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Memories flood Akaza’s head, worthless memories that spent decades collecting dust. They had been pitiable, would only make him weak, he convinced himself; however, the sight of his tiny fiancé was enough to bring him down to tears.
It can’t be…
He swallows hard, blinking with disbelieving eyes. Everything, from her barely visible snowflake hairpins to her light pink kimono, it had to be her.
Akaza’s heart twinges, conflicted with the thought of being reunited with his beloved. He clenches his teeth and takes a step back. It doesn’t make sense. How could she still be alive? Perhaps a cruel illusion to break down his weak points?
That’s right. Koyuki is dead, he saw her corpse along with his master’s. Her small body cold to the touch while blood trickled out of her mouth— he had sworn vengeance that day against the impudent cowards that poisoned the well, proudly massacring them in the name of his family, and now some weakling wanted to taunt him with the image of his late fiancé?
Pathetic.
She moves closer, meandering by his feet and his blood boils. The supposed illusion of Koyuki enrages him; he’ll kill whoever created it.
“How dare you?” he murmurs, casting the tiny woman a murderous glance. She stopped in her tracks, quivering under his gaze.
“But H-Hakuji-san…” she starts, but he won’t hear it. Akaza crouches down and swiftly swipes the woman from the ground, feeling her body tremble in his tight grip. She cries out, pleading to let her down, but he’s too blinded by white-hot anger to listen.
“Tell me, do you think it’s amusing to take on this form?” he sneers, but the woman stops squirming, only staring at him, confused. Her rosy eyes water and Akaza’s heart squeezes once again. It’s not real. He reminds himself.
But what if it is? A tiny voice in his head chimed. His jaw tightens. He wouldn’t know what he would do if he were treating his real fiancé with such roughness. He lets out a suppressed sigh, finally deciding a way to verify her identity.
“What did I promise?” he says, watching how the woman’s attention never veered from him, always watching him with those large, watery eyes. Illusion or not, he always hated seeing Koyuki cry.
“T-that we would see the fireworks once I was well, and you would protect me, protect us.” her tiny voice is barely audible, yet Akaza could hear it all: there was no doubt in his mind, it really was Koyuki.
His heart shatters.
“Ko-Koyuki?” His voice cracks and she gives a small smile, placing a hand on the tip of his nose. His face blanches, growing even more pale, if possible. He can’t forgive himself for treating his love with such coarseness, and yet, she continues to smile at him with such glowing warmth. He doesn’t deserve it.
“I’m here,”
Those two words finally force the damaged dam inside Akaza to break. The demon’s eyes well with newly formed tears and he wastes no time cupping the tiny woman to his cheek, finally letting the slew of emotions escape from his body.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t keep any of my promises, I’m sorry I had forgotten about everything,” He cries out, but Koyuki only shakes her head.
“I’m glad you remembered and returned to being the old Hakuji-san,” She dusts his cheek with a light kiss. “Welcome back, my beloved fiancé.”
Her declaration only makes him clutch Koyuki tighter in his hands. He can’t lose her again, he can’t forget about her—about anything, again.