Sake, wisteria and blood

Silence all around.

Penetrate into the heart of the rocks

Voices of cicadas.

BASHO (1644-1694)

      Ei felt the warm rays of the sun touching her face. How gently the light caresses the icy skin, and then bites into it with unexpectedly sharp fangs. A hellish pain pierced her, forcing her to jump out of bed at that hour? The girl found the curtains in front of her and closed them with a wide gesture, jumping up from the mattress and hissing painfully. Then she turned around and saw that there was a small room around her, which, no matter how hard she tried, she did not recognize. Bright walls, unusual paintings on them, and in some places ancient poems-haiku are engraved on the canvases. In the middle of the room is a low mattress that served as a bed, on which the girl woke up earlier. Beside him are small neat dressers and a large vase with a picture of a samurai. There are strange, dry and curved branches of sakura and chrysanthemum in it... Ei was wary. She didn't remember how she got here at all. The only thing she still saw before her eyes were big, warm human hands pressing her to someone else's broad chest with a wildly beating living heart... Regenerating the hand burned due to the rays of the sun, the girl pressed herself against the cool wall. Where was she? What is this room and where is Zhongli? Questions kept popping up in her head as she walked around the room and looked at the unsightly decor. Suddenly, with an awkward movement of the breeze in the room, horror hit her with a murderous wave, so unexpectedly that she choked on warm air. Abruptly, she felt pain in her body. Hellish, unbearable heat, melting a heavy head. At first, the girl awkwardly looked down, not realizing what was happening, but then the pain hit her in the stomach again. She grabbed her hair, squeezed it hard and pulled it back. Her whole body was shackled by iron bars, digging invisible, but terribly hot spikes into her body. A painful groan escaped from the burnt throat and Ei fell to her knees like a heavy bag. – Beelzebub, - thundered a voice in his head, echoing throughout his broken body. Her whole being was suddenly squeezed so hard that she had time to think feverishly that she was about to explode. The girl screamed, bloody tears poured from her red-hot eyes. Blood gushed from her throat. The terrible pain was so unbearable that she looked down and Ei only felt her ribs breaking inside and her ear membranes were about to burst... But just as suddenly, the pain receded. Like an autumn wind that has passed between the August forests, disappearing for a while. Horror was still bubbling lava in the blood, ripping open the veins. The aftertaste of the unexpected attack from the inside was still pouring and dripping from teeth and eyes, with burst capillaries, blood. Beelzebub was breathing heavily, her eyes wide open. To run. Run, we need to run from here! Everything inside her screamed, vomited and burned, threatening to tear apart the entire female interior. Beelzebub hit the floor with her hands, grabbing the boards with sharp claws. Fear gripped her entire being, heavy and sharp, breaking her already broken bones. It was Him. He, whose name is forbidden to be called. Master. He wanted to kill her. Had He given her one last chance? Or... Couldn't destroy it? Beelzebub sobbed hysterically and grabbed him by the shoulders, wiping the blood from her face with sharp movements with the edge of her light shirt. Fear for life, for death, fear of the owner, fear... The master wanted to kill her. For what? For getting so close to a person? But why now? Questions rained down on her furiously, but the demon was not able to give answers to them. How tired she was of being afraid...

***

      There was a knock on the door. Ei said nothing. It had only been a few hours since the demon king had almost killed her. Beelzebub was still sitting there and could not help but think about nothing but horror, fear and unbearable pain. – Hey, am I coming in? - a deep voice rang out from behind the wall. The girl was wary, but could not say a word. The feeling that she had been turned inside out, exposing burned organs instead of pale skin, did not leave her. The throat was torn into blood. With all her might, she tried to regain her breath in order to regenerate, but because of who these poisonous blows belonged to, it was very difficult to do so. The man carefully pushed back the wall and went inside. The smell of wisteria and ... What's it? Meat? In Zhongli's hands was a large, silver tray. On it were neatly arranged pieces of sliced meat, corned beef, next to them a large cup of egg udon and a mug of hot tea. It smelled of osmanthus and mint... The man silently approached her and sat down next to her. Ei didn't react in any way, staring at the floor. She felt like dirt. The fighter gently touched her hand, but felt how wildly the girl shuddered. After waiting and putting the tray aside, he ran his fingertips over her cheekbone, raising her head to his level. – I know how much you're hurting, - his voice sounded anxious. - Muzan does not forgive traitors. Ei suddenly jumped up from her seat and forcefully squeezed his mouth with her hand, staring wildly into his eyes. The veins on her face swelled, and she herself, like a hidden anaconda, tensed, unable to restrain claws and fangs in place of human nails and teeth. – Don't say... the name... - her voice no longer sounded like a woman's. Every word was uttered with hellish pain and an inhuman, wild hiss. Ei turned away and coughed. She was vomiting blood. Pity... Pity how tired she was of it! – Stop it! - she wheezed, backhand rubbing the blood from her mouth down her cheek. - to be like that. Stop... Zhongli was silent. I just stared at her, watching her writhe in pain. He couldn't do anything. The demon coughed and suddenly smiled madly. – You got it... He knew everything... I saw everything... When? – From our first meeting, I recognized you, the demon of the 6th Upper Moon Beelzebub, - his voice expressed nothing. The girl suddenly laughed without stopping coughing. As if in a fit, she pulled at her disheveled hair, bloody tears poured down her cheeks, mixed with salt. She, pathetic and weak, is lying in a human building, and some unknown person is holding her hand! How could she have fallen to this? How could she? – Who are you..? - the girl looked at him directly, and her look expressed despair. – I have many names, - the man looked at her still calmly, with some kind of understanding, but there was no disappointment in his gaze. - one of them is Morax. Beelzebub laughed, almost physically feeling a wave of horror envelop her body. – The oldest traitor is a demon and Tamayo's accomplice... - she said, pushing back her hair with two palms and looking straight into someone else's eyes. - the most dangerous enemy of demons. Morax... That name suits you better... Zhongli was still silent. Beelzebub stubbornly took his warm hand, squeezing it between icy palms. They sat there for a long time in silence, until the demoness finally came to her senses, calming her excited and crippled being. The girl took a deep breath and got up from her seat. Zhongli readily stood behind her, leaning on the nightstand. – I... I need to... Come to my senses, - Ei whispered. - Of course. Take a bath and eat a little, you need to recover... Come down later. We'll talk, - Zhongli, no, now he's a Morax, left the lonely room. Ei shrank and grabbed her shoulders. Zhongli... Her sweet Zhongli... She fell in love with her little man... But now... Too much information. Like a dead shadow, the girl pushed aside the bamboo wall and found herself in the bathroom. It's strange that she's here, on the second floor... But it was still an incredible piece of luck that Beelzebub was simply unable to think about. She furiously tore off her clothes and plunged into the cool water in a wooden barrel, dreaming of washing away the shame.

***

      Beelzebub didn't touch the food. Hastily putting on a dirty kimono and letting down her long, not completely dried purple hair, she left her room. She walked down the stairs to the first floor and raised her eyebrows in surprise. Zhongli, that is, Morax moved her to the hotel. A small, cozy building, similar to a "Spring Grove", was slowly covered by the evening shadow, covering all corners with its tentacles. Everywhere was quiet and empty, only if you listened you could distinguish someone's quiet whispering and snoring. The girl came out of a small building, immediately slipping behind the shadow of a tall, green tree. Looking around the place around her, she saw a dark and far-stretching grove. Giant, crooked and hooked branches of Japanese oaks perfectly hid from the poisonous sun. Where is Morax? Beelzebub opened her mouth and sucked in air, focusing on the scents around her. Immediately the smell of wisteria hit her nose, and the girl coughed irritably. Twisting her pale face in disgust, she followed the barely audible trail of the ancient demon deep into the moist, dark forest. The man was sleeping peacefully under one of the oaks, with his head thrown back and a nichireen blade in his hands. Ei exhaled and moved towards him, sitting down next to him. He is such a... Honey, when he sleeps... He doesn't even look like an ancient, omnipotent being at all. Beelzebub looked hopefully at his sturdy silhouette, hoping with all her being that his confession was just her seizure dream... – You came, - Beelzebub shuddered when a hoarse male voice rang out, - Ei. The girl said nothing and sat down closer to the oak tree, leaning against it with her back and clasping her knees with her hands. –Morax, - the demon whispered softly, closing her eyes. The name echoed with some kind of cutting, unusual pain. - so that's what you are. The traitor Demon, the Demon of the Sun, the First of the Upper Moons of the past... The man was silent. Then, looking directly at the setting sun, he spoke slowly, stretching the moment: – That's what they call me now. So many years have passed since I was called a demon... The girl snorted. – You're still a demon. There's no getting rid of it, - Morax said nothing. - But one thing worries me. How did you hide from the Master? How are you standing under the Sun and clutching a fighter blade in your hands? How did you smell so much wisteria? Zhongli smiled sadly, closing his eyes. – How many questions for one evening... But I will answer. I was turned at the same time as another traitor demoness... Together we were able to change our bodies so as to hide from Muzan and get rid of the curse of demons. Then I was able to find blue spider lilies and invented a decoction of their flowers thanks to the help of my friends from the past... We're free now. Tamayo-sama disappeared, and I stayed to rid this world of Muzan's henchmen in a tougher way," he laid out, thinking over every word. It was all said by a madman. Desperate, insanely brave and crazy... Beelzebub suddenly smiled rapaciously. – The master wanted to kill me... I realized that I'm with you... But if I turn you over to him, he'll give me new blood... I will become stronger and rise in rank. I will be honored and will help the Owner to exterminate all people... Morax smiled and looked directly at the girl. Something in her twitched painfully when his large, honey-amber eyes looked at her. Now she realized why she was so afraid and trembled at the sight of him... – In your will to do whatever you want, - even now he looked at her with tenderness, even when she threatened to betray him... Beelzebub fell silent. She looked at him again, glanced first at his legs, body, then at his long, brown hair and tired, but beautiful and native face... He was still her little man. Her little fighter, drinking sake and telling stories about oni, legends about ancient Youkai and great battles... –Zhongli, – the painful name escaped her lips. - I can't... I can't, Zhongli... Warm arms wrapped around her knees, pulled her to him. The demon obeyed, buckled under someone else's power, suddenly becoming so weak and unhappy... How tired she was of being alone... – I don't want any more... I'm so confused, - the girl covered her face with her palm, laughing sadly. - I don't know what's right anymore after I fell in love with you, Morax... Everything was spinning around like a spinning top. Her little man is an ancient demon who exterminates his former comrades. She herself should have been killed by her Master as a traitor. Traitor... This word tastes sour, like rotten flesh. Now demons and humans will not be happy with her... Who is she now? The demon Beelzebub is the sixth highest Moon, a traitor who will surely soon be punished by the Lord, or is Ei a human young girl madly in love with an ancient traitor demon who conquered the sun and wisteria? The girl rested her head on Zhongli's broad shoulder, looking up into the blue, starry sky. He held her hip with his hand, pressing her to him and gently kissing her on the top of her head. – The master tried to kill me... But I couldn't, - she whispered softly, raising her violet eyes to the man. - how did you do that? Morax was not a bit surprised by the girl's shrewdness. Then his gaze slowly turned sad, shadowing his bright eyes, and he turned away. – Every time we met at the bar, - the man slid his hand over her body and rose to her hair, gently stroking them with his fingers. - I mixed a decoction of spider lilies in sake. Thanks to them, the curse of Kibutsuji began to weaken and eventually Muzan could no longer read your thoughts... It's my fault he tried to kill you... His hands clenched into a fist and he tensed. Ei noticed the regret in his eyes. Her body also froze, trying to comprehend what was said... Betrayal... – But now you have to choose. You can stop drinking the decoction and return to the side of the demons by reporting me, or stop taking it and stand up against the demons. I swear that if you choose the first option, I will not resist. He paused. Ei, too, then lowered her gaze. – You started giving me this stuff against my will... The demoness clenched her fists. - why should I choose your side if you betrayed me? Morax shook his head. – On the third night, when you had too much sake, - a soft baritone voice rang out, - you told me about your sister. That she died when a hunter accidentally shot her. That she hated and feared demons, and you swore to take revenge on people after her death by becoming one of them. That this is your last memory after the conversion and you regret that you betrayed her. The girl's eyes widened in fright. A wave of fear swept over the pale skin, making it so white that even fresh rice would be darker. – You're confused. She became a loner shutting herself off from everyone. That day I realized that you had locked yourself in other people's opinions. That you can't decide who you are, that you can't choose, that you're deeply unhappy, crushed by other people's thoughts... I realized that most of all you need understanding and freedom. Freedom... Something pale, bright, but burning, like the light of the sun, her sinful insides. It smells of wisteria, sake and honey... It smells like Zhongli. – I'm sorry I didn't discuss this with you earlier... I only gave you a choice, Beelzebub... – Ei. Morax looked at the girl in surprise. She confidently clenched her fists and looked straight into his eyes. - From now on, call me Ei, - she repeated, and her eyes sparkled. Zhongli couldn't help but smile pathetically. The girl got closer and hugged him by the body, pressing her head against his chest. Then she rose higher, demanding, and gently touched his nose with her lips. Morax looked down in surprise, and Ei laughed softly, kissing his thin, warm, native lips with tenderness. I don't care about anything. Demons, ranks, people and revenge. All this is so papery and inconsequential, like dust under thin legs. She had been on all these sides, but they meant nothing to her now. Ei realized that there was only one way for her, and that was the way with him. Her Zhongli and the traitor Morax... He was right as never before. He was always right. She always dreamed of freedom. And freedom was only with him...

***

      Sword training. That's what Ei was doing with special gusto, plunging headlong into the clang of metal blades striking each other. The katana in the palms seemed to come to life, and driven by impulses of pure current, it cut the air and thoughts itself, emptying the cold head and calling for action. Step to the left and the blade touches the blade to someone else's shoulder, mercilessly cutting the white haori. Blood gushed from the fresh wound, pouring out with sharp pain and staining the pale hand. The demon jumped back, maneuvering, ran closer, trying to knock the blade out of the opponent's hands. – Don't give in, fight with all your might! - a man's voice gave out before its owner walked a weapon on a woman's thigh. Ei jumped back, took a step to the left and attacked again. Everything in the demonic blood came to life, it suddenly became so fast that the demon could not even follow her movements. Only quick commands flashed in my head, there was no time to think. The girl felt the spear in her hands, made the usual lunges, but remembered at the wrong time that the blade in her hand was much shorter than the usual weapon. Zhongli was always behind her back and hit her with his wooden katana right in the back. Ei screamed with rage, turned around and let out a thunder of lightning from the blade, but none of them hit the ancient demon. The single wound on his shoulder froze his mind. The blood, so warm and exciting, Beckoned to him, he wanted more and more. In battle, this helped the girl to sense the enemy, stumble upon his bright eyes and maneuver from the wave of advancing blades. Self-hatred seized the trained body of the girl, forcing her to work to the fullest. Down. To the right. To the left. Down.       Demonic blood technique. 4 kata: Charging blood. Morax managed to jump away from a ringing lightning strike, but it grazed his other shoulder. Deliberately not regenerating it, he rushed into battle again and again, brusquely throwing other people's ringing blows aside, remaining unharmed. Ei growled wildly, unleashing almost all the techniques of her blood into battle. The more lightning bolts she fired, the more they were thrown back into her body, tearing her back and neck. But no matter how hard she tried, Zhong Li was always behind her back. The feeling that he was anticipating her actions did not go away.       Demonic blood technique. 11 kata: Cutting the sky. The blade in the girl's hand was about to bite into someone else's neck, but it fell from her tightly clenched palms and bounced off Zhongli... Ei did not immediately realize that along with the blade, her hand, tightly clutching the weapon, also fell to the ground. Frozen at first, she growled furiously, preparing to summon a thunder spear from her body. A sudden touch on the shoulder behind his back spread a reasonable chill through his body. – It was incredible, Ei, - Zhongli nodded. His body was almost not tired, and this infuriated the demoness even more. - you could have killed me if I hadn't reacted in time. – Are you laughing? - Ei exhaled and moved away from the battlefield, settling down in a cool place. - It was pathetic. You didn't even use the blood technique. If I had known that you would be so strong, I would have preferred to fight with my spear. Zhongli sat down next to him, slowly regenerating his shoulders. Ei was surprised to notice that his recovery was indeed at her level, despite the fact that his strength exceeded hers by several dozen times. They were sitting in a large clearing surrounded on all sides by a dark oak forest. The dark ocean of night was splashing in the sky, strewn with small fish-stars that were rushing on the light waves of distant constellations. A light, fresh breeze smelled of tree leaves, fresh grass and brackish blood splattered all over the clearing. – You didn't even hit me properly! Don't you dare give in to me! Morax looked away at the shimmering blue haze of the sky. – I'm a thousand years old, Ei, it's no wonder that I was able to defeat you in battle, almost without making an effort, - the girl choked on air, but fell silent, hardly acknowledging someone else's rightness. - but that doesn't mean you won't be able to reach a level close to mine. Your progress compared to our first training session is quite noticeable. Ei exhaled, landing her head on someone else's shoulder. They started training on blades starting from the very day when both of them confessed everything to each other. For a month they have been holding weapons in their hands, preparing for the upcoming battles. It had been so long since Ei had tasted human flesh... However, by the dictates of fate, the demoness did not remain hungry. Fortunately and surprisingly, Zhongli had several acquaintances who stole a couple of bags of donated blood for him for a decent fee... – Where do you get so much money from? - the girl asked in surprise then, clutching a black bag in which bags of delicious blood collided with each other. – Not "from where", but "how". Look, - the man bent down and picked up a small stone from the ground. Then he squeezed it in his fist and suddenly opened it, revealing to the girl a view of several small, shiny coins-sen. His demonic blood magic was quite... Unusual. Ei looked down in bewilderment, and then laughed mockingly. – And it's not a shame to deceive people? Zhongly looked at her with a kind of childish naivety and the girl could not help smiling. – I do not deceive people, this money is quite possible to use... Yes, and I often take orders for demons, for which I get paid, it's just that lately I've rarely been able to find customers... - Morax looked away and blushed shamefacedly. Ei then kissed him with a tenderness not inherent in her, pushing aside the stone hay and tightly clutching the package in her hands... Right now, resentment against herself for her weakness and fierce hatred for her were crowding in her chest. But Morax was always right... It is necessary to keep the mind in cold sobriety, otherwise thoughts will inflame so that they can burn other sensations besides endless anger. – I'm ready to train forever, but I'll get results, - she nodded. - as the world repeats its cycle in rings, so I will achieve my goal as a result of all my efforts. Morax looked in surprise at the girl, burning with the desire for victory, and a smile formed on his face by itself. – Your politics of eternity amazes me, - he said, stroking her disheveled hair with his palm. - you need to be wise enough to follow this path. – This is not my policy, - Ei said it with some barely noticeable mute longing. - my sister, Makoto, guided me on this path. I probably told you about the remaining memories in my past life about her. Zhongli remained silent for a while, reflecting on what he had heard and, fingering someone else's curls, replied: – She was a wise girl. - Yes. After your drug, I'm starting to remember more and more what happened in my past. And these... Memories.. They hurt me. The girl swallowed, feeling a reassuring pat on the top of her head. She suddenly realized that she could trust this... That's all for the demon. – She hated demons, and told me that they contradict the law of Eternity. She was kind and gentle, told me some fairy tales about King Oni and about the good samurai... I remembered that she once saved me from one of the demons as a child when I got lost in the woods after midnight. I had only her, and she had only me. And we loved each other... Hah, how long ago it was... And then she was accidentally shot by a hunter when we were picking berries in the forest. She died... In front of my eyes. From human hands. Then Master came and... That's the last thing I remember... Ei fell silent, succumbing to the caresses of someone else's rough hands. A fog of regret and despair enveloped her mind, cooling her head filled with anger. Everything around her became indifferent to her, as if she was worshipping the Lord again, closing her eyes and feeling an itch in her split veins. But Zhongli was still with her now. Listened to her. Still an unusual picture... The demoness had really been working alone for too long. – Lie down. The girl looked at Morax in surprise. – What? – My sister loved it when I lay down on her lap. Then she was weaving braids out of my hair, - Zhong Li somehow awkwardly shrugged his shoulders. - it will make you feel better. I was always getting better... Ei couldn't help but giggle, but obediently moved down, turning her back on the warm grass. Then she lay down on Zhongli's lap, feeling with what confidence he stroked her tired head and at first timidly touched her individual long curls. – So you had a sister too? - the girl asked after a short silence. – Yes, I was. Not by blood, but by soul we were close. She set me on the path of harmony. She was supposed to be one of the first demons, but she couldn't stand the demonic blood, and... She died before my eyes at the hands of Mudzan. I was powerless to do anything when the demon gave me his blood. - he said. - Guizhong was much smarter than me... Ei looked sadly into the demon's eyes, grabbing Morax's hand in hers. – And why were our sisters much wiser than us, but no one survived? Zhongli somehow sadly pulled the tips of his lips, looking away. The girl awkwardly turned her head back. Well, it's necessary to blurt out such nonsense... – Yes, life is never fair, - he shook his head. - I wouldn't hesitate to die for her. Ei touched his knee with her fingertips as a sign of sympathy, and then his chin lifted up. Zhongli obediently lowered his gaze. His amber eyes shone with such unusual sadness that the demoness could not even move. She never wanted to see him like this... But Morax is not always a calm and wise doll. He feels and feels, so the girl has always treated with special trepidation the change of mood of the always cold fighter... – Why do you trust me so much? - he said it in a particularly touching way. –I... I think, - Ei sighed, allowing herself to lie in silence for a couple of seconds. - I think I've really fallen in love with you, Zhongli. And I want to show you myself so that you understand what I really am. And I... I'm glad you trust me too. Zhongli froze and Ei was ready to swear that she heard the hysterical beating of thoughts on his head. Fear gripped her body. Stupid, he can refuse, kill you on the spot, just by lightly squeezing his palms! But is this really possible..? So that this demon, who has become so close to her, suddenly left her all alone to lie under heavy clouds and feel the disturbing wind eating into her heavy body in a moment. – I also fell in love with you, Ei, - his baritone, like honey, slipped between thoughts, filling all the pits of doubt and fear with calmness. - but for me, this emotion is like this... –Unusual, - the demons said in unison and simultaneously looked away. – But I will do everything to make you happy with me, - Zhongli ran his palm over the girl's cheekbone, turning her gaze to him. –Me too, - she smiled sincerely. For the first time, she felt such lightness, comparable only to a soaring sakura leaf on a fresh stream of wind. Warmth seeped through the thin, pale skin, irritating the thin veins with heat and gratitude. But at the same time, fear entered her heart, suddenly shackling her thin hands. She was really afraid of losing him, her only happiness... And, turning her gaze to the man, she realized that he felt the same way. His strong hands were touching her head and she suddenly realized how vulnerable he was now in front of her. How trustfully he stretched out his fingers to her, touched her purple curls, as if begging to stay in this place a little longer. Ei was ready to stay with him for the rest of her life. The wind began to blow harder, burning warm bodies with icy cold, and large drops began to fall down from the heavy, hanging clouds like bags. Freshness and coolness filled the clearing. Zhongli, guided by the currents of air, rose from the ground, extending his hand to the girl. – I don't want to get caught in a downpour, - he said when the demoness accepted his help and picked up the blade from the ground. Ei nodded, and taking the man by the arm, buried her nose in his warm neck. Ignoring the heavy drops, they walked back to the human buildings in order to hide from the poisonous rain.