บท 49: 49. All to Become Nothing, But a More Befitting Wife
The wind blew on this night, making the place colder than before. But with the tension and excitement the participants felt, the cold wasn't much of an issue.
As soon as the twin Ubuyashiki children announced the start of the Final Selection, all of the participants rushed into the forest.
And Kotaro and Mitsuri?
They also entered, though not as hastily as the others. But as soon as Kotaro and Mitsuri were completely inside the forest, he realized the biggest issue.
"Damn Kyojuro! Why didn't you teach me this?"
What is the objective of passing the Final Selection? It's not to kill demons, but to survive for seven days! And to survive, he needed food!
If it were only one day, he might have been able to control his hunger. Thanks to Hamon training, he could now endure hunger for at least three days. But seven days? Was that even possible?
In either his previous life or this one, Kotaro had never gone hungry for more than a day. In his previous life, if he was hungry, his hands would unconsciously reach for a phone, and before he knew it, an order for food would be placed.
Those delivery apps really spoiled him! It took a lot of time to break that habit in this life.
Here, instead of delivery apps, Aiko and Kiyo were his providers. If he was too hungry, he would go to their home and eat, freeloading off of them.
Now, did they really expect him to stay hungry for seven days?!
Not to mention…
'Mitsuri is with me.'
The literal big eater was with him. Kotaro could at least control his hunger for a day, but Mitsuri... Sigh! It was hopeless.
'I won't be able to clear the Final Selection.'
"K-Kotaro-sama, are you alright?"
Kotaro looked at Mitsuri, still oblivious to the reality of the situation and concerned for him. He was happy that she was so caring, but the problem was…
"Mitsuri…"
"Y-Yes!"
"Are you seriously alright?"
It wasn't him but Mitsuri who was holding Kotaro's hand and trembling. Her grip was sometimes so tight that it made Kotaro groan in pain from time to time.
The forest was just too dark and eerie, scaring Mitsuri. Fortunately, Kotaro-sama was beside her.
"I-I'm alright!"
Kotaro just looked at her with a deadpan expression. Then his eyes widened as he heard rustling somewhere among the trees.
"Mitsuri."
"Y-Yes?"
"Demons are coming."
His words sent goosebumps across Mitsuri's skin, and she quickly pulled out the blade Kyojuro had given her. It was orange-red with a flame pattern, befitting a Fire Breathing user.
Kotaro, on the other hand, stood straight, his iron staff planted on the ground. But he wasn't just standing idly; he was searching for the hidden demons using his technique – Hamon Detector!
The Hamon flowed through his hands, into the iron staff, and then spread out into the environment, turning the dark, invisible surroundings into something bare and clear in Kotaro's eyes.
"Heh~ There you are."
He could see it—a demon perched on a tree as if it were a bird. It wasn't a bad strategy; attacking from above could take someone by surprise. Unless one had good perception, it was difficult to spot. When people are on guard, they tend to look to the sides, not up or down.
"Mitsuri, above."
"Y-Yes!"
As soon as Kotaro warned her, the demon sprang from the tree towards Mitsuri, attacking with its claws, only to be deflected by Mitsuri's blade.
"Food! After such a long time, I can finally eat food!"
This demon looked even more frightening than the one Kotaro had fought before, perhaps because of the desperation in its eyes. Since the demons were trapped in this place, they couldn't leave, which meant they had been suffering from unbearable hunger for a long time.
Now facing a demon again, Kotaro tightened his grip on his staff with nervousness. But before he could lose himself to fear, he steadied his breathing.
The training for Constant State wasn't for nothing. The first time Kotaro faced a demon was during the incident with Aiko. He had managed to fight it, but not with a rational mind; he had fought out of rage. Fighting with anger and fighting calmly are completely different.
However, that encounter had given both him and Mitsuri the ability to stand in front of a demon with a clear mind. It was a crucial step. To fight demons, one must learn to face them head-on.
Kotaro and Mitsuri had taken that crucial step then. That's why Mitsuri was able to face this demon, her blade still firmly in her hands. It had wavered at first, but now she was calm.
When she said she wanted to protect Kotaro-sama, it wasn't just a light statement. It was something she truly wished to do with all her heart.
For that, she had trained, and now was the test where she could see the results of her hard work.
'I am scared… I am scared, but…'
"Love Breathing: First Form – Shivers of First Love."
With a deep breath, Mitsuri extended her blade to her side as far as she could. Leaving a pink hue behind her, she dashed towards the demon, unleashing a single slash that sliced through the demon's neck before it could react.
'I am scared, but I want to protect Kotaro-sama!'
She turned her head, finding Kotaro looking at her with a proud smile. She ran towards him and jumped into his arms, wanting to be held by him.
She couldn't let Kotaro-sama face something like that alone again. She couldn't let him get injured that badly for her sake. She couldn't let someone dear to her die to save her again.
It was her commitment to become stronger, to be able to protect him, to walk beside him... all to become nothing but a more fitting wife for him.
She was Mitsuri Kenshin, not a demon slayer, not the future Hashira, but a simple woman giving her all to become a better wife to Kotaro Kenshin.
===
A/N:
Whistle~
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