On the town streets, the air was thick with the savory scent of oden, the charred aroma of grilled skewers, and—most lethal of all to a demon—the unmistakable aura of human flesh and blood.
“Truly Fragrant” Diner?
Rin stared at the small shop before him, its deep blue noren curtain swaying gently in the doorway.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
Kanae Kocho stopped and turned around, her violet eyes rippling with a gentle smile.
“What’s wrong, Mr.
Rin?
Don’t you like this place?
Although it’s a bit out of the way, the food here is actually quite good.”
Her butterfly-patterned haori swayed softly as she turned.
But Rin noticed: though her right hand hung naturally at her side, her pinky and ring fingers were slightly curled—a posture ready to grip the Nichirin sword at her waist at any moment.
“N-no…”
Rin swallowed hard, struggling to suppress the burning thirst in his throat.
Just then, a gust of wind swept through, carrying the smell of alcohol from drunks on the street—and the thick, vibrant aura of the crowd.
For Rin, starving as he was, this was no mere breeze.
It was like the steam bursting from a pressure cooker—flooding his senses with the scents of braised pork, steamed fish, sauced pork knuckle…
Except these ingredients could talk.
And move.
His pupils contracted violently.
His eyes, normally a deep crimson, suddenly looked as if fresh blood had been dropped into water—glowing with an eerie, chilling red.
His heart hammered wildly in his chest, like a war drum pounding in his ears.
So hungry… so fragrant…
Every cell in his blood vessels screamed.
Roared.
Rin felt his teeth begin to itch—longing to pierce something warm, to drink deep of that sweet liquid.
The crowd around him no longer looked human.
They were walking pieces of protein.
Moving bags of plasma.
The laughing fat man had veins throbbing in his neck, as if whispering, Take a bite.
Just one bite.
The woman fixing her makeup had blue veins visible at her wrists—tempting drinking straws.
“Haa… haa…”
Rin’s breathing grew ragged, like a broken bellows.
His fingers clawed at his clothes, nails piercing the fabric and digging deep into his palms.
Just as he was about to lose control—just as his foot began to move forward—
A wave of cold killing intent splashed over him like a bucket of winter water.
“Mr.
Rin.
You must hold on.”
Kanae Kocho’s voice remained gentle, even carrying a hint of sweet, syrupy kindness—like a kind older sister coaxing a child to take their medicine.
But her right hand, which had been hanging loosely at her side, now rested firmly on the hilt of her Nichirin sword.
Kanae tilted her head slightly, her hair brushing her cheek.
Her eyes were still gentle—but deep within them lay a cold, piercing scrutiny.
“Otherwise… I really will cut off your head.”
The stark contrast sent a shudder through Rin’s body.
The frantic hunger in his mind was instantly diluted—by fear.
He looked at Kanae’s pale, slender hand, now gripping the sword hilt with quiet certainty.
If he showed even a shred of aggression, that blade would be unsheathed in a tenth of a second—and precisely sever his neck.
So this is Kanae?
The sweeter the smile… the sharper the blade.
“Gulp.”
Rin swallowed again.
This time, out of fear.
No.
Absolutely cannot eat humans.
I am a modern civilized person!
Nine years of compulsory education.
Three years of high school tribulation.
Four years of university baptism!
How could I eat a human?
This wasn’t just about moral boundaries.
It was about species dignity.
Once he ate a human, he could never go back.
He would have completely betrayed his past—betrayed that youth who once ran beneath the sunset.
“Rest assured…”
Rin’s voice was hoarse.
“I also don’t want to die by Miss Kanae’s blade…”
He lifted his head abruptly.
His blood-red eyes were threaded with crimson veins—but his gaze was exceptionally firm.
“I… I would rather starve to death than take a single bite of human flesh.”
Rin gritted his teeth, forcing the words out between them.
Kanae was momentarily taken aback.
She had seen many demons.
Some wept and begged when hungry, only to attack the moment their victim let down their guard.
Some went completely mad, becoming mindless beasts.
Others used every lie imaginable to mask their desires.
But she had never seen a gaze like this.
It was a pride in being human.
A desperate defense of one’s own ethics.
Even though his body had become a demon.
Even though every cell craved blood.
His soul was still roaring in refusal.
Kanae’s fingers on the sword hilt loosened slightly.
She could feel it: the young man before her—no, this demon—was enduring a torment most people could never imagine.
A life-and-death struggle between physiological instinct and the will of the spirit.
“Haa… haa…”
Rin gasped for air, beads of cold sweat the size of soybeans rolling down his cheeks.
His stomach felt like a black hole, devouring his own internal organs—but he forced the desire back down, clinging to that strange self-esteem of I am a person who has received higher education.
“Let’s… go find a place to sit.”
Rin raised his sleeve and roughly wiped the cold sweat from his face.
His voice was still trembling, but it had regained a sliver of calm.
He had done it.
The surprise in Kanae’s eyes flickered briefly, then deepened into something warmer.
There was less wariness in her smile now, and more genuine appreciation.
Just moments ago, her thumb had already pressed against the tsuba of her blade.
If Rin had taken that single step forward, she would have swung without hesitation.
But he had held back.
To be in such close proximity to so many humans—while in such a state of hunger—and actually resist?
This was nothing short of a miracle.
“Very well.”
Kanae replied softly, her voice crisp and pleasant.
She released her hand from the sword, letting it fall naturally to her side once more.
The two lifted the noren curtain and stepped into the small shop called Truly Fragrant.
The shop wasn’t large.
A U-shaped counter occupied most of the space, surrounded by diners—exhausted workers who had just finished their shifts, heavily made-up geisha, and burly men who looked like yakuza bosses.
The air was thick with the rich aroma of tonkotsu broth and the crisp, clean scent of sake.
“Welcome!”
“Two people?
Right this way.”
Kanae led Rin straight to an empty seat by the window.
It was relatively quiet here—a spot where they could avoid the crowd.
The moment Rin sat down, he felt as if every bone in his body was about to fall apart.
That psychological struggle had drained far too much of his energy.
He was now both starving and utterly exhausted.
“Boss,” Kanae raised her hand.
“Two bowls of tonkotsu ramen.
Large portions.
And please make sure to add two soft-boiled eggs to one of them.”