A ray of morning light pierced through the clouds and slipped through the window into the room. Before the sunlight could fully fill the space, Soma had already crawled beneath the bed and hidden inside the pit he had dug.
Following her uncle's earlier instructions, Kanao Tsuyuri climbed onto the bed.
The bedding was clean and white, soft to the touch, faintly carrying the fresh scent of soapberry.
For Kanao, who at home could only sleep on prickly straw, lying on such a soft bed felt unreal. She found it hard to suddenly adapt to everything, and a strange sense of unease welled up inside her.
But when she thought of her uncle still being nearby, she felt inexplicably reassured.
Drowsiness soon overcame her. Her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and before she knew it, she had drifted into sleep.
...
Not far outside the city.
Several members of the Kakushi had begun tracking the demon's trail before sunrise. Now, following those traces, they had arrived here.
At this point, the demon's footprints completely disappeared.
"They're gone…"
After searching carefully for quite some time and confirming that the tracks ended here, it was clear that the demon had likely stopped running at full speed upon reaching this spot. Without the heavy force of rapid footsteps, the marks left behind would be no different from those of an ordinary person, making further tracking impossible.
Unable to continue, the Kakushi immediately sent word back.
Soon, Hiroshi Furukawa arrived. Standing at the spot where the footprints vanished, he listened to the Kakushi's report and lifted his gaze toward the city ahead.
It was a bustling large town. Though dawn had just broken, many people were already gathered at the gates, travelers coming and going.
"So it hid in the city… This will be troublesome."
Hiroshi Furukawa frowned. The town was too lively. If a demon disguised itself as a human and slipped inside, it would be like a drop of water falling into a river—drawing no attention at all.
"Can we find out who entered the city last night?" he asked the Kakushi beside him.
"That would be extremely difficult. Too many people enter the city every day. There's no way to check them all," the Kakushi replied, shaking his head. Although the Demon Slayer Corps had its own intelligence network, such investigations would require official authority and vast manpower—something even the government would struggle with, let alone the Corps, which wasn't officially recognized.
"Captain, what should we do then?" One of the swordsmen accompanying Hiroshi Furukawa asked irritably.
Furukawa's brow remained furrowed, but he said firmly, "Those cruel demons can't completely conceal their traces. They're not human, and they cannot stand the light. We'll find a way to uncover them."
"Damn filthy demons," the swordsman cursed. "Why can't they just obediently let us cut off their heads with our Nichirin Swords?"
Hiroshi Furukawa looked toward the bustling city and continued instructing the Kakushi, "You'll have to trouble yourselves further. Send more people to investigate throughout the city—especially the sewers, basements, and any places that sunlight cannot reach during the day."
"No problem." The Kakushi nodded.
"And starting today, closely monitor any reports of missing persons. If anyone goes missing, thoroughly search all dark areas in the vicinity that sunlight cannot reach."
Hiroshi Furukawa rested his hand on the hilt of his Nichirin Sword. "These man-eating demons cannot resist their craving for flesh and blood. Sooner or later, they'll reveal themselves."
"Understood."
The Kakushi quickly withdrew.
Hiroshi Furukawa turned to his companions. "From here on, we'll remain in this city—until we slay this demon."
"No problem, Captain."
One of the swordsmen answered immediately, and the others nodded as well.
"Everyone continue resting. Conserve your strength in case we discover the demon tonight."
...
When the sun hung high in the center of the sky and the daylight was at its strongest, Kanao Tsuyuri, who had slept for half the day, slowly woke up.
What greeted her eyes was a clean room. Warm sunlight streamed through the window, filling the space with a gentle glow.
She couldn't help but stretch out her hand.
She could feel the warmth within it.
In the past, she would have loved this warm sunlight. But now, she felt a faint sense of dislike toward it. Sunlight was something her uncle disliked—so much so that he had to hide underground because of it.
Kanao leaned over the edge of the bed and peered underneath. Beneath the wooden cover, her uncle lay in the darkness against the cold ground.
She felt a strong urge to go down there and stay by his side. It might be cold and damp down there, far from the soft blankets and warmth of the bed... but that was where her uncle was.
"Are you awake?" a gentle voice drifted from beneath the boards.
"Mm."
Kanao nodded, immediately jumping off the bed. She crawled under it and lay beside the wooden board that covered the pit.
"Are you hungry? If you are, go outside and get some food from the innkeeper."
"I'm not hungry," Kanao replied softly.
Grumble...
No sooner had she spoken than her stomach let out a small growl.
"You say you aren't hungry, yet your stomach says otherwise."
Lying on the cold floor of the pit, Soma couldn't help but laugh. "Go out and get something to eat. Remember to lock the door behind you."
"Okay."
Kanao was obedient. Though she still wanted to stay and keep him company, she crawled out from under the bed and headed outside.
Following her uncle's instructions, she closed the door behind her and went to the inn's front counter.
Having been informed in advance, the landlady knew she had come to collect food and smiled kindly. "Hold on a moment, little girl. I'll bring it out from the kitchen for you."
When she returned, she handed Kanao a tray filled with food and asked curiously, "Why doesn't your guardian come to fetch it himself?"
Kanao lifted her eyes slightly but said nothing. She simply turned and carried the tray back to the room, closing the door behind her.
The landlady rubbed her nose awkwardly, then returned to the counter.
After shutting the door, Kanao immediately carried the tray under the bed. The aroma of the food made her throat involuntarily swallow, but she didn't start eating.
"Go ahead and eat," Soma said gently from beneath the wooden board, sensing her hesitation.
"Uncle should eat too… okay?"
Though she very much wanted to eat, Kanao didn't touch the food.
"I won't eat," Soma replied.
"But Uncle hasn't eaten at all. Won't you feel uncomfortable?" Kanao bit her lip lightly.
"My food isn't this. Eating that would be useless for me."
In the pitch-black pit, Soma shook his head again.
"Then… what is Uncle's food?"
This wasn't the first time Kanao had asked this question.
But inside the dark pit, Soma remained silent.