28 Anger?

'Nee-sama is too nice, I need to get this ….scoundrel away from her,' Shinobu didn't like this one bit.

"Shinobu," Kanae sighed as she looked at her sister, Shinobu just ignored her eyes and looked at Yuu waiting for his answer.

"I don't mind that type of life, if possible I would prefer to live in peace with my family, but it is my mission to kill demons which is the reason I have joined you here," Yuu's words left Shinobu at a loss. What can she say after this?

She couldn't even tell that Yuu was lying even if she wanted to, she could feel that he was hundred percent truthful about it.

"Anyway, Since you've done checking up on her go, Nee-sama needs to rest," Shinobu with no way to rebuke Yuu just got him to leave the room.

"Tachibana-sama …has a Family?" Kanae muttered slowly.

'Arrgggghhhh, I hate him, He is bewitching my Nee-sama!!' Shinobu could only grit her teeth as she saw the expression on Kanae's face when she was muttering those words.

It was weird, this wasn't like her sister who was always cheerful and easygoing. This ticked Shinobu off even when she often got mad at her sister for her usual behavior.

In the end, Shinobu had a smile on her face for the whole day that scared the people in the mansion to their core.

Three days later,

"Oh, so Tachibana-sama's older sister must be really strong," Kanae spoke merrily as she talked to Yuu about his family.

"Yes, she is the one who taught me how to use the sword," Yuu nodded, Kanae has been asking him a lot about his family since yesterday. She was quiet on the first day and asked about it on the second day…

'He was talking about his adoptive family,' Shinobu's irritation was off the charts as she looked at Yuu and her sister who seemed to be in a really merry mood after knowing that fact.

Well, from the way Yuu spoke it seemed like his parents had passed away, so when he talked about having a family. Kanae and Shinobu came to the conclusion that Yuu was already married.

But it seemed like they were and he was talking about the family who adopted him and raised him. From what Shinobu had heard till now, he had three older sisters and a mother

"It is good that Tachibana-sama's family is living safely," Kanae said as since the demons from where Yuu came from were exterminated they should be all safe. It was something she wished for as well, her family living in safety after the threat of the demons is quelled.

"They are safe for now," Yuu said making Kanae look at him, she could understand his intent.

'So Tachibana-sama wants to keep his family safe even from the demons here,' Now Kanae understood why Yuu fought the demons here even when he could've ignored it completely.

He had done his duty there was no need for him to risk his life again in an unknown country for some unrelated people, his family was far away on the other side of the ocean the chances of the demons here reaching his family were slim but even then…

'He didn't want to take that chance,' Kanae thought as Yuu was looking at Shinobu who didn't seem like she was in a good mood.

"Tachibana-sama, there is some news that I want to tell you," Kanae said making Yuu turn towards her. Seeing that he was paying attention Kanae spoke.

"The woman from the jewelry shop who helped you was among the victims of the demon," Kanae said slowly looking at Yuu.

"As you sure?" Yuu asked and Kanae nodded.

"Her body was found in the basement of the building thankfully the body wasn't damaged in the explosion, we asked around the town and it was confirmed she was talking to everyone in the neighborhood about her new bracelet that day before she went missing that night," Kanae mood became sullen as she remembered what she saw in that basement.

'She was the woman Doma was eating,' Kanae remembered it well, from what she had heard from the slayers that gathered information from the neighborhood the woman was pregnant at the time, She was in her 11th week.

"What about her family?" Yuu asked.

"Her husband and children have also gone missing since that night, there has been no trace of them, I have paid for her funeral and her ashes are kept at a local monastery," Kanae had done this for the others whose body was found in the mansion as well.

Since she couldn't save them, that was the least she could do for them. This was only done for the women from that town who didn't have a family.

Kanae made sure that the missing people who were found were delivered to their families properly, as for the bodies of the female demon slayers, they were brought back since there was a different place prepared for them.

Kanae got from the report that Yuu was helped by the lady and she gave kept him a room to stay at her home when it got too late for him to find an inn.

So, Kanae wanted him to know about it since he didn't seem to have any idea about the situation.

"I see," Yuu said flatly as Shinobu frowned looking at him, but in the end she chose to stay silent as Yuu left the room after he was done with his task, leaving the two sisters alone.

"Not even a reaction, does he have no heart or something?" Shinobu said with anger visible on her face.

"Shinobu come here," Kanae patted the side of her bed with a smile.

"Nee-sama don't try to defend him on this," Shinobu could understand even without Kanae saying anything, her sister was just too kind for her own good and only saw the positive in everything.

"I don't need to do that, I just need to tell you something so that you don't make a mistake moving forward," Kanae smiled looking at her younger sister's actions.

As Shinobu sat down on the edge of her bed Kanae continued taking Shinobu's hand in her own.

"People have different ways of showing grieve, some can display it openly by crying and some can't, everyone has their own way of conveying the emotions they feel based on their surroundings, Don't you know it as well?" Kanae looked at Shinobu's bandaged hands which she had been trying to hide in her sleeves.

Of course, Shinobu knew it well, there was such a person in their family. Kanao who couldn't cry even when she wanted to, it was because of the surrounding she grew up in, she was incapable of expressing herself to the point of not doing anything unless told to do so.

Shinobu herself was an example of this, she hadn't cried in front of her sister, even after almost losing her, her only blood-related family. Rather Shinobu used that frustration and anger into wanting to become stronger so that such a situation doesn't happen again.

"This… Nee-sama …I got hurt while cooking you ….. know…" Shinobu who was trying to avoid the topic by lying couldn't do so in front of her sister.

"Isn't this the reason you are allowing Tachibana-sama to check up on me instead of doing it yourself," Kanae knew that Shinobu had increased her training and was straining herself to the point of hurting her body.

This is why Shinobu has been hiding her hands from Kanae not wanting her older sister to worry. She knew that Kanae would try to stop her which is why she let Yuu check up on Kanae's injuries since if she did it her injured hands would be seen by her sister.

Kanae didn't blame Shinobu for this, she understood her intention, and she knew that if she was in Shinobu's shoes she'd do the same.

What Kanae didn't expect was for Shinobu to direct that anger at Yuu. She wasn't really angry at Yuu, it was just self-blame. Shinobu knew very well that if Yuu wasn't there her sister had no chance of survival. She was thankful to Yuu for saving her sister.

But Shinobu felt frustrated about not being able to save her sister, she knew that if it was only her Kanae would've died since Shinobu would have had no way to save her. This is what made her angry, that she was helpless yet again, not being able to do anything for her family even after vowing to not let things get like this.

"Nee-sama …I …." Shinobu was looking down at the ground at a loss for words. She couldn't say anything in response as her sister was able to see through it no matter what.

"It is ok, you don't need to hold it in," Kanae hugged Shinobu patting her head slowly.

"I am still alive, so cry as much as you want, I'll be here to hold you like always," Kanae's gentle voice entered Shinobu's ears as her eyes started watering.

The tears she had been holding in burst out and she cried in her sister's chest like a small child.

"It's alright, I won't go anywhere," Kanae softly rubbed Shinobu's back as she used to back when they were younger.

...

thanks for the powerstones,

see you on Monday or Sunday depending where you live, Bye.