Murata could no longer feel his own body.
Pain is a natural mechanism for the human body to protect itself. But when it reaches a certain threshold, that self-protection turns into torment, and the brain shuts it down.
The human body is a delicate instrument, yet external forces can interfere with its functioning.
As the drug coursed through him again, Murata was forced to reclaim his consciousness and sensation, and the endless agony threatened to destroy his mind entirely.
"Tell me, who are you, and why did you break into Major Kuroda's mansion to kill someone?"
The same question repeated over and over. It was a simple but effective interrogation method.
Murata could no longer endure it.
Even if he wanted to remain silent, his body was no longer under the control of his mind.
As if by instinct, he confessed everything.
"I... I came to kill demons…"
His whispered words only intensified the torture. His body, drenched in saltwater, was whipped relentlessly.
"Who are you fooling? You haven't suffered enough yet!"
The warden's fat face trembled with rage. He could not believe such nonsense, such an impossible claim.
Murata let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. Perhaps it was fortunate that this zealot of "science" did not believe him and had not exposed their secrets.
Just as he braced for another blow, the room fell into sudden, profound silence.
A strange floral scent reached Murata's senses. His body felt lighter, and the pain slowly faded.
He opened his eyes with difficulty and saw a beautiful young woman with a mint-colored butterfly hairpin and violet, translucent eyes.
"Ah, your body is okay? Lucky for you, most of your injuries aren't life-threatening," she said, smiling as she injected him with medicine. Strength gradually returned to Murata, and he struggled to rise, kneeling before her in shame.
"Pillar of Insects! I... I exposed the Demon Slayer Corps, violated our rules, and deserve death!"
"It's alright. They wouldn't have believed you anyway," the young woman, Shinobu Kocho, replied lightly.
"And it's not entirely your fault. Being captured by the authorities was bad luck, but our Master wouldn't blame you harshly either."
"Now, quickly leave. The hidden agents will escort you to the nearby Fuji Residence to rest."
"No, Pillar of Insects! That demon it's still in that mansion! I don't know where it's hiding, but it has schemes. Those people will become its prey!" Murata struggled to explain.
"I know. I'm here to deal with it," Shinobu replied calmly.
"Please, let me assist you!"
"Your injuries aren't fatal, but your body is far from safe," Shinobu frowned. "The drugs injected into you have severely damaged your organs. My antidote is helping your kidneys break it down, but if you don't rest, it could leave lasting harm."
"I know, but I can still fight!"
Murata insisted fiercely. To many, he might seem comical, but he was a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, part of this insane organization.
Shinobu tilted her head and said no more. She would not stop someone willing to sacrifice themselves to achieve their goal. Perhaps, in some ways, she was not so different.
The Demon Slayer Corps, an organization hundreds of years old, survived because of people willing to burn themselves out. Without them, how could a group forced to remain secret, denied fame or profit, and dancing daily on the edge of death survive and even grow?
Even Muzan's evaluation of them was not wrong. Despite deep-seated blood feuds, the Demon Slayer Corps was, compared to ordinary people, a group of madmen.
Shinobu's figure leapt across rooftops, her haori flaring like butterfly wings.
Murata, holding his Nichirin blade, limped behind her, driven by a burning desire for vengeance.
They reached Major Kuroda's mansion, dark and silent under the night sky.
The quiet was unsettling.
In the center of the courtyard, a young girl with a troubled expression bounced a ball repeatedly.
Dance of the Bee Fang: Shinmi!
Without hesitation, Shinobu's figure darted past the girl like a butterfly in motion. Her Nichirin blade grazed the girl's throat, just enough to pierce superficially.
Shinobu's blade was unique, only slightly sharpened at the tip. It functioned more like a syringe than a sword.
She was a healer above all, the Corps' best in medicine and antidotes. Yet the most skilled doctors often knew poisons best. Shinobu's way of killing demons was through injections, much like a venomous hornet rather than a butterfly.
Her blade injected a concentrated extract of wisteria into the girl's neck. While the girl's abnormal behavior suggested she might not be human, Shinobu needed to test it.
The girl froze, touched her neck, then burst into uncontrollable sobs.
The wisteria extract had no effect. Could she really be human?
The girl's cries awakened the mansion. Chaos erupted.
"Bastard!"
Red-eyed Major Kuroda, wielding a pistol, rushed forward to protect his daughter. But his slow aim could not hit Shinobu. She dodged and moved toward the crying girl.
Dance of the Bee Fang: Shinmi
Her strike, though not enough to sever a human neck, was precise enough to achieve the desired effect. Before the father could react, she kicked him aside.
"Kill this madwoman!" he shouted, bloodshot eyes commanding everyone.
Yet no one moved. Those present froze, staring at Shinobu.
The half-dead, laughing Yumiko mocked her.
"Your disguise could be better. Corpses solidify fully within twenty-four hours. Or maybe your Blood Demon Art isn't precise enough."
Shinobu touched her blade lightly, smiling.
Reiyuko, formerly Yumiko, laughed maniacally.
"My name was given by Lord Muzan. Along with new life, he granted me a name matching my ability: Reiyuko. It is also the source of my Blood Demon Art, Dioscorea Seed!"
Shinobu nodded. Reiyuko's name came from a medicinal plant, Dioscorea, a fast-growing vine whose fruit could reproduce and control others, just like Reiyuko's ability to parasitically control humans.
Murata's unfortunate victim was likely the first controlled by her parasitic art. Her true self lurked elsewhere, observing coldly.
This was far beyond Shinobu's standard methods.
The parasitized were nearly all dead. Without locating the source, she could do nothing. She could not slaughter everyone the toxins were limited, her stamina insufficient, and time critical.
Shinobu realized this controlled demon was certainly a "Crescent Moon" class.
Her situation was desperate. She was little more than a fly trapped in a pitcher plant.
"Die, demon slayer! Your head will earn me Muzan's favor!"
The controlled crowd surged forward like zombies.
Dance of the Butterfly: Tease
Shinobu moved like a butterfly, slicing limbs with precise strikes, conserving energy, but even her skill could not hide the peril of her position.
Some were deliberately left unpossessed, hostages ensuring Shinobu could not leave.
The hidden Reiyuko laughed, thrilled at trapping a Pillar with her cleverness.
Major Kuroda, desperate, ran outside, only for seeds from the Dioscorea to embed in him, forcing him into Shinobu's path.
"Running away isn't the act of a good father," Reiyuko mocked, half of her head hanging grotesquely.
Shinobu dodged the incoming projectiles, her stamina draining despite her superhuman endurance. She had no clear plan. Finding the demon's true body might be the only solution, yet it seemed nearly impossible.
Suddenly, Murata, sword raised, joined the fray. Could another Breathing Sword user turn the tide?
No. He was not the protagonist. He was quickly overwhelmed by the zombie-like crowd.
Just as his Nichirin blade was taken and his life threatened, a calm voice cut through the chaos.
"You call this all you've got?"
All eyes turned to the rooftops. Under the moonlight, a small figure with silver-blue eyes glowed with an unnatural intensity.
Not tall, not imposing, yet his presence struck fear into Reiyuko.
"Your strength is minor, swordsman, but I am intrigued," Lan Daotianwu said softly, addressing Shinobu.
"If that mutt's master doesn't appear, let's see if you can provide some entertainment."
The childlike figure stood, exuding invisible pressure.
"What are you planning?" Shinobu whispered, tightening her grip on the blade.
A surge of electric power, 250,000 volts, shot out like a laser, instantly killing the hostages.
Shinobu's eyes widened. Lan Daotianwu simply retracted his finger and said calmly:
"Now, continue your performance."