"Class is dismissed for today. Everyone, please hand in your drawings."
Many students gathered around Nijio Ran, and Maigo also stepped forward to take a look at the drawing.
"It looks so much like her, Nijio Ran! Your drawing looks just like Miss Tamayo by that artist."
"Not really, I was just trying to imitate it."
After school, Maigo and Nijio Ran walked home together, chatting along the way.
"I think you have a great talent for drawing. You might even become an artist one day."
Nijio Ran flashed a smiling, squinted-eye expression.
"I actually loved drawing ever since I was very little. Next time, I'll draw you."
A car pulled up. Nijio Ran waved goodbye to Maigo, got into the car, and left.
When Maigo returned to Amane's rental apartment, Amane was busy setting the table. Maigo took out her phone and looked at a drawing on the screen.
"Yamamoto Yushiro posted a new painting again. This time it's still about that Miss Tamayo."
"I don't really know much about art, let alone the artists behind the paintings."
"Nijio Ran's drawing looks a lot like the work of this artist, Yushiro. I heard that this artist really dislikes other people critiquing his paintings, and he hates even more when people get close to him."
"Let's eat first. It won't taste good if it gets cold."
Maigo put down her phone and picked up her rice bowl. Just then, the doorbell rang. Amane looked through the peephole and saw Senior Buyou.
Amane opened the door. He walked straight inside, sat down on a stool, and glanced around the living room.
"Nice place you've got here. Oh, looks like you're about to eat? Mind if I crash your meal and freeload? I came here starving."
"Ah, Senior Buyou Qinxiu."
Amane went back to the kitchen to fetch an extra set of bowls and chopsticks. Qinxiu took them and immediately began shoveling food into his bowl at a relentless pace, leaving Maigo, who was sitting beside him, completely dumbfounded.
Qinxiu ate so fast that, before anyone realized it, he had already polished off a mountain of food, leaving only a single sushi roll on the plate.
*(No way, this old man eats way too fast! I haven't even had a few bites and it's almost gone!)*
Two pairs of chopsticks came down simultaneously, pinning the sushi roll in place.
"Grandpa Qinxiu, could you please give this sushi roll to me? I'm still a student and I'm growing."
"I'm getting up there in age, so you should learn to respect and care for your elders. Therefore, I want this sushi roll too, old man that I am."
"If there isn't enough, I can make more."
As Amane headed toward the kitchen, Qinxiu instantly used his chopsticks to flick the sushi roll up and shove it straight into his mouth.
"You're still too young to compete with me."
Suddenly, he started coughing—the food was likely stuck in his throat and wouldn't go down. He grabbed his neck with his hand.
"Water... water."
"Hang on, old man! Don't tell me you're about to get solo-killed by a sushi roll!"
Maigo grabbed a glass of water and handed it over, while Amane hurried out from the kitchen.
"What's wrong? What just happened?"
"This old man almost got solo-killed by a sushi roll! Thankfully it's nothing major."
Qinxiu coughed a few more times.
"When you get to my age, even eating a bowl of rice can almost cost you your life."
*(That's just because you're a glutton.)*
Qinxiu wiped his mouth.
"Thank you for the meal. Actually, the reason I came here is to give Amane a new mission."
"I heard that a demon has appeared inside Luojing Port, and two workers have already been killed."
He then pulled a thick, sealed envelope from his pocket.
"You're basically working on contract here, Amane, so this is the reward you've earned."
"This is so much! We'd feel bad taking this much from you."
"Practicing the Breathing Style and wiping out demons was my idea to begin with. Just leave whatever needs to be done to me."
"Well then, I won't force the issue. If you run into any trouble, just let us know and we'll help you out."
With that, Qinxiu left.
When night fell, Amane was wiping down a framed photograph.
"Whose photograph is that frame holding?"
Amane replied, "This is a photo of me and my older brother. Oh right, I haven't introduced him yet. My older brother's name is Mingshang, and he's a really good person."
Hearing this, Maigo remembered that Amane's surname was Kamishiro, yet her brother's name was Wujitian?
"Judging by the names, aren't you two biological brothers?"
Amane shook her head.
"We aren't biological brothers. He's my cousin, and also my only remaining family."
"I still don't know what his current situation is. Perhaps I should prepare myself mentally."
Maigo looked at Amane. A trace of sorrow showed on Amane's profile, yet for some reason, Maigo felt her heart flutter, not knowing what she was even thinking as her face flushed bright red.
*(Amane is just... she has such a feminine charm! What on earth am I thinking?)*
Noticing Maigo staring and touching her own face, Amane looked confused, not understanding what was going on.
"What's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?"
Maigo's expression instantly turned flustered.
"I-I think it's getting late! Tomorrow you have to go to that... that... Luojing Port, ah, no... anyway, we should get some rest early, and I have to get up early for school tomorrow too!"
Once inside the bathroom, Maigo stayed submerged in the bathtub, but the redness on her face still refused to fade.
*(Why am I feeling this way? Every time I look at Amane, my mind goes completely blank. When did this feeling even start? But... I still want to see that expression of Amane's one more time.)*
As Maigo harbored these secretly joyful thoughts, Amane walked up to the door and gave a soft knock.
"Maigo, you've been washing in there for an hour already. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine! I'm almost done washing."
Amane had a lingering feeling that Maigo was acting a bit strange, and after a moment of thought, she reached a conclusion.
*(Her face turned completely red earlier, and her speech wasn't clear either. She's pushing herself to keep going even while sick—what a tough girl.)*
Nodding in admiration, Amane walked away.
The next morning, Amane and Qinxiu arrived near Luojing Port. The port was mainly used for shipping aquatic products like fish and shrimp.
"Operations here have been suspended for now, so nobody should come and interfere with us."
"I heard about the demon here because a drunkard got wasted and claimed he saw a monster. Since the person who said it was just a drunk, the port is currently under observation; if there are no major issues, work will resume shortly."
"After all, society isn't going to grind to a halt and hold a collective mourning session just because two people died."
"As for the two deceased victims, they died from blunt force trauma to the head, and by the time they were discovered, they had been soaked in seawater. I should add that their limbs were torn apart and their blood was completely drained—it fits the behavior of a demon perfectly."
"The investigation mission is in your hands, Amane. Contact us if you run into any trouble."
Elsewhere, Hideharu made a phone call to Qinmei.
"Senior Buyou, I've already made contact with Mingshang. He is the doctor from the botanical cultivation facility fire back then, and right now, he's sitting with me in a café."
She kept the line open and placed her phone on the table as the waiter served their coffee.
"Can you tell us what happened at the time? We will protect you, Mingshang."
"I'm very sorry, I didn't know much myself, because I was the first person to leave the facility. I have no idea what happened to the rest of it."
"But I'm really scared right now. I feel like I've been targeted by something—someone has been watching me the whole time!"
"When did you first notice this?"
Mingshang pulled a report out of his bag and handed it to Hideharu. Hideharu took it and looked it over.
"What is this?"
"These are my backup files. The environmental conditions, dates, temperatures—they're all in this report."
"There's a pair of eyes watching me from the shadows. Every move I make feels monitored by someone else. I want to get out of here."
He then broke down, crying uncontrollably.
"I grew up listening to the stories of the Demon Slayers. Miss Hideharu, you have to help me get out of here. None of these people can be trusted."
"April 24th! Miss Hideharu, you must escort me out of here!"
Two men in military uniforms walked into the establishment and headed straight toward their table.
"Dr. Mingshang, your time out is over. We are here to take you back."
"Pardon us, madam. Dr. Mingshang has to return."
Mingshang stood up, casting one last look back at Hideharu, his eyes filled with absolute helplessness.
"April 24th! You must come. You're the only one who can save me!"
Reluctantly, he was led away by the two military guards, leaving Hideharu sitting alone in deep thought.
Over the phone, Buyou asked, "What did he give you?"
Hideharu looked down at the documents.
"Research data on the Blue Spider Lily. It seems Muzan Kibutsuji really is tied to this thing."
"Why wouldn't they destroy the research data?"
After a moment of reflection, Hideharu arrived at a conclusion.
"Muzan Kibutsuji isn't after the data on the Blue Spider Lily—he's after the person who developed it: Dr. Mingshang!"
"No matter what it takes, we must escort him out of here on April 24th. Muzan Kibutsuji just might show up."