stolen time

Ch104 rr

"I spent the next few weeks observing ayame chan, and it wasn't long before I noticed her memories were starting to fade, but what I didn't know was how to stop it, I could only try to prevent Ayame chan from finding out too soon, though it didn't help much because her personality soon became affected, and do you know what the first thing ayame chan did when she found out?"

Kyojuro stared at him in silence with ayame still tightly held in his arms, douma's eyes narrowed while he held a fan to his face continuing his recap.

"Instead of worrying about herself, she first thought of you instead"

Flashback

"Douma..."

"Yes ayame chan?"

She looked back up at Douma with serious yet defeated eyes, knowing she can't stop the corrosion happening to her body, she could only come to terms with it as if it were her death. During this time she was still sane, she was determined to set measures, measures to protect things she cared about from herself.

"Do you mind coming somewhere with me?"

She said softly.

"Of course, I will go wherever Ayame chan wishes, whether it be the ocean or the sky"

He said smiling while offering his hand like he always did, helping her back to her feet they waited until the sun went to sleep and the world was dark once again.

*******

Ayame bolted out of the temple with Douma in tow while fiddling something in her hand, it was a glowing drop of blood, a remanence of a spell she struggled to activate.

"Please just work one last time, even if it's just a small spark show me the way" she pleaded in her mind with a desperate frown. After toying with it for awhile, she was finally able to get it to respond. Her eyes lit up with relief as her wish was granted, the drop of blood began to work its magic turning into a smoke it covered ayame's eyes.

Her pupils glowed revealing a path to follow, she sped up her pace moving faster than the blink of an eye hoping the spell doesn't run out before she made it. Along the way it began to rain a depressing storm, drenching their bodies in the cold droplets she and Douma eventually stopped before the edge of a cliff.

They peered down from above and Douma noticed a strange man.

"Hmm? Isn't that..."

He said with a hand over his brows examining the man below.

"Kyojuro"

Ayame said, Douma looked towards the side where ayame stood with a deadpan expression. Holding back tears from welling up in her eyes she clenched her fists tight, wanting to return to his arms but she knew she couldn't.

"Is he the human that gave ayame chan that ring?"

He asked pointing his fan at her left hand at the ring she couldn't bare to take off, but soon she will have to.

"Yes..."

She answered looking down at a face she hadn't seen for nearly a year, "has he always looked so tired?" She thought gazing at his discouraged eyes as he sheathed his katana back in its hilt.

"Kekijutsu harems aroma"

Blowing a smoke towards him, she gently put him to sleep to make sure her presence wasn't discovered, as she didn't want to appear before him again with her current appearance. He soon fell asleep leaning against a tree by the side of the road with his head tilted down, she and Douma jumped down from the cliff and stood before him.

"Douma do you remember our bet? I still have one request left right?

Crouching down she gently brushed her finger against the scar on his left eye, Douma looked at her with a grin delighted that she remembered something so far back.

"Yes, what is it Ayame chan wishes to request?"

"If I loose myself, I want you to protect him from me, he is the last person I want to hurt, after all I owe him too much and he is the one I came to love, can you do that for me...Douma?"

His eyes narrowed at her selfless request, it was the same as last time. she never used her request for her own needs, but for others, she had always been like that.

"As you wish Ayame chan~"

"Thank you Douma, let's... go back now"

"Hmm? That's quick don't you want to talk to him Ayame chan? You might not see him again for a long time..."

Walking past Douma with his gaze locked onto her, she peaked over her shoulder to look at kyojuro one more time.

"No...Its alright, I don't want him to see me like this anyway"

Present

Kyojuro's eyes glistened with tears while he slowly looked down at ayame, feeling speechless and guilt ridden he clenched his jaw shut bending down to hug ayame.

"I'm so sorry ayame, but please you can be a little selfish you know?"

Douma sighed with a smile as he turned around, preparing to head back by his lonesome once more.

"Ah right I almost forgot, ayame chan managed to avoid being affected by some of the curse so she isn't being tracked, and make sure Ayame chan doesn't say "his" name, I was also holding onto this for ayame chan"

He tossed something towards kyojuro, glistening in the moonlight he looked up and clasped the object in between his two palms. Lowering his hand he slowly opened it like a book, and inside was ayame's engagement ring.

"It's really rare to see her regain herself. This time, don't loose ayame chan again alright?"

He cooed at kyojuro, bending his knees he prepared to jump but he was interrupted by kyojuro.

"Douma was it? Why are you helping us? Are we not essentially your enemy?"

"Well it's because I really like ayame chan, so if you fail to protect her again, I'll be the one to take her~ so you should hurry and head back to wherever it is you're supposed to be, the sun will be rising soon and even though I was able to make sure ayame chan doesn't kill anyone, these humans here will still bleed out sooner or later"

He disappeared in a flash without leaving so much as another word. Kyojuro sighed a loud sigh as his tense shoulders dropped, looking down at ayame he lovingly caressed her cheek, and the feeling of her skin touching his sunk in the reality that she was back in his arms again.