Chapter 45 – The Demon Hunt Begins!
Since Yukinoshita Yukino had stormed off earlier, the sun had yet to set. It was still early evening.
But because she left in such a rush—without telling anyone or waiting for her family car—there was no way the Yukinoshita household could dispatch a vehicle to this location in time.
Which meant that for now, there was only one option left for the two of them: walking home on foot.
As they continued down the streets, the sky gradually darkened.
Yukino frowned.
Something felt off. The scenery around her was unfamiliar. Normally, whenever she commuted in the family car, she'd look out the window and recognize every landmark.
But now… the streets around her looked completely foreign.
"Hey… where exactly are we going? This clearly isn't the way home."
Unable to contain her suspicion any longer, Yukino glanced at Yukinoshita Akira walking beside her.
"Home? No," he replied calmly. "We're going hunting."
"H-Hunting…?"
"That's right. I've picked up the scent of a target."
Akira's serious tone made Yukino's heart sink with unease.
In a city like this, where steel and concrete reigned supreme, there was only one kind of "prey" that Akira could possibly mean.
Demons.
The moment realization struck, Yukino instinctively took a half-step back. Her body tensed. If she had the choice, she never wanted to encounter one of those things ever again.
"We're here."
Akira came to a stop in front of an old, worn-down apartment building.
It was nothing like the luxurious high-rise where they lived. This place was outdated, cracked, and clearly on the verge of falling apart. Its peeling paint and rusty handrails practically screamed neglect.
It didn't take a genius to figure out that this building housed people at the bottom rung of the social ladder—low-ranking workers with nowhere else to go.
"Are you sure… we actually have to go inside?" Yukino asked, her voice full of reluctance.
"Miss Second Daughter, the sun's about to set," Akira replied coolly. "If we're going to test that UV weapon your sister sent, this is the best window we'll get. If it turns out to be ineffective… we might not get a second chance later."
"…But…"
But why are we doing this?! Why are we going out of our way to find a Demon?! Shouldn't he go alone? Why drag me into this?!
That's what she wanted to say.
But she couldn't bring herself to voice it.
"Don't worry. As long as it's still daylight, we're safe," Akira added with a smirk. "And if things go south, I've got one last resort."
"…Last resort?"
"Break a wall. Let the sunlight in. That Demon's toast."
"Y-You're going to destroy the wall…?"
Yukino's lips twitched.
She realized something then.
This man… might not be human either.
Anyone capable of fighting a Demon head-on couldn't be called ordinary.
Tap.
Akira stepped into the building without hesitation.
After a few moments of hesitation, Yukino followed. She didn't feel safe being alone out here.
The air inside was thick with silence. Every step they took up the narrow stairwell echoed faintly off the mold-stained walls.
Akira moved cautiously, his senses stretched to their limits. With heightened perception, he could feel disturbances in the air from dozens of meters away.
Yukino trailed behind, holding her breath, her footsteps light and uncertain. Her heart raced faster the higher they climbed. With each step, the chance that a Demon might really be inside this building became more and more real.
Her adrenaline spiked.
They reached the seventh floor.
Just as Akira began to ascend the stairs to the eighth floor, he paused.
The scent he'd been tracking… was fading.
Which meant the Demon wasn't on the next floor—it was here.
A faint grin tugged at the corner of his lips.
He'd found the nest.
Seeing Akira turn and descend the stairs, Yukino felt a surge of hope.
Were they leaving?
Had they gotten the wrong building?
But her hope shattered instantly as Akira stepped onto the seventh floor and began walking forward.
He wasn't leaving.
They were heading in.
701… 702… 703… 705… 706… 707…
Akira continued forward, the scent of blood and something foul getting thicker with every step.
Finally, he stopped at door 708.
This was it.
The stench of blood… the rotting odor of flesh…
There was no mistaking it—something had died inside. And not recently.
Rustle…
Akira slung the katana bag off his shoulder and handed both it and his other gear to Yukino.
She accepted it silently. From the way he moved, it was obvious—whatever waited beyond that door was dangerous.
Schhht…
The katana slid out of its sheath, its edge gleaming faintly in the dim corridor.
Yukino blinked, confused. What was he planning to do? Slice the door open?
Click.
But before she could say anything, the door's lock snapped—and the door creaked open by itself.
Yukino's eyes widened.
Wait, did he just slice the lock off without even making a sound?!
Of course he did. In a situation like this, the last thing they needed was noise.
If the Demon caught wind of their presence before they were ready, things could turn ugly fast.
Step.
Akira stepped through the doorway.
Immediately, a putrid stench surged out from within—blood and decay mixed together in a nauseating wave.
Yukino instinctively covered her nose. The smell wasn't overwhelming, but it was revolting enough to make her stomach churn.
Akira moved through the narrow hall and entered the living room.
There it was.
Blood. A large, sticky stain smeared across the floor.
This was a slaughterhouse.
And the killer was still here.
Whoosh!
"Behind you!!"
A claw came flying toward Akira's head from behind.
Yukino, who had just stepped past the entrance, saw it all unfold in a flash.
Slash!
With a single motion, blood sprayed into the air—and a severed clawed hand spun through the room.
A hulking shadow leapt back into view.
"You—! You cut off my hand…?! Who the hell are you?!"
The creature that emerged was unmistakably a Demon.
Its skin was a sickly greenish-blue, with two horns jutting from its forehead. Its eyes were dark and feral, and its body hunched forward like some grotesque ape stripped of its fur.
Now, it clutched the stump where its hand used to be, eyes wide with disbelief as it stared at Akira.
"Who am I?" Akira replied with a cool smile. "Just a wandering swordsman."
But that was a lie.
The power in his movements—his precision, his presence—it was nothing like before.
This was the strength of someone who had already taken their first step down the path of the sword.
The Demon shifted its gaze. From Akira… to Yukino.
Then, it grinned.
The man was dangerous. Clearly trained. Possibly lethal.
But the girl… she looked weak. Defenseless. Vulnerable.
If he could grab her—if he could take her hostage—maybe he had a chance.
The sun hadn't fully set yet. A direct confrontation here was too risky.
One mistake, one ray of sunlight, and it would be over.
But with a hostage… things might turn in his favor.
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