Will Always Be There

Ch. IX

"Watch it!" (Y/n) yelled as she and Dororo dodged the giant demon's claws. "Hyakkimaru! Now!"

Their companion ran out of the trees and unsheathed both his blades. He jumped up and slashed at the demon as it jumped, making it gash out blood from its neck.

"You done?" Dororo asked

"Got it" (y/n) said lightly

"You okay?" (Y/n) looked at Hyakkimaru as Dororo questioned him and noticed that he was covered in demon blood all over. "Oh jeez" Dororo groaned

"Hyakkimaru, you're covered in blood" (y/n) said

Hyakkimaru looked at his blade and arms at what she said. She sighed and started pushing him in the direction they were heading. After walking for a bit, they found a river. (Y/n) got to work

"Good. Hyakkimaru give me your clothes, I'll wash 'em" (y/n) said and then looked at her sister, "you go look for some fish so we can eat when I'm done"

"Yes ma'am!" Dororo said and moved upstream.

Hyakkimaru gave (y/n) his robe. She took it and then pushed him lightly into the river, "wash off some of that blood before the smell sticks to you" she ordered as she bent down and started working on getting the blood out of the cloth.

After a couple minutes, Dororo came back in at happy mood, "That merchant says that the land is really rich up ahead" Dororo called out, "the people eat all the white rice they want even in these times. Amazing, huh?"

(Y/n) glanced at her, "hm, I don't know" she said, still working, "a land so rich while the others are suffering? It doesn't sit right with me"

"Let's go there next. We'll make loads of money and stuff ourselves silly. You won't have to worry too much then one-chan!" Dororo said happily as she caught the fish, "whole sea breams, dried abalones, manju steamed buns..." she listed

"Manju?" (Y/n) noticed Hyakkimaru's curiosity immediately

"They're soft, sweet and so delicious. You'll love them. Just you wait!"

(Y/n) sighed as she wringed Hyakkimaru's robe and glance up at him. Before she could blush at the man in front of her, she noticed the amulet pouch he still had on. "Hey, Hyakkimaru, that amulet you have, there's a family seal on it" she said, "do you know whose seal it is?"

Hyakkimaru grabbed his amulet and looked at it in thought

"Can't see~" Dororo reminded smugly

(Y/n)'s eyes widened and silently gasped, "I'm sorry"

"It's fine" Hyakkimaru said silently as he finished cleaning up his prosthetics.

"One-chan! Look! There's even more fish here!" Dororo cheered when she came up to them with 10 fishes. "I would've kept going but I think this is enough"

"Yeah that's fine, let's start the fire"

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"So good!" Dororo yelled in satisfaction, "there's one more, who will get it?" She asked jokingly

(Y/n) was about to grab it, to give it to one of the two, when Hyakkimaru grabbed it and gave it to her. "One of you should get it" she said

Hyakkimaru shook his head and nudge it closer to her, "eat"

"But-"

"One-chan just eat it" Dororo said, "you always make sure we eat more portions, now it's your turn. And with the land up ahead you probably won't need to worry about that anymore"

(Y/n) smiled at them and, gladly, took the fish.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, the three were up early thanks to Dororo. Apparently, she had woken up alone to go look for food and had heard rumors of a town up ahead that had a monster problem.