The heavy rain couldn't have come at a worse time.
Night had already fallen, and the downpour only deepened the darkness. The mountain paths were muddy and treacherous, making it difficult to walk.
Kondo trudged forward through the forest, eyes scanning for any sign of demons.
There was only one thing in his mind: the Twelve Kizuki—he wanted to find one and kill it.
Kondo was seventeen this year, not particularly old by Demon Slayer Corps standards, but he had been a member for over a year.
In that time, he had slain more than thirty demons, some of which had Blood Demon Arts. These victories gave him immense confidence. He believed that even if one of the Twelve Kizuki appeared, he could cut off its head without hesitation.
If he could do that, he could become a Hashira—one of the elite. A Pillar respected by all.
Driven by this obsession, Kondo acted recklessly.
His ambition blinded him to the dangers lurking around him. As he pushed further into the forest, a strange bird call reached his ears.
"Gugu—"
It sounded like an owl, but if one listened closely, something about it felt… off.
Hearing such a cry in the middle of a storm was strange enough that Kondo came to a halt and looked up.
That was when he saw the bird—and immediately sensed something was wrong.
It looked like a cross between an owl and a sparrow—not a normal creature by any means, especially with its black and red eyes that were terrifying to behold.
"What is that…"
Kondo was about to move closer for a better look when a sudden sense of danger made him instinctively dodge to the side.
Swish—
The next moment, Kondo felt his body go light. He collapsed to the ground and instinctively tried to raise his right hand to support himself.
But he couldn't.
His right arm—along with the hand that had been holding his Nichirin sword—had been severed at some point and was now lying on the ground.
The attacker was that unknown bird.
Blood coated its wings, and its entire body looked as if it had been soaked in it.
That blood was Kondo's. It had been the bird that severed his arm.
"Ah… Ahhhhhh!!! My hand… My hand!!!"
Kondo's screams echoed through the forest.
But just a few seconds later, he no longer had the presence of mind to worry about his missing limb.
One… two… three…
In the trees surrounding him, more birds began to appear.
They all fixed their red eyes on Kondo, like predators watching prey that had stumbled into their territory, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Blood Demon Art!
Kondo realized it at once.
These birds didn't seem entirely real—they were constructs created using a Blood Demon Art!
Was this… the Blood Demon Art of one of the Twelve Kizuki? Was this the difference between the Twelve Demon Moons and ordinary demons?
It was just a remotely controlled blood technique, yet a single ordinary-looking bird had managed to sever his arm?!
Kondo's ambition was instantly replaced by sheer panic and terror. His eyes darted about wildly, and as he saw the flock of birds diving toward him, he screamed in desperation:
"No… Don't come any closer! No… NO!!!"
But the birds paid him no heed. They flapped their wings and swooped down through the rain toward the collapsed swordsman, intent on tearing him to shreds.
"NO!!!" Kondo cried, clamping his eyes shut in hopeless fear.
He had never imagined he would die like this. His memories flashed before him like fragments of broken glass.
As death loomed over him, Kondo squeezed his eyes shut, no longer daring to open them.
However, after closing his eyes and waiting for several seconds, the expected pain never came. The throbbing in the stump of his severed right arm reminded Kondo that this wasn't a dream or an illusion.
He… wasn't dead.
Why?
Confusion filled Kondo's mind, and when he finally opened his eyes, that confusion was answered.
At some point, a young man wearing a haori had appeared before him.
He held a Nichirin sword in each hand, standing with his back to Kondo, facing the direction from which the birds had attacked.
Kondo had no idea when the boy had arrived—it was as if he had appeared out of nowhere.
No one could say what the boy had done in that short time, but the only thing visible now was the flock of birds disintegrating into ashes around them.
All Kondo knew for sure was this—He had been saved.
"A-Are you… Kamado-sama…?"
Kondo struggled to speak, wanting to confirm whether this was the boy named "Kamado" mentioned in the letter.
If he had met the boy before the attack, he likely would've asked with irreverence, even arrogance.
But now, Kondo didn't even dare look at him disrespectfully—let alone speak rudely.
After all, this was the person who had just saved his life.
"Can you still move?"
The boy didn't respond to Kondo's question. Still facing away from him, he spoke in a calm, quiet voice.
Kondo nodded repeatedly. Then he heard the boy say, "Take your hand and leave this place."
"L-Leave? Then… what about you?"
"You're a burden. Get out of here."
The boy's words were blunt and merciless.
Kondo's strength was already limited, and now, with one arm gone, he would only hinder the boy if he stayed. He knew this. So, even though he felt unwilling and full of regret, he forced himself to stand up and retreat—so as not to drag the boy down.
But just then, an even sharper scream rang out from deep within the forest.
"Aaaahhhhhhh!!!"
"That's Sakura! Lord Kamado—!"
Kondo immediately recognized the voice—it belonged to the only girl in their squad, Sakura Kaede. He was about to explain the situation to the boy, but when he turned back—
He realized the boy had already vanished.
Just as he had arrived, he disappeared without a sound.
…
Takeo's figure dashed through the rain.
He was like a firefighter—saving one person only to rush off to save the next.
But Takeo didn't feel tired at all.
Because he never wanted to see anyone die in front of him again.
Kyojuro was right: if you don't want tragedy to repeat itself, then you must do everything you can to protect those around you.
Takeo was doing exactly that—starting now, beginning with this mission.
He would make sure that no one died while he was present.
No one.
So, the moment he heard the scream, he activated Overclocking and sprinted toward the source of the cry.
Faster… faster!
Swoosh!
He used Wolf Breathing, Second Form—Power Surge—at that moment, and with Overclocking activated, Takeo's speed approached the speed of sound!
He crossed several hundred meters in the blink of an eye, and then he saw it:
A bird the size of a human was spreading its wings, launching a volley of razor-sharp feathers at the girl standing opposite it.
She was young—no more than fifteen or sixteen.
She had short brown hair and brown eyes.
Judging by the color of her blade, she specialized in Water Breathing—one of the most accessible and widely practiced Breathing Techniques.
At that moment, several feathers had already pierced her body. Fortunately, none struck any vital areas. But momentary luck did not guarantee survival.
Had Takeo not arrived in time, the next volley would have surely ended her life.
The instant he appeared, Takeo had already devised a countermeasure.
Even before closing the distance, he swung his blade. The shockwave generated by the strike fused with his own Breathing Technique. From a distance, it resembled a wolf's claws, slashing through the air toward the girl!
Wolf Breathing, Seventh Form – Dancing Claws!
By combining his [Shock Wave] skill with his Breathing Technique, Takeo unleashed a tearing strike resembling a wolf's claw. Not only was it a powerful attack—it could also counter and shred incoming projectiles.
Just like the orphan So in that one game.
The slashing force of the Seventh Form tore through the sky exactly as Takeo had intended, intercepting and shredding all the feathers fired by the bird.
Then, in the very next instant, Takeo appeared beside the bird.
His two swords crossed in a single swift motion—striking with precision to decapitate it!
Wolf Fang!
The birds created through Blood Demon Art seemed to have a fatal weakness—their heads. Once decapitated, they would instantly dissipate.
After slaying the largest of the birds, Takeo landed lightly in front of the girl.
His white haori and fiery red hair were burned into her memory.
"Get out of here."
Takeo gave the command the moment he resolved her immediate danger.
Sakura Kaede froze for a second, then stammered, "A-Are you the support… Lord Kamado? Thank you… thank you for saving me…"
"Get out of here."
Takeo repeated himself, his tone flat and unyielding, not even sparing her a glance.
Sakura winced as she pulled out the feathers embedded in her body, then struggled to her feet. Blood trickled from the wounds, but she still said softly:
"I… Is there anything I can do? Even if it's just something small—"
"Leave."
This time, Takeo didn't repeat the same words. He turned to face her, his red eyes cold and piercing.
"You're just a burden."
"…"
Sakura Kaede looked slightly hurt by Takeo's blunt words and instinctively took a step back.
But then, for some reason, her face flushed red. In the end, she bowed her head and said earnestly: "I-I'm sorry, Lord Kamado! I'll leave right away!"
With that, she turned and quickly ran out of the forest.
Takeo: "…"
Good. At least she understood his words and left quickly.
But… why was she blushing? Normally, someone injured and losing blood should be pale…
Is that girl okay?
Takeo wondered if he had seen it wrong, but he didn't dwell on it.
After confirming that Sakura had left, he sniffed the faint lingering scent of demon in the air and began walking in a specific direction.
From the very beginning, the demon had never shown itself.
It had only been using its Blood Demon Art to attack the others, while its true body remained hidden. Even its scent was faint—so faint that it was nearly erased by the rain-drenched forest air.
Fortunately, Takeo's abilities were steadily improving, and after inheriting 2B's power, the enhancements from Uncle Logan's abilities had also advanced further.
Especially his sense of smell. Perhaps it was due to some genetic factor, but his olfactory senses had become even more acute.
So even in the rain, Takeo could still pick up the scent of the demon.
"This way… hmm.. Strange, it's getting fainter…"
Takeo ran in the direction of the scent, but what puzzled him was that the demon's scent was growing weaker and weaker—as if it were deliberately erasing its tracks while fleeing.
But that had to be a mistake… right?
Could a member of the Twelve Kizuki really flee without even showing themselves?
Or… could this not be one of the Twelve Kizuki at all?
_________
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