The sky had completely darkened, the setting sun as red as if dyed in blood.
Asuka walked alone on the return path, the scenery around him constantly receding with his steps.
In his mind, the scene in the black market tent flashed wildly like a revolving lantern.
Black Fang's shrill and despairing screams still drummed against his eardrums.
He clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging into his flesh.
He had originally thought that as long as he possessed enough power, as long as he could personally kill that demon Aizen...
Everything would end, and he could live a peaceful life.
But looking at it now, he was wrong.
Dead wrong.
...His enemies were more than just one.
Compared to that guy, there seemed to be a larger... more suffocating shadow coiled above his head.
An anger born from being toyed with by fate and having his throat gripped bred in the depths of Asuka's heart.
"Damn it... they're all just a bunch of skulking rats..."
At some point, a terrifying dark purple hue had crept into his eyes, and the Reiryoku within his body began to churn uncontrollably, overflowing along with his emotions.
The wandering souls on both sides of the road scrambled to get out of his way. A few stray dogs by the roadside were so terrified they soiled themselves, whimpering as they fled without a trace with their tails between their legs.
If it weren't for the Shihakusho he was wearing, onlookers would have thought he was a Menos strolling down the street...
Just like that, carrying a heavy aura of gloom and murderous intent, Asuka walked all the way back to that quiet little courtyard.
By this time, warm orange lights had already lit up inside the courtyard.
He hadn't even pushed open that mottled wooden door yet.
An enticing aroma—a mix of soy sauce, sugar, and rich beef fat—drifted out through the crack in the door and burrowed into his nose.
It was the smell of sukiyaki.
"Oyakata-sama, the marbling on this Wagyu beef is truly beautiful. It was hard to find such fine meat even in the World of the Living."
"Indeed, this meat was sent over by the Shiba Family. What polite nobles they are... When Asuka returns, he will definitely be very happy."
In the courtyard, Lady Amane's gentle and tranquil voice rang out, accompanied by Kagaya's soft chuckle that felt like a spring breeze.
"Mr. Asuka is quite the big eater, Lady Amane. We should cut two more blocks of tofu to put in," Shinobu Kocho chuckled lightly.
She hadn't been this relaxed in a long time, her smile coming from the bottom of her heart, natural and unforced.
Creak—
The moment the wooden door was pushed open, the voices in the courtyard paused.
"Ah! Mr. Asuka! You're back!"
Shinobu Kocho, who was wearing an apron and holding a wooden soup ladle, immediately poked her head out of the kitchen upon hearing the door open.
When she saw that familiar tall figure, a bright light burst forth in her purple eyes, and her lips curved into a beautiful arc.
"Welcome home! You're back just in time. Lady Amane and I are preparing dinner for tonight."
"You were out for most of the day, you must be starving, right? Do you want to eat something first to pad your stomach?"
Like a graceful butterfly, Shinobu fluttered over to Asuka, tilting her head up and looking at him with a smile.
However, when she clearly saw Asuka's face at this moment, the smile on her face froze.
How terrifying...
The Asuka at this moment, although still bearing that handsome face, had an expression so gloomy it looked as if water could drip from it.
Those eyes were filled with brutality and killing intent... without a single trace of warmth...
His brows were locked tightly together, his jaw muscles tense, and his entire body exuded a terrifying aura that warned strangers to stay away.
"Asuka...?"
Shinobu's heart clenched violently, and a strong sense of unease welled up within her.
She had known Asuka for so long and knew that although he usually maintained a cold, unsmiling demeanor, it was only because he was bad at expressing himself.
What happened? Why would he reveal such a gaze...
"What's wrong? You look terrible."
At the same time, she immediately noticed...
There was blood on Asuka's clothes.
Shinobu asked anxiously. Driven by her instincts as a doctor and her concern for someone she cared about, she subconsciously reached out to grab Asuka's sleeve, wanting to check if he was hurt anywhere.
"...Did you run into some trouble? Are you injured?"
"Don't..."
Asuka instinctively tried to stop Shinobu, but he was a beat too slow.
The very moment Shinobu's fingertips touched Asuka's skin—
"Hiss—!"
A sharp sting shot through her hand, causing Shinobu to gasp and pull her hand back as if she had been electrocuted.
This wasn't intentional on Asuka's part. Rather, his Spiritual Pressure was restless from emotional stimulation, creating a self-defensive repulsion when subjected to external stimuli.
For Shinobu, whose Reiryoku was far inferior to Asuka's, this repulsion would cause actual harm to her Spiritual Body, and it certainly didn't feel good.
"Shinobu!"
Seeing Shinobu clutching her fingers, Asuka's muddled brain—previously blinded by anger and killing intent—instantly sobered up, as if a basin of bone-chilling ice water had been poured over his head.
'What am I doing?'
Asuka's breathing grew ragged as he desperately rallied his willpower, rapidly suppressing all those restless malicious thoughts and Reiryoku back into the deepest depths of his soul.
The suffocating pressure in the air vanished without a trace, and his previously ashen face slowly softened.
"I'm sorry... Shinobu, I... I didn't mean to."
Asuka stood there, somewhat at a loss, wanting to reach out and check on Shinobu's injury.
Yet, hesitant because of the accidental injury just now, he stopped his hand halfway and stiffly pulled it back.
Hearing the commotion in the courtyard, Lady Amane and Kagaya, who had been busy in the kitchen, hurriedly walked out.
"What's wrong? What happened?" Although Kagaya didn't see what just occurred, his sharp intuition still made him sense the abnormality between the two.
"It's... it's nothing, Oyakata-sama." Shinobu shook off the lingering sting in her fingertips, hid her hand behind her back, and turned to give the Ubuyashiki couple a reassuring smile. "I just accidentally stepped on a piece of crushed stone and almost twisted my ankle. It's fine."
With that said, she turned her head back, grabbed the guilt-ridden Asuka, and quickly pulled him into the inner room.
There was not a hint of blame in her eyes, only deep worry and heartache.
"Asuka, what exactly happened?" Shinobu lowered her voice, asking softly at a volume only the two of them could hear. "Just now... did the business you went to handle today not go smoothly?"
Looking at Shinobu's gentle gaze, Asuka felt as if a wad of cotton was lodged in his throat, making it uncomfortably tight.
What could he say...
Could he tell her that not only did he gain nothing today, but he also forced a blind old man to his death?
Or tell her that he might be embroiled in a massive conspiracy where he didn't even know who the enemy was...
No, this was home, the final safe haven.
No matter if there were violent storms or deep-seated blood feuds outside... no matter how powerful and terrifying that enemy hiding in the dark was.
He shouldn't, and couldn't, bring all that filth and negative emotion from the outside back here, allowing that darkness to pollute their smiles.
It was enough for him to silently bear the burden and resolve everything himself.
"It's nothing."
Asuka tried hard to relax his facial muscles, forcing out a smile that looked as soft as possible.
"I just walked a bit too much outside today and ran into a few blind thugs. We had a little conflict, so I was just in a slightly bad mood."
"I was thinking about things just now and got a bit distracted, so I didn't control my Spiritual Pressure well... I'm really sorry, did I hurt you?"