Fujino Gankuro instinctively adjusted his glasses, his elbow bumping into the burly man beside him who was snoring loudly.
The man glanced at him with displeasure, but when he noticed the unfriendly look in the thin middle-aged man's eyes, he decided not to cause trouble. After muttering irritably, he turned to the other side.
"Why are you asking about this?" he asked in confusion.
This unusual reaction did not escape the attention of the three. Shinobu Kocho sensed that she might have caught onto a clue and quickly followed up, "Mr. Fujino seems... to have quite a poor opinion of this sect?"
"Poor opinion? It's far worse than that. They're misleading people!"
"I've never personally dealt with their monks, but I've gleaned a bit from letters sent by my family."
"These people spend their days preaching nonsense like 'Living is for enjoyment, so if something feels difficult, don't do it,' or 'Don't take on the responsibilities and suffering of life. Instead, live happily with a peaceful heart.'"
"If they were merely spreading such lazy doctrines of self-abandonment, that would be bad enough. But their real goal is probably to use these ideas to attract inexperienced young people and pitiful souls trying to escape reality, persuading them to follow their leader and pursue eternal life after death!"
As a scholar, he despised these tricks of pretending to wield divine power and bewitching the minds of the people.
As a doctor, he loathed even more the claims of immortality and blissful rebirth.
Fujino's voice echoed through the swaying train carriage. Even though he wasn't speaking loudly, it still drew curious glances from nearby passengers, making him somewhat embarrassed as he calmed himself.
Frowning deeply, he made no effort to hide the disgust in his words.
"Whether they are doing it for money or to harm lives, people like that are not walking a righteous path! I advise you two to keep your distance from such things!"
Seeing his reaction, the three Demon Slayer Corps members silently confirmed one thing.
The Eternal Paradise Cult definitely had a problem.
Shinobu Kocho smiled apologetically and said softly, "Mr. Fujino, you've misunderstood. We're not planning to join that sect. We're simply gathering material."
"Gathering material?" The suspicion in Fujino's eyes did not fade.
"That's right. We're actually reporters from a small newspaper under the Ubuyashiki Company. We're conducting some field research on local folk beliefs, just trying to collect different perspectives."
Her explanation sounded perfectly natural, just like a real journalist.
Looking at the innocent girl beside her who had remained silent the entire time, and the cold young man who supposedly suffered from nightmares...
They didn't look like the kind of people escaping reality and pursuing hollow beliefs.
Fujino Gankuro's expression softened.
He pushed up his glasses, his once stern gaze relaxing slightly, even carrying a hint of understanding.
"I see... My apologies. I overreacted."
"If it's just investigative research, that's fine. But that place is filled with all sorts of unsavory things. You'd best avoid getting too deeply involved."
"And even if you wanted to investigate, it would actually be quite difficult."
"What do you mean?" Asuka asked.
Fujino explained, "Although the Eternal Paradise Cult constantly spreads their negative doctrines, they rarely develop true core believers. At most, they accept offerings from residents and consultations from worshippers."
"My family falls into that category. They don't completely believe in the sect. But you know how elders are. Once they get older, they'll believe a little bit of anything."
"Occasionally they'll host monks from the Eternal Paradise Cult."
"When the monks need something, they'll show up in town themselves. But under normal circumstances, nobody knows where their temple actually is. Even if you wanted to gather material, you'd have nowhere to go."
"Since you're doing this kind of investigation, why not come back to my hometown with me? The elders in my family have lived there for decades. They might be able to provide more concrete information. That would certainly be better than wandering around aimlessly."
The suggestion was exactly what they needed.
Asuka and Shinobu exchanged a glance. The Insect Hashira, with flawless acting ability, let gratitude shine perfectly in her eyes.
"Really? That would help us tremendously! Thank you so much, Mr. Fujino!"
Kanao's gaze silently moved across everyone's faces before returning to the rapidly retreating mountain forests outside the train window, now dyed with the rich colors of autumn.
Late autumn twilight arrived especially early.
By the time the train screeched into Nagano Station with the sound of metal grinding against rails, thick gray clouds had already pressed down, dimming the sky.
Passengers streamed toward the exit. Using the motion of adjusting her collar as cover, Shinobu Kocho deliberately slowed her pace by a few steps.
A jet-black Kasugai Crow landed silently on her raised forearm like a ghost.
She quickly relayed the information she needed to report, including the clues about the Eternal Paradise Cult mentioned by Fujino and the fact that their group would be changing their route to head for the countryside of Nagano Prefecture.
"Mr. Tomioka should be waiting at the rendezvous point at Niigata Station. Tell him to come to Nagano Station instead. We'll act together!"
"Caw!"
The crow's black eyes flashed in the dim light. With a silent beat of its wings, it vanished instantly into the vast twilight.
Asuka's gaze followed the disappearing black dot until Fujino's voice called out from ahead.
"This way, everyone."
Fujino Gankuro's relatives lived in the countryside. They had to ride a horse-drawn carriage along winding mountain roads for quite some time, which also provided a rare opportunity to enjoy the scenery.
At this moment, the glow of the setting sun spread across the mountainside, illuminating vast forests of crimson maple trees. Inspired, Fujino Gankuro suddenly recited a verse:
"The setting sun lights the deep valley,
Red leaves drift along the shallow stream,
Quietly listening as pine cones fall..."
As he spoke, he looked expectantly toward Shinobu and the others, waiting for the finishing line.
Asuka, who lacked any artistic sensibility, was completely bewildered. Shinobu Kocho pondered the poetic imagery, carefully weighing her words.
But Kanao, who had remained silent the entire time, looked at a lone wild goose flying toward the distant mountains and spoke calmly.
"Birds return to the mountains."
"Wonderful, wonderful!" Fujino Gankuro was stunned for a moment before clapping his hands and laughing. "I didn't expect the young lady to know haiku as well."
Kanao simply smiled without answering, which only made her seem even more like a literary girl.
Eventually, the carriage stopped at a fork in the road. The narrow dirt path ahead was too small for the carriage to pass.
After paying the driver, Fujino Gankuro pointed at the small path lined with towering zelkova and maple trees.
"We're here. It's just up ahead. An old house. A bit remote, but peaceful."
The path wound upward, disappearing into the deeper shadows of dense mountain forest.
The three followed Fujino onto the path. Beneath their feet was thick humus and fallen leaves, soft and silent with each step.
Suddenly, Asuka felt a chill envelop him.
It wasn't because the late autumn mountain wind was cold.
Through his spiritual pressure perception, he sensed something unsettling.
'Be careful. Something's wrong.'
He said nothing aloud, merely tapping Shinobu Kocho lightly on the back of her hand and giving her a meaningful glance.
His fingers had already rested on the hilt of the sword at his waist.
After walking for a while, Fujino pointed ahead toward the faint outline of a roof made of dark wood, partially hidden among the trees.
"Look, it's right there. Old house, like I said."
At the very moment his words fell—
A chilling aura rushed toward them, setting off alarm bells in Asuka's mind.
Asuka drew his Nichirin Blade from its sheath, the blade flashing with a deep green glow.
"Battle positions! There's a demon!"