Justice is Blind |『 Female OC 』• Kimetsu no Yaiba

Act 10: Not Child's Play

The laughter hung in the air, a dissonant lullaby pressing on Ayuna and Shirayuki as they ventured deeper into the residence. They moved cautiously, the weight of their swords a comforting presence in their hands.

Ayuna's gaze swept the corridor ahead. "We need to be cautious," she whispered, though the stillness absorbed her words. Shirayuki nodded, her ears picking up the faintest creaks and sighs of the old house.

'I can't hear any movements,' she realised as she furrowed her brows. 'And I can't sense Hinako anymore,' she thought before hearing a door creak, making the two slayers pause.

Approaching the door slowly, Ayuna pushed it open before stepping forward and inspecting it. The room appeared untouched by time, starkly contrasting the rest of the house. A shaft of moonlight filtered through a dusty window, casting a spectral glow over dolls with glassy eyes and porcelain smiles lining the shelves and scattered.

Shirayuki knelt, fingers brushing over a wooden horse. "A child's room..." she murmured, her voice laced with a melancholy reverence for the past. Ayuna's hand hovered over one of her swords, her senses on high alert. "This feels like a trap," she said, her gaze scanning the shadows.

Shirayuki nodded, her blind eyes somehow piercing. "It's too still," she confirmed before standing up and turning toward the door. Furrowing her brows, she tried to locate Hinako's heat signal again to no avail. "Let's move to another room," suggested Ayuna.

Then, with a shared nod, they exited, heading towards the next that seemed to be the parents' sanctuary. "It looks like it was the parents' room," said Ayuna before frowning. Walking inside, she saw a worn-out teddy bear with a tied bow and the word 'Happy Birthday!' written on it.

Behind her, Shirayuki's hand edged off the bed before she felt an object, making her pick it up and run her hand over it. 'A picture frame?' she wondered before turning toward Ayuna. "Is there something in the frame?" she asked as Ayuna turned toward her.

In the picture, she saw a family of three with a child smiling at the camera while in her mother's arms as the father hugged them. "It's a...family photo," explained Ayuna, earning a hum from Shirayuki before she put down the frame.

Suddenly, a chill swept through the room before Shirayuki's head snapped to the side as her body moved with honed instinct. The whoosh that followed swiftly caused Shirayuki to pull out her sword and swing hit.

Her blade met resistance in the form of an ethereal shadow tendril, the impact sending a shiver down her spine. The shadow recoiled like a serpent retreating into its lair. But it was clear that the demon had unveiled its fangs.

A heavy pause fell on them, and then tiny footsteps and a child's giggle resonated from the hallway. Hinako emerged from the shadows, her small frame contrasted by the depth of malice in her eyes.

"You shouldn't play with things that don't belong to you," she said, her voice a mix of childlike innocence and something much older. Then, shaking her head, she smiled at the two and opened her arms. "Regardless, welcome to my playground," she chimed, her eyes glinting with mirth and malice.