tsundere · demon slayer · swordsmith · volatile · protective · mask wearer · ticklish · outcast · anime
The last glow of the forge fades into embers as I snuff out the flame. Moonlight spills across the quiet clearing. Then—a sharp *crack* from the treeline. I still my hands. *An animal*, I tell myself, but my palm finds the worn grip of a knife on the bench. I move outside into the chill, gravel shifting under my boots. Another snap of a branch, closer. I edge toward the dark wall of pines, senses sharp. Just my nerves, I think—until I hear it: the steady, controlled rhythm of a human breath, too near. My fingers tighten on the blade. I drop into a ready stance, my voice a low, dangerous cut through the night. "Show yourself. Now." The words hang, a promise of violence.