Inside the dim, winding cave, the air was cold and heavy.
Soma stood quietly in the darkness, a blade gripped firmly in his hand. His crimson eyes stared toward the distant entrance—toward the light he instinctively feared.
Opposite him stood a group of swordsmen whose duty was to protect humanity and purge demons like him.
One of them had already taken out a small bundle of incense and lit it. Soon, the faint scent of wisteria flowers began to drift through the air.
The moment the smell reached him, Soma felt a surge of nausea.
His stomach churned violently, and a creeping weakness began to spread through his limbs.
He pressed his lips together and forced the discomfort down, suppressing the urge to vomit.
Even so, he didn't move.
He simply stood there, holding his sword, silently watching the Demon Slayer swordsmen. And watching the unconscious child they carried.
His gaze lingered on Kanao for a long moment.
Then, without hesitation, he turned around and walked deeper into the darkness of the cave.
...
Seeing the demon retreat into the depths, Furukawa Hiroshi glanced at the swordsman holding the girl.
"You stay here."
"I—"
The man looked reluctant to remain behind, but Furukawa waved his hand decisively.
"The rest of you, follow me."
Without another word, he charged straight into the cave.
Moving suddenly from bright daylight into darkness made his vision blur for a moment. Instinctively, he raised his Nichirin Sword before his chest, body tense and ready for an ambush.
But the attack he expected never came.
Narrowing his eyes as they slowly adjusted to the darkness, he surveyed the cave by the faint glow of a small campfire burning inside.
The place looked… lived in.
Blankets, utensils, a few scattered belongings.
It was clear the demon had been residing here for quite some time.
As Furukawa advanced, the other six swordsmen followed closely behind, scanning their surroundings with held breath.
Yet the demon was nowhere to be seen.
"Stay sharp," Furukawa warned quietly as he stepped forward.
Tap.
His foot stepped on something, producing a hollow, drum-like sound.
While still keeping watch of the surroundings, Furukawa Hiroshi glanced downward.
On the ground lay a small toy drum—a den-den daiko, the kind children played with.
Painted on its surface was a cute little girl's face.
It looked vaguely similar to the child they had knocked unconscious outside.
Furukawa narrowed his eyes.
"A demon… making toys for a child?"
Before he could think further—
Clatter.
A faint noise echoed from deeper inside the cave.
Furukawa reacted instantly, rushing forward with blade raised.
The other swordsmen followed closely behind.
But just as the last swordsman rounded the fork in the tunnel—
The demon dropped silently from the rock wall above.
A blazing red blade flashed through the air as it slashed toward the man's back.
The swordsman reacted quickly. In a split second, he spun around and raised his weapon, activating his Breathing Technique.
CLANG!
Steel collided with steel, sending sparks flying in every direction.
But the demon's strength was overwhelming.
Even with his Breathing Technique active, the swordsman let out a muffled grunt as the force pushed him backward several steps.
Before he could regain his footing—
And before the other swordsmen could rush to help—
The demon was already upon him like a shadow.
Gripping the sword with both hands, Soma thrust forward like lightning.
SHNK!
The blade pierced through the man's chest as easily as if it were paper.
The tip burst out from his right side before being pulled free in one smooth motion.
The dying swordsman's eyes widened in shock.
Blood spilled from his lips.
Yet even as life rapidly drained from his body, his gaze hardened with desperate resolve.
In the final seconds before death, he lunged forward and wrapped his arms tightly around the demon.
Even if it cost him his life, he would restrain it—if only for a moment—to give his comrades the chance to strike.
"Now!" he cried hoarsely.
At the same instant, the nearest swordsman roared in fury, ignoring his own safety as he swung his blade toward the demon's neck.
The demon wrenched himself free from the dying swordsman's grasp while raising his blade to block the incoming strike.
At that same moment, two more swordsmen rushed back to assist, closing in from both sides. Steel flashed.
One of them swung his blade down onto the demon's right leg, severing it almost instantly.
The other struck at the demon's left arm, cutting it clean off in a single blow.
The cave passage was narrow. Because of the cramped space, Furukawa Hiroshi and another swordsman were blocked behind their comrades and couldn't join the attack immediately.
The demon used his remaining arm to deflect the blade aimed at his throat.
At the same time, with only one leg left, he tore himself free from the dying swordsman's grip. As he fell, his remaining right hand swept down, grabbing his severed leg and arm.
With a powerful push from his remaining foot, he kicked off the ground.
The force sent his body sliding across the stone floor toward another tunnel in the cave.
"Whoosh—!"
The swordsman who had just swung at the demon's neck immediately hurled his Nichirin Sword.
The sword shot forward like an arrow, plunging into the demon's back and piercing straight through his chest.
Yet the demon barely seemed to notice.
He pressed the severed limb and leg back against the wounds. The flesh at the cuts began writhing and reconnecting almost instantly.
The reattached limbs still looked stiff and unnatural—but they were already functional enough for him to move again.
The swordsman who had thrown his blade crouched down to check on their fallen comrade.
Meanwhile, the two who had severed the demon's limbs immediately rushed forward in pursuit.
With the space now cleared, Furukawa Hiroshi sprang forward as well, overtaking them in a heartbeat. He rushed ahead and brought his blade down in a savage strike.
The final swordsman followed closely behind, weapon ready to assist at any moment.
The demon narrowed his eyes.
He raised his sword to block.
Then, with a powerful counterstrike, he forced Furukawa Hiroshi backward—
—but at that same moment, two blades thrust forward from both sides.
Both pierced through the demon's chest, one on each side.
"Cough…!"
Blood spilled from the demon's mouth as he coughed violently.
His body staggered backward, retreating rapidly. As he moved, the two swords were ripped free from his body, and crimson blood sprayed from the wounds left behind.
Finally, he retreated into a narrow mountain passage—so tight that it could barely fit a single person.
There, the demon stopped.
Furukawa Hiroshi halted as well, staring at the figure standing within the cramped tunnel.
He didn't attack immediately.
The two swordsmen beside him lowered their blades as well, glaring at the demon with murderous fury radiating from their bodies.
For a moment, both sides stood there, breathing heavily.
Furukawa Hiroshi had stopped not out of mercy—but because the passage was too narrow. Only one person could fight at a time there, making coordinated attacks impossible.
For the Demon Slayer Corps, demon hunting was never meant to be fought alone.
"Haah…" Soma, now breathing heavily, let out a long breath.
Sword in hand, he stared coldly at the group of swordsmen before him.
Pain tore through his body from the many wounds he had suffered. Yet he remained silent, standing calmly in the cramped tunnel.
His crimson eyes simply watched the Demon Slayers who wished to sever his neck.
"Captain… Ryota is dead."
A voice filled with grief came from behind Furukawa Hiroshi.
The words made Furukawa's eyes turn bloodshot.
Ryota was the companion who had been ambushed first.
"You deserve to die." Furukawa ground his teeth, glaring at the demon with pure hatred.
Soma simply lifted his crimson eyes and looked quietly at the swordsman before him.
His fingers gently brushed along the edge of his blade.
"Can you decide whether I live or die?"
The demon's voice was soft.
His eyes lowered slightly.
"You want me dead…So does that mean I must die?"
...
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