The deceased was a young woman, dressed in a grayish-blue kimono made of cotton and linen. Her sash was deep green, and the exposed skin of her hands and feet was grayish and wrinkled, evidence that she had been soaking in water for some time.
The small crowd gathered nearby murmured among themselves, their voices carried by the wind to Marcus Lee's ears.
From what he could gather, this was what had happened.
The woman had a child, barely three years old, who suddenly disappeared one night. Unable to bear the shock, she threw herself into the river two days later.
A young man nearby, likely her husband, wept uncontrollably.
"Sudden disappearance…"
There was no doubt about it this was the work of a demon.
Marcus instinctively gripped the hilt of his Nichirin Blade at his waist, his expression hardening slightly.
In an age ruled by demons, ordinary people had no security. Happy families could be torn apart without warning. A kind, beautiful wife could die abruptly one day, and there was nothing anyone could do.
"Muzan…"
The source of all this suffering, of course, was the demon progenitor, Muzan.
Marcus's mood darkened as he imagined the scene, feeling a cold sense of helplessness.
The Kasugai crow perched obediently on his shoulder, tilting its head as if studying him, but making no sound.
Night had fully fallen over the town. The streets, mostly dirt roads, were sparsely populated. Marcus paused briefly in front of a small udon shop, though he lacked the courage to enter.
The reason was simple: he had no money.
Not a single coin jingled in his pocket.
The thought was bitterly ironic. If he were to leave the Demon Slayer Corps now, he might very well starve.
Passing by a food stall, the steaming aroma of hot soup noodles wafted toward him. His stomach growled uncontrollably, but Marcus remained expressionless, walking past as if it meant nothing.
The shopkeeper's enthusiastic greeting only confused him further, and he could sense the disappointment radiating from the vendor. Was his face really that unappealing?
Finding a quiet spot, Marcus unwrapped the remaining rice balls he had brought and ate them with water, feeling a pang of frustration.
If the demon didn't appear tonight, what would he eat tomorrow? And if tomorrow passed with no success, would he starve here?
He cursed himself quietly for not preparing enough provisions. Both in his past life and now, reality was harsh: no money meant no options.
"You expect me to find a demon in this entire town all by myself?"
With nothing else to do, Marcus teased the Kasugai crow on his shoulder. The small bird tilted its head, fluttered into the air, and began circling above him.
Marcus couldn't help but be impressed. The little creature wasn't very smart, but it was perceptive.
With the crow guiding him, Marcus wandered aimlessly through the town. He wasn't like Tanjiro; he couldn't track demons by smell. Sometimes, the world just didn't make sense. Why could some people sense emotions? Was it logical? Was it scientific? Why didn't he have that ability?
Time passed slowly, and though Marcus had an irregular sleep schedule, he didn't feel tired just bored.
Waiting was interminable. An hour could be endured, but what about two? Three? Ten?
Then, the sharp cry of the Kasugai crow pierced the night, sounding particularly loud in the quiet town.
Marcus immediately went into action, following the direction the crow flew.
Not far off, something dark moved rapidly along a rooftop.
It wasn't a stray cat.
From a distance, Marcus nearly missed it himself. Only the crow's guidance allowed him to spot the figure.
'That fast?'
Marcus furrowed his brow, surprised. This demon was much quicker than those he'd faced in the Final Selection.
"Total Concentration Breathing!"
His lungs expanded like bellows, drawing in a large volume of air in an instant. His leg muscles exploded with power, and in three quick strides, he closed in on the moving demon, the dirt beneath him compressed into deep impressions.
"You… a demon slayer?"
The demon suddenly stopped on the rooftop, looking down at Marcus, the relentless swordsman in pursuit. It had never encountered a human like him before.
It didn't continue fleeing not because Marcus was exceptionally fast.
Even at full speed, he was still human, a normal swordsman who had yet to master Total Concentration Constant Form.
But the Kasugai crow circling above was inescapable.
The demon couldn't risk being tracked to its hiding place by a swordsman.
Nighttime offered some cover, but if a swordsman tracked it during the day, that would be catastrophic.
"You're the one?"
Marcus slowed, catching his breath, and looked up at the demon. Its skin was dark, its back hunched like that of an elderly person in their seventies or eighties.