"Cut off its head."
Cold Cry stood atop the stone platform, arms folded across his chest. Whenever he heard Noe shout the name of her Breathing Technique, he felt an overwhelming urge to pretend he didn't know her at all.
Of all the names she could have chosen, she just had to pick that one.
"Understood," Noe replied.
Although Noe had a voluptuous figure, her curves were confined to the places a woman should be full. Her arms, legs, and waist remained slender and graceful, giving her a surprisingly agile appearance.
With a light leap, she jumped down from the stone platform and rushed toward the man and woman at astonishing speed.
At that moment, the two were clinging tightly to each other, convinced they were about to have their throats torn open by the demon. Suddenly, a streak of pink flashed before their eyes.
The Nichirin Blade in Noe's hand bent like a long, flexible whip, slashing through the air and severing the demon's outstretched arm in an instant.
The demon shrieked in pain and crashed to the ground. Staggering backward, it clutched the bleeding stump with its remaining hand while dark blood splattered across the dirt.
Its furious gaze shifted from the terrified couple to Noe, a guttural growl rumbling from its throat.
Noe landed several meters away and stared at the severed arm on the ground in confusion.
"Huh? Why the arm?" she muttered. "I was aiming for the head…"
After saying that, she cautiously glanced up at Cold Cry.
Seeing his icy stare, Noe awkwardly stuck out her tongue.
"I really was aiming for the head! How did I miss it?"
Cold Cry nearly scoffed.
You never intended to go for the head in the first place.
He could see straight through her hesitation.
Pointing toward the trembling man and woman behind her, he said coldly,
"If you don't cut off its head, more people will die just like them. They were lucky enough to meet you today, but what about the next victims? Will they be just as fortunate?"
His voice became even colder.
"If you can't bring yourself to kill it, then stand aside and let it continue eating people."
Noe lowered her head.
She knew he was right, yet she still hesitated.
Demons had once been human. Every time she raised her blade against one, it felt as though she were killing a person with her own hands.
But if she spared it…
Wouldn't the people it devoured afterward die because of her weakness?
Noe bit her lip and looked back at Cold Cry.
His expression remained indifferent. He had no intention of stepping in.
The rescued pair were still overwhelmed with relief, but they couldn't hide their surprise when they realized their saviors were the pink-clad girl and the white-robed youth whom everyone in the square had avoided earlier.
Not only was the girl far stronger than she appeared, but the way she interacted with the young man was even stranger.
Faced with a flesh-eating demon, neither of them showed the slightest fear. The youth even sounded as though he were teaching her how to properly slay demons.
Meanwhile, the ignored demon grew increasingly enraged.
With a sickening pop, a brand-new arm regenerated from the severed stump.
The man and woman instinctively huddled together.
This time, however, the demon ignored them completely and fixed its eyes solely on Noe.
It understood that this girl was the reason its hunt had been interrupted. Unless it dealt with her first, it would never be able to feed in peace.
Still, the Nichirin Blade in her hand made it wary.
Suddenly, the demon tilted its head back and released several eerie howls into the night.
Cold Cry narrowed his eyes.
The sound resembled wolves communicating with one another. The demon was most likely calling for reinforcements.
Sure enough, rustling noises soon echoed throughout the surrounding forest.
Moments later, three more demons emerged from the darkness.
One crouched on a tree branch.
Another crawled out from the undergrowth.
The last stood silently in the shadows.
Together with the first demon, they completely surrounded the area from every direction except the stone wall behind Cold Cry.
The man and woman immediately scrambled to their feet, drawing their Nichirin Blades before standing back-to-back with Noe.
Facing four demons at once, Noe's expression finally changed.
Although she trusted that Cold Cry wouldn't abandon her…
Even for him, fighting four demons simultaneously would be difficult.
Regret welled up inside her.
If she had listened to him earlier and killed the first demon immediately, this situation never would have happened.
"Hey! Stop standing around and help already!" the boy named Akino shouted angrily toward Cold Cry.
Hearing the accusation, Cold Cry suddenly smiled.
It was the first time Noe had ever seen him smile.
But there was no warmth in it.
Only ridicule.
Only anger.
It felt less like a smile and more like silent mockery directed at her stubbornness.
Cold Cry spoke indifferently.
"Why should I help? They aren't trying to eat me."
Akino froze.
It took him a moment to process the words before fury exploded across his face.
"What kind of thing is that to say?" he shouted. "Is that even human? Your companion is about to die, and you're just standing there watching?!"
Cold Cry shrugged lazily.
"That's her own mistake. People should only attempt what they're capable of handling. If someone lacks the ability yet insists on showing off, shouldn't they bear the consequences themselves?"
"You—!"
Akino trembled with rage.
"You're cold-blooded! You're no different from these man-eating monsters!"
"Shut your mouth."
The sharp rebuke instantly cut him off.
Akino turned in shock.
Noe was glaring at him fiercely, her watery eyes filled with anger.
"You're not allowed to talk about him like that."
Her voice trembled slightly.
"You have no right to judge him."
"And I won't allow anyone to insult him in front of me."
The three consecutive sentences completely stunned Akino.
He had been trying to defend her.
How had he suddenly become the bad guy?
"I… I was speaking up for you…" he muttered unwillingly.
Beside him, Yuka seemed to realize something and quickly tugged on his sleeve, signaling him to stop talking.
Under Noe's furious stare and Yuka's warning, Akino reluctantly fell silent.
Still, confusion and frustration churned inside him.
He couldn't understand why Noe continued defending the white-robed youth after being treated so harshly.
Raising his head, he glared hatefully at Cold Cry.
To his disbelief, the young man was still leaning calmly against the stone wall, watching everything unfold as though he were merely a spectator.