Ayame has long since calmed down from her abnormal state and she was right now in front of Kuro who's in comfy bed.
By her side was her father—Soujin. Curious at her lack of actions, he asked his daughter.
"Aren't you going to take it?" Soujin meant the Asura and Rasetsu in the room. Currently Kuro was asleep so she can easily take it without him noticing.
However unexpected to his thoughts, Ayame shook her head.
"Nope! At first, I thought of doing so but… I think I will go on without it! After all, if I keep depending in Asura and Rasetsu, Kuro won't rely on me."
Soujin opened his eyes wide against his daughter. That daughter of his who always kept the 2 swords by her side every seconds.
That daughter of his, who always felt nervous when the swords is not with her… that daughter of his whose confidence entirely made of by this swords.
That daughter… Ayame looked exactly the same as she was a thousand years ago, but her present self seemed different.
And it was just the beginning. 'So you found your courage.'
The courage to step forward.
As a father, he never felt so proud.
Just leaving a single smile yet wide smile, Soujin nodded and left the place.
Bidding farewell with her father, the Nakiri Ayame in her original form, looked at the childish adorable face of Kuro who's sleeping in the bed.
As it was too cute, she couldn't help but poke it only to enjoy the soft sensation that her finger sunk in.
It was more funnier if he is awake… such thoughts couldn't help but pop out inside her thoughts as she unconsciously felt lonely.
'Wake up sooner…' as she wished for, her eyelids began heavier and finally, while looking at Kuro, she fell unconsciously.
At the same time, inside her body, in her mana pool, red sparks lighted in as her blue mana orbs instantly turned into red.
Whilst at the same time, from the other side of her mana pool, black sparks also lighted out turning her blue mana orbs into black mana orbs.
These two orbs began to increase in great speed—in no time, no more blue mana orbs exists in her mana pool as it turned into either red or black.
The red and black mana orbs began infect each other… finally the two colors fused with each others turning all the mana orbs into crimson.
-----
Inside Kuro, he was having a new type of dream.
"Sorry Kuro… I seem to like that person. I can't be with you anymore."
The words she emitted were directed to him, but the words she emitted in was someone else. Kuo couldn't see her faces but he knows that she was deeply important to him.
As she leaves, Kuro tried to stand up and chase for her, but his body was pinned to the ground, unable to even get up. He tried his best to stop her… but her back remained facing him.
-----
His body raised up at great speed from the bed he was in and he noticed that his face was watery despite the empty expressions he was making.
Wiping out the tears in his face, Kuro gently moved Ayame's arm as he silently got out from the room.
Washing up, he went outside the house as the surrounding demon… approached him.
"Are you humans!?"
"Where are you from?"
"What kind of relationship do you have with our goddess?"
"Why are you so cute?"
Such questions came to Kuro at high-speed, Kuro felt like an famous person everyone's being curious of.
"Stop. He is a human, he can't speak our language."
"Oh, that's right."
"Tch… that's boring!"
A single sentence were enough to silence the situation.
"I am sorry." Kuro apologised to them as he ran from the spot.
"Wait, he can speak! Chase him!"
It took a few minutes for Kuro to shake them off. These Oni's were so fast. If he didn't remember the map in Nakiri Town and created a route to escape, he wouldn't be able to shake them off.
The map in his head—it didn't took long before he arrived to the training ground he was in yesterday. As it was early the morning, not many were here.
But there was one demon sitting in locus position while floating in the ponds. In contrast of his weight, not a single ripple were spreading wide.
The water were as still as it failed to detect the demon's movement.
Spotting Kuro, the demon canceled his meditation as he jumped from the lake—this time again, no ripples occurred on the surfaces of water.
This scene were so magnificent, mysterious, serene and so beautiful that Kuro engraved it to his heart.
"Are you my disciple?"
The temperament of the demons was that of an samurai—it was calm, yet it was blazing inside. Moreover, due to the robe he wore in, he was exactly like the person of ancient japan.
Kuro felt an unknown nervousness surge him in as he just nodded silently.
"Alright let's begin."
What came after wasn't a hard training nor an easy training. To be honest, it was at the perfect difficulty.
Controlling the force to climb over the mountain with just finger… Calming horse without touching, while riding it… minimised area of foot stepping while dodging the attacks he threw…
It was all at the perfect level for Kuro and he was sure that this person is a great and strong teacher.
But a single problem…
It didn't feel right.
Ending the days with tired body, Kuro complained to the demon while thanking him for training him a day. To shorten the discussion, Kuro basically said that he'll train alone from tomorrow on.
He didn't want to sound rude so he said it respectfully. It wasn't that his to-be master's training is wrong. In fact, it matched his level and it was good for the current Kuro.
"Is that so." His to-be master, Omuon was a demon with few words. There was no hatred in his voice for being denied.
He tried his best to train Kuro and he didn't like it. So, he'll just leave it there.
"I am sorry, Omuon-san… thank you for a day!" Kuro bowed down to Omuon as he saw Omuon's leaving figure.
This kind of things happened for at least 5 days. Until finally, Kuro stopped looking for a master.