stolen time

Ch104 dr

Despite being guaranteed to be able to meet ayame once again, it didn't stop Douma from searching for her. Not only for his own desires, but because he had a promise he needed to keep.

Douma had never realized how much ayame's existence in his life affected him until after, he could no longer feast upon humans leisurely like he used to without feeling a sense of guilt, nor could he meaningless kill them out of amusement.

In this vast land under the dark sky there was only so much ground he could cover by himself, swatting his fans open multiple small ice clones dispersed from him like feathers of a birds wing.

Taking flight through every nook and cranny without being noticed by the slumbering people, he wondered just how was he able to find her in the past so easily when she hid herself, back when they were no better than strangers.

Was it because they were confined within the place they called home? Or was it because the less he knew about her the easier it was for him to read her movements. Feeling the silky fabric of his pants push against his leg with each propelling step, he ignored the hunters he passes by, like a passing breeze unbothered by anything.

He wondered what he could do to bring back her memories, he didn't have her bell in hand and the only other things he remembered that could even have the slightest possibility of bringing her back were her mothers song, and the garden she often visited.

Checking over the different lands through the eyes of his clones, he hoped that at least one of them would have spotted ayame. Switching from eyes to eyes he neared towards the end of his clones without seeing her in any, praying he hoped that the last one would find her.

Gulping down a nervous swallow, he looked through his last pairs of eyes that ran across as far away the ocean, a place he had only seen just now.

Looking back and forth there was nothing there, only the view of a great body of water that reached far into the horizon. Clenching his fists tight he was at a loss, wondering where she possibly could have gone at this point of not the infinity fortress.

Douma was just about to disconnect from his clone when something walked up to it from behind.

"Hmm? What is this peculiar thing doing here?"

Holding it up by the small twig of an arm, the figure gazed into its reflective eyes with an unamused look, while the person on the other side had a completely different reaction.

Shock flashed across douma's face as his eyes glimmered, instantly changing his direction with one swift move it blew a harsh wind from his original position.

"Aya chan!"

He called in his head, chanting her name as if it were a prayer, hoping that she would respond. Landing onto the soft sandy floor, he felt the bits and pieces of sand crawl between his feet and zori sandals. He quietly walked up to her from behind, as she still had his clone hanging in her hand.

"Found you aya chan~"

Ayame looked over her shoulder towards him with narrowing eyes, clicking her tongue in annoyance she shattered his clone with a clench of her hand. Watching the ice pieces glimmer down like lights, she ignored him and began walking down by the shore side.

"Nee aya chan don't ignore me"

"..."

He reached a hand towards her to try and gain her attention, and also to prevent her from escaping if she were to use her Kekijutsu, but his attempt to make piece with the current Ayame wasn't reciprocated. Snapping her fingers a crisp sound like the clap of a chime rang, initiating a command as it created spikes of blood around Douma, encasing him in a dangerous cage.

"What is it that you want with me, upper rank 2"

She said, turning to face him with a raised brow. Douma's lips parted at her calling him upper rank 2, but then he soon remembered that's never gave her his name after she lost her memories.

"Ah...Aya chan you sound so distant calling me that, I prefer if you called me Douma like you used to, or maybe dear?"

He said blinking with his head to the side, only for ayame to look at him with even more confusion.

"...were...we married?"