Horitake's burning question: Why didn't the demons eat these children?
The children struggled to answer, their voices tangled in distress:
"The monster loves eating people. We've seen it," one said.
"Every few days, it devours someone. Blood everywhere—scared me senseless," another added.
"Why it spares us? No idea."
"It keeps us close, raises us."
"Maybe because we're kids?"
"We don't dare ask. What if it decides to eat us?"
Horitake caught a detail, cutting them off. "Wait. You said… 'she'?"
(The Japanese pronouns for "he" and "she" differ.)
The children nodded, trembling. "Yes, she."
Horitake pressed, suspicious. "A female demon… half-human, half-snake?"
The children gasped. "How did you know?!"
Horitake's mind reeled. Impossible. The snake demon from Iguro's clan was killed by Rengoku Shinjuro. Another snake demon, also slashing faces?
As he grappled with doubt, the timidest child raised a shaky hand. "I… I think I know why she doesn't eat us."
All eyes—Horitake, Mitsuri, and the other children—locked onto him. He shrank under the scrutiny.
Mitsuri stepped forward, her gentle voice a contrast to Horitake's edge. "Don't be afraid. Tell us what you know."
The child whispered, "Sometimes, the monster—the demon—gets crazed, muttering to herself. I was close once and heard her. Her words were jumbled, but I caught the gist. She… she thinks we're her brother. She said her brother's face looked like this, so she cut ours to match…"
His voice trailed off, and he clutched his slit face, retreating into despair.
Horitake's eyes widened. Mitsuri's jaw dropped.
That was a lot to unpack.
The half-snake demoness kept these children alive, treating them as her brother—whose face was a serpent-slit maw like theirs.
Her brother… could it be Iguro Obanai?
Horitake and Mitsuri exchanged a stunned glance. This demon might be the sole survivor of the Iguro clan—Obanai's cousin.
The Iguro clan was vile, and Obanai's cousin blamed him for their annihilation, believing his escape triggered the demon's rampage. If she grew unhinged, became a demon herself, and took on the same half-snake form as the clan's old patron…
It added up.
Horitake felt a pang for Obanai. Though he'd severed ties with his wretched clan and had no bond with his cousin, learning his last blood relative was now a demon harming others… that was brutal.
The revelation overwhelmed Horitake. He rubbed his temples, steadying himself, and continued, "So, this snake demoness keeps you alive, treating you as her brother. Sounds insane, but demons aren't sane. It tracks. You've been trapped with her, unable to escape, living in terror. Right?"
The children nodded, relieved he understood.
"Where's this demoness hiding?" Horitake asked.
The oldest pointed beyond Kusatsu. "In the mountains, a long trek from here."
Horitake's next question was critical. "What were you doing in Kusatsu?"
His tone sharpened, eyes piercing. "I thought you were locals under demonic control, carrying empty baskets for some plot. Now it seems the opposite. You were with the demon in the mountains, sent to Kusatsu for a task. You finished it and were heading back when I stopped you."
He glared. "What did the demon order you to do? What did you do in Kusatsu? What was in those empty baskets? Explain everything."
Horitake sensed this was no small matter. Mitsuri, grasping the gravity, dropped her gentle demeanor, her gaze stern.
The children quaked, exchanging nervous looks, unsure how to respond.
Horitake prompted them "kindly." "Start from the beginning. How did the demon's orders start?"
The oldest, after a moment of panicked hesitation, spoke, choosing his words carefully. "We don't know the full story. We just follow orders. Disobey, and we die."
Horitake noted his wording: they. Not just the snake demoness—multiple demons were involved.
He didn't interrupt. The oldest continued, "It started last night. We were with the demoness, scared but alive, not eaten. Then she left and came back, ordering us to follow her. We didn't know why but had no choice. She took us to another mountain, where we met other demons. That's when we learned there's more than one out there."
------------------------------
🌟 Hi everyone! 🌟
If you love my work and want to support me on this creative journey, you can support me here: [patreon.com/DaoistRoeoNQ] 💖
By joining, you will get access to exclusive content, behind-the-scenes updates, and some special perks that I have prepared just for you. Every support really means a lot and helps me strive every day! 🙏✨