Connecting Light [KNY FF]

CHAPTER 21: It's not nice to lie.

The sun rose to indicate the morning. Ayume was up early for her final day of recovery training. She was smiling to herself because of her accomplishment.

"Another day..." The atmosphere was silent for some reason but Ayume found it peaceful. She was already getting ready to meditate in the open field that she was in.

"I think I can take it slowly today." Ayume told herself before breathing in a slow pace. Her body feels like she's being lifted in the air when she's just sitting down. Her mind feels like it's on a soft pillow.

"Oh, a crow is coming." Ayume opened her eyes when she heard the sounds of a crow flying in a distance. She looked up and she did in fact saw a crow coming to her.

"You must be someone's crow. What brings you here?" Ayume brought her hand out for the crow to land on it. She then rubbed the crow gently and realised some tears coming out from it. "Is something the matter?"

"Flame Pillar, Rengoku Kyojuro, has died due to confrontation with Upper Moon Three." The crow informed which made Ayume's eyes widened in shock. "That's...horrible..." Tears started forming in Ayume's eyes. She took a breath and managed to crack a smile.

"I'm sure it was hard for you since you were his crow. Rengoku-san was an outgoing and strong man." Ayume tried to comfort the sad bird with soft strokes on its head. "You should go to Oyakata-sama now. Fly safely, okay?"

The crow bowed before flying away from Ayume's arm. Ayume started to tear up as she faced the ground.

"They were fighting for their lives... and...they lost one. Rengoku-san was very strong." She told herself with a shaky breath. "I wonder if everyone else is safe." She realised and stood up to head to the medical room in the Butterfly Estate.

~

"Is everyone okay?" Ayume questioned as she noticed Aoi setting the beds up. "They are not here yet, Shinahora-san. But they should be arriving soon." Aoi informed with a slightly sad expression.

"I see. I guess I will return back when they do." Ayume lets out a small smile before leaving the room. She walked out of the Butterfly Estate to head to her missions for the day.

"I will return to the region I was assigned to. Koko, can you please relay the message for me?" She called out to her crow and it flew away.

"I wonder how they're doing. Everyone said it's all fine." Ayume thought and smiled. She imagined that the low ranked demon slayers are doing a very good job in maintaining the region.

However...that is not the case.

"WAAAAAHHH!!! PUT IT OUT! PUT IT OUT!"

A fire started spreading throughout a village. The demon hunters around there took off their shirts to extinguish the fire which was working minimally.

"How many times have this happened?" A man commented, sounding tired and fed up.

"Hmm...ever since that very nice lady got injured and she had to recover." A woman responded with a sigh in her voice.

"She did not only protect us from those monsters but she maintained the area's well-being. She helped my father farm his crops since he was too weak." Another woman commented with some irritance in her voice.

"She helped me chop wood in the forest lots of times. And she used her katana." A young boy carrying an axe pouted and joined the conversation.

"I wonder how she's doing..." everyone stayed silent and faced the troubled demon hunters, trying to keep the village from chaos.