Serenity 静けさ

Twelve 十二

"Are you ready?" Yoriichi stood on the ground, crow in hand incase it tries to go and peck Leona again. Who knows, she might get real angry and whip the life out the talking animal.
"Hold on!"
Yoriichi stood, watching as the door opened and Leona came out. She was still too beautiful. With her hair tied up in a ponytail braid, two pairs of hairpins on her hair. The one with a red spider lily on the left, and a very familiar sun hairpin on the right making Yoriichi smile. She wore a purple kimono paired with a gray hakama pants along with white socks and shoes, the very same black with red spider lily designed Haori on top of the kimono. Her nichirin blade on her waist.

"You look good..." A small blush crept on Leona's cheek as she looked down, a smile on her face. "Thank you..." "Also." Yoriichi let go of the crow, his hand on her Haori, fixing it.
"There. Much better."
"Thank you."
Yoriichi opened his arms for a hug, which was unlikely of him. But ever since he and Leona had admitted what they feel for each other, he has been open to her as she to him. Leona smiled, giving him a tight embrace as Yoriichi placed a kiss on her head, holding her close to him.
"Well, while i am still holding myself, you have to go."
Leona nodded, walking with him towards the estate's door. "I'll be going, Yoriichi-sama." "Have a safe trip."
Leona started walking off with the crow flying around her, but Yoriichi's voice made her stop on her tracks.

"Come back to me safe, Leona..." "I will!"
"No more dallying!!!" The crow shrieked, making Leona pout before smiling, waving at Yoriichi who waved aswell, watching her back disappearing with a smile.

Leona looked up at the crow as she was running in a steady pace, more like a human type of running. It took her weeks to practice running like this because she runs so faster than normal. Looking up at the sky, it is almost noon, so she has a lot of time to wait incase she arrives at the said village early.
For the first time, she felt so free. Yes, she had been walking around with Yoriichi, but being able to run alone, it is a freedom she had never felt before. It made her felt like a child, excited for every single thing.

"We're near!"
Leona looked up at the crow who landed on her shoulder, making her soon look forward and a village was on her sight. Making her sigh in relief. She stood straight on her feet, walking normally while the crow flew around. Leona looked around as she walked towards the village. Yet something is really strange. The villagers are full of young men, middle aged men and women, yet no young women like her. As far as she remember, only young women went missing on this village. Which could be the reason why one of the things she noticed is that, the people looked sorrowful, with no hope.
'I wonder... What happened to the girls?'
Leona kept walking, trying to look for the opportunity to ask. But at the same time, the people who saw her were giving her strange looks. Not the look with bad intention or confusion, but a look of pity. No one looked any different from the same sorrowful look that they already have, or the look of pity that she received.

"Who are you?! What are you doing here?!"
Leona blinked, looking towards the direction of the voice that boomed, where she saw a middle aged man walking towards her direction. Yet the face he shows means trouble.
"Who are you?! What do you want?! Go away!!!"
Leona blinked, yet she ignored his words, smiling at the middle aged man and bowing her head.
"Good afternoon-" "I have no time to talk to you, young woman, go away! Leave this place and go back home!" "But-" "Go home!"
Leona looked around, there are people gathering. Their eyes telling her to follow the man's words. If she was an ordinary girl, she would listen. Because that is what she is taught. But she is a demon slayer, and she cannot afford to fail her first mission.
"I came here for something important-" "I don't care what it is just leave!"
'Rude...'

Leona's smiling face suddenly fell into a serious one.
"Unless you tell me why you are driving me away in such a rude and harsh manner, sir, i won't leave." Her once sweet voice turned cold, and using her peripheral vision, she can see everyone stiffened, including the man infront of her, sweat forming on his head as she looked at him with a cold and very serious face.
"Care to tell me, sir?"
The man looked around, gesturing everyone to leave and proceed on their daily routine, before muttering.
"Come with me..." The man started walking, so Leona followed behind, other men of the same age were close behind too. She was led into a house that looked like the heads' house, ushering her in a room and to the veranda full of elders.

"We have a guest from somewhere out the village."
The elders looked at Leona who bowed her head in respect before she was told to sit, all of the attention were on her while the man and the other men sat beside the elders.
"Why... Were you driving me away?" Leona's voice is now normal, yet not cheerful nor cold, just in between. The man sighed, another taking over and speaking in his behalf.
"Our chief is just trying to keep you safe because... You're a woman, a young lady i might add."
Leona hummed, taking out her sword and putting it beside her in order to sit comfortably, which surprised everyone in the room because how could a young lady like her be holding a sword? Someone who looks as delicate and soft and young?
"That doesn't answer my question yet..." "Young women your age disappear night after night. If you stay, you might disappear too." "I think it is the work of the water deity..." One of the elders suddenly spoke in a sad manner, which made the man, or known as the chief, snap and look at the elders in anger.

"There you go again, Chichue! The water deity is nothing but a fiction! It doesn't exist!"
The old man look down as the two other did. The other men were restraining the chief and making him sit down again. Yet Leona's attention was on the elder, who is the chief's father.
"Can you tell me about the water Deity, Jii-san?" "You believe in those stories-" "It doesn't hurt to listen, sir."
The old man sighed, facing Leona's gaze who let out a light smile to urge him to tell the story.
"Truth is, the water deity was worshipped here before... We give offerings and it helped us in our water source... That is, until it asked something we cannot give." "What is it?"
Leona had a bad feeling, but she has to keep listening. It is still daytime so they have a lot of time before she can watch or go search the demon through her heightened senses.
"It asked us to give every young ladies we have... As sacrifice."
Leona remained calm, yet inside, she already confirmed that it could be that said water Deity. She needs to find that demon as soon as possible.

"I was still reaching adulthood when we turned down the water deity and it left, our water getting less and less than before... I thought it could've left us alone, until young ladies started to go missing. But no one believes us."
The old man's hands were shaking, and Leona can smell the fear on his very being, at the same time guilt. Leona smiled, bowing her head.
"I will help, i will find the culprit. Please stop blaming yourself."

Taisho Secrets 🤫
•Everyone is thinking that Leona will be the target surely because of her beauty