After a brief rest, the group made their way into a forest thick with overgrown weeds.
A heavy scent of demon suddenly invaded both Aoyama's and Tanjiro's noses.
Their expressions changed at the same time—serious, sharp.
Zenitsu's sense of smell wasn't nearly as keen, but seeing their faces shift was enough.
"Senior Aoyama… Tanjiro… is… is something happening?"
He wasn't even sure anything was wrong yet, but his voice was already trembling.
Aoyama stopped walking and placed a hand on Zenitsu's shoulder.
"Zenitsu, don't be scared. I know you're afraid. Afraid that before you die, you'll experience the feeling of your brain being sucked out through your ears."
Zenitsu's calves cramped instantly.
They began shaking violently.
"It's fine. With me here, I definitely won't let you experience that," Aoyama promised, thumping his chest.
"Senior Aoyama…"
Zenitsu's eyes welled up with tears of gratitude—
Only for Aoyama to continue calmly:
"If you unfortunately get caught by a demon, Tanjiro and I will make sure to finish you off early. We absolutely won't let you stay alive to experience that horror."
…
Somewhere in Zenitsu's brain—
Snap.
A nerve broke clean in half.
W-What kind of reassurance was that?!
Either way he dies!!!
The deeper they went, the stronger the demon's scent became.
Tanjiro led the way, brows tightly furrowed.
What awaited them ahead?
Breaking out of the forest, they found a large house standing alone among the trees.
They stopped in front of it, not entering recklessly.
"The smell of blood is strong," Tanjiro said gravely. "Senior Brother, something's inside. The demon scent is coming from here."
"Smell? There's a smell?" Zenitsu blinked.
He cupped a hand to his ear and muttered, "Forget smell… don't you hear something?"
Tanjiro's nose was incredibly sensitive.
Zenitsu's hearing was exceptionally sharp—so sharp he could even hear emotions.
As for Aoyama, strengthened bit by bit by the system, both his senses had steadily improved.
A rustling came from the bushes behind them.
Aoyama turned first.
Two children emerged—a boy and a girl.
They were clearly terrified. The older boy clutched his younger sister tightly.
Comforting children was Tanjiro's specialty. There was something about him—an innate warmth that drew people close.
With the help of Zenitsu's sparrow, the children gradually calmed down enough to speak.
"Little ones, can you tell us what happened? Is this your house?" Tanjiro asked gently.
The boy immediately shook his head.
"N-No! This isn't our house!"
"T-This is… the monster's house!"
At that, Zenitsu collapsed backward dramatically, hands over his chest like he was about to be peacefully euthanized.
Aoyama sighed and hauled him back up by the collar.
"Oi. Are you a man? A man who wants to get married acts like this?"
At the word "marriage," Zenitsu mustered a bit of courage.
A very small bit.
About the size of a mung bean.
Maybe smaller.
The children explained in broken voices.
Their older brother had been traveling with them at night when they encountered a demon.
The demon ignored the two younger ones entirely—
And took their brother.
The children followed the trail of blood all the way here, trembling but determined.
In that regard alone—
They outclassed Zenitsu by miles.
Feeling Aoyama's gaze, Zenitsu lowered his head in shame.
But he was truly terrified, alright?!
Back during the Final Selection at Mount Fujikasane, he hadn't even wanted to go.
If not for his master slapping him more than a dozen times, he'd still be hiding somewhere safe and cozy.
"Senior Aoyama," Zenitsu whispered nervously, "put me down. I can hear… something disgusting coming from inside the house. It sounds like… drums."
Aoyama could hear it too—
Faint and intermittent.
Which meant his hearing still hadn't surpassed Zenitsu's.
"Drums? What drums?" Tanjiro turned, confused.
All he heard were rustling leaves and distant birds.
Then—
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
Clear drumbeats sounded from the upper floor of the house.
This time, everyone heard it.
Each beat made their skin crawl.
Fear seeped straight into the bones.
The drumming suddenly accelerated—
Then stopped abruptly.
In the exact second it ceased—
A blood-soaked boy was thrown from an upstairs window.
His eyes were wide, frozen in terror as his body plummeted.
"Ahhhh!!!"
The little girl screamed.
Tanjiro immediately shielded the two children with his body.
"Don't look! Don't look!"
A droplet of blood splattered onto Aoyama's outer robe—
Blooming like a crimson flower.
He stepped forward into the pooling blood and lifted the fallen boy halfway into his arms.
Blood soaked into his sleeves, staining his hands.
The boy was barely breathing.
Zenitsu hadn't fainted—
But he was extremely close.
Tanjiro rushed over.
"Are you okay?! Please, stay with us!"
The forest fell deathly still.
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