Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari
----------
"Simple. Because these humans don't deserve to live."
Tomioka Giyu, who had seen the full extent of what humanity in this world was capable of, felt no sympathy for those being cut down below.
Kaito had considered the former Demon Slayer Corps members and assigned the slaughter of civilians to the monsters, with the former corps members only tasked with handling specific high-priority targets. But as subordinates of both Kaito and Rimuru, many of them felt uncomfortable receiving that kind of special treatment. It made them feel like they were less committed than the monsters.
So despite Kaito's instructions, many former Demon Slayer Corps members still took part in the slaughter. Those who couldn't bring themselves to kill their own kind were redirected to search for the Cursed Children instead.
"Why? Aren't you human too?"
"There's no why."
Tomioka Giyu, done wasting words, raised his nichirin blade and said flatly:
"Surrender or die."
"Don't get cocky!"
"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"
"Clang!" "Clang!"
Nagisawa Shouma fired off several shots, but every one was knocked aside by the nichirin blade. Looking at Tomioka Giyu, whose expression hadn't shifted even slightly, the dread in his chest shot to its peak.
"Fuse Midori, help me take him down!"
"Hmm… I really want to, but I don't think I can right now."
Nagisawa Shouma, waiting for Fuse Midori to provide covering fire, heard only her small, quiet voice instead.
He spun toward the sound and saw a blade held flat against Fuse Midori's neck. The one holding it was the panting young man from before.
"Ah… I really don't want to hurt anyone, but these are Kaito-sama's orders, so I have to see them through."
Tanjiro held Fuse Midori in place and said it to Nagisawa Shouma with an apologetic edge in his voice.
"Little girl, as long as you stay still, I promise you won't be hurt at all."
Tanjiro said gently, speaking directly to Fuse Midori.
Without a moment's hesitation, Fuse Midori let the sniper rifle drop from her hands.
Tanjiro blinked, caught off guard.
"You trust me that much?"
"I can feel it. You don't have any killing intent toward me. I don't understand why you're out there slaughtering adults, but I know you won't hurt me."
"Your instincts are pretty sharp."
Hearing her soft words, Tanjiro found himself thinking of his sister, and wondered how Nezuko was getting along with school.
"Damn it! I'm on my own here!"
Just as Nagisawa Shouma was desperately scanning for an escape route, a voice cut through the air:
[Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash!]
And then he felt nothing.
Tomioka Giyu looked at the body in front of him, expression unchanged, then turned to Tanjiro.
"Take the girl. Let's move. There are still other places to handle."
"Yes, Giyu-san! Come on, little girl."
"Okay."
In the conference room, Kaito watched the three on the rooftop through the water mirror and felt a jolt of excitement at the sight of the white-haired girl in the witch hat.
'Wow! Fuse Midori! A white-haired cat-eared loli! She's an absolute treasure!'
[Host's current behavior is highly dangerous. Caution advised. The divine beast may take disciplinary action.]
'Tch! (╬￣皿￣)'
Setting Kaito and his periodic episodes aside, Satomi Rentaro had just made it back into the city. He stared at the chaos unfolding around him, Orcs tearing through the streets, people screaming and running, and felt a deep, hollow confusion settle into his chest.
'What am I even supposed to do here?'
"Rentaro! Come with me, now!"
Just as Satomi Rentaro stood there lost, a sharp female voice snapped him out of it.
"Kisara!"
It was Tendo Kisara, president of Tendo Civil Security and his childhood friend. Her life's goal had always been to kill the members of the Tendo family who had murdered her parents. From that angle, Kaito had done her the greatest favor imaginable, since the current head of the Tendo family had already been left as a corpse by Kaito's hand.
"Where are we going?!"
"Don't ask, just move! Do you want to stand here and get killed by those things?"
Satomi Rentaro said nothing more, letting Tendo Kisara pull him by the arm as they ran.
They kept running until they arrived at a large mansion. The characters "Tendo" were carved clearly into the main gate.
"Why did you bring me here?"
A fierce killing intent flashed through Tendo Kisara's eyes. Her voice came out almost frantic.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance! The whole city is in chaos, it's the perfect cover for my revenge! Every last member of the Tendo family deserves to die!"
She drew her sword and moved to rush in. Satomi Rentaro grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
"Don't! If you go in there right now, you're walking to your death!"
Tendo Kisara wrenched her arm free and spun on him, furious.
"I brought you here to help me, not to stop me! This is my only chance! Do you understand?!"
Looking at Tendo Kisara in her frenzy, Satomi Rentaro felt a quiet, heavy failure settle over him.
He couldn't change anything. Not the lives of the Cursed Children, not Kisara's obsession with revenge, not even Enju's schooling problem.
'Have I really been this useless all along?'
"The useless should clear out."
Both Tendo Kisara and Satomi Rentaro snapped toward the figures who had appeared in front of them without a sound.
"Who are you?! What are you doing here?! Are you assassins from the Tendo family?!"
"Hardly. We are the Kurayami, Rimuru-sama's covert unit, operating under the command of Kaito-sama."
"Our purpose here is to wipe out the Tendo family entirely."
Souei, dressed in dark blue, his expression cold and composed, said it without inflection.
"Really? You're actually here to destroy the Tendo family?!"
Tendo Kisara's eyes went wide, something close to joy breaking across her face.
"That's none of your concern. If you don't want to die, get out of here."
With that, Souei led Souka and the others through the Tendo mansion gates. Within moments, screams began echoing from inside.
"Who are you people?! Don't kill me! Aah!"
"You dare?! Our family head is a government aide! Aaah!"
"Please, spare him, he's just a child!"
"Pfft!"
A single clean slash, and father and son crumpled to the ground together. Souei said it without a trace of emotion:
"Kaito-sama's orders. Leave no one alive."
"Move."
Tokyo Area · Plains Camp outside the Monolith
"So much food!"
"Can we really eat all of this?!"
The girls who had just arrived at the camp stared at the spread laid out before them, eyes wide, lips moving on their own.
"Of course. All of it was prepared for you. Eat as much as you like."
Kanae Kocho said warmly to the crowd of girls in front of her.
"Oh, I brought someone with me. Someone you should recognize! Ririka-chan!"
Matsuzaki looked at Ririka as she stepped out from behind Kanae Kocho, and his face broke into surprise.
"It's really you! How have you been, Ririka?"
Ririka looked at the familiar faces in front of her, and with tears already forming in her eyes, she called out loud:
"Yes! I'm doing really well now, Elder, everyone…"