Rokuro was truly afraid.
He was Lower Rank Two. In theory, he should not have feared a Demon Slayer who was not even a Hashira.
But he was afraid.
Memories from the past surged into his mind—scenes of being looked down upon, mocked for weakness and cowardice. Those impressions had branded themselves into his very thoughts. Even after becoming a demon, he had never been able to completely erase that underlying nature.
This brat isn't human. I can't keep fighting him. I'll die!
That blade is too terrifying. If this continues, even if I manage to kill him, I'll lose half my life in the process!
"Damn it! Damn that Wind swordsman! Damn that mad dog!"
He cursed nonstop, yet his feet were already retreating.
At this moment, Rokuro only wanted to escape far away from this crazy kid—this monster who could truly devour him.
"You just wait! Next time… next time I'll tear you to pieces!"
He roared fiercely while inwardly crumbling. His body split into several dense black shadows, darting like startled rats into the darkest corner of the shrine. In an instant, they merged into the shadows.
Moments later, his presence completely vanished.
He had abandoned all his arrangements in Sendai and fled like a stray dog.
"Don't run!!"
"Pay back Arasaki-sensei's blood debt…!"
Veins throbbed on Asuka's forehead as he tried to pursue Rokuro, but his body no longer obeyed him.
He had been fighting by trading injury for injury, never realizing how severe his wounds had become.
Only by seizing Rokuro's vitality had he managed to keep forcing himself to fight. Now that Rokuro had fled far away, that stolen strength receded like a tide, and weakness rushed back in.
As time passed, excruciating pain, exhaustion, and the dizziness from blood loss mixed with a blurring field of vision, drowning his five senses like a landslide and tidal wave.
The blade Nugata let out an unwilling low hum. The light along its edge dimmed, reverting to its worn Asauchi form.
Thud.
Asuka could no longer support himself and dropped to one knee. Blood quickly pooled beneath him.
He raised his head, breathing in ragged gasps, confirming whether Rokuro had truly left.
'Still not enough… still too weak… At this rate, forget avenging that person—I can't even deal with minor characters like this!'
Trading injury for injury meant wounding the enemy a thousand while losing eight hundred of his own.
If not for Nugata's properties frightening Rokuro to the extreme, and the fact that Rokuro was fundamentally a cowardly demon, the one lying here devoured today would certainly have been him.
Asuka struggled to steady his breathing, using the bandages he carried to stanch the bleeding. His body trembled uncontrollably.
Whoosh—!
A light and swift figure, graceful as a butterfly, landed silently beside him, so fast that only a streak of purple afterimage remained.
The newcomer had deep violet eyes and wore her hair in a bun. A gentle smile habitually curved her lips.
Over the Demon Slayer uniform, she wore a haori embroidered with butterfly wing patterns that shimmered beneath the moonlight.
"Moshi moshi, are you alright?"
Her voice was soft and sweet, as natural as if discussing the weather. Her gaze swept over the wreckage of the battlefield.
"Breath of Wind… and such strong demonic aura, along with the stench of Muzan's blood. What an intense battle… Did you encounter a member of the Twelve Kizuki?"
The instant he heard her voice, Asuka instinctively tensed. But when he saw the Demon Slayer uniform, his vigilance eased.
Suppressing the pain radiating through his body, he studied the woman before him.
"Try to relax a little. If you stay so tense, your wounds will split further, and you'll bleed even more." The woman removed a small gourd from her waist and gently handed it to him. "Have some medicine. You'll feel a bit better."
"…Who are you?"
"Me?"
She brushed aside a loose strand of hair at her temple and gazed into Asuka's eyes with warmth.
"I am the Demon Slayer Corps' [Insect Hashira]—Shinobu Kocho. Does that put you at ease?"
Insect Hashira…
Asuka's taut nerves loosened slightly.
He already knew the weight carried by the title "Hashira" within the Demon Slayer Corps. It represented authority and strength.
With a Hashira here, he should be able to rest…
Asuka drank down the painkiller Shinobu handed him. His body did feel somewhat lighter. "…Why are you here?"
Facing Asuka, who neither used honorifics nor softened his cold tone, Shinobu's smile did not change. Only the corner of her brow twitched slightly as she continued smiling.
"Just like you, I received a mission regarding demon extermination in the Sendai region. It seems I arrived a bit late and left you to bear the most dangerous part alone."
She paced through the ruined shrine, observing the traces of battle. "So what rank was the Kizuki?"
"Lower Rank Two… Don't know his name."
Sitting on the ground and breathing heavily, Asuka briefly shared the results of his investigation—
Including the shadow illness, the workers' protests, and the Lower Rank demon's hunt for Harada Chuichi.
"Lower Rank Two?" Shinobu showed mild surprise, but she was more concerned about the other details. "To actually cooperate with a demon… these people…"
Her gaze drifted toward the foot of the shrine hill, where Sendai's night was clearly growing unusually noisy.
"As for the protests you mentioned, they've already erupted. Quite a commotion."
On her way here, Shinobu had noticed many residents and workers gathering in the streets, surrounding and attacking certain shops and storefronts. At the time, her focus had been entirely on demon extermination, so she had not investigated further, pursuing the trail straight to this place.
So there was a demon's scheme behind it…
Shinobu took out a small bamboo flute from her sleeve and blew a specific rhythmic sequence.
In less than half a minute, several figures in black uniforms and masks appeared like phantoms within the shrine courtyard.
The aftercare unit—Kakushi—was responsible for handling the aftermath of battles between the Demon Slayer Corps and demons.
Most of its members lacked swordsmanship talent, yet still harbored the desire to fight evil demons and save the living.
"Hashira-sama!" The leading member bowed respectfully.
"This Corps member is injured. Administer emergency treatment immediately and escort him to the nearest recovery station at top speed!" she ordered swiftly, efficient and decisive.
"Yes!"
Upon receiving the command, the members acted at once, producing a stretcher and medical kits. With practiced motions, they cleaned Asuka's wounds, set broken bones, and administered stronger medicine.
Asuka cooperated carefully while glancing at Shinobu's profile, pale and cool beneath the moonlight.
"…My mission isn't finished yet."
"It's alright. Leave the rest to me."
"Have a good rest, brave young man."
Shinobu looked down at him. The curve at her lips seemed to deepen for a fleeting moment—or perhaps it was only an illusion.
There was no warmth in her violet eyes, only a familiar distance and icy coldness that Asuka recognized.
'This woman might not be as gentle as she appears,' he thought.
Shinobu watched as the Kakushi carried Asuka swiftly into the night. The gentle mask on her face slowly faded, leaving behind only cold composure and a burning anger deep within her eyes.
One hour later, Sendai Textile Company Office.
Sasaki and several other "partners" had gathered, discussing how to handle the sudden outbreak of protests.
With Harada Chuichi attacked and the rice riots spreading across the nation in recent days, the long-simmering fury of Sendai had finally ignited. The entire city had plunged into chaos.
Enraged workers and citizens clashed violently with military police. The situation had spiraled out of control. The roar of protest nearly overturned this emerging industrial town.
Even worse, they had completely lost contact with Lord Rokuro!
"Useless! All of you useless!"
Sasaki grabbed the crystal ashtray from the desk and smashed it onto the floor. Shards flew everywhere.
"Eating my food! Taking my money! And you can't even deal with one Harada Chuichi! Look what you've done! That damn priest!"
"What should we do now? Should we just flee Sendai? Lie low until things calm down?" Rice shop owner Nakajima was terrified as well. After all, he was one of the main targets of the protests.
As the men argued endlessly—
Creak—
The heavy office door was pushed open.
Sasaki jolted in fright, his fat body nearly springing off the sofa.
"Who?! Get out! Who let you in—" His curses stopped abruptly when he saw who stood at the doorway.
An exceptionally beautiful young woman stepped inside slowly, smiling, draped in a purple haori embroidered with butterfly patterns.
"Good evening, everyone. I am Shinobu Kocho—"