Nobunaga Oda's Isekai Cultivation Experience

Though it felt weird calming someone else down right now, Nobu did his best to prevent Onihime from freaking out. In the middle of this, Yui made an appearance near the entrance of the bath."Nobu..."Exhaling a sigh, Nobu released his hold on Onihime, saying, "Go and get changed. We'll talk more in my room."Nodding her head, Onihime quickly scampered from the room with a sad expression on her face. She had felt her Master's body tense up the moment Yui arrived, and, despite his apparent calm, she could tell he was anything but. She just didn't know what to say. All she knew was she didn't want to make things even worse.Emerging from the bath shortly after Onihime's departure, Nobu made his way over to Yui before surprising her with a hug. This caused a painful aching in her heart, and, for a brief moment, she couldn't bring herself to return his embrace. It was only when Nobu's grasp began to ease that she wrapped her arms around him, a choking sensation in her throat as she said, "You were in the bath for too long...your skin is as red as a lobster..."While laughing dryly in response to Yui's remark, Nobu hugged her with as much strength as he could manage. This resulted in the raven-haired beauty being lifted from the ground, but, instead of offering any resistance, Yui just nestled her face into the nook between his neck and shoulder.........Though he wanted to tell them the truth, Yui specifically, Nobu waited until everyone had gathered in his room before explaining the cover story he and Inami had come up with.Inami was, unsurprisingly, one of the big shots in the Yoshitsune Clan. As a result, she was one of the few people that could trespass the underground waterway without consequence. Thus, as part of their cover story, Nobu mentioned how he had encountered her when he used the passageway in his room to venture into the subterranean tunnels for some peace, quiet, and reflection.Simply put, Nobu used the excuse that he was pissed off, something everyone in the estate knew, to be alone. During that time, he encountered Inami, who, seeing how frustrated he was, decided to lend him an ear. One thing led to another, and, after a considerable amount of preparation, the two of them ended up doing it like rabbits until the sun had set beyond the horizon.When they learned Nobu had not only encountered but had sex with their Clan's Guardian, the girls were at a complete loss for words. Inami was famous for being as capricious as she was reclusive so it was difficult to imagine her willfully approaching someone, much less providing them council. If it was anyone other than Nobu telling them such a thing, they wouldn't have believed it.Surprisingly, the part where Nobu mentioned he and Inami had sex was the easiest aspect for the girls to accept. Not because he was particularly handsome or charismatic, but because they were in the middle of Spring. Inami may have better control over her urges but she was still a kitsune. Until the end of Spring, they were effectively pitfalls for any man unfortunate enough to encounter them.The thing the girls found most suspicious was the fact that Inami was anywhere near the estate. She knew the characteristics of her race better than anyone in the entire Clan. Fortunately, Nobu had an answer for this, explaining, "When I asked why she was here, she told me she and the Matriarch had a disagreement so she wanted to test the security measures we had in place. If she wasn't lying, she has been investigating the estate without anyone noticing for the last five days.""..."Hearing Nobu's explanation, an awkward silence descended upon the room. With what they knew of Inami, it wasn't difficult to imagine her butting heads with the Matriarch. There had even been a few instances in the past where Inami deposed Matriarchs who refused to step down or attempted to implement changes she believed were detrimental to the Clan. With that in mind, it wasn't much of a stretch to imagine her wanting to test their security measures out of spite...Affirming the fears that had manifested in nearly everyone's minds, Nobu went on to say, "After we finished fucking, she asked me if I wanted her help. I wasn't really thinking at the time so I ended up agreeing. In hindsight, I realize it was pretty stupid to agree without discussing the matter with each of you. I just didn't know what to say after learning who she was...""You didn't ask when you met in the tunnels...?"Shifting his attention to Yui, Nobu noticed the serious and analytical look in her eyes. She was one of the few that didn't believe a thing he had said. Rather, after their argument in the afternoon, she refused to believe it. After all, if he was telling the truth, this entire incident could be blamed on her.Shaking his head, Nobu exhaled an exasperated sigh as he closed his eyes and answered, "I wasn't thinking clearly at the time. All I knew for certain was that she was a hell of a lot stronger than me. If she was an enemy, I would have been killed in an instant. After we got to talking...well...I don't really know what came over me. I guess she reminded me of Kaia? I don't fucking know..."Hearing Nobu's words, Yui couldn't help feeling pain in her chest. After spending so much time with him, she was confident in her ability to ascertain whether or not he was lying. Despite this, she knew there had to be at least a grain of truth to what he was saying. He was clearly still hurting after their previous argument."Everyone. Leave us. We will discuss this matter in detail later. Right now, there is something Nobu and I need to talk about...""Yui...!"Clearly upset by Yui's words, Yuriko glared at her with a frustrated glower on her face. Before she could say anything further, however, Nobu raised his hand, saying, "Stop. Yui is right. Besides, it's already late and I'm super fucking tired. We'll pick this up tomorrow. Sorry for worrying everyone."With her expression morphing into a look of fretful concern, it was pretty obvious that Yuriko had something she wanted to say. In response to this, Nobu adopted an awkwardly apologetic smile as he said, "Come here..." while gesturing to that effect.Though she was a little confused by Nobu's words and actions, Yuriko still drew nearer to him. This allowed him to wrap his arms around her lithe and muscular body, his tone gentle and soothing as he repeated the same words he had said to Onihime, "It's going to be okay..."In spite of Nobu's words, Yuriko got the distinct impression everything was not going to be okay. It was clear to all of them that he was behaving strangely. At the very least, he was never this intimate. Not without a reason.Unfortunately, Yuriko wasn't given the chance to voice her concerns. Nobu's actions had effectively silenced her. As a result, she fell into a momentary daze that allowed Kiku and Kumiko to guide her away from the room. In the end, the only people left inside were Nobu, Yui, and, despite a deadpan stare from the latter, Onihime. Only Nobu could tell her what to do, so, unless he sent her away, she had no intention of going anywhere."It's fine..."Believing he understood the thoughts of both girls, Nobu gave Onihime permission to stay before urging Yui to continue with his eyes. He knew the half-oni wasn't going to blab on him. Rather, due to the Slave Crest on her body, even Inami wouldn't be able to force information from her.Exhaling a sigh, Yui ended up shaking her head before staring directly into Nobu's eyes and saying, "I won't ask what really happened. From my perspective, truth and lies don't matter. If they are your words, I will abide them all the same. It is my duty to support you..."Furrowing his brows, Nobu was about to say he didn't need people to go so far for him. Before the words could reach his lips, however, Yui left him in a state of stupefaction as she added, "After all...I am your fiancee..."Though she was seized by the distinct impression her response was far too late, Yui wouldn't have been able to rest peacefully if she didn't get this off her chest. Her Grandmother had basically told her that she should follow her heart and that it was a blessing, not a curse, that her desires just so happened to coincide with Nobu's. Suppressing her emotions and hiding from the truth would only make both of them unhappy, so, for the sake of Nobu's future aspirations, Yui was willing to allow herself to love him."..."Unable to find the words to express himself, Nobu surprised both Yui and Onihime by slumping backward and sprawling out on the ground. He felt happy, sad, angry, melancholic, and a whole host of other emotions all at the same time. Part of him even wanted to tell Yui to fuck off, but, at the same time, another part of him just wanted to hold her and tell her everything was going to be okay...In the end, Nobu just placed his forearm over his eyes and remained silent. This left Yui feeling a remarkably painful sensation in her chest. It was like someone had gripped her heart, and, though she did her best to maintain a calm expression on her face, she couldn't help sniffling as a layer of moisture rapidly spread across the surface of her obsidian-blue eyes.Hearing the unexpected sound, a part of Nobu wanted to shout, "Why the fuck are you the one crying!?". Instead, he just remained silent for several seconds before lazily asking, "How long are you going to keep me waiting...?"Blinking in surprise, Yui wiped away the tears building at the corners of her eyes as she intoned a confused, "Huh...?"Without opening his eyes, Nobu exhaled a fatigued sigh as he said, "I wasn't lying when I said I was tired. If you're my fiancee, shouldn't you be sleeping next to me...?"For a brief moment, Yui couldn't quite believe what she was hearing. It was only when Nobu rolled onto his side and muttered, "Whatever..." that she came back to her senses and exclaimed, "O-One moment! I just need to remove my armor...!"Though he heard Yui's words, Nobu didn't respond to them. He really was tired right now, and, due to his conflicting emotions, he didn't feel like saying or doing anything. He just wanted to sleep and forget that today ever happened..."Master...?"Hearing Onihime's concerned voice from behind, Nobu remained silent for several seconds before asking, "What is it...?"Handing her head, Onihime's expression turned even more melancholic as she asked, "What do you want me to do...?""..."Resisting the urge to tell her to fuck off, Nobu briefly recalled how worried Onihime had been when she charged into the bath. He didn't understand why, but, ever since she had become his slave, she had always regarded him very highly. It apparently had something to do with the fact he didn't care she was a half-oni, but, as someone with Earth's sensibilities, he didn't think it was anything to write home about..."Just do whatever you want..."Though she knew he was basically dismissing her, Onihime's eyes widened slightly when she heard Nobu's words. Yui was still removing her armor and neatly arranging it at the side, so, with a look of conviction on her face, Onihime moved around to the front of Nobu and said, "Pardon me..." before lying down with her back against his chest."..."Had she tried this at any other point in time, Nobu might have asked if Onihime was touched in the head. After having sex with Inami, however, it was difficult for him to really care about anything. She was also remarkably warm, so, after an oppressive silence, Nobu just muttered, "Whatever..." before closing his eyes and immediately passing out.........(A/N: This novel needs a drama tag...*heavy sweating*...)

Feeling something poking him in the back, Nobu awoke to find himself cradling Yui. At the same time, however, Onihime was snuggled up to him from behind. As a result, the moment he shifted in his sleep, he ended up pricking himself on the tip of her horns."Mnn? Master...?"Awakened by Nobu's stirring, Onihime moved away from him before sitting up and rubbing her eyes. This allowed Nobu to sit up as well, his expression immediately morphing into a deadpan as he saw the inordinately petite woman in nothing but her birthday suit.("That explains why it feels like I've been sleeping next to a furnace...")According to what Onihime had told him, full-blooded Oni were able to bathe in lava without any particular difficulty. This had allowed them to produce some of the greatest blacksmiths throughout the history of Nian as they could work forges and handle red-hot metals without risk of injury.Though she was only a half, Onihime's body temperature and resistance to heat were much higher than a normal person's. She was far from lava-proof but she could relax in boiling water and resist natural flames.Feeling a wet stain on his back, the result of a tremendous amount of sweat, Nobu just shook his head before asking, "Why are you naked?"Tilting her head to the side, Onihime replied, "When sharing a bed with one's Lord or Master, isn't it normal to sleep naked?"Answering in Nobu's stead, Yui revealed her own sweat-covered body before replying, "Indeed..." in a curt tone. She hadn't been lying next to Onihime, but, with Nobu clinging to her for several hours, a lot of his body heat had transferred into her."..."After the previous day's experiences, Nobu didn't have the willpower to question the duo's logic. If this was considered common knowledge then so be it. At least he knew what to expect when and if he invited others to share his bed in the future.Combing his hand through his hair, Nobu pulled out the stone tablet to check the time. They had clocked in pretty late last night but it was only 3:57 AM. He figured this was the result of waking up around noon the previous day, so, rather than mull over it, he surprised the two girls by saying, "I'm gonna go for a run."As she had been expecting him to continue brooding for several days, Yui was genuinely surprised by Nobu's words. He didn't seem nearly as affected as he was the previous day. Rather, despite the sweat covering his body and the fatigued look on his face, there was a fire in his eyes that had only been present during the moments when he had been willing to face his death..."Nobu..."Shaking his head, Nobu's expression became serious as he said, "Relax. I just feel like moving my body a bit. After yesterday, it feels like I could run for days without rest. My mind might be tired, but my body is basically on fire."Though he had noticed it when he slept with Yui and Yuriko, Nobu's body always felt as though it was filled with strength whenever he absorbed the Yin Elemental Energy of his partner. Suzune had also mentioned how men possessed an instinct that made them covet women with high cultivation bases. Thus, even though he felt a powerful compulsion to just lay around and be lazy, his heart was pumping as though he had just finished his tenth cup of coffee.What Nobu didn't notice was the fact that a bluish-green had surrounded the crystal orb displayed on his Clicker App. Beneath it, glistening in a similarly colored text was a flashing icon that said 10x multiplier. Had he noticed it, Nobu might not have recovered fully but he would have felt a hell of a lot better about the situation.........After secretly observing Nobu for the remainder of the evening, Inami was both pleasantly surprised and considerably relieved that he had kept his word. She was fully prepared to erase the memories of everyone present. Fortunately, that didn't seem to be necessary, as, despite his brash nature, Nobu seemed to be a man of his word.Considering herself to be a woman with similar qualities, Inami only hesitated for a few hours, just long enough to observe Nobu finishing his exercise routine, before requesting a private audience with Hitomi. When she saw the scowl on the latter's face, she wasn't even surprised. Rather, if she hadn't noticed something was amiss based on Nobu's behavior, Inami would have been severely disappointed in her former protege."What have you done?"Maintaining a calm expression that belied the nervousness she was feeling, Inami provided a similar yet slightly altered story to the one Nobu had given his entourage. If two or more people provided the exact same information, it was infinitely more suspicious. Thus, while the key details were all the same, there were a number of variations accounting for her personal views and motivations leading up to and immediately following her liaison with their Young Lord."You wily old fox. Do you take me for a fool!? I told you to stay away from him...!"Squinting her eyes, Inami appeared as placid as the surface of a cavern lake as she answered, "On the contrary, Hitomi. I understand your personality and capabilities better than most. I know I can trust you to watch over and protect the Yoshitsune Clan and its interests. If not, I would have never allowed you to hold the position of Matriarch for as long as you have."Gritting her teeth, Hitomi's aura began to flare as she hissed, "You've jeopardized the survival of the entire Clan and now you expect me to just play along...?"Despite flaring her own aura, Inami maintained her calm visage as she rebutted, "You know damn well I would never do such a thing! Have you forgotten who it is you're talking to!? I have watched over the Clan for millennia! You haven't even lived a hundredth of my lifespan yet you dare accuse me of putting my interests over those of the Clan!?"Tensing under the aura unleashed by her former Master, realization donned upon Hitomi before her expression darkened even further. She could intuit from Inami's words that she was acting on behalf of Inari. In other words, neither she nor they really have a choice in the matter. If they dared to defy the petty and ill-tempered Goddess, their Clan would invariably pay an even greater price.Noticing the understanding glimmer in Hitomi's eyes, Inami's tensions relaxed as an exasperated sigh escaped her throat. She was far more frustrated by their predicament than the much younger woman seated across from her. After all, she was among the first generation affected by the curse, and, thanks to her affinity with the Divine Energy saturating the mountain, she had borne witness to the suffering of her Clan for thousands of years."Worry not. The Young Lord of the Oda Clan is far more promising than I ever anticipated. I have personally witnessed the qualities that will allow him to rule over Nian. That is the reason I am here today. I've noticed the effort you've put into nurturing and supporting Yui. However, she, alone, will not be able to support our Lord to the pinnacle. The rest of his entourage needs similar attention. If you haven't noticed, he is quite a sentimental young man. If any of the people close to him were to die before their time, the consequences would be dire. If you're serious about entrusting the fate of the Yoshitsune Clan to his and Yui's hands, we should regard everyone in his entourage as someone important for his growth. Isn't that why you entrusted Onihime to him and allowed Kaia to continue living?"As it had been quite some time since she and Inami had talked like this, Hitomi had forgotten how sly the deceptively old woman could be. She also couldn't just expose what she believed to be the truth as that would compromise the Clan while simultaneously embarrassing Nobu. In other words, from the moment she agreed to meet with Inami in private, she had basically fallen into the ancient vixen's trap. To make matters even worse, she couldn't even ask what Inari Okami had tasked her to do as the petulant Goddess wasn't fond of people prying into her personal affairs..."What, exactly, is Inami-sama suggesting...?"Nodding her head in approval, the tensions in Inami's body relaxed considerably as she said, "My intentions are in line with your own. Don't think I haven't noticed the way your eyes light up when you gaze upon our Young Lord. If Yui hadn't been up for the task, there is no doubt in my mind that you would have attempted to seduce him. I will not censure you for this. Rather, in order to tie him and his trainees to the Clan, I am proposing to have the Elders assist in their education. We will help him expand his influence through the Clan before assisting in his takeover of the entire archipelago. Because of his sentimental nature, there is no way he would be able to ignore our plight when most of his confidants, advisors, and retainers are members of our Clan..."Furrowing her brows, Hitomi would be lying if she said Inami's words weren't tempting. They were, in fact, in line with her own reasoning. The only problem was that Inami had requested to become Nobu's, Onihime's, and Kaia's personal instructor. In other words, she would be closer to him than any of the other Elders. While there was nothing intrinsically wrong with this, the crux of the matter was that she was the vessel of Inari.If she were allowed to be completely honest, Hitomi absolutely abhorred Inari. Her Clan had been forced to suffer for thousands of years just because she was spurned by a man that had died more than 5700 years ago. She hadn't even provided them a way to be free of the Curse. In other words, until their last surviving member drew her final breath, the Yoshitsune Clan was effectively doomed to suffer for an eternity. All because their Ancestor had fallen in love with someone else...Unfortunately, even if she wanted to refuse Inami's request, Hitomi didn't really have a choice. She knew Inari was watching over them even as they sat in silence. The Gods in Heaven might not be omniscient, but time flowed differently between the two Realms. A day in Heaven was rumored to be a year in the mortal world, so, with nothing better to do, Inari was continuously spying on their every action.Realizing she had been backed into a corner, Hitomi found herself suppressing a sigh despite appearing calm and unflustered on the outside. It was unfortunate that they couldn't contact the Goddess who had prophesied Nobu's rise. She might have been able to do something about this situation. Unfortunately, the only person Hitomi could rely on in this particular instance was Yui, and, to a lesser extent, Nobu...Deciding to entrust the future to the younger generation, Hitomi's gaze sharpened as she said, "Very well. Though we will need to discuss this matter with the other Elders, I am in support of your idea. However, for the sake of our Young Lord's future, we will need to take action to develop and promote his independence. If we begin treating him as a convenient tool to elevate the Clan, there is a very real probability all our plans will come back to bite us..."Since her impression of Nobu had improved quite a bit after their interaction, Inami was actually of a similar mind to Hitomi. She understood, better than most, how frustrating it was to be treated as someone else's pawn. Thus, even if Hitomi hadn't suggested it, she would have done everything in her power to support Nobu's growth. Rather, now that there was a chance she had his baby in her belly, the notion of replacing Yui as his guardian and fiancee had crossed her mind.........(A/N: Our boy is surprisingly popular...)

Though Inami had helped him to "clean up", the first thing Nobu did following her departure was head to the bath.As frustrating as the situation was, the thing that upset Nobu most wasn't the fact he had basically been raped. It was the fact he was powerless to really do anything about it. To make matters even worse, the girl that had snuck into his room looked like a brat. Sure, he had enjoyed himself, quite a bit actually, but, at the same time, he couldn't help feeling as though he had crossed some kind of line he shouldn't have. He felt dirty.Soaking in the hot water of the bath helped, but, even after staying in long enough that his skin had turned tender and numb, Nobu didn't feel any cleaner."I need to get stronger..."Though a shonen protagonist might have said such words with conviction and enthusiasm, Nobu spoke them with a dull, lazy, almost apathetic monotone. After all, he was already well aware of the fact he needed power. More than that, however, he needed time to accumulate it...Allowing his body to sink into the murky water, Nobu allowed himself to sink to the bottom as an urge to simply take a deep breath welled within him. The only thing that prevented him from doing so was the knowledge that he would be taking a lot more than his own life if he succeeded...Despite understanding this, Nobu still stayed submerged for well over a minute before raising his body and calling out, "Is anyone there...?" in a lazy tone.Unsurprisingly, no one answered Nobu's call. They were undoubtedly still under the suggestion that had been placed on them, so, until Yui returned, Nobu was effectively alone unless he went seeking them personally.As that thought crossed his mind, Nobu felt around until the stone tablet just magically appeared beneath his hand. He had already confirmed it was waterproof a long time ago, so, after leaning back against the side of the bath, he opened the Messenger App to see if Midori, Sachiko, or Nariko had typed anything. They were usually too distracted by their studies to freely use their tablets, but, once their training had come to an end, they would chatter away non-stop for hours on end.Though he rarely said anything himself, Nobu had always been something of a lurker when it came to discord and other kinds of chat apps. It was a lot easier to read other people's discussions than it was to contribute anything himself."Haaaaa...these little brats..."Despite his groaning, Nobu actually felt a little better after thumbing through a few hundred of the girls' messages. The messenger app was something completely new and interesting to them so they didn't even think about filtering themselves. Thus, while most of their conversation revolved around their respective studies, there was a fair amount of discussion involving him. More specifically, they talked about how great he was and how fortunate they were to have been picked up by such a kind and caring Master...Feeling a bit of sourness in his nose, Nobu set aside the stone tablet before leaning back against the warm stone with his eyes closed.........Though she was feeling more optimistic after conversing with her Grandmother, a frown marred Yui's face as she rushed down the mountain. She couldn't understand the reason, but she felt as though something terrible had taken place. Her Grandmother had always told her to trust in her instincts, so, despite nearly crashing through a tree, Yui still rushed back to the estate as fast as her feet could carry her.Finding Kiku sitting atop the gate with a bored expression on her face, Yui's morphed into one of confusion as she asked, "What are you doing?"Tilting her head to the side, Kiku asked, "I'm sharpening my blade in preparation for tonight's shift. Since I had nothing better to do, I figured I may as well keep an eye on the entrance as well."Though her expression didn't change, the pupils of Yui's eyes shrank as she asked, "Did you swap shifts with someone else?""Huh...?"Without bothering to continue the conversation, Yui bolted towards the main house like a golden blur. This sent Kiku into an alert state, but, moments later, the light in her blazing blue eyes dulled as she returned to sharpening her sword.........After failing to find Nobu in his room, Yui felt a sensation similar to millions of ants crawling across her body as she punched the floor and screamed, "Fuck!" at the top of her voice.Though she had been trained never to panic, Yui flashed through the estate like a phantom before bursting into Shizune's room. This surprised the latter quite a bit, but, before she could even shout out, Yui grabbed her by the collar, shouting, "Spread out your Shikigami! Someone has invaded the estate! Our Lord is missing...!""Y-Yui-sama...?"As someone who had been affected by Inami's charm, Shizune's mind failed to process Yui's words. This prompted the latter to perform a hip throw, slamming Shizune into the ground as she shouted, "Wake the fuck up and make yourself useful...!"Blinking back to awareness, Shizune's pupils trembled as she instinctually attempted to crawl away. All the air had been forced from her lungs, so, even though she wanted to beg for leniency, all she could do was hold her hand up in fear that Yui would strike her a second time.Fortunately, Yui quickly noticed the change in Shizune's expression. This allowed her to calm down a little as she repeated, "Nobu's missing. Someone invaded the estate and placed everyone under a suggestion. Send your Shikigami to search the premises. I'll gather the others."Though she wanted to complain about Yui's methods, Shizune just nodded her head rapidly before pulling out a dozen paper talismans and transforming them into mice. As for Yui, she had departed the moment Shizune nodded her head. She had no idea how long Nobu had been missing so they were already working against time.With this in mind, Yui's next destination was the kitchen. Cho almost never left, but, more important than that was the fact that Midori possessed one of the strange stone tablets gifted to her by Nobu. The documents he had given them mentioned something called a Messenger App that enabled the wielders of the stone tablets to instantaneously communicate with each other. If this was true, there was a chance they could use it to, at the very least, confirm whether or not Nobu was safe.Sliding open the kitchen door with enough force to shatter the bamboo frame, Yui startled the trio inside before immediately appearing next to Midori and asking, "Do you have the stone tablet our Lord gifted you?"Unable to speak, Midori just fearfully nodded her head as Yui's grip tightened on her shoulders. A layer of moisture quickly built upon the surface of her eyes, but, fearing she would get in even more trouble, Midori did her best not to cry.Realizing she had terrified the teal-haired girl, Yui did her best to appear calm as she exhaled a sigh and said, "Use it to send a message to your Master. Ask about his location and whether or not he's okay. Can you do that for me?"Nodding her head, Midori reached into her mesh-formed shorts before pulling out the stone tablet. If Nobu knew she was keeping it there, he would have undoubtedly facepalmed. He had told her to keep it somewhere safe, not to keep it in her britches...While Midori was nervously tapping away on her stone tablet, Cho voiced what she and Onihime were concerned about, asking, "Yui-sama...did something happen to our Lord?"Exhaling a second sigh, Yui shifted her attention to Onihime, asking, "Why are you here right now?"Tilting her head in confusion, Onihime was about to answer that she was helping to prepare her Master's meal. However, now that she thought about it, she had basically just been standing around the entire day. She had helped to prepare Nobu's lunch, but, after that, she had just been observing from the side.As that thought crossed her mind, Onihime's eyes transitioned from an amethyst purple to a vibrant shade of red as her long brown hair began to spread outwards in defiance of gravity. Her fingernails began to grow at a visible rate, and, though her horns were covered in paper seals, their ivory white coloration became translucent as a red glow emanated from within.Fortunately, just as Onihime was about to go on a rampage in an effort to track down her Master, Midori surprised everyone by saying, "He's in the bath."Though she had clearly heard what Midori said, Yui's expression morphed into one of disbelief as she replied, "Pardon...?"Forgetting that other people couldn't see the screen, Midori held it up as she said, "I sent Master a direct message. He said he's in the bath and that he's okay."Feeling as though her spirit had left her body, Yui collapsed against the counter as a sigh mixed with relief and exasperation escaped her throat. Onihime, however, was still in an active state, so, the moment she heard Midori's follow-up remark, she bolted from the kitchen with an inhuman speed that belied her cultivation base.Rising to her feet, Yui resisted the urge to immediately chase after Onihime. Instead, she emulated Nobu's act of patting Midori on her head, saying, "You did well..." before shifting her attention to Cho and saying, "Go and tell Shizune to stop searching. Instead, focus on making sure everyone is accounted for. If anyone is behaving strangely, feel free to knock some sense into them..."Nodding her head in affirmation, Cho grabbed the confused Midori's hand before departing the kitchen with her characteristic smile. In reality, she was just as frustrated as Onihime and Yui, but, for the sake of preserving her life for as long as possible, she did her best to remain calm. Even a mild outburst could exacerbate her symptoms and lead to catastrophic organ failure. Though a part of her was interested to see how her Lord would react, there were still quite a number of dishes she wanted to prepare for him before she even contemplated dying.Inspired by Cho's calm, Yui took a moment to collect herself before departing the kitchen with a tired look on her face. She still planned to get to the bottom of this, but, knowing Nobu was okay, most of her tensions had evaporated into thin air. As strange as it might sound, all she wanted to do at the moment was snuggle up next to him in bed. Unfortunately, after this afternoon's incident, she wasn't sure he would even want to talk to her, much less sleep together..."Haaaaa...."......Though he was a little surprised to get a DM from Midori, it was nothing compared to the surprise Nobu received when Onihime burst into the bath and practically pounced him at a full sprint. She hadn't even bothered to remove her clothes so she ended up getting soaked from top to bottom as she hugged him tightly enough to prick his chest with her horn."Holy shit woman! Calm the fuck down! I'm okay! I'm okay...!"Hearing her Master's 'command', Onihime stopped holding on to him so tightly before staring up at him with her carmine eyes. She wasn't crying but it was very clear she wanted to. This left Nobu feeling a little helpless as they hadn't even known each other that long. He simply couldn't fathom why she would be worried about him when he hadn't even done anything to make that deep of an impression on her..."Listen...it's going to be okay. Don't cry..."Despite his words, Nobu felt the same sourness in his nose that had crept upon him previously. This made him feel pathetic, so, before Onihime could respond, he drew her into a hug, gently cradling her head so she couldn't look up at him as he repeated, "It's going to be okay..."......(A/N: Poor Nobu...)

Chapter 81: Deceit and Self-Deception