My Sun and Moon (Akaza x OC)

Chapter 9: Punishment

Shutting the door to her home behind her, Nagano sat down on the porch putting on her shoes. The past several days had crawled at a snail's pace, her mind blank and dull; it had felt like her life had lost a part of itself ever since she sent Akaza away. She narrowed her eyes. She had been angry with herself with how she had been feeling after said event. Her thoughts flooded back to the night she sent him away those few days ago, the aggravation she had felt after the initial argument. Then sinking weight in her chest that had followed afterwards had been the worst part, it had felt like she had lost a part of herself. The feeling had been confusing to her then, and even now. He was a demon. There was no plan to have this so-called friendship as nothing more than a plan to pull out information for the core.

And the loneliness.

She had grown so used to seeing Akaza nearly every night when she hadn't been whisked away on missions to the point that she had forgotten how it felt to not have him there. She had caught herself subconsciously looking over her shoulder to see if she'd spot the pink haired demon anymore.

There had even been a split second that she had regretted sending him off.

"Stop it," she shook her head.

It was over, it was done. She hadn't been able to keep the friendship long enough to gather any sort of valuable information, but thinking it over now it was a foolish thought to think she could. Smaller weaker demons were dumb enough to trick, but those who had been given greater power and had lived far longer? They obtained their power and kept that status for a reason; their usefulness and loyalty they had to their master.

Clicking her tongue Nagano made her way out of her family estate and began heading towards the outskirts of the head village. The mission hadn't been serious, just a small patrol. Shouldn't take anymore than a night tops. But she had been thankful one even popped up, she would have lost her mind if she had to spend another night at her home with nothing to do. Not even going through her sword and jujitsu forms were enough to satisfy her. It was frustrating.

A familiar cawing pulled her attention to the sky. Flying overhead her crow cawed loudly as it circled over her. Raising the hilt of her sword up the crow began to descend and landed. Its black beady eyes watched her as it cocked its Carmel feathered head from side to side. She had always found her crow to have the prettiest feathers, and had found it amusing that it adored hearing how pretty its feathers looked. She was glad, she had been curious if the crow regretted or disliked their Leucism. But it happily celebrated it.

"Caw there has been a change in your mission caw caw, you are required elsewhere!" It cawed loudly.

"What about the village I'm meant to patrol?" Nagano asked.

"That will be taken care of caw, this one is of greater importance! You are to go to a village far to the north. Three days journey. Demons stealing villagers in the night! You must go now!"

With a nod, Nagano lifted her sword up, sending her crow flying back into the air. If the mission was as serious as her crow made it seem, then it would be best to see if Giyu was still home so that she could say her goodbyes. The two of them in their time since her arrival had made it a habit to let the other know when one left for a mission or when they returned. And with the village being a three day journey to begin with, she was going to be away for quite a while. A mission that would hopefully keep her mind off of everything.

Walking down the street, Nagano made her way towards Giyu's mansion. Stepping through his front gate she stopped with wide eyes as Giyu stood before her with his hand out in an attempt to reach for the handle of his gate. He had been dressed in his gear with his sword resting tightly against his hip. Was he off to a mission of his own?