The moment the shadow fled, Aoyama gave chase with Nezuko at his side.
His sharpened sense of smell had already caught the stench of a demon.
The town's lively harmony—
Was nothing but a mask.
Beneath it, something rotten lurked.
They left the bustling marketplace behind, following the faint demonic scent.
And just like that—
The noisy streets fell silent.
Pedestrians hurried home.
Shops slammed their doors shut.
From a dark alley, a sedan chair was carried slowly onto the now-empty street.
Suddenly—
Blood splattered across the inside of the curtain.
Everything happened too fast.
The woman inside didn't even have time to scream before her chest was ripped open.
Her eyes remained wide in death.
Inside the sedan chair—
The sound of chewing flesh echoed softly.
The men carrying it walked on, expressionless.
As if they saw nothing.
Heard nothing.
Smelled nothing.
Aoyama and Nezuko followed the scent all the way to a mountain cave.
They stopped.
A heavy, putrid stench rolled out from within.
Not just one scent.
Multiple demons.
"Mm…"
Nezuko growled softly, sensing danger.
Aoyama lowered his gaze and gently patted her head.
"It's fine. Leave this to me."
From inside the cave—
A demon emerged.
Its arms were piled high with clothing and Nichirin blades—spoils from fallen Demon Slayers.
It tossed them carelessly to the ground.
"Heh heh! Another Slayer delivering himself to death!"
It grinned wickedly.
"Counting you… that makes five I've eaten! Hahaha!"
Aoyama examined it calmly.
Red eyes.
Ugly features.
But otherwise—
Almost human.
"Stop wasting my time," Aoyama said coldly. "Tell me who's above you. I'll let you die painlessly."
This one had a bit of intelligence.
But it wasn't the kind capable of causing large-scale disturbances.
Definitely not what Shinobu suspected.
"AAAH!"
Its arms suddenly stretched unnaturally toward him.
Aoyama drew his blade.
A flash of light—
Two arms fell cleanly to the ground.
The demon roared and lunged, mouth wide.
Aoyama didn't blink.
One diagonal slash—
The demon split from neck to torso.
Ash scattered into the night.
Ding! Host has slain a demon. Reward: Vision Enhancement +10.
Without hesitation, he stepped into the cave, taking Nezuko's hand.
Leaving her outside wasn't an option.
Inside—
Bones were scattered everywhere.
Rocks were splattered with blood.
The deeper they went, the thicker the stench of rot.
Aoyama frowned deeply.
"Cough…"
Even Nezuko struggled with the smell.
He took out a handkerchief and gently tied it around her face to block some of it.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Heavy footsteps echoed.
A massive, hulking demon appeared around the bend—half-eaten corpse still in its grip.
The aura it emitted—
Stronger.
But still not enough.
"Total Concentration. Light Breathing. Second Form — Light Burst."
BOOM.
The demon exploded mid-chew, reduced to fragments that quickly turned to ash.
Ding! Host has slain a demon. Reward: Body Enhancement +10.
They continued forward.
More demons.
All minor.
By the time they reached the end of the cave—
Only one thing remained.
A stone table.
And atop it—
A token.
Nothing else.
Aoyama picked it up and left the cave with Nezuko.
It was already deep into the night.
On their way back to the inn—
He caught something.
Faint.
Lingering demonic energy along the marketplace street.
Stronger than the cave demons.
Fresh.
And—
A trace of blood.
His brows knit together.
So something had passed through the market after they left.
Something stronger.
At the inn door, he knocked.
The owner questioned them carefully before opening up.
Once inside—
The door was immediately shut.
Candles extinguished.
They were instructed strictly:
No lights.
If possible, keep the room dark.
Interesting.
Aoyama remembered this detail.
Back in their room, he deliberately lit a candle.
If there was a rule—
He wanted to see who enforced it.
Nezuko lay in bed.
He tucked her in.
Then lay beside her, eyes half-closed.
Nearly an hour later—
The stench returned.
Heavier.
Closer.
Nezuko's eyes snapped open.
Aoyama placed a hand gently on her, signaling her to stay still.
Something crawled up to the window.
"Gaaa—!"
"Caught one! Violating the ban! Take him back! Take him back!"
A four-limbed crawling demon leapt through the window.
Just as it approached the bed—
BAM.
Aoyama kicked it across the room into the wall.
He sat up slowly.
Glanced at it with disgust.
Another lackey.
Did this town mass-produce these things?
"You said what just now?" he asked calmly. "Repeat it carefully. I might grant you a painless death."
Nezuko nodded fiercely beside him, waving her tiny fists.
The crawling demon panicked.
Before it could react, it had already been kicked into the wall.
It knew it couldn't win.
It scrambled toward the window.
Aoyama blocked it.
A flash of steel—
All four limbs severed.
The demon writhed on the floor.
Aoyama dragged the blood-stained blade slowly toward it.
"Let's talk," he said softly. "You take those who light candles… take them where?"
He crouched slightly.
"I'll count to three."
"One."
The demon trembled, limbs regenerating—but fear kept it pinned in the corner.
"Two."
Its red eyes shook violently.
The room grew quiet.
And somewhere outside—
Something shifted in the darkness.
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