10 Chapter 10: Unveiling Yuki's Hidden Desires

On the first day at Butterfly Mansion.

Under the gentle caress of the cool morning breeze and the warm embrace of the sun's rays, I awoke, feeling refreshed.

With a stretch and a yawn, he slowly rose from his comfortable bed, the soft sheets falling away as he prepared to face the day.

His feet met the cool wooden floor as he ambled to the closet, selecting his training attire for the day. He quickly slipped into a fresh uniform, feeling the familiar fabric settle comfortably against his skin.Before he left his room, 

Ace took a moment to attend to his morning routine. He moved to the outside verandah, where a thin willow tree shrub and some kind of toothpaste with a pot of water was kept.

As he brushed his teeth, one thought formed in his mind ' I miss my modern era'. With his teeth clean and his clothes changed, Ace was now ready .

[Ace's POV]

After I had a pleasant and fulfilling conversation with Shinobu last night, I was in high spirits myself, motivating me to focus on my innate abilities and learn how to use them more effectively.

Starting with my first ability, Ethereal Insight, I aimed to recreate the sensation I had experienced when witnessing those ancient civilizations.

Closing my eyes, I allowed my mind to become tranquil and free of thoughts as I meditated in the lotus position.

Gradually, I felt a vibration permeating my entire being, as if a connection was forming with an elusive, formless entity in the massive library. This connection, composed of an enigmatic thread, soon bridged the gap between the realm of the tangible and a two-dimensional dimension, serving as the conduit for my abilities.

After a duration equivalent to the burn of an incense stick, I emerged from my trance-like state and opened my eyes.

The world I now beheld was vastly different from the normal view. It was as though a sheet of paper had been bathed in an amalgamation of colors beyond ordinary human comprehension.

I couldn't help but be awestruck by this ability; it felt as though a concealed layer of reality had been unveiled before me.

"The potential of this ability is immense, and I haven't even fully unlocked it. Imagine it being used to its full potential," I wondered.

Now that I had seen my ability in action, I decided to experiment with it. I left the room in search of a suitable subject. As I wandered down the corridor, I soon found the ideal person for my explorations – Yuki, who sat near a tree, oblivious to my intentions.

Without waiting a moment, I focused on Yuki's body, activated my ability, and a multitude of colors enveloped my vision. I tried to concentrate on distinguishing between them and found myself naturally comprehending their meanings.

Now that I could understand them, I once again looked at Yuki's body, which exhibited three distinct colors. A vibrant yellow danced around her in a rhythmic way, symbolizing her happiness and contentment with her present situation.

"Hmm, so she's happy now," I thought, content that she had found relief from her troubled past.

However, delving deeper into her aura and emotional state, I soon saw a mist of reddish-pink bubbling inside her, occasionally erupting before receding, as if it were waiting for the right opportunity to launch an attack.

"Is that her Lust?" I thought in disbelief. According to my innate understanding of it, the intensity of her Lust was quite large.

"Is she that desirous? It's significant even for her teenage hormones," I mused, shaking my head at this.

But then, a smile graced my lips, and I thought, 'She sure acts quite demure and shy for a girl with such strong desires deep inside.'

Before ending my observation, I cast one last look to satiate my curiosity. Just as I was about to conclude my scrutiny after seeing her outer emotional body, I spotted a faint, greyish aura hidden deep within her.

"Is that her trauma or insecurity?" I thought as I failed to understand it before it concealed itself within her. One more thing to explore in the future.

It's also important to note that while I observed the vibrant colors, I wasn't witnessing colors within the emotional spectrum itself, as it doesn't have colors. Instead, my ability operated by capturing the frequencies at which our emotions vibrate and then translating them through the emotional spectrum. This unique process allowed me to perceive emotions as tangible substances, imbued with colors. This translation served as a means to facilitate our brain's ability to better comprehend and associate these complex emotional states.

As I deactivated the emotional aspect of the ability, I began to see different types of auras surrounding the area, with a vibrant green aura covering the forest.

Now, looking back at Yuki, I saw silhouettes of two people who were quietly looking at Yuki with gentle smiles on their faces.

"Are those the spirits of Yuki's parents?" I wondered, considering that in the world of demon slayers, it wasn't uncommon for lingering spirits to remain in the physical realm for extended periods, waiting for their loved ones. Some, like Akaza's master and childhood friend, could wait for centuries.

With this thought in mind, I approached Yuki and casually inquired, "Hey, what are you doing here, all by yourself?"

Startled by my sudden appearance, clearly irritated, she looked towards me sharply and replied, "Don't just pop up out of nowhere."

"I was just enjoying the birds flying in the sky and the peacefulness here," she explained.

"It's not like your village was in a perpetual state of war, so what's the real reason?" I commented, seeing through her pitiful excuse.

She looked surprised, not expecting me to catch her lie. "How do you know?"

Chuckling softly, I replied, "Well, I have good eyes."

She shook her head and said, "Nothing, I wasn't thinking about anything."

I sighed and offered my assistance, "If you ever have any problems, you can ask for my help, alright?"

Yuki's reaction was a little unexpected. She remained still for a moment, and then a broad smile graced her face as she said, "Thank you."

Before I could react, she suddenly jumped at me, hugging me tightly. I was taken aback by the sudden embrace, exclaiming, "Woah, what happened suddenly?!"

She didn't provide an explanation, and after hugging me for a moment, she released her grip and avoided eye contact.

Recognizing her shyness, I decided not to tease her further and changed the topic, asking about the whereabouts of the other residents.

She quickly shared that Naho, Kiyo, and Sumi were busy with house chores, while Kanao was training in the backyard.

Adding further, "While Kocho-san is away to meet with Kanroji-san."

'Hmm? Love Hashira Mitsuri, why is she meeting her?' I thought, as she was very famous in the anime community for her cheerful personality and a certain pond scene.

Shaking off my thoughts, I turned to Yuki and suggested, "Let's go; I need to do some training with Kanao."

Yuki nodded and quickly followed behind me, muttering something under her breath. I chose to ignore her mumbled words and, glancing at the spirits of Yuki's parents, gave a silent nod as if assuring them that I would take care of their daughter.

The spirits of Yuki's parents were taken aback when they noticed me nodding in their direction. They seemed genuinely surprised that I could see them. The two spirits exchanged glances and muttered something to each other, their ethereal forms shimmering with a mix of emotions.

After a brief moment, they both broke into warm smiles and returned my nod. Their expressions held a sense of hope and trust, as if silently conveying their desire for me to take care of their beloved daughter. It was a touching moment of connection between the living and the departed, bound by their concern for Yuki's well-being.