When night fell, it became the hour of demons.
In the past, demons had never been this active after dark, but now they were far more rampant than before.
A Kasugai Crow flapped its wings through the sky, delivering news to Soma about demons attacking people ahead.
In truth, even without the crow's warning, the flames could already be seen from far away. Despite the darkness of the night, the blazing fire and rolling black smoke were impossible to miss.
Soma did not really want to get involved. He honestly did not care much about the life or death of the people here.
Besides, he was alone. Even if he ignored everything and simply left, no one would blame him for it.
Yet just as he was about to turn away, scenes suddenly surfaced in his mind—Makomo fighting with all her strength, Tanjiro refusing to give up no matter how desperate things became, and Sakonji Urokodaki…
During this time, he had seen too many Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen throw away their own lives in order to protect others. Every single one of them had struggled desperately for the sake of humanity.
Little by little, all of it had begun to affect him.
After letting out a quiet sigh, Soma still headed toward the place engulfed in flames.
Before he even got close, he heard the screams.
A demon had attacked this small mountain village and was freely treating the villagers as food, greedily devouring them.
The entire village had fallen into overwhelming terror.
People gasped for breath as they ran in panic.
A little girl in ragged clothes kept running desperately through the darkness, her small face filled with fear and grief.
Behind her, a demon strolled forward leisurely, as though enjoying a game. The corners of its mouth curled upward, revealing a bloodthirsty grin.
"Mister... run, quick!"
The moment the girl spotted Soma in the distance, she cried out anxiously. Then she immediately changed direction and fled another way.
Even though she was terrified, even though running toward Soma would have made her feel safer, she still chose another path because she did not want to bring danger to a stranger.
"Run, run all you want. The hotter your blood gets, the better you'll taste."
The demon's savage laughter echoed behind her, full of cruel delight.
The little girl had already reached her limit. It was deep into the night, and after suddenly changing direction, she failed to notice the uneven ground hidden in the darkness.
Her foot slipped.
She stumbled forward and crashed onto the ground.
It's over, I'm going to die.
The thought instantly filled her mind, and tears streamed down her face from sheer terror.
"Let me taste just what kind of flavor your flesh and blood possess."
From the darkness behind her, the demon emerged with bluish-purple skin and scarlet eyes as it lunged toward her.
"I'm going to die…"
The girl closed her eyes almost instinctively, awaiting the arrival of death.
However, the anticipated agony never occurred, nor did she feel the impact of a demon pinning her down.
This caused the girl to open her eyes involuntarily.
Standing before her, at some unknown point, a tall figure had appeared. The demon that had resembled an absolute monster in her eyes had its head cleanly severed, its entire torso collapsing limply to the ground.
That terrifying demon, a creature that seemed practically impossible to kill, had been effortlessly executed by the tall individual standing right in front of her.
For a long moment, the girl's eyes remained stretched wide in disbelief.
"It's alright now. You can go home."
Soma sheathed his blade and looked at the girl as he spoke gently.
"My family… they were all eaten by demons. I'm… the only one left now. I don't… have a home anymore."
Tears continued to flow down the girl's cheeks.
Hearing that, Soma fell silent.
"Wait here. I'll contact someone to help settle you somewhere safe."
He let out another sigh, preparing to use the Kasugai Crow to contact nearby members of the Kakushi so they could take care of the girl.
"Are you… a demon slayer?"
The girl wiped the tears from her eyes and looked up at him. Her bright eyes were filled with hope.
Recently, not only had more people begun to learn about demons, but they had also started hearing about the hunters who fought them.
More and more people now knew that when darkness fell and demons preyed upon humans, there were swordsmen who appeared in the night to slay demons and protect others.
"I guess you could say that." Soma shrugged lightly.
"Then… could you please take me in and teach me how to kill demons?"
The girl immediately dropped to her knees and bowed her head deeply before him.
It was easy to see the hatred for demons burning inside her eyes.
The happiness of her family had been destroyed by a demon, becoming a nightmare she would never be able to forget.
"Hunting demons isn't that simple," Soma said as he shook his head. "You could easily die. And sometimes, even the people you want to protect still end up dying."
"I'm not afraid of death."
The girl clenched her fists tightly, gritting her teeth.
Soma did not say anything else and simply turned to leave.
The girl remained kneeling there, biting her lip as disappointment filled her face.
"Then follow me." A calm voice drifted back from the silhouette that was gradually growing distant.
The girl froze for a moment before joy instantly spread across her face. She hurriedly wiped away her tears and quickly ran after him.
"Mister…"
She jogged to catch up.
"Don't call me mister. Someone has already called me that before."
Soma spoke without turning around.
"Yes… sir." The girl answered softly.
As she left, she turned back for one final look at the home that had been destroyed by demons and swallowed by flames. Then she immediately followed after Soma.
She was determined to learn demon slaying from this man and kill every last demon responsible for such suffering.
…
The girl's name was Yui Nagai. She was nothing more than an ordinary farmer's daughter, but after her family's happiness had been destroyed by demons hungry for blood, hatred for demons had taken root deep within her heart and pushed her onto the path of becoming a demon slayer.
As demons continued to rampage across the land, it was easy to imagine that more and more people would eventually walk the same road, driven by hatred and grief.
"If you wish to hunt malevolent demons, it is exceptionally difficult to oppose them with a frail human physique alone. Only by mastering Total Concentration Breathing can you elevate a human's physical capabilities to a level comparable to a demon, thereby granting you a fighting chance against them..."
As they traveled, Soma explained these things to her along the way.
Yui Nagai listened seriously and tried hard to remember everything, but her talent was painfully average. Like most ordinary people, she did not seem to possess the natural ability of a swordsman.
Soma did not really mind. He simply continued explaining things.
As for how much Yui could truly absorb, he didn't particularly care.
They walked along the path, their travel speed reduced considerably due to the presence of the young girl
A journey that should have originally required a single day ended up consuming two. Over the course of these two days, among the areas they traversed, three distinct villages had fallen victim to demon raids.
The sheer rampant nature of the demons was far more severe than anyone had anticipated.
Upon passing through these villages, several of the surviving residents—once they discovered his status as a swordsman of the Demon Slayer Corps—similarly begged him to teach them the skills to skay demons, carrying a deep-seated hatred as they asked to be led into battle.
Soma did not refuse them.
By the time he finally arrived at the place where Shinobu Kocho was recovering, there were already three children and five adults following behind him. All of them were people whose happiness had been destroyed by demons, and all carried hatred for demons in their hearts as they prepared to walk the path of demon slayers.
…
Following the mountain road, Soma eventually arrived at an area surrounded by blooming wisteria flowers.
This was where Shinobu Kocho was currently recovering from her injuries.
"Welcome, Mr. Soma."
A girl who had already been waiting outside quickly came forward to greet him.
She wore her hair in twin ponytails and was dressed in the standard Demon Slayer Corps uniform beneath a white medical coat.
It was Aoi Kanzaki.
With Shinobu heavily injured and Kanae Kocho constantly away hunting demons, Aoi was practically the one managing the entire Butterfly Mansion now.
Soma nodded, and under Aoi's guidance, he soon entered a room thick with the smell of medicine and alcohol.
There, he finally saw Shinobu lying on the bed.
The young woman's face was pale, and much of her body was wrapped in bandages.
Besides Shinobu, the room also contained the three little girls—Sumi, Kiyo, and Naho—who all turned to look at him at the same time.
Soma greeted them briefly.
…
Once the three girls left, only Soma and Shinobu remained in the room.
The young woman tried to force herself upright from the bed, but Soma stopped her.
"It seems Miss Shinobu is looking rather miserable right now."
Soma spoke softly.
Shinobu turned her head away, refusing to look at him as she replied in a muffled voice,
"You must find this amusing."
"I heard that this time, Shinobu was incredible. Not only did she protect a lot of people on her own, she even killed one of the Twelve Kizuki."
"It was Lower Rank Two, Rokuro."
Shinobu turned to look at him again. Even though she was covered in injuries, pride still showed clearly on her face.
After all, this had been one of the Twelve Kizuki. Even among the Lower Ranks, Rokuro had been considered one of the stronger ones. Normally, only a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps could deal with a demon of that level.
Within the Corps, there had always been an unspoken tradition—only those who had slain a member of the Twelve Kizuki could truly be acknowledged as a Hashira.
In other words, one of Shinobu's feet had already stepped into the ranks of the Hashira.
Although, compared to the others, she had not relied purely on strength. Instead, she had defeated the demon using the wisteria poison she had personally developed. But regardless of the method, it was still part of her own ability.
Looking at the girl proudly lifting her chin despite being heavily injured, Soma sincerely praised her.
"That's really impressive."
Hearing that, Shinobu's violet eyes curved into a beautiful smile.
At that moment, Aoi Kanzaki entered carrying a freshly heated bowl of medicine. Steam rose from it, and just the smell alone was enough to make someone feel its bitterness.
The moment Shinobu saw it, her brows tightly furrowed.
"I already said I won't drink medicine made by that demon."
She practically ground the words out through clenched teeth.
The medicine had all been prepared by Tamayo. In fact, when Shinobu had been gravely injured and nearly died, it was Kanae Kocho who brought Tamayo over to save her life when she had only been clinging to her last breath.
"But Miss Tamayo said this medicine is extremely effective for helping Sister Shinobu recover."
"Even if I die, I won't drink it."
Shinobu spoke angrily.
Her hatred for demons ran too deep. She simply could not accept the fact that her life had been saved by a demon. And now, her recovery depended on medicine created by one as well.
For someone who hated demons as much as Shinobu did, it was completely unacceptable.
"But—"
Aoi still wanted to persuade her.
"I'll handle it." Soma spoke gently at that moment.
Aoi looked doubtful, but she still handed the bowl over to him.
After Aoi also left the room, Soma picked up the bowl and took hold of the spoon.
"I already told you I'm not drinking it." Shinobu muttered stubbornly.
"Do me a favor."
Soma scooped up a spoonful of medicine and took a small sip himself.
"Why are you drinking it?" Shinobu could not help asking when she saw him actually taste it.
"I wanted to see how bitter it was."
Soma looked down at the bowl and sighed.
"I didn't expect it to be this bitter. No wonder Shinobu doesn't like it."
Shinobu pressed her lips together tightly as she watched him scoop up another spoonful and hold it out in front of her.
"I said I'm not drinking it."
Her voice sounded muffled and stubborn.
"Just one spoonful."
Soma smiled lightly.
"Do me this favor."
"Why should I give face to someone who talks badly about people behind their backs?" The girl muttered under her breath.
Soma felt helpless.
It seemed Shinobu really intended to remember him calling her a hobbit for the rest of her life. Her grudges were surprisingly long-lasting.
Even so, despite what she said, Shinobu still opened her mouth and drank the spoonful Soma fed her.
The bitter medicine entered her mouth, and her entire face immediately twisted in misery.
"It really is too bitter, but it can't be helped. It's for your recovery."
Soma scooped up another spoonful and gently brought it to her lips.
Shinobu lifted her eyes and glanced at him before reluctantly parting her lips again and drinking the medicine.
…
Outside the room, Aoi Kanzaki continued waiting anxiously.
She knew very well how much Shinobu hated the medicine prepared by Tamayo. Every time Aoi tried persuading her to drink it, she had to spend a long time coaxing and arguing with her.
So in Aoi's mind, there was almost no chance Shinobu would actually drink the medicine this time either.
But after waiting for a while, the protests Aoi expected from Shinobu never came.
Surprised, Aoi carefully peeked her head through the doorway, only to see Soma patiently feeding Shinobu spoonful after spoonful of medicine. The same Shinobu who normally despised the medicine so much was now quietly cooperating without resistance.
Aoi's mouth slowly fell open in shock, unable to believe what she was seeing.
Sumi, Kiyo, and Naho also secretly peeked in from the doorway. When they saw the scene inside, they were equally stunned.
"Sister Shinobu is never like this normally," Sumi muttered softly. Usually, Shinobu refused to drink any medicine prepared by Miss Tamayo no matter how much they begged.
"Why is Sister Shinobu listening to Mr. Soma so obediently?" Kiyo asked curiously as she looked up at the others beside her.
"Could it be that they…"
Naho clasped both hands in front of her chest as stars practically sparkled in her eyes.
…
Only after finishing the entire bowl of bitter medicine did Shinobu finally notice Aoi and the others secretly watching from the doorway.
For some reason, a guilty feeling suddenly rose in her heart.
A faint blush appeared on her pale cheeks, and she instinctively glanced toward Soma.
Fortunately, he was busy placing the empty bowl onto the nearby table and seemed not to have noticed anything, which made her quietly let out a sigh of relief.
After feeding Shinobu the medicine, Soma stepped out of the room.
The moment he walked outside, he noticed the awkward expressions on Aoi, Sumi, Kiyo, and Naho's faces by the door.
In truth, he had already noticed them peeking earlier, but he had not paid much attention to it.
"Where should I put this bowl?" Soma asked while looking at them.
"I-I'll take it."
Aoi with her twin ponytails quickly stepped forward and accepted the bowl. At the same time, she secretly glanced at Soma again.
He was tall, handsome, and gentle…
No wonder Sister Shinobu…
Just as Aoi's thoughts began running wild, Soma's warm voice suddenly sounded beside her, startling her badly.
"Do you have any sweets or candy? Something like that."
"Yes! We do, we do!" Aoi nodded repeatedly.
After Aoi brought over some sweets and candies, Soma took them and returned to the room once more.
Having just finished the medicine, Shinobu's mouth was still filled with bitterness. She had originally thought Soma would leave afterward, and truthfully, she had felt a little disappointed.
So she had not expected him to return so quickly.
When Soma began feeding her sweets, the sugary flavor instantly washed away the lingering bitterness in her mouth.
"I... I don't want to eat anymore."
"Open your mouth. I'll feed you."
"N-No…"
The girl tightly shut her lips.
But in the next moment, Soma simply reached out and gently pried her mouth open before placing the sweet inside.
As a result, Shinobu could only puff out her cheeks and chew stubbornly like a tiny hamster.
The sweet taste slowly spread through her mouth, down into her stomach, and even into her heart, until it felt as though she could no longer remember the bitterness of the medicine at all.
...
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