Joy and Despair

Chapter 20 - The Mysterious Ring of Flame

"W-why Rengoku-san bought this? This is very dangerous...I think he doesn't know what the ring is?" Yumiko thought. "Naho, can you pass me the book please? Because I want to read it in my room." Yumiko asked. "Sure!" Naho said. Then Yumiko goes back to her room and reads the book. "H-Huh?!" Yumiko was shocked. 

"This ring is...curse." Yumiko said. "It can steal power!?" Yumiko thought. "Oh, I'm in danger now." Yumiko said. "Rengoku-san, it's not all your fault if you give me this ring, you don't know the ring is this, but if you can see I'm reading a book that means you already know it." Yumiko said to herself.

"The ring will grant what its master wanted most, in return, it'll take the master's most precious thing from you. Beware, owner of this ring." Read the first line. "W-what is this!?" Yumiko thought, remembering that she was really weak in the Swordsmiths' Village. "Oh, I get it, that's why I'm too weak to slash the demon's head but my reflexes are super fast." Yumiko thought, trying to take the ring out. "Oh sh*t, what do I do now? This ring is dangerous and it's stuck in my finger!" Yumiko said panickly.

"Hello!"

"Ahhhhhhh!" Yumiko was shocked. "Hello, Yumiko-san!" a woman said. "AH! Reika-san!!" Yumiko greeted. "Well hello, again!" Reika said. "Why are you in here and what's with that weird demon slayer uniform?" Yumiko asked. "I'm the new demon slayer!" Reika said. "Huh?! What?!" Yumiko said with a combination of confusion and shock. "Well, you didn't see me in the meeting?" Reika said. 

"You meant 'Hashira meeting'?" Yumiko said. "Ah! Yes!" Reika said. "Yeah, and one of the pillars is very rude." Reika said. "The Wind Hashira?" Yumiko asked. "The scar face with no eyebrows!" Reika explained. "Yea that's completely Shinazugawa-san" Yumiko thought. "Anyways, how are you?" Reika asked. " I'm fine! You?"

"Absolutely great!"

"And how about your friend, who is it again?" Reika said. "Hm?" Yumiko think hard to remember. "Mitsuko-chan?" Yumiko said. "Ah yes! How is she?" Reika said. "Well she resigned from the demon slayer corps and I don't know where she is." Yumiko said with a sigh. "Oh, that's sad because I want to introduce myself to her." Reika said with a sad puppy face. "Well too late~!" Yumiko said. "Awe." Reika said. "Oh yea, I need to focus on my ring!" Yumiko thought. "Reika-chan, can you go outside because I need to focus on something else and you can rest." Yumiko asked. "Okay, then! Sayonara Yumiko-chan!" Reika said.

Fact: Yumiko and Reika are close best friends, but sadly Reika never met Yumiko again when she left her house but they met again when she was a demon slayer. At first, Reika thought Yumiko died, since there's a tombstone in the Hatsune graveyard, with Etsuko's corpse.

"Now, how can I get this thing off my finger!?" Yumiko said. "Gosh! This is so HARD!" Yumiko shouted.

*A few minutes later*

"I think the only way to get this thing off is..., cutting my finger off! Huh!" Yumiko said. "Eh- is that Mitsuko? With Reika?" Yumiko thought. "I should greet them!" Yumiko said by herself. Then Yumiko ran and greeted them. "KONNICHIWA!" Yumiko shouted. "Gahh!" Reika was shocked. "HAHAHA!" Yumiko laughed. "Yumiko, please don't shock us." Mitsuko said. "Hehe, gomen-nasai!" Yumiko apologises to them. "Well, that's okay, Yumiko-chan, wanna stroll together?" Reika asked. "Sure, I would love to!" Yumiko said. "N-no thank you, maybe in the evening? Right, you both are Demon Slayers..., then how about tomorrow?" Mitsuko said. "Um sure!" Reika said. "Okay I gotta go now..., Sayonara!" Mitsuko said. Then Mitsuko waved at them and left them behind.

Then They both get home. "Hah, the ring is still stuck in my finger." Yumiko thought. "What's wrong, Yumiko?" Kyoujuro suddenly appeared. "Oh, Rengoku-san! This ring is stuck and-"

"You can't take it off!"

"Eh? What do you mean?" Yumiko asked. "Oh, uh, I mean..., it looks good with you, so it's better to not take it off," Kyoujurou said. "Ooh." Yumiko sighed. "Yumiko! Wake up! It is only an illusion! I had to break this ring immediately!" Shinobu said. "Urgh..." Yumiko said while hurt. "Better be quick because she is getting weaker and weaker!" Shinobu panicked. "Please be okay, Yumiko-chan...," Reika said. "R-rengoku-s-san..." Yumiko mumbled.

*An hour later*

"I-I can't! I can't do this! I can't take the ring off!" Shinobu said. "The ring is very powerful and who dares to buy this ring for Yumiko-chan?" Reika said. "I don't know, she could die in pain and weakness if this dangerous small ring cannot be taken off by now!" Shinobu panicked. "Please be okay, Yumiko-san...," Kanao said. "Yumiko-san!!" Tanjiro shouted. "AHH! PLEASE LET ME IN!" Zenitsu said. "Please let me get in, Naho!" Tanjiro said. "No, please stay here, Tanjiro-san!" Naho said.

"I've heard it, why don't you try using soap?" a voice suddenly appeared. It's Mitsuko's. "Eh?" they turned back. "...or do you prefer to cut her finger?" she said. They immediately take soap and try it. Good thing it works! "H-huh, i-it works!" Shinobu said happily. "Ugh, W-where am I?" Yumiko asked. "Reality," Mitsuko said.

"Yumiko-chan!!" Shinobu shouted. Then Shinobu hugged Yumiko and Kanao also. "I'm glad you are safe..." Shinobu said while crying. "I'm fine." Yumiko said. "Yumiko-san...I'm glad you're back from your unconscious." Kanao said while hugging Yumiko and crying a little bit. "I'm okay, Kanao-chan...I'm fine." Yumiko said. Then they just hugged each other while crying (except for Yumiko). "I'm glad you're okay, Yumiko-chan." Reika said. "Hehehe, I'm fine, Reika-chan!" Yumiko said. "This is an illusion and this is not the Rengoku-san that I know! If I get in trouble, Rengoku-san just says "Let it out the ring," but this one I don't know who he is..." Yumiko thought.

"Where's Mitsuko? I'm sure, I've seen her!" Yumiko said. "I think she left." Shinobu said. Then someone broke the door. "Yumiko-san!" Tanjiro shouted panickedly. "E-eh?! T-Tanjiro-kun, what are you doing here?" Yumiko said. "Thank god, you're okay!" Tanjiro said. "Y-yes, I'm fine, Tanjiro-kun." Yumiko said. "Yumiko-chan! Are you o- '' Zenitsu said. "Alright boys! Let's head back to the therapy room!" Shinobu said. "Aw, but-" Zenitsu said. "No but, Zenitsu-kun!" Shinobu said. "Well, Yumiko-chan has to get rest and nobody disturbs her except for Kanao and me." Shinobu smiled. "Okay." Zenitsu teared up a little bit. "Hahaha, You can come to my room if I'm fully healthy." Yumiko pingky promise. "H-Hai!" Zenitsu blushed. "Then I will rest!" Yumiko said. Then they left Yumiko behind. "Huh, The ring is gone now I'm fully comfortable." Yumiko said happily.

A/N: "Nobody disturbs her except for Kanao and me" means that Shinobu isn't to disturb her but to make her feel better.

-Timeskip-

The night is coming and the moon is sparkling with a beautiful colour. Yumiko just woke up and got some drinks. "Huh I need to be quiet because everyone is sleeping." Yumiko said. After arriving at the kitchen, Yumiko grabs a drink and sits outside alone. "Huh, I can't sleep again..." Yumiko said. "Now I'm all alone by myself here, oh, wishing you are somehow here again! Knowing that I'll never forget the scene when you come to me, Rengoku-san..." Yumiko said. 

"When I lose my way, I close my eyes..., and he has found me. In the rain, the pavement shines like silver, he is gone, the river's just a river, without him, my world will go on turning! A world that's full of happiness that I had never known!" Yumiko sang. Then Yumiko's room lights up. "H-huh What is that light?!" Yumiko said. Then Yumiko ran quietly and went to her room. "T-The R-ring is new again?!" Yumiko was shocked.

"The ring gave one other chance to its owner, once you break it again, the ring will never give one more chance again." The book said. "The ring will grant what its master wanted most, in return, it'll take the master's most precious thing from you. Beware, owner of this ring." recited Yumiko. "I-I can't use it anymore...This ring is too dangerous!" Yumiko said to herself. "But, I will see Rengoku-san again, if I use this ring..." Yumiko thought.

The ring kept tempting Yumiko to use it. "I-I will be weaker if I use this ring again!" Yumiko said. The illusion of Kyoujurou appeared, taking Yumiko's palm, and insert the ring to her finger. "Ah! I-It's hurting m-me!" Yumiko mumbled. 

"AAHHHH! H-HELP ME!" Yumiko cried in pain. 

(And the next chap will be published tomorrow :DD)

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