Void ki surged to Masanori’s fingertips, and a lavender-bladed shortsword shaped in his hand. He extended the edge toward the approaching demon. “Stay back, kijo.”
“Hungry…” The demon looked up, showing that her irises were far darker than a human’s, but the whites of her eyes were still intact. “So hungry…”
“Find your meal elsewhere. We have no business with you.”
“So hungry…” she repeated, taking a careful step forward, testing Masanori’s willingness to use the blade. He flicked it closer to the demon, halting her in her tracks.
They waged war with their eyes, waiting and pushing to see who would act first. The kijo’s brows narrowed in defiance, but not out of arrogance or lack of fear. There was something else Masanori couldn’t quite read.
“What’s a kijo?” Ichika asked, doing the
