Another Rabbit

With both sides about halfway through their exhaustion, Arisu did her best to blitz-attack Kazuichi, utilizing her speed to the best of her ability. The streaks of red on her skin were glowing brightly by now, and her eyes were turning dark red the more she continued the onslaught.

As for Kazuichi, he was getting the hang of his Blood Art, swiftly activating and deactivating it at will, even going as far as to control the activation on every appendage separately. Kazuichi was learning quickly, and Arisu could foresee him surpassing her in due time.

'When are we going to stop this?' Kazuichi asked himself, wondering why Arisu was so hell-bent on continuing on when he had already learned more than enough from her.

What she was currently doing was nothing more than excessive, and her expression continued to worsen as time passed.

Even then, Kazuichi didn't speak a single word. Instead of asking Arisu what was wrong, he kept silent while he received a one-sided beating akin o a punching bag. Of course, he would counter from time to time, but he didn't bother going out of his way to overwhelm her.

Pretty soon, Arisu started tearing up, and her movements became more erratic. Kazuichi still left her as is, though, only defending and parrying while trying to control his Blood Art. It was obvious that Arisu was nearing her limits, and it was only a matter of time before she completely exhausts herself.

Kazuichi could feel every blow that Arisu dealt, shaking him down to his bones every single time. There was a hint of rage and bloodlust emanating from her, and as time went on, this continued to dissipate. That's why Kazuichi just let her do her thing until she was completely satisfied with beating him up.

Suddenly, she stopped, and she clung onto Kazuichi's shirt as soon as her Blood Art was automatically deactivated. Her tears were full-on gushing now, and she whimpered while she leaned on Kazuichi's chest. Every emotion she felt back when Kazuichi was separated from her.

Somehow, this moment reminded her of what happened back then, and it became even more established in her mind that Kazuichi was really right there. He was alive, and she could finally return the favor when he saved her life and gave her a home.

No words were spoken when Arisu cried, and Kazuichi just hugged her in return while gently patting her on the back to console her.

Honestly, Kazuichi had no idea why Arisu was crying, so he assumed that she was probably just stressed out, having a hard time dealing with the newfound stronghold and their return back home. She was juggling a lot in her mind, so much so that Kazuichi couldn't pinpoint why she was crying.

Sniffle.

Sniffle.

After a couple of minutes, Arisu finally calmed down a little bit. Now she was met with embarrassment as she continued leaning onto Kazuichi. She missed the timing to let go of his shirt, and now she was awkwardly stuck in Kazuichi's hug.

Arisu's face reddened as she buried her face even more in Kazuichi's shirt. Her embarrassment was getting the better of her and she had no idea how she'd get out of the situation.

Fortunately, Kazuichi caught the signal and he let go of the hug, gently pushing Arisu away as she finally let go of his shirt. Her face was as red as a beet now, and she turned away when Kazuichi was finally able to see her face.

Judging from her vibe, Kazuichi could tell that she was able to let it all out, and what was left in her system was the hint of bashfulness she had.

"Should we go hunt now? I'll teach you how to catch a rabbit." Kazuichi offered, extending his hand and wiping the stray tears off her face.

In silence, Arisu nodded her head. "I thought you're just a shut-in? Since when did you speak like that." Arisu returned, pouting her lips as she went to Kazuichi's side.

"Geh~ you didn't have to point that out. I'm trying my best, you know." He replied, As a certified shut-in, he was already going out of his way just so Arisu wouldn't feel as awkward.

And as for Arisu, she was an expert at hunting rabbits, but she didn't explicitly say that to Kazuichi since she was a bit curious as to how he'd teach her how to hunt rabbits.

...

As soon as they entered the forest, Kazuichi's aura suddenly changed and he began crouching, walking with his back bent forward while he observed his surroundings. Even the littlest of movement is a sign of life and Kazuichi wasn't going to miss any of that. Utilizing his enhanced senses, he surveyed the area with keen perception.

Swish~!

From his peripheral vision, Kazuichi saw movements. And whenever you see a slight blur or a hint of movement in a forest, it was a great indication of life. Kazuichi was immediately running at full speed. He didn't hesitate at all, and his motion was so fluid that he barely made any sound.

Even Arisu, who was well-versed when it came to hunting, was fascinated by how smoothly Kazuichi moved. It's as if he had springs on his feet, and he matched the little noise he makes with the rustling of the leaves.

If one didn't see him, one would think that he was part of the forest, due to how quiet he was.

Without further ado, Arisu followed right behind Kazuichi, closely watching his every move.

Kazuichi was right on the money. The movement he detected was really caused by something living. And as their luck would have it, it was actually a rabbit.

Although Kazuichi was rushing nearer and nearer to the rabbit. But even though he was threateningly approaching it at insane speeds, the rabbit didn't even notice him.

And then Kazuichi jumped forward, snatching the rabbit by grabbing it on its ears. The way Kazuichi pulled on it felt like he was harvesting a turnip, and Arisu couldn't help but chuckle a little.

"Gotcha." Kazuichi celebrated.