Priceless Smile 2

Chapter 107: Shinjitsu

     Their scene changed again showing Kazumi on the rooftop of her secret estate with the three demons beside her. She took her blindfold off as she look up. She saw the full moon shining brightly above her as the stars twinkle alongside it.

'I failed to protect a lot of people I chersish.... yet I ended up killing not only one but two of them.... How pathetic of me.'

The three looked at her having troubled looks on their faces as she stayed silent. Shortly, her hair and nails grew longer as she lift her hands up in front of her chest making her palms face each other. With that, red flames appeared out of nowhere as they gather in between her palms. The three covered their faces a bit with their arms at how bright it is. Slowly, they saw a figure being formed. A phoenix appeared as they all looked at it.

"Phoenix born from my power and strength, born from my will and heart, I leave you here in this world to protect them. The family that is to live here right at this place. I place upon them my grace and mercy as they may keep on moving forward upon my death. You may not completely eliminate the curse or tragedies that may fall upon them, but slow it down and give them a longer time. And may you not disappear even after I die."

With those words she spoke, they all looked at her stunned as the phoenix fly high in the sky and grow bigger surrounding the estate making the night sky brighter as if it's daytime. The phoenix shortly disappeared as Kazumi's nails grew back to their normal length.

"Master.... that phoenix.... is like your other breath style." Aoki said still stunned.

"It is. And so, I'll never be able to use it again." She answered looking at them.
"Turning a breath style into a blood demon art like that only means I'll never be able to use it as a breath style again. It'll remain here not until I take it back will it disappear."

"But why?! You could used that to defeat Shinjitsu! Why give it up to protect other people?!" Aoki bursted out.

"I myself, even if I won't face him tonight, only have a short time left. Once a demon eats a human, they have to keep on doing so in order to survive. But they can also intake human blood only instead of eating a whole person. I.... once ate a human. But after that, never have I done it again nor have I consumed human blood."

She cut her hair again as she tied it back to her usual high ponytail and put on her blindfold back. She jumped down the roof followed by the three as she face the estate.

"I'm glad.... to have saved and met you guys." She said before vanishing from her spot.

Now, their scene changed again showing her running up a mountain. As she reached the part which is almost the very top, they all saw several dead slayers and the Pillars heavily injured. They also saw Toshiaki heavily injured right in front of a man with a black hair reaching down below his waist and red plum eyes having slit pupils. Toshiaki kept on holding onto his sword looking up to him. As the man raised his hand bringing it down ready to cut him, Toshiaki disappeared from his sight as he look over his shoulder.

They saw Kazumi carrying him on her arms with her haori wrapped around him as blood spurted out of her left shoulder. She stood up just fine walking away putting Toshiaki down.

"Ka-Kazumi.... sama...." He mumbled out.

"You've done a great job staying alive. Now rest for a while with the others." Kazumi smiled at him as she pat his head before standing up straight and turn away.

Toshiaki looked behind him as he saw the other heavily wounded slayers and Pillars still alive. He also saw Yoriichi injured and unconscious.

"I see that you came to their rescue as expected." The demon spoke facing her.
"Like mother like daughter, saving others before theirselves."