as Yujian thought about it, his expression changed slightly. Judging from the other person's age and his profession in the arts, it wasn't hard to guess why Isshiki Ran would know about first aid when he was young. It was probably because...

"I'll go get the car first. Let's forget about big hospitals at this hour. But I know someone who runs a private clinic. Don't worry, he's very good at suturing wounds, so there won't be any scars." The medical resources on Himawari Island were heartwarming, and Isshiki Ran recommended the private clinic without hesitation, then patted Mitsuki on the shoulder.

"By the way, you're not planning to go out looking like this, are you?"

"Huh?" Yu Jian was stunned for a moment, and when he looked down, he found that his student uniform was already tattered. The pants were still intact, but the shirt was worse than a beggar's clothes.

“I sometimes stay overnight here, and I have some old clothes in the room. Qianqian, could you get a set for Yujian? But he’s much taller than me, so he can probably only fit into Wufu.”

"Ah."

The Isshiki family father and daughter left separately, leaving only Yurika and Mitsurugi inside the house.

"Hands," Lily said in a very soft voice.

"Oh." Only then did Yujian realize that he hadn't let go of the girl's hand.

So he let go, and then he didn't know what to do.

Lily turned her palm inward to hide the bandage that was gradually turning red, then rested her chin on her uninjured hand and sat on the sofa, staring intently at Mitsurugi.

The latter began to sigh.

"Lily Fragrance, why would you help me? We've only known each other for a short time."

"Huh? You actually asked directly." Lily drew out her words, causing Mitsurugi to raise his eyebrows involuntarily.

"Because Mitsurugi-kun is good-looking." Aizen Yurika smiled as she hit a high-speed straight ball.

"Huh?" Yu Jian's eyes widened.

"Because Mitsurugi-kun is good-looking." Yurika threw out another high-speed straight ball.

"No, wait." Yu Jian raised his hand and spread his five fingers as if to stop him, but his body subconsciously leaned back.

"Because Mikken is good-looking!" Yurika threw her third fastball with unwavering certainty.

Struck out, Mitsurugi collapsed onto the sofa like a rookie boxer knocked out by a heavy punch. He looked up at the ceiling and covered his face with his hands, not daring to meet Yurika's gaze.

"Complex feelings" is an understatement to describe his current state. He's like Constantinople, which has been hit by three 150mm heavy artillery shells in a row. Everything is in complete chaos!

What? Constantinople wasn't hit by 150mm heavy artillery?

That makes sense. The time traveler had never heard such a thing in either of his two lifetimes, and even suspected that he was under an illusion.

The confusion of his memories from this life caused him to be completely unaware that he was a handsome man after being reborn with the sword. His young body also made his mentality closer to that of his teenage self.

A strong will can indeed suppress bodily instincts, but the strong will itself must also want to suppress them.

After finally calming down, he felt that the lily fragrance seemed to be, perhaps, intentionally?
It's not for that reason, or at least not just for that. But thinking back to the face I've seen in the mirror, well, I can't completely and utterly deny that possibility.

But there are many suspicious points. Even though it was the first time she brought me a lunchbox, she was able to accurately grasp my taste preferences. Her familiar attitude when we first met could be described as being very friendly. However, in terms of social distance, which is influenced by subconsciousness, Yurika brought us closer to the level of family and friends from the very beginning.

It felt like we'd known each other for ages.

Is this reasonable?

While Mikasa was still brainstorming, Yurika continued speaking to herself. "Even with stray animals, people tend to help the ones that are good-looking and clean, don't they?"

"...Am I some kind of large dog?" Yu Jian wanted to sneer, but what came out was a mumbled, indistinct speech.

"In terms of behavior, it is more like a large feline. It is very gentle when it is full, and occasionally affectionate to people. However, it will inadvertently reveal the ruthless nature of a top predator. This contrast is subtly exciting, but I personally do not dislike it."

"How strange," Yu Jian immediately remarked.

"There was nothing I could do; it was already like this when I found out." Yurika didn't object at all, frankly admitting that she was strange.

"I'm not interested in things that are too ordinary."

"This kind of statement gives people a strong sense of déjà vu."

"illusion."

"..."

The conversation suddenly stopped.

"I didn't mean to blame the president." Mitsurugi lowered his head and looked at Yurika.

“It is indeed my fault, but it sounds like Vice President Sang doesn’t plan to leave our club?” the girl suddenly asked.

“Never.” Yu Jian replied instinctively without thinking.

"Tch, how cunning." Lily clicked her tongue lightly.

"Huh?" Yu Jian looked at her blankly.

In any case, the misunderstanding seems to have been cleared up.

The door was opened, and Isshiki Akane, who had been waiting outside, burst in excitedly carrying a pile of clothes.

"Ai-Ai-ran, do you want to come along?!"

"Huh?" Lily glanced at it, and her eyes lit up instantly.

Yu Jian stared blankly at the two of them.

Wait, are you having some kind of encrypted communication? Why can't I understand anything?

"Hey, I think Mikasa doesn't understand our current situation at all." Even with an injured hand, Yurika rubbed her hands together and came to the clothes with great enthusiasm.

"Anyway, let's take it off first."

"What?"

"Sweetie, take off your clothes."

Should I scream for help at this moment?

"late."

Never mind, let's just consider it taking care of the injured.

……

As Yise Lan drove the car out of the garage, he saw the tall, pine-like figure in front of the door. The painter's instinct for beauty drove him to subconsciously look for his sketchbook.

Then, Isshiki slapped his forehead.

"That spendthrift daughter."

Nevertheless, the great painter couldn't help but admire his daughter's talent, saying she was absolutely top-notch in terms of aesthetics.

The clothes she picked out for her classmate were perfect except for being too expensive. Considering that her own life had been forcibly pulled back from the brink of death by that young man, what did a piece of clothing matter?

At this moment, Miken changed into a complete set of crested haori hakama.

These traditional Japanese clothes originated from Shangguo and can be adjusted to fit the wearer's body shape within a certain range, which makes people marvel at the wisdom of the ancient people of Shangguo.

The white haori is dignified and elegant. Generally speaking, this color of coat tends to make people look shorter and fatter, but with Mitsurugi's tall figure, he can pull it off perfectly. The color of the haori actually echoes the boy's hair color, showing a bit of dashing and unrestrained style.

The black inner garment contrasts sharply with the outer coat, preventing the overall look from being too jarring and setting a tone to ensure the style becomes more cohesive.

At this moment, Mitsurugi simply stood there, as if a young swordsman was walking from the cold rain of the late Edo period into the neon lights, his body shrouded in an exceptionally sharp aura.

No, I have to start drawing right away...

Wait, shouldn't we go to the hospital? Is now the time to pick out clothes?
I really don't understand what young girls are thinking these days...

Seeing Akane Isshiki's flushed cheeks, Ran Isshiki felt annoyed and honked the horn repeatedly to urge the young people to get on the bus quickly.

As he settled into the back seat, Mitsurugi noticed a yellow talisman folded into a triangle on the driver's side sun visor. Before he could ask any questions, Isshiki stepped on the gas and drove off towards Shinjuku.

As they left, they passed a convoy of police cars speeding by.

"Huh? Driving so fast? Are they catching some dangerous criminal? It's rare to see the Metropolitan Police Department so proactive," Isshiki Ran muttered.

Yu Jian glanced back thoughtfully, vaguely sensing something.

They drove in opposite directions until they could no longer see each other's taillights.

(End of this chapter)