"Showing off is fun!" And he can imagine Koumyou's smile, Koumyou's laugh if he was his usual self and Devero carried him off on his back, and that's fun too.

Killing pets is not fun. Devero squeezes Koumyou tight, his expression drawn. "You won't have to kill it," he says firmly. "We'll figure out a way to handle it even if it's awake and mad."

Blind optimism? Absolutely. But if he has to wrestle a demon cat with his bare hands to keep his Sanzo's day from getting worse, he will.