Lilith vanished from the dingy alleyway, reappearing in the secluded sanctuary of her backyard in the blink of an eye with the same effortless grace as before. Her movements were fluid and graceful as she shed her clothing. The fabric fell away from her body like a cascade of shimmering water, pooling at her feet as she stood there. In response, her three swords seemed to quiver with excitement, vibrating in harmony.
But paying it not mind, she grabbed her weapons and headed inside, where she again quickly hid her weapon before turning back into a baby wrapping herself with a blanket and pretending as if nothing happened.
The door swung open in a sudden burst of movement, unleashing a blinding shaft of light that spilled into the room. Emerging from the glare was Lilith's father, John, his face alight with a radiant smile as he approached his beloved daughter. As he drew nearer, his steps quickened with almost palpable energy, a palpable joy emanating from his very being. Without hesitation, he closed the distance between them, his arms outstretched in a welcoming embrace, eager to reunite with his cherished child.
As he clasped his daughter in a loving embrace, John couldn't help but notice the distress etched on his wife Lisa's face. Though Lilith was safe in his arms, his attention was now focused on the source of his wife's evident distress. With careful steps, he approached her. And then, with a gentle voice, he asked, "What's wrong?"
"Our debt had increased..." Lisa sighed.
"What? By how much?" John asked.
"Four percent..."
"What?! Four percent?!" John shouted.
"Don't yell with Lilith in your hand," Lisa spoke as she took Lilith from John's arms.
"Uhhh... I might be able to work this out..." John let out a deep, guttural sigh as he struggled to come up with a solution to his financial woes. With furrowed brows and a deep frown etched onto his face, he wracked his brain, desperate for a lifeline that would save him from the ever-deepening debt.
Perhaps he could try to eke out a few more hours at their restaurant. The mere prospect of surrendering even more of his precious time to the demands of the business filled him with a deep sense of regret, the knowledge that every additional minute spent at work would be a minute lost with his beloved family.
"Whatever works best for Lilith…."
Left alone in the cocoon of her warm blanket, Lilith's thoughts raced with the gravity of the situation. She mulled over her options with her speed and agility, pilfering valuable jewelry to be sold for a quick and easy profit.
The idea of simply obliterating the loan sharks that plagued her family with a single, swift stroke was tempting, but Lilith knew that such a course of action would lead to a never-ending cycle of violence and retribution. The thought of bloodshed and destruction made her stomach turn, and she resolved to find a more peaceful solution, one that would leave her family and their tormentors unharmed.
After much deliberation, Lilith settled on a plan to obtain a precious gemstone in the other world. Then she would secure a tidy sum of money, which she would then slip into her father's wallet.
The sun gradually sank behind the rugged horizon, stretching its arms of golden light across the vast expanse of land. As the final rays of sunlight kissed the earth, Lilith's body began to morph. Then with a fluid motion, she drew forth the three weapons she had secreted away, each glinting in the fading light. She strode toward the backyard and grabbed all the clothes she had stashed from the bush. And in the blink of an eye, she vanished.
As Lilith entered the quaint and inviting Minka, she was enveloped by a sense of warmth and comfort. She slipped into her sleeveless white shirt and black pants, revealing her bare skin to the beams of the two midnight moons shining through the windows. The celestial glow illuminated every curve of her body.
With a gentle push, Lilith slid open the door and stepped out. But as she turned her head, something caught her eye. In the corner of her vision, she noticed the figure of Suzuki standing with a quiet intensity. As their eyes met, Lilith began walking towards her.
"What's up?" Lilith raised a hand while speaking.
Suzuki tilted her head back, gazing up at the snow-filled sky above, her breath forming small, visible puffs in the frigid air. With a curious inflection, she asked Lilith, "Are you not cold?"
"Not at all. It's warm, in fact." Lilith smiled.
"Is that so... well, everyone in the village has a banquet at the Kominka. Everyone was asking for you."
"Waiting for me?" Lilith spoke, surprised any of the village members would want Lilith in their banquet. After all, she was new around the village.
"Yeah... we have a tendency to go all out when treating guests," Suzuki spoke and began walking down the gravel road. "I'll guide you there."
Lilith strolled alongside Suzuki as they made their way toward the eastern edge of the village. In the distance, a magnificent Kominka stood tall, its rustic wooden frame and papered walls evoking a sense of ancient beauty and timelessness.
"We'll you sure took the vow seriously…" Suzuki spoke as she looked at the two swords on Lilith's waist.
"Yeah, I always keep them next to me." Lilith smiled as she patted the handle of her Katana.
As Lilith and Suzuki crossed the threshold of the Kominka, the air seemed to shift, filling with a comforting warmth. The interior was alive with the sound of chatter and laughter, and the smell of roasting meat mingled with the aroma of rich wine.
The people inside were dressed in flowing robes that seemed to sway with the rhythms of the lively conversation. Lilith was struck by the beauty of the scene before her, the rustic wooden beams and papered walls seeming to pulse with the energy of the crowd.
"You guys eat meat?" Lilith asked as she looked up toward Suzuki's antlers, never expecting that they would eat meat.
"Yea? Don't you?" Suzuki tilted her head, wondering what the problem was.
"Nothing... never mind..." Lilith shook her head with a sigh.
"Oh, it's Lilith-san!" Suddenly, a voice from within the throng called out, piercing the lively chatter as every head turned in her direction.
"Oh... wassup..." Lilith spoke while raising her hand to wave.
"What do you mean, wassup?" Suzuki's voice was a gentle whisper in Lilith's ear. She felt Suzuki's arm wrap around her, guiding her with a gentle nudge towards a cushion on the ground.
Lilith sighed as she placed her two weapons beside her.
"Oh, if it isn't the perverted woman!" Lilith heard a childish voice and turned around to see Yuto pointing at her with laughter.
"Pervert?!" Lilith raised her voice, but then, as she remembered what had happened, she shook her head, flustered.
"What happened?" Someone asked as everyone was quite intrigued about why Lilith was being called a pervert.
"Nothing! Really!" Lilith shouted.
"When I meant her, she was completely naked even though it was really cold…." Yuto spoke without hesitation.
"Oh…?" As Suzuki muttered, Lilith couldn't help but feel a sense of uncertainty creeping into her heart. Something in Suzuki's gaze felt different.
"I'm not that type of person!" Lilith shouted as she quickly thought of an excuse. "It was so that I could train my cold resistance."
"Oh... that does make sense..." Suzuki muttered while rubbing her chin. "It did seem that you had resistance to the cold."
"See...!"
"Well, that doesn't matter now." Lilith's ears pricked up at the sound of a resonant voice, causing her to turn her head. There stood Kato, his eyes fixed on her for a fleeting moment before sweeping his gaze over the rest of the room. Suddenly, he bellowed, his voice booming through the air. "Fill your cups!" Then at that moment, everyone smiled as they filled their cups, knowing what was going to happen.
"Dear friends, today I would like to propose a toast to someone very special - our newest member, Lilith. I believe it is up to us to make her feel welcome and accepted. Although Lilith is new among us, I have already had the privilege of getting to know her a little bit. I can tell you that she is someone who is incredibly kind and compassionate. I know that change can be hard for some of us, but I urge you to embrace Lilith with open arms. Let us make an effort to get to know her and make her feel at home in our community. After all, diversity and new perspectives are what make a community thrive. So let us raise our glasses to Lilith and welcome her into our community with open hearts and minds. May she bring new energy and excitement to our group, and may we all benefit from the gifts that she has to offer. Cheers to Lilith!"
"Cheers to Lilith!"
Lilith lifted her cup high in the air, her smile radiant like the sun. For once, she felt truly at home, the center of attention in a way she had never experienced before.