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The wind danced through the trees, composing a song with the leaves. Adding to that, birds were singing in the background, and on top of it all, there was the sound of rock scratching against demon bone. Among all the sounds that she had ever heard, this was her favorite one.
There was also the smell, burned and husky. Bone chipping until the edges were as sharp as a knife. Honning her weapon was more than a necessity for Sango; it was a hobby. So at least once a week, she took her boomerang to the shop and worked on improving all aspects of the equipment. Fast, sharp, and lethal.
“I knew I was going to find you here!” She could hear the smile in her dad’s voice from behind her. He was the chief of her village and the leader of the demon slayers clan. He had taught her everything she knew about fighting, leadership, and family. She looked up at him. He was also the one who gave her the two most important things in the world, her boomerang bone and her best friend Kirara.
“Were you looking for me?” She asked, still fixated on the work.
“I was indeed. I have a mission for you.” It wasn’t uncommon for Sango to go away from her home to help other villages. When it came to humans, her clan was the strongest against demons, and they also took their vocation very seriously. “We just received a message from a village that needs our help. A snake demon is harassing them. It sounded urgent, but not too hard a task. It would take us three days on foot, but I believe you and Kirara could make it in less than a day flying.”
“Yeah, I’m sure we could.” She put away the tools she’d been using. It would be easy for her to spend all day working there, but if her father wanted her to go, it was time to pack. Most of the time, they travelled in groups, but Sango was experienced enough to take on solo excursions.
“Great, you should leave as soon as possible.” The sun wasn’t all the way up in the sky yet, which meant it was before noon. She changed into her battle clothes, a black tight suit with pink details, and put her hair in a high ponytail. Kirara was smart and understood the assignment. She drank some water and stretched around, getting ready for a long day of flying.
They left in less than an hour after her father found her at the shop. Sango was fast, intelligent, and strong. She was the perfect warrior and the perfect daughter. Her little brother Kohaku looked up to her, and everyone in the village felt fortunate to have her around. The trip was easy, the sun was warm, but there was a breeze to help. Flying with Kirara was another one of Sango's favorite pastimes. They had an amazing connection, and they’ve been together their entire lives.
Several hours later, Sango landed at the village she was designated to help.
“Oh, Slayer, you came…” The village chief came running when he was alerted about the new visitor. His face showed disappointment, regret, and a bit of embarrassment. Sango’s senses prickled; something was up. He didn’t seem happy to see her, but he was the one who requested a slayer’s help.
“Hi, how’s everything around here?” She asked, analysing her surroundings.
“Yes, about that, I apologize, I sent a new message, but I guess it didn’t arrive in time.” He looked down, not brave enough to face her.
“What did your new message say?” She asked, fighting the annoyance his hesitation was causing her.
“The thing is… We don’t need your services anymore; someone else already came, and he is going to take care of our demon problem. I rushed to send a messenger, but you were faster.” No matter how fast his messenger was, he would never get there by land faster than Sango flying on Kirara.
“Oh, I see, so the problem’s got taken care of,” She recalculated. She didn’t care about the miscommunication; all that mattered was that they were okay. Although it would be too much to make Kirara fly all the way back on the same day, they would need to at least spend the night.
“Not yet, but it will be, he guaranteed.”
“Who is this person, if I may ask?” Sango was curious, “And why is the demon still not taken care of?” It was a low demon for what she heard, nothing major.
“A monk. He showed up yesterday and promised to help us. The only small problem, he explained, is that his power comes back every five days, and he used it all up helping another village two days ago, so he will have to spend his time here until it recharges. But it is okay, because once he stepped into the village, the demons disappeared in fear.”
“And where is this monk now?” Sango asked, finding the whole thing a bit suspicious, maybe they couldn’t tell because they were just regular people, but there was still plenty of demonic energy around, plus she had never heard about spiritual powers needing time to recharge.
“He’s staying in my home, but he’s spending most of his time at the cathouse, if you know what I mean. I guess it’s a strong spiritual place, according to him.” The man wasn’t sure, but he seemed to believe enough to buy into all that bullshit. Sango’s face burned. This Monk was clearly a con artist, spending time at a brothel of all places.
“I’m staying here until I’m sure everything’s got taken care of. Can you please arrange a room so my companion can rest?” She pointed at Kirara, sitting on her shoulder. “I would like to meet this monk!”
The chief took her to his home, which was a big enough house with plenty of empty rooms. Sango put Kirara to sleep and set down her boomerang bone. There was no danger in sight, just a weird vibe. She didn’t change, though, still in her slayer garments, she followed the chief towards the brothel. He didn’t go in, but that was as far as she needed his company.
The local brothel was more of a bar, a small establishment for a small village. Several tables full of drunk men and dancing women were spread out. Most of the men there were old, ugly, and loud, but all the way in the corner, surrounded by way more women than necessary, was a handsome young monk. He smiled confidently, enjoying the attention and the food, like an emperor.
Sango marched to his table and slammed her hand down on the wood when she reached him. Most of the women left, scurrying around, scared by the loud sound and the angry face she was making. The monk looked up, crossed at first, but his face opened in a grin when he saw her figure.
“Hello,” He said with a honeyed voice.
“How dare you?” She questioned, fire in her eyes.
“I’m sorry, have we met?” He asked, honestly confused, in his lifetime, he had talked to way more women than it was humanly possible to remember, and sometimes they would get attached to him deeper than the way he intended. It wasn’t completely their fault, as he would make his fair share of empty promises, with the certainty of never going back to fulfill them.
The curious thing was, he didn’t remember passing by this village before, and he was sure that if he had seen this woman in the past, he would remember her beautiful face for the rest of his life.
“No, we haven’t met,” She sighed, baffled by his nonchalance.
“I’m Miroku, and you are?” He wanted to know, her clothes were different, a tight suit, marking every curve of her toned body. On top of her looks and clothes, her attitude was on point; she walked in like she owned the place, but he could tell no one there knew who she was based on their faces. She was the most interesting thing that had happened to him in a long time, maybe ever.
The workers in the brothel were starting to peek and whisper; they didn’t seem happy about the invasion and the turmoil.
“I’m not here to exchange pleasantries; let’s talk outside.” She looked around, also noticing they were in the spotlight.
“Anything you want,” He smiled, enjoying being bossed around. Sango rolled her eyes. “What’s the problem?” He asked once they reached the outside, it was early evening, and the crickets were starting to come out.
“How dare you come here and stall protecting this village when they need your help? Saying you need five days to recharge? I can smell your bullshit.”
“You’re correct, I am stalling, but you’re also wrong.” He didn’t seem bothered at all by her accusations. “There’s no need to be scared, young maiden, I already took care of the demon.” He wasn’t intentionally patronizing, but it bothered her all the same. “No one is in danger anymore. I just needed a place to stay, you see?” Sango opened and closed her mouth. “I’m guilty of lying, but I did my part.” She really didn’t know what to say.
“What if you’re lying about that, too?” It wasn’t her smartest remark. He only shrugged. “If you just needed a place to stay, why are you spending your time going after women?” Yeah, that will get to him. She thought to herself confidently, although her choice of words was rather lame.
“I wouldn’t take you for the judgmental type, especially dressed like that.” He looked her up and down, a smirk crossing his entire face. Sango brushed violently, his grin grew wider. There’s nothing wrong with her choice of garments; they were perfect for battle, but most women around didn’t wear such revealing clothing.
“I’m staying the night, and I don’t buy into your little story. I’ll be keeping an eye on you.” She threatened him.
“Not if I keep an eye on you first,” He was dying to see her flushed face after that, but in an attempt to keep his act, he turned his back on her. Sango wasn’t the type of woman people would easily turn their back on, either because of her elusive beauty or her deadly skills. She watched Miroku walk back into the brothel, feeling a rush of adrenaline, and marched back to the chief’s house.
Sango didn’t sleep, sitting outside her guest room, she waited up for the lecherous Monk to come back. The chief's house was big, and her room was one of the many on a long hallway facing the inner courtyard. It was a pleasant night, weather-wise, without the baking sun; the breeze was even more present. Kirara was still sleeping; flying could be hard on her, but the Nekomata wasn’t resting out of necessity, but rather because of her lazy cat personality.
The slayer sighed out of boredom, even though everything else coming out of the Monk’s mouth was a lie; she believed he was saying the truth when he said he vanquished the demon, but still, something was nagging her. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but she could feel it, undeniable demon energy all around.
A loud laugh, followed by people stumbling, came from the front door. Sango stood up. Everyone else was already asleep, which made their steps even more noticeable. They sounded happy, maybe drunk. It was a man’s voice, but the laugh was definitely feminine. The fucking Monk was bringing a woman to the chief’s home to spend the night. How disrespectful could this man be? She grunted in frustration as they turned the corner. Sango’s face was the same color as the last time Miroku saw her, then because of shame, and now because of anger.
“Were you waiting for me, slayer?” Miroku asked when he saw her. He looked as confident as ever, carrying a woman in his arms. “Unfortunately, I already have company.” He said, and the woman laughed again, there was something uncanny about the way her face moved. Sango wanted to tell him just how impolite he was acting, but she refrained, not waiting to be called judgmental once again. They walked past her, his room being the one very next to hers. She rolled her eyes, wondering if she would be able to hear them all night. “Don’t be jealous, I can be all yours after.” The same eyes were now as wide as possible. The Monk chuckled, sliding his door closed.
Sango was fuming; no one had ever talked to her that way. She was the chief’s daughter. Back home, she was treated with respect, and whenever they were on the road on a mission, people were mostly courteous with visitors who came to help their people. His tone wasn’t the only part that shocked Sango; the implications of his words were obscene. She wasn’t a prude, but the monk just didn’t care about anything or anyone.
From inside the room, loud noises came from furniture being tossed around. Sango’s face burned with embarrassment. She should go inside, but she couldn’t stop listening. There was a big thump and a scream. Her mouth was agape, imagining all kinds of things that could provoke this amount of noise.
She didn’t have much longer to wonder, because in an instant, the door slid open brutally revealing a full-dressed Monk holding by the “neck” a small snake yokai.
“Care for a little help?” He asked, panting. Sango snapped out of it, running for her boomerang bone that was resting against the wall by her room’s door. The woman was never a woman, but a snake demon trying to trick the monk; he must’ve been very disappointed when he found out. Sango swung her weapon above her head and, with mastery, threw it in their direction. Miroku screamed, thinking he was getting hit, but the boomerang trailed a perfect path, hitting only the demon, right in the middle of its body, before flying back to her. The demon was small and weak, and that was enough to make it vanish into the air.
Miroku sighed, relieved. He was sweating, with hair all over the place, giving him a wild look. He started nodding with his head and then just burst out laughing.
“That was awesome!” He said, catching his breath. Sango ended up laughing too. She was so tense about the whole thing that she completely missed the demon at first. In hindsight, it was pretty obvious that there was something off about her the entire time.
“Thanks, that one was a tricky one, I see why you would fall for that.” She said, feeling empathy since she also fell for the demon’s disguise.
“I lured her all the way here to show you I’m on your side.” He explained. “I tricked her.”
“So you were just pretending the entire time?” He nodded, so self-assured, it made her wish she had indeed hit him with the boomerang; it was the price she paid for being so good at her craft. “Well, it makes sense you’re such a good actor, since you’re such a big liar.” She pouted, feeling her pride hurt. “Speaking about lying, I thought you took care of the demon already. What was this about?”
“This is what I want to talk to you about. I did, I took care of one last night. But, besides this one, I found another today after we spoke, and the demonic energy of this place doesn’t go away. I’m afraid we can’t be sure of how many demons are still around. We should team up.” He offered. Sango bit the inside of her cheeks, conflicted. They had just made a pretty good team, but she wasn’t sure if she could trust him. If everything he was saying was true… He had done way more good for this village than she had.
“Okay, it makes sense,” She finally agreed. Miroku smiled back at her, catching her off guard. He could be sort of cute when he wasn’t acting like a jerk.
When Sango woke up, Miroku was already waiting for her, so she rushed out of bed. She wasn’t looking forward to spending all day with him; he made her feel weirdly warm at the oddest times, so the faster they could solve that mystery and move on, the better.
“Good morning sunshine,” He said, all giggly when she slid her room’s door open. Sango had bags under her eyes and a somber expression. Kirara came out of the room, in her small form, stretching in the hallway. “Oh, hi, little one!”
“Kirara, please transform,” Sango asked, and Kirara went full-size inside a ball of flames. Miroku's eyes widened, and Sango shot him a smirk. It made her feel in control to surprise him for a change, rather than always being the one blindsided.
“Oh, Monk, Slayer!” The village’s chief came to their encounter. “I hope you had a good night's sleep.” He looked at the two of them. Miroku was sparkly and charming, while Sango looked like she could use another two hours.
“We need to talk,” Miroku started. “I’ve been patiently waiting for my powers to recharge, but the forces around here are too strong; that’s why I asked the Slayer to stay and be my assistant,” He lied so easily it made her angry again. Wait, did he say assistant?” She realized that the Monk was watching her reaction; he did it on purpose, a tiny little grin on the corner of his mouth. “She was just so eager to learn from me.” He poked, watching her face turn into a scowl.
“Oh, you’re so honorable, Monk. We are blessed to have both of you helping our village. Please come over for dinner tonight, I would like to host as a way of thanking you,” He offered.
“We will be there, sir,” Miroku answered, walking away. Sango ran to catch up to him, Kirara following her. She felt torn; she wasn’t used to accepting little treats from the villages she attended to, her work wasn’t for personal gain, and she wouldn’t even take the credit. It was all in the name of her clan and her duty, but Miroku seemed to bend the rules all the time; it made her wonder if she was just too uptight. “What's with that face?” He noticed she was lost in thought.
“Well, shouldn’t we wait until we vanquish the demon to be celebrating with the village’s chief?” She asked, failing to hide the judgment in her voice.
“Who can vanquish anything with an empty stomach?” He shrugged. They were reaching the busy area of the village, with lively merchants all around the streets calling people to come and buy it. Kids ran freely. Sango wanted to protect that place; it reminded her of home.
They were an interesting duo walking around the village; everyone looked while they passed. Their clothes and demeanor didn’t fit in with the modesty of the place. Sango didn’t like all the attention, but Miroku thrived in the spotlight. He said hello to every young, beautiful woman who walked by, and they blushed at his engagement.
“You have no shame.” She judged yet once more; she was talking about his commentary, but his attitude served to prove her point even more. They were just taking a walk, like old friends.
“You might think I’m taking advantage of these people, or that I am a horrible person, but I simply learned to survive in a different way than you. No one is getting harmed, I’m doing my job. I wish I could say I don’t care about what you think of me, but the truth is, I do. So try to understand my side.”
“You do? Why?” Sango was curious and a little bit flustered by his confession.
“Because you’re strong and experienced.” And beautiful, he added mentally. “Because I can tell that you take this seriously and I want to learn from you, but for that to happen, I need you to be able to learn from me too.”
“Thank you,” Sango said, her voice smaller. Since last night, she’d been scrutinizing Miroku, not giving him the benefit of the doubt and finding out she was mistaken over and over again, while he was admiring her and wanting to learn from her; she had been unfair to him… Unless she was falling for his antics as well. “But I’m not your assistant.” She added.
Miroku laughed out loud, nodding with his head.
“I was messing with you. Can you consider taking me as your assistant?” He humbled himself. Sango could never guess his next move.
“We can be equal peers.” She suggested, not needing the title.
“Equal peers work perfectly for me.” He agreed. “I still don’t know your name, Slayer.”
“Sango,” She said, telling him her name was accepting a truce, agreeing to see his side and to learn from each other.
“Sango,” He repeated, and her name sounded like a dirty word in his mouth. She wouldn’t admit it, but she liked it. At that point, they reached the end of the main street. There were more houses in the distance, but not many people populated the side roads.
“Do you sense anything?” He asked, his face taking a serious countenance.
Honestly, Sango wasn’t paying attention. Maybe he was a bad influence after all; he was extremely distracting if anything. She stood still and tried to feel it. Her dad taught her how to identify demon energy. It was harder with that many people, but that was when it was the most important. Demons often took advantage of busy spots to conceal their identity. Slayers that were able to spot a demon in a crowd were at the top level of efficiency.
The air was heavy with humidity. Sango closed her eyes; she knew it was heavy with demon aura, but the real trick was figuring out the direction the said aura was coming from. The smell of the street food vendors was enough to divert her attention, so she focused; she felt like proving to the Monk that she was good at her job.
“There.” She pointed at a building not too far away. The demons were definitely there, and there was evil energy all over the place. When she opened her eyes, it was the brothel where Miroku had hung out yesterday. He smiled, he knew the answer all along, he knew the answer since the prior day. The satisfaction of watching her gears turn inside her head was printed all over his face. “You knew,” he nodded. “So you are not a leechrous Monk, you were investigating!”
“The two are not mutually exclusive.” He argued back, no matter how much Miroku wanted the Slayer’s approval, he wasn’t going to lie to get it. He thought his comment would shatter the small pride he heard in her voice, but she laughed; she thought he was funny. Miroku couldn’t help but join her.
They walked to the brothel together this time. The closer they got, the stronger the evil aura became, but they never arrived at their destination, because a woman opened the door and walked away, being followed by a man who didn’t seem in the best state of mind.
“Demon,” Sango whispered. The Monk agreed, feeling it too. They followed the demon and the man from a distance into a side street.
The demon used the form of an attractive small woman; she kept the man walking closely, hypnotized. Her steps were out of balance, as if she were a toddler and had just learned how to walk. She didn’t notice they were following, walking further and further away from the town toward a river that supplied their water. The Monk and the Slayer ducked into a bush to hide.
“They are going after gullible men, that’s how I got them yesterday.” He explained to Sango in a low voice, he had to speak very close to her ear, and it brought chills down her spine. The demon woman put her hand out for the man, who took it. “They are using some type of mind control, but it’s very weak; it never worked on me… Everything about these demons shows inexperience, but still they keep coming.”
The demon woman jumped into the water, taking the man with her. Her body morphed into a snake, and her grip on his hand became a tail, with which she squeezed him. He screamed, breaking out of his induced state. Sango jumped into action, leaving their hidden spot. The man’s screams were overtaken by wetness when he started to drown.
Sango threw her boomerang bone, which flew by the snake demon and the man before hitting a tree and bouncing back, coming from behind, attacking the demon from the rear. The snake screeched, producing a terrifying sound. The snake let go of the man, but he was still drowning. Miroku jumped into the water, bringing the man back to the surface.
Kirara flew out from the bush, taking her full form. She grabbed the snake by the neck and sliced it in two pieces. They worked great as a team. Sango grabbed her boomerang and petted her Nekomata before checking in on the man. He looked lost, but seemed to be doing okay. Miroku explained what happened:
“You were under a demon’s influence, but everything will be okay now. Go back to the village, we will protect you.” He said. The man calmed down a bit. Miroku had a way with people; he knew how to make his point across.
“Thank you, honorable Monk.” The man stuttered.
“It was all the Slayer’s doing,” Miroku said, pointing at Sango. She wanted to hide back into the bush, yes, he was technically right, but it still put her on the spot.
“Thank you, honorable Slayer.” He said, bowing to her, before walking back, still perplexed.
“You’re all wet.” She commented, looking at the Monk, his wet clothes were sticking to his body. She didn’t notice before, but he had nice, broad shoulders.
“It’s hot out.” He shrugged, and then a devilish smile took over his face. Miroku turned toward the river and gave Sango another look over his shoulder before grabbing the end of his long, black, and purple robe and pulling it above his head. Sango’s eyes widened, and her face went full crimson. He was taking his clothes off in front of her.
Luckily (or not), he was wearing undergarments, and a white robe was revealed when he threw his clothes to the side. It was even more stuck to his body, and the fabric was slightly transparent. Sango held her breath. The only two men she ever saw bathe were her father and brother, and although they were both athletic men, she never batted an eye, never cared about their looks. Miroku’s body, unlike theirs, felt extremely inviting to her gaze.
Miroku dived into the river, and she ran closer to the river to make sure he was okay. Without notice, the monk came out, spilling water everywhere. Sango tried to get away, but he grabbed her hand, that same smile still populating his beautiful face. It was her turn to scream, not from fear, but from spooky fun. Miroku yanked her in, putting an arm around her waist to make sure she didn’t get hurt as she fell into the water on top of him.
They sank, arms and legs everywhere. The cold water took over Sango’s senses; she felt cold everywhere, her clothes got heavy, and once Miroku let go of her, she swam up to the surface for air.
“Damn you, Monk,” She said, squeezing her ponytail. Miroku was still laughing; he was having the best time. She tried to get angry, but the water started to feel good under the high sun.
“You looked hot.” He said, double meaning spilling into every sound that came out of his mouth, and Sango felt hot, not from the weather, but from inside. “Let’s swim.” He invited, and she could barely keep up with his ideas. They had a job to do. “You should probably take your clothes off, though.” He suggested.
“You’re a leech.” She said, deciding that the fun was over, this man was only trying to get her naked. Sango moved back to solid ground, away from the water.
“No, hear me out, the water feels better like this.” He swirled around trying to show her. “I’ll keep my distance, I promise.” He turned around. She didn’t trust him one bit, but still, the water did feel good, and she wanted to go back in. They had technically just vanquished a demon and saved a person; perhaps she could allow herself a little fun.
Sango turned around as well, just in case he peeked. She opened her skin-tight body suit, and because her clothes were meant to be agile for battle, there wasn’t much space left for a full body undergarment; she had only a small white cloth covering her breasts and another small one over her lower parts. No one had ever seen Sango in that little clothing. Shaking the thoughts away, she jumped into the water as fast as possible to hide from the Monk’s possible curious eyes. The entire time, he didn’t peak or try to look at her; it wasn’t like him, but it felt like the right thing to do, so he only turned around when he heard the splash.
“Let’s swim,” He said, moving with the water, away from her. He did as he promised, but she secretly wished he had moved closer instead. Sango started following him when she saw Kirara jumping in as well. She had turned back to her small form, swimming past Sango and climbing onto the Monk’s shoulder.
Kirara snoozed against his neck, and Miroku laughed. It tickled him. Sango knew the feeling; the Nekomata loved doing that to her as well. It wasn’t something strangers used to get out of the demon cat, though.
“She likes you,” Sango said, still swimming toward him, yes, he promised to keep his distance, but she never promised back. Swimming and accepting dinners, none of this was her normal MO. Something about his presence was making her rebellious side surface.
“I like her.” He responded by petting the small cat’s head. Kirara jumped into his hands and gave him a lick on the nose.
“She’s my best friend,” Sango told him, moving the water around with her arms. Miroku fought another urge to look down from her face, but kept his eyes up.
“That’s nice… I never had a best friend.” He confessed, and Sango wanted to know more.
“What about your family?”
“My dad ran away to chase after women when I was a kid. I was raised by another Monk, I can say he is like a dad to me, he taught me everything I know about Buddhism, and well, other less sacred things too.”
“Then maybe he is your best friend.” She tried to bring a silver lining, but Miroku denied.
“No, I wouldn’t say that. I haven’t seen him in years, I don’t even know if he’s still alive.” The Monk was always cheerful and cunning, but right now, his face expressed a sadness deeper than she could understand. Her family was always around; her father and brother were everything to her.
“Kirara can be your friend.” Sango offered, watching her cat throw herself in his arms once again. Miroku’s light was back, and it warmed her heart. She enjoyed watching him smile.
“I would like that very much,” he said. Sango found herself wishing he would like for her to be his friend as well. She observed him play with Kirara, who swam around him, while he tried to catch her, though she was too fast and too small. Sango joined the game, going after the cat. The Nekomata circled them a couple of times, and without realizing, they kept moving closer and closer until Sango bumped her forehead into Miroku's nose. He looked down on her, and not on purpose, he got a glimpse of her nipples pressed against the white/transparent cloth glued on her skin.
His eyes grew hungry, and he held a deep breath. Sango felt it, the invisible tug; her body responded before her brain caught up. The hair behind her neck stood up, and her nipples got perky, harder, and more alluring. Miroku’s eyes widened, and her face went the deepest shade of red. She covered her breasts, pushing her body away from his view. Miroku turned his face. He didn’t mean to cross that line.
“I’m gonna go,” Sango said, moving towards the land.
“No, I’ll go first.” Miroku rushed past her and climbed out of the river. He twisted his clothes and put the robe over them. Then he turned his back on her and waited. Sango followed him; her underwear was too small to be twisted, so she just put the jumpsuit over it and grabbed her boomerang. Kirara shook a couple of times, then turned big, and all the water was gone. Her fur was self-cleaning, and dirt never got stuck to her.
Miroku walked in front of Sango; sometimes, he would steal a glance at her, but they really didn’t talk on the way back to the village’s chief house for dinner. The river had been fun, and it brought them together, but it also tore them apart. As for the demons, they knew that what was happening in the village was bigger than the small ghouls they had been vanquishing, and the reason why they kept coming was still a mystery.
At the chief’s house, there was a warm banquet set up and waiting for them, a long table covered with many dishes. The chief had a large family, including a wife and six kids; they were loud and lovely. The kids were all girls, the oldest seemed to be closer in age to the two of them, and they kept going down in years; the youngest was probably about 5.
Miroku drank sake and ate in silence. Sango wished he would speak. He was usually talkative, and the behavior change bothered her. She didn’t want things to be weird between the two of them. If only he could act normally, then she could forget her embarrassment.
“I heard you saved someone today.” The chief started. He seemed like a good man, “I’m so glad you’re here, Slayer, since the Monk’s powers haven’t come back yet.” But extremely naive at the same time. “Why do you think our village is being targeted so much? Are these cases connected somehow?”
“They are definitely connected,” Miroku responded in a serious tone. “We will figure this out as fast as possible and make sure everyone is safe.”
Sango heard a sigh and a giggle. The two oldest girls were looking at Miroku, blushing and fanning over him. Sango’s head went from them to him a couple of times, analyzing the scene. He was easy to look at, charming, and confident when he spoke. She could see how they would fall for his brave act. He waved in their direction, and they couldn’t contain a small scream of excitement.
Sango put her hand under her chin and pouted. He was probably going to end up talking to the girls, taking the credit for saving the village, and marrying one of them. It would be a happy ending worthy of a fairy tale. The thought was upsetting because she would go back home, and her life was still the same, even though she felt changed in every way after meeting him.
The dinner went on, and the oldest girls found their way near Miroku and started chatting with him. He opened a smile and welcomed them with warmth. Sango couldn’t shake the jealousy; she tried to rationalize; she was envious because she deserved the attention instead, but the truth was, she didn’t want the villagers' attention; she wanted his. Sango’s chest heaved, and she stood up, shaking her head. Dinner was over for her.
“Why are you so upset about?” Miroku asked, approaching her, finally addressing her directly.
“I’m not upset.” She lied, but her face told a different story.
“And I’m not a pervert.” He joked, she didn’t laugh. “Are you mad about earlier?” He brought it up, and she wished he hadn’t.
“What? No!” She couldn’t tell him the truth, ever. “And we shouldn’t talk about this here.” Sango looked over her shoulders, like they were hiding a big secret.
“I’m glad you’re not upset. I’m tired of this.” He cocked his head, pointing at the girls who looked smitten over him.“Wanna get out of here?” Sango couldn’t hold her smile this time.
“Yes, I do,” She answered, leading the way. They walked outside. The night felt nicer than the day; the wind moved the tall grass in front of the big house. They walked up to a fence that separated the chief's property from the rest of the village. “I would’ve thought you would love all the attention.” She poked, not knowing how to act any other way in his presence.
“I usually do, but I couldn’t enjoy myself while seeing your sad face.” He shrugged like it was not a big deal, but Sango’s heart skipped a beat.
“I was enjoying myself,” She lied, trying to hide how much that sentiment messed her up.
“You don’t need to lie to me, I could tell. And it made me wanna make you feel better.” He spoke with conviction, and if you didn’t pay attention enough, it could come across detached, but Miroku had never been more honest in his entire life.
“Why’s that?” She decided to ask because she needed to know.
“I don’t know,” He paused. “I’ve never felt that way before.” Sango’s heart exploded in her chest because she had never felt that way before either. At that moment, Sango realized she wanted to kiss that man more than anything in her life, and the feeling was pure adrenaline and excitement. She moved a couple of inches closer, hoping he would take the hint. He acted as if he was acquainted with these kinds of things after all, but all he did was keep talking. “Maybe because you’re the cutest when you pout, but that would make me want to make you more upset and not the other way around. So it doesn’t make sense, but you’re also pretty cute when you’re happy, like now… Why are you looking at me like this?”
Sango’s eyes were fierce and determined, her smile took a sexy curve on the right side of her lips, and her thick eyelashes cast a shadow over her face. Inside, she felt a trillion emotions, kiss me, kiss me her mind chanted. Miroku wasn’t slow, but this was different; he was processing his feelings, and it took longer than if he just acted on instinct.
It felt like an eternity, but in actuality, it didn’t take him that long to take the hint. He closed his eyes and locked his lips against Sango’s. She didn’t have much experience in this, but he was good at leading, like a dance, moving lips instead of feet; he guided her into the action. Deepening, he took her tongue on a fun twirling across the ballroom that was their mouths. She followed and learned, pushing and sucking when it felt right, matching his rhythm. Miroku pulled her closer, putting one hand on her hair while the other hugged her body, pressing them together.
And they dived into each other’s mouths, and lost themselves in each other’s touch. They connected and flourished together. No one was checking the time, and it didn’t matter, because it was sweet, and it was magical, and it was theirs. Like they were made to experience this moment, like it belonged to them, it was part of their story. It felt like no matter where they went, they would find their way.
Although Sango didn’t trust Miroku at all when she met him, at this moment, she felt completely safe and comfortable in his arms. There was no fear, no unsettledness. She was where she was supposed to be. The kiss stayed respectful, and even Miroku, who would always look for a woman’s heinie, didn’t make his way down her back at any point. She was different. He wanted her to trust him; he wanted her to count on him. When they finally broke the kiss, Miroku was smiling, and Sango was blushing; she felt completely vulnerable in front of him. Although the kiss was demure, he had shared a moment with her that was unique and completely new.
“I wasn’t expecting this,” he said after catching his breath.
“Me neither,” she looked away, escaping his gaze.
“It was good.” His smile was proof that he was speaking from the heart.
“I know,” She glanced down, wondering exactly what it meant for the two of them. Miroku put a hand under her chin, pulling her face up to look at him. Under the moonlight, his eyes reflected the stars.
“I’m so glad I met you.” He told her, and she blushed pinker than the patterns on her uniform. It felt hard to believe, but she considered that maybe he was feeling the same mystical sensations she was.
“Me too,” She wanted to say more, but it was hard to explain.
The Monk and the Slayer enjoyed each other's company for the rest of the night. They stayed by the fence a little longer, until all the candles in the house were completely snuffed. They didn’t want to deal with explaining why they spent so much time outside together and alone. So they kissed more and watched the beautiful night sky. Later, they held hands on their way back to their rooms, kissing goodnight while Kirara stretched from the long day.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Sango’s voice sounded foreign to her, it was a sweet and higher-pitched than normal. She kept learning new things about herself by his side.
“I’ll see you,” He stole another kiss before turning away, then he stole another glance. Sango laughed, going into her own room. The night repeated in her mind like a dream; she never thought she could be so lucky. She felt enchanted.
Miroku shared the same sentiment, his whole life wandering from village to village, hitting on women out of habit, without really getting to know them, without ever falling in love. Sango captivated him; he would stop wandering if he could follow her, and he would go anywhere, as long as it was by her side. She would be his beacon toward happiness; he just knew it. The two fell asleep with grins painting their faces, the memories and bond they created still warm inside their chests.
The morning came too soon. Sango was woken up by screams, loud and clear. It was the village chief's family. She jumped out of bed, grabbing her boomerang and waking up Kirara with the sudden movement. The Nekomata took position, turning into a big cat as soon as she sensed the danger. Miroku heard it too; he and Sango met at the internal courtyard and ran together towards the sound.
By the front of the house, there was a giant snake demon. The fence where the two shared their first kiss was destroyed, and so were most of the flower beds that decorated the place. The snake held one of the daughters hostage, wrapped in her slippery, long body. She screamed, and her sisters did too.
“Let her go!” The village chief screamed, while his wife sobbed in his arms.
“Who is killing all my students?” The big snake snarled angrily.
“What do you mean by your students?” Miroku asked, taking the front in the conflict.
“My little snakes,” She cried. “This is the last phase of the snake demon undercover training, the last thing they need for graduation,” she squeezed the girl angrily, who screamed, causing a chain reaction in the family watching.
It was torture, physical and emotional. Sango wanted to get that over with as fast as possible, but she needed to understand more. She’d seen that type of behavior in demons before. Kitsunes were famously known for having demon exams, and it could be a big havoc since they were pranksters, but it was mostly harmless. Learning about demon behavior was also the job of a demon slayer. Passing the information to the rest of her peers would help in future cases.
“What do you mean by undercover training? What do they have to do?” Sango joined the conversation. She was ready to free the girl, but first, she needed to understand what was happening.
“They are supposed to disguise themselves as a human, trick a villager, and bring them to me at the river,” The snake told. That explained why the demons were weak and kept coming; it was an assignment for young demons.
“What happens when they get to the river?” It was her last question.
“I eat them!” The demon answered, and it was what she needed to know. Sango pulled her boomerang up and threw it, aiming for the head, away from where the chief’s daughter was. But this demon was no apprentice; she had experience, so she dodged easily, cackling.
Miroku jumped into action. He flung his sacred scrolls all over the demon; they were charged with spiritual energy and bound the demon in place. Sango had another shot. With the demon secured, she angled her boomerang to attack the snake's back, delivering many hits, one after the other, slashing the snake open.
The girl was dropped from a significant height as the demon lost its strength, and the family members ran to give her aid. Miroku released more scrolls, weakening the snake, and Sango shot what should’ve been the last blow, slicing the snake’s neck and detaching it from the rest. The body kept moving for a little bit, so Kirara grabbed the head and squeezed between her teeth until the demon disappeared in the air as it was vanquished.
Everyone stood still; there was a layer of dust in the air. The entire family cried. Sango and Miroku knew this was the end of it.
“Monk, your powers came back sooner!” The chief celebrated, not doubting his story at all.
“It was thanks to Sango,” He said, taking her by surprise. “She gave me my strength back.” It was a lie, and he was using her to get away with it, but there was truth in his eyes, in the way he looked at her, cherishing their encounter. “I’m stronger because I met her.” He finished, and that part was completely sincere.
The villagers were happy with the end of the snake, and gave the two many, many presents to express their gratitude. Sango accepted with the condition that she would bring it back home to share with her peers. Kirara took her full form, and they added all the cargo to her back. Sango would have to walk home, since it was too heavy for Kirara to fly with it. Miroku grabbed as much as he could carry, but he was just one man on foot.
The two found themselves at the village entrance. It was time to say goodbye.
“Thank you for your help.” She said, wanting to say so much more.
“It was a pleasure to meet you.” Miroku was used to living on the road, saying goodbye had never been a problem for him, but this time, it felt different.
They stared, not knowing how to let go, how to say farewell. Kirara made a sad sound, and Sango wasn’t sure if she was sad to see him go or if she wanted to start their journey soon because of her cargo.
“I should get going,” The slayer said, and the monk nodded, struggling with the new feelings he was experiencing. She turned around, knowing that if she took another step, she would regret it for the rest of her life, so she turned back abruptly. “Do you want to come with me? To my village?” She could barely look him in the eyes, fidgeting with her fingers. “We are slayers, but sometimes you need an exorcism; you could be a great asset for the clan.”
“Yeah, I do.” He couldn’t hide the happiness. Kirara hopped in celebration, starting the walk. Sango and Miroku followed. “Oh, I was going in this direction anyway.” He said casually, another one of his fibs. “Wait, does that mean I’m going to meet your father? What are you telling him?”
“We have a long walk there to figure it out.” She answered, light-hearted.
“Maybe we can tell him we are best friends?” He suggested, and Sango couldn’t help but smile, having her secret wish fulfilled. Kirara shook her head in approval. Walking by Miroku’s side felt natural, and she wanted to keep doing it for a long time.