Disclaimer: Demon Slayer is not mine. This fanfic is a translation.
Enjoy Reading!
---
-Location: Gyomei's Residence-
"I'm sorry to trouble you both..."
Gyomei stood at the entrance, his face streaked with tears as he turned to speak to those behind him.
Chachamaru stared at Himejima's ankle, hidden while lurking in the garden grass, listening to their conversation.
"Don't worry, Himejima-sensei." Sayo nodded confidently, a smile lifting her lips as she patted her chest.
"While you're away on your mission, Senjuro and I will definitely keep an eye on things here!"
"Huh, I have to help too?" Senjuro's timid voice came from nearby.
"Haha, it's fine!"
Ignoring Senjuro's weak protest, Sayo agreed without hesitation.
She laughed and wrapped an arm around Senjuro's neck, seeming much more cheerful than before.
"...Really... thank you."
Gyomei nodded, then, looking back repeatedly, picked up his Nichirin Weapon and walked out the gate with a worried expression.
Crouching in the grass, Chachamaru's eyes gleamed as it waited for a while.
Its chance to escape is now.
Previously, Gyomei had watched him so strictly that there was no opportunity to slip away.
"Meow!"
Amidst Sayo's surprised look, Chachamaru stood up from the grass, hunching his shoulders.
His determined feline form aimed at the wall.
With a leap of his limbs, Chachamaru nimbly climbed onto the wall.
"Wait! Little cat!" Sayo was stunned, then quickly reached out, shouting towards the cat.
"Meow." Chachamaru's golden eyes glanced back at Sayo, then he shook the small pack on his back.
Lowering his head, he carefully sniffed the air.
Glancing sideways, he dashed off along the top of the wall in a certain direction.
He had already memorized the location of the Butterfly Mansion and the scent of Tanjuro.
Seeing Chachamaru leave without looking back.
"...Ah." Sayo extended her hand, her gaze fixed, her body slowly stiffening in place. "He ran away..."
Her eyes gradually losing focus, the corners growing red, she murmured softly.
"...No way... My promise..."
Senjuro stood beside her, patting her back comfortingly.
---
-Location: Butterfly Mansion-
"Welcome back, Shinobu-sama!"
The Kakushi spoke cheerfully to the travel-worn Shinobu and the others, taking their luggage with smiles.
"Kanao-sama, I'll take that..." A Kakushi smiled, reaching out to receive the item.
"Mm." Kanao nodded with a smile.
Thump.
The Kakushi suddenly found a tightly bound, bald man in their arms.
"??"
Maintaining their smile, they hesitated for a moment, looking at Kanao's polite smile as she handed the person over.
Looking down, they met the gaze of the bald cultist, whose face was numb and eyes brimming with tears.
"...A human?"
They recalled that Shinobu-sama's trip this time was supposed to be for purchasing medicine.
The Kakushi fell into deep thought.
Kyojuro saw Shinobu had finally came back from her errands. His eyes lit up.
His flame-tipped hair emerged from the shadow of the eaves, swaying faintly in the sunlight.
"Shinobu-san has returned!"
"In that case, I should also—"
Kyojuro stood up, looking straight ahead, drawing out his final syllable. His clear, crimson, flame-like eyes shifted slightly.
he looked expectantly at Tanjuro beside him while smiling emphatically.
"Hmm!" His eyes were full of the meaning, 'Let me join the mission!'
Tanjuro didn't answer Kyojuro immediately. He looked back at the letter.
In the letter,
The final sentence was written by Giyu.
[According to a Kakushi's description, the demon near the town is likely Upper Moon Two.
There are no available Hashira near my post. Please arrive as soon as possible.
Urgent.]
After reading the last word.
Tanjuro slowly lowered the letter paper, his gaze turning to the garden.
The three Butterfly Mansion members, having unloaded their luggage, talked briefly. In the end, Shinobu decided to have the less experienced Aoi interrogate the cultist.
And so.
"If you tell me everything obediently, you'll be fine." The girl's timid, yet persistent voice rang out.
"If you understand." Aoi crouched before the bald cultist, her gaze firm. "I'll start asking."
"Eternal Paradise Faith, how many believers are there currently?"
"What is your leader's name?" Aoi held a piece of paper.
"What is the purpose of the sudden large-scale recruitment of believers?"
The bald cultist slumped against the tree root, his limbs still bound, his eyes downcast. He moved his parched lips but remained silent.
This kind of soft interrogation was useless.
"Eternal Paradise Faith..." Tanjuro slowly withdrew his gaze, his brow furrowing slightly.
His hearing was excellent, he could clearly hear the whispers even from across half the garden.
After eavesdropping for a moment, Tanjuro learned what Shinobu had gained from her trip.
He now had clues about the current Upper Moon One, Doma.
He looked down at the letter in his hand.
On one side, a clue; on the other, a confirmed location.
Tanjuro thought about it and looked up.
At the same time, Kyojuro, who had been patiently waiting, seemed unable to hold back any longer.
"Kamado-san!" He spoke directly.
"Let's go on a mission together!" Kyojuro's eyes gleamed, his thick, dark eyebrows shooting up.
Since their last mission, he had been constantly honing his swordsmanship, and his father had also started teaching him again.
He desperately wanted to verify the results of his efforts.
"This time, it's likely an Upper Rank."
Tanjuro looked at Kyojuro, who had raised a clenched fist, and reminded him. "The number of Hashira available isn't enough either."
"All the better!" Kyojuro laughed heartily in reply.
Having been the eldest son since childhood, he had always been taught by his mother.
The strong should naturally protect those around him.
...
30-ish minutes passed.
"I'll go see how Aoi is doing."
Shinobu smiled as she walked through the garden, glancing at the spot where Tanjuro and Kyojuro had been sitting.
Their figures had vanished, but on the floorboards there lie a piece of paper.
Curious, Shinobu walked over lightly.
Picking it up, her eyes scanned it, and she unconsciously murmured aloud. "Don't act alone?"
Shinobu was taken aback.
"Kyaaahh!!"
Aoi's terrified scream suddenly rang out, startling Shinobu to pay attention to her.
"Why is there a wild boar in the yard!?"
"Eek!" Aoi stared in horror at the bush before her, stumbling backward in fright.
Inosuke burst out from the bush, storming over to stand before Aoi. White steam puffed from his boar snout.
He suddenly raised a hand, pointing at Aoi with the frustration of a disappointed mentor. "You idiot!!"
Veins bulged on the boar head's forehead, his muscles tensed.
Inosuke, who had been crouching in the bush all along, had heard Aoi's entire interrogation from start to finish.
Never having seen such a tedious process, he had grown incredibly impatient and angry on the spot.
"Ehh!?" Aoi was terrified. Suddenly hearing a wild boar speak made her face even paler.
Her bloodless lips trembled. She covered her mouth in disbelief, her eyes gradually glazing over.
"...A boar...can talked...?"
She murmured to herself.
Poke!
Inosuke pressed two fingers together and forcefully jabbed them into the bald cultist's face, but his glare remained fixed on Aoi.
"Watch closely!"
Poke! Poke!
He poked back and forth with force, clenching his other fist in frustration, angrily scolding Aoi.
"If you want someone to answer you, this is how you do it!!"
As he spoke.
Slap!
Inosuke grabbed the cultist by the collar. His muscles bulged as he hoisted the man off the ground with one hand.
The boar head loomed close, its snout pressing against the terrified cultist's face.
"Bastard! Whatever 'Paradise' stuff, tell me everything you know!"
"Or I'll kill you!" His tone dropped menacingly.
"Kkh... hhk!" The cultist dangled in the air, face ashen, staring in horror at Inosuke who held him.
His legs trembled; he stammered, unable to speak.
Seeing this, Aoi quickly reached out, frantically trying to push Inosuke away.
Whoosh!
Inosuke abruptly shot out a hand, blocking Aoi.
His hand gripping the cultist tightened gradually, shifting to choke his neck.
The cultist's eyes rolled back, his expression one of pure terror. His hands feebly slapped at Inosuke as he struggled, forcing words from his throat.
"...Do... Doma!"
"...The leader's name...is Doma!"
Thud!
Inosuke released his grip. The oxygen-deprived, limp cultist crashed to the ground, collapsing weakly.
Leaning against the tree root, his bound hands clutching his neck, he gasped for air.
He looked back at Inosuke with lingering fear.
This guy could genuinely kill him.
"Hmph. See?" Inosuke crossed his arms, looking down at Aoi, who was bending to check on the cultist. His boar snout tilted up proudly.
"Learn anything, idiot?" Inosuke thought smugly.
'If I run into that long-haired trash-talker again, I won't lose this time! Hahaha!'
"You!" Aoi checked the cultist's condition, then looked at Inosuke with surprise.
Having calmed down, Aoi realized Inosuke was just a person wearing a boar mask.
But...
Her look was one of deep puzzlement.
How could someone so rude be at the Butterfly Mansion?
When Aoi looked for Inosuke again.
He was already humming and hawing, bare-chested, walking away.
"Weird guy."
However, thanks to Inosuke's outburst,
The questions Aoi asked afterward were all answered in great detail by the now-compliant cultist.
Soon.
Aoi's paper was densely filled with information about the Eternal Paradise Faith.
"...Next, questions from Shinobu-nee."
Aoi sat before the cultist, flipping through her notes, scanning the text as she read aloud. "Does your leader have white-silvery hair, with the top looking like it's splashed with blood?"
"Does he always smile serenely, speaking in a calm and gentle manner?"
"His weapon, is it sharp bronze fans?"
The cultist nodded weakly, listlessly.
Before Aoi could response, another voice cut in; much sharper than her.
"What number is written in that guy's eyes?"
At some point, Shinobu had silently walked behind Aoi, her expression grim as she listened to the interrogation's end.
Hearing this, the cultist struggled to lift his heavy eyelids, his lips quivering slightly.
"...One."
His voice was hoarse.
"...Upper Moon."
Shinobu slowly raised her head.
The hand hidden beneath the wide sleeve of her butterfly haori was clenched so tightly it trembled with rage.
---
One day later.
The sun was gradually setting in the west.
In the nameless town where Akaza resided.
Thud!
A shadow flashed through an area touched by the faint sunlight. He slammed his feet against the ground, running at tremendous speed.
A figure in a split-patterned haori chased after him.
Click.
He held his blue-tinged blade horizontally at his side.
)—Water Breathing Third Form!—(
)—Ryūryū Mai!—(
Whoosh!
A wave pattern, like a ukiyo-e print, curled up from the blade, rushing forward swiftly.
"Hah!" Giyu exhaled white steam, dragging the blade's wide, using his sword technique and Breathing to accelerate and maneuver.
He had been chasing this demon relentlessly since discovering it during the day.
But its speed was simply too great; he couldn't catch up.
'Why is it running?'
Giyu felt confused.
His eyes never leaves the demon form.
The open-chested short coat, the sturdy combat hakama, the beads around its ankles, and the striped tattoos all over its body.
Identical to the demon in the evidence photo.
"...Damn it!" Hakuji (Akaza) gritted his teeth as he ran wildly. He glanced sideways at Giyu, who was relentlessly pursuing him.
Muzan-sama had ordered him not to engage in battle.
Yes, he believed that his inability to throw a punch the night before last was Muzan-sama preventing him.
This made Hakuji, a natural-born battle maniac, feel incredibly frustrated.
That guy behind him was strong, Hakuji could sense it. The fighting spirit emanating from him was overflowing!
But!
He couldn't fight!
Amidst this pent-up irritation.
He twisted his head and suddenly shouted back.
"I'm not afraid of you! I'm not running away!"
For him, who craved honorable, fair fights, running away was shameful, something only weaklings did.
Giyu was momentarily taken aback by the demon confession.
"Then why are you running?" He asked flatly.
"Ha!?" Hakuji's eyes blazed with anger. "I'm not!"
He leaped across several rooftops, quickly widening the gap.
Giyu watched Hakuji's never-stopping feet and fell silent.
Bang!
A flash of flame-like light leaped onto the rooftop ahead of Hakuji, hurtling forward in a straight line.
Rushing toward him fast.
[Flame Breathing·Fifth Form]
)—Flame Breathing Fifth Form!—(
)—Enko!—(
Whoosh!
Kyojuro thrust in from directly in front of Hakuji, his blade already raised high for a descending slash.
'Another one!'
Hakuji's eyes widened. The fighting spirit emanating from Kyojuro blazed like a roaring flame.
'And I still couldn't fight!'
"Annoying!" He stomped his foot hard on the roof, twisting his body, dodging the attack and dashing off at a right angle to both of them!
No longer hesitating over whether to fight, Hakuji cut off all thought of it, sprinting away at a speed impossible for humans!
However.
Tanjuro landed directly in front of Hakuji's path.
He lowered his blade, standing calmly on the ridge of a roof. His dark crimson eyes stared straight at the oncoming Hakuji.
Bang!
Hakuji slammed his feet onto the roof, kicking up a cloud of dust and sending dirt and pebbles flying everywhere.