Under the tearful gazes of the Kocho sisters, Shinichi fiercely pulled out the broken Nichirin Blade that had pierced through the green-faced Demon neck.
The tremendous momentum sent the Demon body flying backward.
A flash of emerald blade light—the green-faced Demon head separated from its body in an instant.
But Shinichi wasn't finished.
His sword swung like lightning, and in the blink of an eye, the Demon head was cleaved into pieces midair.
From Shinichi sudden appearance to the Demon demise, the entire process took mere seconds.
By the time the Kocho sisters stepped out of the room, arms wrapped around each other, they saw the remnants of the green-faced Demon turning to ashes beneath Shinichi feet.
Shinichi heterochromatic eyes met theirs and a faint trace of guilt flickered in his gaze.
If only he had arrived sooner, perhaps their parents might still be alive...
The tears, fear and confusion in the little girls' eyes were all too familiar to Shinichi.
Over the past half-year, he had seen those same expressions on the faces of countless people who had lost loved ones to Demons.
Yet, his heart had never been so deeply moved before.
The Kocho family was one of the few households in this world that Shinichi had grown close to—even considered friendly.
Unsure of what to say, Shinichi remained silent for a moment before sheathing his Nichirin Blade and stepping toward the sisters.
Staring at their tear-streaked faces, he hesitated, then reached for the silver mirror at his waist.
A glimmer of light and a handkerchief and a piece of dorayaki appeared in his hand.
He handed the handkerchief to the older sister, Kanae, then split the dorayaki in half, giving each sister a piece.
Gathering his words, he spoke as gently as he could to Kanae.
"Take care of your sister. Leave the Demons outside to me. Hide in the room with her—stay strong."
Kanae eyes brimmed with tears as she glanced at their Father and Mother lying in blood.
Though her heart was shattered, Shinichi-kun was right—she had to protect her little sister.
Swallowing her sobs, she nodded firmly.
"I understand, Shinichi-kun. Please be careful... and thank you."
Shinichi gave a brief nod and turned to leave, but suddenly, he felt a tug on his sleeve.
Surprised, he looked back to see Shinobu Kocho, her face etched with sorrow, still trembling with quiet sobs.
Her violet eyes burned with traces of hatred and fury.
"D-did... did Demons kill Father and Mother?"
For once, Shinichi didn't retort at the stubborn little girl. Instead, he crouched down and patted her slender shoulder.
"Yes. Those were the man-eating Demons of legend. But don't be afraid. As long as I'm here, I'll hunt down every last one of those vile creatures and wipe them from this world. I promise. Stay with your sister for now—I'll be back soon."
Rising to his feet, Shinichi gently stroked Shinobu dark hair before turning away.
Gathering his strength, he leapt from the Kocho residence, dashing toward the presence of another Demon.
Not just one Demon attacked Takinogawa Village.
Thanks to Maru-ni extraordinary perception, another Demon had just infiltrated the western side of the village. To hasten their pace and prevent the Demon massacre as quickly as possible,
Shinichi fully activated Forest Breathing while simultaneously unleashing his Blood Demon Art: Raging Blood.
The Demon had barely entered the village, not yet having the chance to kill, when a figure clad in emerald green charged toward it at blinding speed.
Unlike the previous green-faced Demon driven mad by hunger, this two-horned Demon was cautious.
It had followed its starving companion, waiting until the latter had begun its slaughter without encountering threats before daring to advance.
However, this time, the two-horned Demon miscalculated.
By the time it realized Shinichi was charging toward it, it was too late—its retreat was already tightly sealed by a black blur.
With a powerful, agile frame and razor-sharp fangs, Maru-ni in his Demonized state moved at an extreme speed.
"How is this possible?! Where did these two come from?!" The two-horned Demon panicked, trapped between the two assailants with no escape route.
Shinichi grip on his sword tightened, veins bulging as his crimson right eye locked onto the Demon.
His fangs uncontrollably elongated. "Forest Breathing: First Form!"
He swung his Nichirin Blade horizontally, a verdant glow igniting along its edge.
Yet before Shinichi could complete his strike, a deafening sonic boom erupted.
In an instant—before the two-horned Demon, Demonized Maru-ni, or even Shinichi himself could react—the Demon head exploded like a watermelon, flesh and bone fragments scattering like petals in a storm.
BOOM!!
Dust billowed as a massive crater formed in the ground.
"WHAT?!"
Shinichi halted mid-charge in shock.
Maru-ni, still in his Demonized form, skidded to a stop on all fours, his body tensed defensively as he bared his fangs and growled low in his throat, facing the dark alleyway.
Simultaneously, Shinichi sensed Maru-ni heightened alertness through their telepathic link.
Within that alleyway lurked an overwhelmingly powerful presence!
Even without Maru-ni warning, Shinichi could feel the oppressive pressure emanating from the shadows.
As the dust around the crater gradually settled, Shinichi caught a glimpse of a human-sized, pure-metal meteor hammer resting in the pit.
A thick iron chain extended from its end. But what truly unsettled him was the familiar aura radiating from that weapon—the same as a Nichirin Blade!
Sure enough, the Demon whose head had been crushed by the hammer had already disintegrated into ashes.
CLANK. CLANK.
The sound of dragging chains echoed from the alley. Shinichi and Maru-ni immediately tensed as a towering figure slowly emerged from the darkness.
Seeing the familiar black Demon Slayer uniform, Shinichi froze momentarily.
The Slayer stepped into view—a face far younger than expected, yet his imposing two-meter-tall frame exuded sheer intimidation.
Around his neck hung a string of crimson prayer beads.
The young Demon Slayer still held a massive axe in his left hand, its blade gleaming coldly.
At the end of the axe' handle, another iron chain was connected. Upon closer inspection, it seemed both the meteor hammer and the great axe were linked to the same chain.
The Demon Slayer appearance was striking—his face exuded both unyielding determination and a bodhisattva-like compassion. A long scar across his forehead added an air of indomitable dignity, but what drew the most attention were his milky-white eyes.
This Demon Slayer... was blind!?
Shinichi instinctively took a step back.
What kind of joke was this?
The pressure emanating from this young Demon Slayer was even more overwhelming than that of Lower Rank Four back then!
Again what kind of monster was this?!