The stone corridors were filled with a heavy silence, broken only by the distant crackle of flames dying out after the fight. The air smelled of ash and blood.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzq8k8lP52q
Kimoko stood with her fists clenched, her chest rising and falling with rapid breathing. The shadow around Koshei began to dissipate. His figure, previously shrouded in darkness, slowly lost its sinister aura. His eyes, empty a moment ago, took on their familiar color.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVkT1ShbXqm
Kimoko watched as the darkness fell from his body, as the pitch-black sword disappeared, and the black veins and claws on his hands faded and disappeared.
Kigami stood before her again.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcL7IwtTaJC
But… was it really the same Kigami?
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ355E09JEqO
“Where’s Estella?” Her voice was sharper than she intended. It was filled with anger, but also something more… something she didn’t want to name.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpl6RGeDyqm
Kigami slowly turned his head toward her. He was pale, exhausted from the fight, but he still stood tall, as if nothing in the world could break him.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1cQdCGi6Rz
“She’s safe.” His voice was quiet but firm.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmFEUMg268O
Kimoko narrowed her eyes, feeling the anger building inside her.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ15C0hdc07c
“Safe?” she snorted. “After everything you’ve done? Am I supposed to just believe you?”
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDehShrtKg
Kigami didn’t answer right away. He looked at her for a moment, as if weighing every word.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfpA6o7dAfH
“She’s safe.” His tone was calm, but there was something stern in his gaze, something that made Kimoko feel uneasy.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ058YjhEbIr
“Why did you come back for me?” Her voice trembled with emotion. “After what you’ve done, after what you’ve hidden… why?”
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZKSmaO3ns
Kigami took a deep breath.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuxH8tRey54
“Because…” he began quietly, looking down. “Because I couldn’t let you die.”
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ56kA21VIy
Kimoko opened her mouth, but he continued.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡElpIFiclJt
‘' I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself for that… .’’
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVpmq7auD1
The girl frowned.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVdxSlyOlS
‘' What?’’
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB6AQVT4ONz
Kigami clenched his fists. It was obvious that he was fighting with himself, that these words didn’t come easily to him.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQuYmRYOYyw
‘' I couldn’t let you suffer. Because I… I couldn’t watch it.’’
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDLaM3GDICq
The silence between them became almost tangible.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVF07FuW7PZ
‘‘You…‘‘ Kimoko stopped, feeling her heart beating faster.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwsM2vSAlml
‘' I couldn’t leave you.’’ Kigami took a step towards her and then placed his hands on her face.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfAVnBV3sFB
Kimoko pressed her lips together, their gazes intertwined. She wanted to say something more, she wanted to understand why now, why at this moment… But deep down she knew the answer.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6q9Fi2JRO0
Kigami had come back for her because she was the only person who wasn’t afraid of him and the only one who truly understood him.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp4Qfa5KBM8
Kimoko stood still, feeling all her anger slowly turning into something else. Something she didn’t want to name.
“It doesn’t make sense,” she said quietly, looking away.
“I know,” Kigami replied without hesitation.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuWOFfoEfvQ
Kimoko looked at him angrily.
“Why should I believe that you’re telling the truth now?!
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ67jRGuWyss
Kigami sighed heavily.
“Because if I wanted to deceive you… I wouldn’t come back.”
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKfGqswrmSk
Silence.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGFqnVml12
Kimoko pursed her lips, her breathing shallow, and her heart pounding like crazy. She felt as if her whole body was shaking with emotion.
“So what now?” she whispered.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNli7ExGAeJ
Kigami looked at her for a moment, as if weighing the answer.
“Now…” His voice was lower, softer than usual. “It’s up to you.”
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiFEiZ9v1FE
Kimoko frowned.
“From me?”
“Yes.” Kigami stepped closer. “If you want me to leave, I will. If you can’t forgive me, I will accept that. But if… if you believe for even a moment that my words are true, then I will go where you are.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfo1Bdfgbqx
The girl trembled.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLepWNeu5Dt
“You don’t understand, Kigami… It’s not that simple.”
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5uUwBke8DM
“I know.” He reached out his hand, but hesitated before touching it. “But not everything has to be simple.”
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqB2vJYAM6D
Kimoko felt something tighten in her throat. She wanted to push him away, to tell him that she didn’t believe him, that she would never trust him again… but the truth was different.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHpXsbQRghx
She couldn’t deny that her heart was reacting to his words in a way she couldn’t control.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSj1mHxznCw
She couldn’t deny that a part of her wanted him to stay.
She couldn’t deny that Kigami… was not indifferent to her.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYGLVwIdCzj
“You’re an idiot,” she said finally, her voice barely audible.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡor9z1JvAsV
A shadow of a smile appeared on Kigami’s face.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNY111pq0nY
“I know.” The silence between them was heavy, but this time… it wasn’t so cold anymore. Kimoko buried her face in his chest. She felt his arm gently embrace her, she felt Kigami’s warm breath on her hair.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4xslxI21EO
“Kimoko… there’s another secret that you already know about, but I still want to tell you…”
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqJA8EpbfB
The girl pulled away from him slightly. She knew exactly what he wanted to tell her. She knew exactly the words that were about to come.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCtWxNx49Kt
“Kimoko… I love you.”
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZOOck4m4z2
“I love you too…”
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5wBE5GLs1Z
Kimoko saw the shock on his face, as if he had never expected anyone to say those words to him. And her? She was more surprised by how easily, how naturally she said those words that had been hidden inside her all this time. Shocked that despite being the heir of a family of demon hunters, she was able to love one of them. At the same time, she felt fear, fear because of her father, about what he would do if he found out about her awakening and her affair with the demon prince.
Kimoko looked at him, and their faces were getting closer and closer. Her heart was beating faster, and every thought was becoming blurred in this tension. Kigami, not taking his eyes off her, slowly moved his hand on her shoulder. He had no idea what would happen, but at that moment he couldn’t stop himself. Kimoko felt her heart beating in rhythm with his touch. It all felt strangely natural.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡImwkcR7LpS
Before their lips could meet, the door suddenly opened, and Estella ran into the room. Her face was flushed, and her eyes were burning with anger.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPTJ3b2Ejpq
“What do you think?!” she exclaimed, pointing at both of them.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNVckDzHAim
Kimoko quickly stepped back, surprised by her entrance. Estella looked like she was about to explode, but something about her demeanor was strangely exaggerated.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRyccdcbMMl
“Estella, calm down,” Kigami said, slightly confused. “It’s not what you think…”
Estella, breathing quickly, looked at him furiously, and then at Kimoko. Her eyes showed frustration, but also a bit of absurdity in the whole situation. Suddenly, she started waving her hands in the air.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡptDgjp5nu2
“How dare you! You pushed me out the window!” she shouted dramatically. “And now this! How do you feel?!”
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXNn9Qwvd33
Kimoko looked at her with slight surprise. Estella was tense, as if waiting for some kind of answer, but something about her posture was exaggerated. Kimoko couldn’t help but smile slightly.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjvYi1celX6
“Estella, it was only the first floor,” Kimoko said, trying to ease the situation, although her tone wasn’t entirely serious.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtRLIRodBiC
Estella looked at her, her anger disappearing for a moment.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdCV983b7Pi
“What?!” Estella glanced at her, and then at Kigami, who stood with a surprised expression. “Only the first floor? It’s almost like… I don’t know, a zip line in an amusement park!”
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4VVIfDsQJ9
Kimoko couldn’t hold back her laughter anymore. Kigami, despite his initial shock, started laughing too, trying to hide it behind his hand.
“Estella, really… You’re exaggerating!” he replied, still giggling.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ18khjTiMW
Estella looked at them for a moment, and then started laughing along with them. Her anger subsided in a flash, and the room filled with light, absurd laughter. Estella shook her head, as if she couldn’t believe what she had just said.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEBA30OKFhr
“Okay, maybe I did exaggerate a little,” she admitted, feeling the tension drain out of her.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡILhGI1dlo0
Kimoko and Kigami looked at each other with smiles on their faces, and the atmosphere immediately relaxed. Instead of a serious confrontation, everything now looked like a little comedy that no one expected. Estella, seeing their reactions, felt that she could breathe a sigh of relief herself. It all seemed too strange to be angry now.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJj5L6KrDx
“Maybe I should just… not throw myself out the window next time?” Estella added with a wide smile.
86Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJOugbSvpl8
And at that moment, all three of them started laughing, as if the whole situation was just one big misunderstanding.
ns216.73.216.206da2
然後按「加至主畫面」