"Ah!!!"
Another demon turned to ash in the morning sunlight, its body disintegrating like burning paper. Half a month had passed since Haruki left the Butterfly Mansion. This was the twelfth demon he had killed. Most of the demons in this area had been slain by him, and he found it difficult to detect any more traces of them.
Haruki's light blue kimono was torn in several places and stained with dirt. He felt uncomfortable looking at it and thought about finding a river that night to wash up. Although he no longer had such needs after becoming a demon, he still preferred to be clean.
The sound of footsteps—probably five people—approached from not far away. Haruki quickly hid behind a tree, pressing his back against the rough bark. From the rhythm of their footsteps, they were not normal people. The rhythm was different, more disciplined than ordinary villagers. Soon, five figures dressed in black with nichirin blades at their waists appeared around the corner. Since it was daytime, they were completely unguarded, walking idly through the forest and talking amongst themselves.
One of them walked with his hands clasped behind his head, kicking stones.
"What's been going on lately? No demons anywhere. This is getting boring."
Another stretched his arms overhead. "Exactly. Did they know we were coming and all run away? Maybe they're scared of us now."
"Don't get cocky. Demons don't scare that easily," a third member cautioned, though he smiled. "Maybe we just got lucky with the patrol routes."
"Or maybe someone else already cleared them out," the fourth member suggested. "I heard some rumors about demon activity dropping in this region."
"Corps rumors are always exaggerated," the first one scoffed.
The group laughed together, their voices fading as they passed. Haruki watched silently from behind the tree. It seems he had killed almost all the demons in this area, which should make things easier for Shinobu and the others. That felt... good. He decided to leave in a few days and move to another area where he could continue his search.
---
Night fell over the forest.
"Caw Caw" A crow's screech echoed through the trees. Haruki was searching for a water source to clean up, following the sound of running water in the distance.
Then a strong demonic aura suddenly washed over him from the west. It felt different—heavier, more oppressive, like a weight pressing against his senses. Haruki turned without hesitation and ran west, his feet barely touching the ground. Why hadn't he sensed this demon's presence before? He had passed through this area many times and shouldn't have missed something this strong.
As he got closer, Haruki found the demon. The same Demon Slayer Corps members from earlier were fighting it. He hid in the shadows to observe. If they could handle it, he would leave. If not, he would help. The fewer people who knew of his existence, the better. A demon that helped humans appearing in Shinobu's territory would likely be traced back to the Butterfly Mansion with the Corps' investigative abilities. He didn't want to cause problems for them.
The demon had long gray hair and black-red eyes with sharp fangs. Its appearance was unnervingly human-like compared to other demons he had faced. Facing the surrounding Corps members, it showed no tension, calmly combing its gray hair with long, clawed fingers. Its voice was somewhat high-pitched.
"Not beautiful at all! No value in eating you. Your faces are so plain, so ordinary. Let's make this quick—I have better things to do than waste time on you."
One slayer couldn't hold back. "You bastard!" He gripped his nichirin blade tighter, preparing to unleash a Breathing Technique. As soon as he assumed his stance, a suffocating sensation came. The demon had appeared behind him, grabbing his neck and lifting him up effortlessly.
"I wouldn't want your filthy blood to splash on my clothes," it said with obvious disgust, holding the struggling slayer at arm's length. "These are hard to find, you know."
One of the other slayers immediately reacted, swinging his blade at the demon's neck.
"Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash!"
The demon dodged with a flash, the attack didn't even touch its clothes. It threw the slayer in its hand, and he crashed heavily against a tree trunk, coughing up blood before falling unconscious.
"Daichi!" one of the others screamed.
The remaining slayers launched a coordinated attack. Their formations were practiced, professional.
"Water Breathing, Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust!"
"Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide!"
"Flame Breathing, First Form: Unknowing Fire!"
"Wind Breathing, Second Form: Claws-Purifying Wind!"
But all the attacks missed. The demon seemed to have an all-seeing eye, accurately dodging every attack with minimal movement. It even casually swatted one slayer away mid-strike. That person flew backward like a broken kite, falling to the ground unable to move, his blade skittering away across the dirt.
"How—how is it doing that?!" one gasped.
"It's too fast! No, it's not speed—it knows where we'll attack!"
The remaining slayers were all newly graduated members. They panicked, their blades trembling so violently they could barely hold them. Two of them exchanged frightened glances.
The demon found it boring. "Pathetic. Is this really the best the Demon Slayer Corps has to offer? How disappointing."
As it took a few steps closer, the three remaining Corps members suddenly fell down unconscious. The demon paused, genuinely confused. As it wondered why they'd collapsed without it even touching them, a punch landed on its temple with lightning speed.
The demon clutched its head in pain, staggering backward. That single blow shattered its eyeball, plunging half its vision into darkness and filling it with searing pain. It roared hoarsely, its voice cracking with rage.
"Who is it! How dare you hit my beautiful face! I won't let you off; I'll flay you and strip your bones! My face~ my precious face!"
Haruki hadn't expected to land a hit. The demon's dodging ability was something he had observed carefully without fully understanding. It seemed to know where attacks would come from before they landed.
But he couldn't just eait to figure it out either since those Corps members wouldn't last much longer against such an opponent. To be safe, Haruki had knocked them out first with precise strikes to pressure points—Shinobu had taught him where those were. Then directly attacked the demon.
Haruki watched the demon recover at a visible rate, its shattered eye reforming. This demon was very strong.
Its vision restored, the demon glared at Haruki with both eyes functioning. When it saw his face clearly, its anger vanished instantly, replaced by a blush spreading across its pale face. It spoke in a high-pitched, almost giddy voice.
"Oh my! Why is this handsome man so naughty? Sneaking up on me like that!" It tilted its head, examining Haruki from different angles. "My face is very precious, but I'll forgive you since it's your first offense You're far too beautiful to stay angry at."
Compared to other people, Haruki indeed stood out with his golden hair and gem-like blue eyes. The demon swallowed, its pupils dilating. It had no resistance to beautiful people—such people were the most delicious food to it, the most exquisite treats. So it forgave Haruki for hurting its face. It was always more tolerant of beautiful people, at least until it ate them.
Haruki looked at the demon, his brow furrowing slightly. What was wrong with it? The way it looked at him was strange. But the priority now is to lead it away from here, or the people on the ground might be affected when they fought.
"You are truly ugly," Haruki said, trying his best to put on a look of disgust. His expression was still somewhat flat, but the demon felt the insult more because of it. It was clear that the demon was very concerned about its appearance. So Haruki decided to provoke it this way, then lead it away from here.
"What?!" The demon's eyes widened, its entire body going rigid. It ground its teeth in anger, producing a harsh noise like scraping metal. "What did you just say to me?"
How dare he! How dare this beautiful creature call me ugly! Unforgivable!
"I've decided," the demon hissed, its voice dropping to something venomous. "I'll peel off your pretty skin to make a skin mask! Then I'll wear your face and be even more beautiful!"
With that threat, it charged at Haruki with frightening speed. Haruki immediately moved away from the area, running deeper into the forest. The demon pursued him relentlessly, crashing through undergrowth. Although its speed wasn't as fast as Haruki's, it was still the fastest among the demons he had killed. Coupled with its recovery ability, it seemed this demon had eaten many people. Feeling that the distance was sufficient, Haruki stopped in a clearing and turned to face his pursuer.
The demon also stopped not far from Haruki. Although angry, it hadn't lost its reason entirely. It had already noticed that Haruki was a demon, and a strong one at that based on his speed and the earlier punch. Why would a demon save Demon Slayer Corps members? He didn't care about that.
Haruki turned to fully face the demon, his eyes calm. The question he asked was simple, direct.
"How many people have you eaten already?"
"How would I remember? 40 people? 50 people?" The demon replied carelessly, waving a dismissive hand. It even began tidying its slightly disheveled clothes from running, smoothing down wrinkles. "Who keeps track of how many meals they've eaten? Do you count every grain of rice? Besides, most of them weren't even beautiful enough to remember."
40? 50? So many lives lost to its hands. Haruki clenched his fists. He was getting angry—he could feel it now, the heat building in his chest. This emotion was becoming more familiar to him lately. This demon had destroyed so many families and showed no remorse. It treated human lives like food it couldn't even be bothered to remember. It had to go to hell to atone.
"You're a demon too, aren't you?" the demon continued, tilting its head. "I can tell from your aura, though it's strangely weak. Why are you helping the Demon Slayer Corps? Don't you know they'll kill you too?"
Haruki didn't answer. He didn't need to explain himself to this creature.
"Go to hell."
Haruki's usually soft tone was laced with anger. Why take away others' lives? Why take away others' loved ones? Why take away others' happiness! Images flashed through his mind—the woman he'd saved, the unconscious Corps members, Shinobu's exhausted expression, the voice from his memories. He was experiencing an unprecedented emotional surge. Something in his mind seemed to be breaking free from its shackles, something on the verge of emerging, accompanied by continuous, dense stinging sensations spreading through his skull.
Haruki covered his head with one hand, trying to manage the pain. When he looked up again, revealing only those sapphire-like eyes, they glowed faintly, making them even clearer and deeper, almost luminescent. Instinctively Haruto's other palm faced the demon, fingers spread.
"Blood Demon Art: Flower Shower."
The demon's eyes widened slightly.
A demon that uses Blood Demon Art? A bit troublesome, but only a bit. I would definitely make the bastard pay for that insult. How dare he call me ugly! I am clearly the most beautiful being in existence!
How foolish, to dare attack rashly without even knowing my abilities. Its demonic aura is so faint; it must be a young demon who hasn't even eaten a few humans—probably hasn't even had its first proper meal. Don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're handsome. Once I kill you, I'll preserve that pretty face.
"Blood Demon Art: Danger Perception."
The demon's eyes gleamed with confidence. As long as I activate my Blood Demon Art, I can sense any attack directed at me. The greater the killing intent, the stronger the danger signal, and the less likely it is to hit me.
The demon laughed triumphantly, already imagining its victory. But soon its laughter died in its throat, cut off by shocked silence.
Haruki's attack had already pierced through its entire abdomen.
The demon looked down in disbelief at the massive flower-shaped holes in its torso, blood pouring out. The pain came a moment later, sharp and all-consuming.
"How is this possible! Why wasn't it sensed?!" the demon shrieked, stumbling backward.