Looking at the scratches on his hands, Ibuki said without any guilt: "You were the one who caught me first, otherwise I wouldn't have caught you."

"...I just don't like how noisy you are." I grabbed Ibuki and threw it out.

Ignoring Ibuki's screams, I turned around and smiled at the insect master: "Sorry, I made you laugh."

"No...it doesn't matter...rather than that, I'd better hurry up and find the ancient cage fire..." Master Chong stood up with a pale face.

"No need to look for it, I brought him back."

As soon as the insect master heard this voice, a smile appeared on his face that was pale just now: "Ah, it's Lord Ichimuroren."

One eye even...

I also stood up, but soon, I stopped. For no other reason than because I met a pair of golden eyes. The owner of the eyes was a pink dragon, and its pink nose was vomiting.

There was some heat on my face.

"It's you..." Long said.

I blinked: "Although I'm glad to be known by a dragon, but... I really don't know you."

"As I said, she is now a half-demon cat." Ibuki crawled out from the dragon's pink mane and said lazily, "I don't recognize anyone."

Dragon originally planned to get closer, but was stopped by a voice. Dragon hesitated for a moment, but quickly left me. Ibuki jumped on my shoulders, and then jumped down again.

A young man with pink hair wearing a blue coat walked in, followed by a monster standing on a lantern, wearing a vest and a small black hat.

I was a little at a loss for a moment, but the young man smiled slightly, with a very gentle blue eye under his pink hair.

...He also has blue eyes. However, his other eye...

"I am Yimulian, a monster who lives on Qijiao Mountain." The monster named Yimulian said with a smile, "This is the Ancient Cage Fire, and this is the Insect Master."

"I...I am Azi who came with Ibuki. Since Ibuki has arrived safely, I have to leave." Looking at several monsters looking at each other, as an outsider, of course I will not forcefully blend in.

I think so.

"Then, let me take you down the mountain." Ichimuro said, as if he noticed my uneasiness, and added, "Is that okay?"

Just as I was about to nod, Ibuki interrupted and said, "Hey, little girl, don't you want to go home? Why don't you stay here today?"

"……ha?"

Ichimuro seemed to have thought of something: "By the way, there is an abandoned shrine not far from here. If you don't mind..."

"Ichimuro-sama!" the insect master suddenly said, "There is -"

The insect master didn't say any more. When he looked at me, his eyes were a little more wary.

I hurriedly shook my head and said, "No, no, I'll just go back alone. Ibuki, don't forget the reward you want to give me."

With that said, I left in a hurry.

I hate that kind of gaze. Because in those unbearable memories, these gazes seem to show that I am an alien. I am obviously not used to it, but once I am separated from it, I feel very lonely.

But where should I go at this time? I can't go back to Kyoto, so where should I go now? If I go to the Demon Field, it's not impossible... it just... it's just, how should I go?

"Hey! Azi!" Ibuki's voice came from behind.

I stopped and turned around to see Ibuki running over panting.

However, before I could react, Ibuki's cat claw slapped my face. I lost my balance and fell directly to the ground.

"Hmph! I told you not to listen to my words! It made me chase me out myself!" Ibuki stomped on my face with four paws.

I lifted Ibuki with one hand and sat up: "Didn't you see that they don't welcome me? Besides, what about me, what does it have to do with you?"

Ibuki was lifted up by me and slapped my forehead with another paw: "Are you stupid, nya! You are my guest, no matter how arrogant they are, they can't refuse my guest, nya!"

"...No matter what, it sounds so forced." I received a paw from Ibuki and felt a slight pain in my forehead.

Ibuki jumped out of my hand: "You idiot! I don't want to care about you anymore!"

As he said that, Ibuki moved his fat body, then his cat face with squinting eyes stopped at me, and then he lifted his feet and walked away.

"Speaking of which, Ibuki knows someone named Xixia, right?"

I actually didn't ignore their strange-sounding words. After all, someone had said this to me before. However, I don't know why, but I have a deep feeling of resistance to this person named Xixia. Maybe

It must be out of my envy of her... Half of the people and monsters I know have a crush on me because of Xixia.

"I've heard a little bit about her, but I still want to thank you for not mistaking me for her."

After hearing these words, Ibuki turned around again, and this time he looked a little angry.

"I want to eat dried fish!"

"Eh?" I originally thought Ibuki was listening to me. After all, it should have known Xixia before...

"Can't understand, nya? I want to eat dried fish! Now!" Ibuki turned around and ran to me, stretched her neck and said to me.

"Even if you say so, there are no dried small fish around here..."

"Meow meow... I don't care, I don't care! I want dried fish!" Ibuki fell on my lap, and her soft fur rubbed my hand, "Meow meow, I don't care..."

"..." I can't resist it at all...

I stretched out my hand and scratched Ibuki's chin: "There should be a river near here. How about I grill the fish for you?"

Ibuki slapped my hand away and stood up: "Huh, hurry up and go meow."

After searching for a while, I took Ibuki to a river. At the riverside, I used my demon power to light a fire. Maybe because it was winter, there were not many fish in the river.

Ibuki looked at the few small fish I caught: "I was too naive back then, so I believed you."

I was about to comfort it, but my stomach growled inadvertently.

I remembered that when I came out of Genji this afternoon, I had not eaten yet...

"You're right, I'm not trustworthy in the first place." I don't know if I'm reflecting on myself or laughing at myself, but my mood is slowly getting lower.

"Hey - did you encounter any difficulties?" A lively voice suddenly appeared in my ear.

I was so frightened that I sat down on the ground. Then I saw a purple-haired girl sitting on a swing held by a huge owl.

When the girl saw my appearance, she held her stomach and laughed: "Hahahaha, you look so funny."

"..." I stood up, "After all, I'm so bad."

"No! At this time, even Shanfeng can't catch fish." The girl denied me, then turned her head, "Right? Shanfeng?"

!

Only then did I realize that there was a boy wearing a wild boar skin behind the girl. The two swords in the boy's hands shone coldly in the moonlight. The boy named Shanfeng glanced at me, and as if he was perfunctory, he replied briefly.

"Hmm".

"Ah, yes, yes, I'm Xun." The girl immediately turned to look at me, and pointed to the owl beside her, "This is the owl, and that one over there is Shanfeng. What about you? What's your name?"

"

"...Azi." I was a little confused by such a strange combination. Speaking of which, is this the first time I have said my name today?

...that's not important.

"The little kitten over there must be hungry. Speaking of which, we are looking for Yimulian today, and they plan to celebrate tonight. After all, a year is almost over." Xun said, "You and I

Let’s go together! He must have a lot of delicious food there.”

"...No, no need--"

"Are you shy? Don't be shy! Are you a new monster here? Just settle down in Qijiao Mountain with peace of mind!" Xun didn't give me a chance to speak at all. "This must be the most suitable place for you to settle down."

It’s a place!”

Without waiting for me to refute, Xun took me and sat on the swing together.

Ibuki jumped up in a hurry: "It's about to take off, nya! Sit down quickly!"

Before I could react, the foot that was on the ground was already dangling in the air. I panicked and grabbed Ibuki's back paw.

"Hey! Let go of me, meow!"

"How can I do that kind of thing! Ahhh! I'm going to fall! Kaoru!"

However, Xun smiled and said, "No! The owl just thinks it's a little fun and will never leave you behind! Haha, it's so fun!"

…

"What's wrong? Do you still care about the insect master?" Kaoru asked me while eating.

"No...it's not so much that I care..." I looked at the rice ball in my hand in a daze, "it's better to say that I'm surprised...I've obviously already left, why do I have to prepare my..."

I was really surprised that I could still eat hot rice balls while sitting in the insect master's cave.

Kaoru leaned towards me and said, "That's because everyone is very gentle."

gentle?

I couldn't help but glance at Shanfeng, who was lying on the tree with us on his back. Then, I couldn't help but look at the insect master who was lighting a fire at the entrance of the cave. She seemed to have noticed my gaze and turned her head away unnaturally.

...what did I do wrong?

Xun suddenly chuckled: "Don't look at Shanfeng's fierce appearance, but he is a very gentle brother."
To be continued...