Chapter 89: Letter
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After arranging to visit again after making enough space marks, Aoki said goodbye to Ubuyashiki kagaya and left the Demon Slayer Headquarters.
Back at the Butterfly Mansion, before he even entered the door, he saw Shinobu carrying a huge package.
"What are you doing?"
"On a mission," Shinobu replied concisely.
"A mission?" Aoki looked at her and the large package with suspicion.
Shinobu glared at him. "I'm visiting a friend's house as part of my mission. These things are gifts for my friend."
"A friend?" Aoki's curiosity was piqued. "What friend?"
"A friend I met by chance," Shinobu said with a forced smile. "By the way, my friend's surname is also Aomura."
"It's really Takina!" Aoki looked a little dazed.
Shinobu waved her little hand in front of him. "Hey, what are you thinking about?"
"Nothing!" Aoki came back to his senses and said calmly, "That's quite a coincidence. If you have a chance, introduce me."
"Maybe someday," Shinobu's perfunctory tone was evident. She waved her hand, "I'm leaving now!"
"Be safe!" Aoki watched Shinobu's back until she was out of sight, then turned and entered the yard.
A moment later, Kanae hurried over. "Mr. Aomura, you're back! Did your conversation with the lord go well?"
She was supposed to accompany him today, but a severely injured team member required her attention. Despite knowing that neither the lord nor Aoki would act impulsively, she was still worried something unexpected might ruin their collaboration.
"Very smooth," Aoki said. "Miss Kanae, you came just in time. I was about to find you to say goodbye."
Kanae was shocked. "Are you leaving already?"
"I don't need to recuperate," Aoki joked, then continued, "Now that we've reached an agreement with the head of the Ubuyashiki family, I need to prepare."
He had explained the "space mark shuttle" to Kanae and Shinobu before visiting Ubuyashiki Kagaya, so they were both informed.
Kanae's eyes softened. "It's wonderful to have you in this world, Mr. Aomura!"
"Don't!" Aoki waved his hand. "I kill demons for myself. I'm no better than you, whose duty is to protect the world."
"No matter the deeds, the heart matters not..." Kanae began.
"Let's go, let's go!" Aoki cut her off, walking straight outside. He passed by Kanao, rubbed her hair, and left the Butterfly Mansion in the blink of an eye.
Kanae hugged Kanao. "Mr. Aomura is truly remarkable!"
Kanao blinked, looked in the direction Aoki left, and remained silent.
Aoki turned into a sharp arrow, flying forward, quickly catching up with Shinobu. Despite her small stature, the large package she carried looked comical.
Aoki floated high in the sky, and under the cover of night, Shinobu was completely unaware of his presence.
The sky was slightly bright when Shinobu arrived at her destination and found the door to Takina's house. She raised her hand and knocked.
In the yard, Takina raised her head in confusion. "So early, who could it be?"
The knocking sounded again.
"Wait a minute!" Takina wiped her hands, walked over, and opened the door.
The first thing she saw was a huge package, then she noticed the petite figure beneath it. She shouted in surprise, "Shinobu? Why are you here?"
Shinobu calmly walked into the yard. "I was on a mission and happened to pass by, so I stopped to visit you and aunt."
"What's this?" Takina asked, glancing at the package curiously.
"Clothes, food, all sorts of things," Shinobu said, putting down the package with a thud.
Takina glanced curiously but quickly withdrew her gaze. "Shinobu, when will you leave? Do you want to go shopping together?"
Shinobu shook her head regretfully. "I have to leave soon."
"So soon?" The smile on Takina's face faded.
Shinobu said seriously, "One day later, and there might be one more victim."
Takina understood the priorities and didn't try to persuade her. "Do you want to have breakfast before you go?"
"No, when the mission is complete, I'll come back to visit if I have time," Shinobu said, and after a brief exchange, she left.
Rie Aomura walked out of the room. "Takina, who were you talking to?"
"It was Shinobu."
"Shinobu was here? Where is she? Why didn't I see her?"
"She's already left."
"So resolute," Aoki thought to himself. He jumped down from the treetop and walked towards the Town.
The sky was getting brighter, and more people began to appear in the town.
A little girl, around six or seven, skipped past. Aoki waved to her. "Little sister!"
"Is there a problem?" The girl was not timid. She opened her big eyes and looked at him.
Aoki took out an envelope and a hundred yen, pointing to the yard where Takina and her mother lived. "Give this letter to the sister who lives there, and the hundred yen is yours."
The little girl said seriously, "Sister Takina already has a fiancé; she won't accept your letter!"
Aoki was a little surprised. He wasn't surprised that the girl knew Takina, as she clearly lived nearby. However, it was unusual for such a young girl to know about Takina's fiancé, suggesting it was common knowledge in the area.
"It doesn't matter. Just tell Sister Takina that Aoki asked you to deliver it," Aoki said.
The little girl blinked and took the letter and money. "If Sister Takina doesn't accept it, I won't return the money!"
Aoki smiled. "Whether she accepts it or not, the money is yours."
"Thank you, Brother Aoki!" The girl bowed and ran towards Takina's yard with happy legs.
"Very smart!" Aoki shook his head and laughed.
There was another knock on Takina's door, this time more urgent. The person was clearly impatient.
Takina opened the door and didn't see anyone at first. Then she looked down.
The little girl raised the letter with both hands. "Sister Takina, your letter!"
"Letter?" Takina hesitated.
The girl shouted, "A big brother named Aoki asked me to deliver it!"
"Aoki?" Takina's face changed immediately.
Many people knew she had a fiancé, but neither she nor her mother had mentioned Aoki's name to anyone. She hurriedly took the letter and looked down.
The word "Aoki" was written on the envelope in familiar handwriting.
"It's really Aoki!" Takina turned to the girl. "Where is Aoki? Take me to him!"
"Sister Takina, come with me!" The girl led Takina to the alley, but Aoki was nowhere to be found.
Takina looked around, but still couldn't find Aoki. She returned home sadly.
Aomura Rie could tell her daughter was upset. "Takina, where have you been? What happened?"
Takina showed the letter in her hand, looking lost. "Aoki just came, but only had someone deliver a letter."
"Aoki?" Rie was relatively calm. "Let's see what's in the letter."
Takina opened the envelope and found two items: a piece of letter paper and a beautiful pendant with a complex silver diamond pattern.
"Lady Rie, Takina, I'm sorry that I haven't contacted you for so long. I have offended a very terrible enemy, so I can only keep my distance from you temporarily. Please keep everything about me confidential. The pendant is a talisman I made myself. It has magical power. When you encounter danger, just smash it. I will come to you when I solve the enemy and the crisis. Please take care of yourself."
The two of them were unable to calm down for a long time after reading the letter. It had been almost a year since the disaster, and this was the first time they had received news from Aoki.
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