Kouhei and Yuuna finally decided it was time to leave.
The two of them stepped inside the carriage waiting for them with the wood creaking faintly under their weight. The air around it carried a strange tension, partly because it wasn't an ordinary carriage as it was still being pulled by onis. Their hulking bodies loomed in front, chains clinking softly with every twitch of their muscles.
Yuuna's brows furrowed the moment she saw them. She turned her eyes to Kazuhiro, her tone sharp yet calm.
"Father, can't you at least give us a proper carriage? One that doesn't scream of your power over others?"
Kazuhiro tilted his head slightly, his expression unreadable. "And what exactly is wrong with that?" he asked. His voice carried the same cold authority as always, the kind that made the air heavy, but there was something else in it this time and it was a flicker of confusion, almost as if he genuinely didn't understand the issue.
This was the man who had always used anyone, regardless of who they were, to achieve whatever he wanted. His power was built on domination as well as on bending others into tools.
"Kouhei-kun is in a very delicate state right now," Yuuna pressed, her voice lowering. "You need to consider that. If he sees something —people being used like beasts—it'll only hurt him more. Don't you think that matters?"
Kazuhiro studied her for a moment, his sharp gaze cutting through her words, but then he finally gave a small nod. "Alright then. As you said, I'll get you a proper carriage."
Within moments, the scene changed. The onis were dismissed, and in their place came a new carriage, this one pulled not by humans or onis, but by massive, imposing horses.
Though calling them "horses" was an understatement. These were demon steeds. They were colossal compared to any horse from the mortal world, their muscles rippling under dark, sleek hides. Their glowing eyes hinted at something unnatural and something far more sinister. Their hooves, larger than a man's head, struck the ground with a deep, resonant thud. It was said these creatures could run across water itself, their speed unmatched and their stamina unyielding. Seeing them up close was both terrifying and awe-inspiring.
"Is this enough for you?" Kazuhiro asked, a hint of smugness curling at his lips. "I assume this isn't degrading in the way you and Kouhei-kun imagined?"
Yuuna exhaled softly and bowed her head. "I appreciate the gesture."
It surprised her that he was actually entertaining her concerns. More than that, she realized that over the course of the day, during their talks while Kouhei wasn't lost in his nightmares, she and Kazuhiro had started to connect—if only slightly.
Still, she admitted, "However, I don't think I have the ability to ride a horse."
"You don't need to worry," Souichiro interjected with a faint smile. "Someone will be assisting you."
He lifted his hand and gestured toward a maid standing nearby. Yuuna's chest tightened the instant she recognized her.
"Thankfully, she's skilled in horse riding," Souichiro added, as if the choice was perfectly reasonable.
Yuuna's stomach turned. Relief and bitterness warred inside her. On one hand, she was grateful her father wouldn't be parading onis in front of Kouhei anymore. But on the other hand… to have Yuzuha here, helping them, left a sour taste she couldn't wash away.
Yuzuha had caused Nagisa so much pain. Their blood was tied, yet Yuzuha's choices had led to their entire clan being erased from existence. To accept her help now felt like swallowing poison.
And even though the onis were gone, here was another oni, guiding the carriage. In principle, nothing had really changed.
Still… they had no choice but to accept.
"Alright then. Let's go," Yuuna said reluctantly.
Yuzuha grabbed the reins, her hands steady and practiced. With a sharp flick of her wrists, the demon horses let out a deep neigh and began pulling the carriage forward.
Inside, Yuuna gently took Kouhei's hand. His silence was heavy, suffocating even. He hadn't said a word and he was still lost in his own darkness. She leaned her head against his shoulder, speaking softly, almost like a prayer.
"It's going to be alright, Kouhei-kun. I'm here for you."
Her voice trembled with warmth, the words meant to comfort not just him, but herself. She wanted him to feel her presence, to know he wasn't alone in his torment.
Outside, Yuzuha guided the horses with ease. Their movement was smooth, unnervingly so, with the carriage gliding along as though the road itself bent for them. There was no resistance as well as no hesitation in their stride.
But then—suddenly—their calm rhythm shattered. The demon horses jerked their heads, nostrils flaring, and began neighing loudly, their voices echoing through the air like warning bells.
Something had disturbed them.
"Yuzuha? What's happening?" Yuuna asked, alarmed, pulling the curtain aside to peer through the window.
Yuzuha's eyes narrowed. "I'm sorry, Yuuna-sama, but… I believe someone is watching us."
"Yuuna-sama, protect Okumura-sama at all costs. I'll defend you both," Yuzuha said firmly.
She jumped down from the carriage. Her body shifted instantly, bones creaking and muscles bulging. In seconds, her figure grew massive, her frame towering at 2.5 meters. Her skin flushed a deep, violent red, her horns piercing upward from her forehead like spears. Her presence alone was menacing and suffocating.
Yuuna's heart pounded. She didn't fully understand what was happening, but danger was closing in—she could feel it.
Yuzuha's eyes darted across the landscape. To the untrained eye, it looked empty and silent. But she felt it. The weight of someone's stare lingering on them.
And then, it happened.
It appeared, quick as a flicker of lightning, vanishing before she could even blink. But she knew—she saw it.
Her breath caught. What the hell was that?
We have no other choice. It's either sacrifice her, or us. It's your choice.
The words stabbed into her skull, her sister's voice echoing with a cruel finality.
"What…? Why am I…?" Yuzuha's thoughts fractured.
In an instant, she was dragged back into the past—the past she had buried so deep, the one that haunted her every night. No matter how hard she tried to bury it, it clawed its way back to the surface, suffocating her.
As long as we save the clan, that child's life means nothing. We can always make another.
But she's our daughter! Don't you think we should at least think this through?
The world will devour our land. Our bloodline will vanish. It's either us… or her.
She remembered the voices, a man and a woman, arguing behind closed doors. The house loomed in front of her, the walls too thin to muffle their words.
Her eyes had gone wide, her chest tightening with horror.
Sacrifice? Their daughter?
Her stomach twisted violently. She didn't understand the whole picture, but it sounded like her sister was planning to sacrifice Nagisa.
Once she turns of age, we can proceed with the ritual. I'd rather not kill my daughter… but it's for the greater good of the clan.
Yes. For the greater good.
Her eyes snapped open with a gasp.
She was back. Standing in the very spot she had been moments ago, her breath ragged and her chest heaving.
The vision lingered, sharp and vivid, the voices still ringing in her ears. It felt real. Too real.
And that terrified her more than anything.
Right there, standing directly in front of her—was her.
"You really are scum for betraying your clan like that, me," the figure said, her tone sharp and filled with contempt. "Haven't you ever felt even the slightest bit of guilt for pulling that stunt on them? They trusted you, you know? And how did you repay that? By stabbing them in the back."
"Who… are you?" Yuzuha asked, her voice unsteady.
"I am you," the woman replied coldly. "The real you."
Her smile remained, but it wasn't gentle—it was twisted, menacing, a smile that cut deep.
Yuzuha had no idea what was going on and she have no clue why this was happening, but she could feel it. From that person—herself—an overwhelming, terrifying power was leaking out, buried beneath the surface but undeniable.
Yuuna, on the other hand, saw nothing. To her, Yuzuha looked like she was talking to thin air, and confusion washed over her face. But before she could say anything—
"I'm sorry, Yuuna-sama, but this person has to go!" ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel★fire.net
A sudden voice rang out. Steel flashed in an instant, a sword glinting as it shot straight toward Kouhei's chest.
Yuuna reacted on instinct—she grabbed Kouhei and shoved them both out of the carriage, the blade missing his heart by barely an inch.
"W-Who?!" Yuuna snapped, straining her body as she turned to face the attacker.
The man holding the sword smirked, his eyes cold.
"Ah, my apologies. You don't know who I am, and I certainly won't be revealing it. My master would be… very unhappy if this could be traced back to them, you see…"
His grin widened, blade gleaming in his hand.
Yuuna immediately straightened herself, her entire body tensing as she prepared to fight.