Chapter 47 — A Reliable Ally: Yukinoshita Haruno!
The entire way back, neither of them said much. And once they reached the apartment, they quietly returned to their own rooms.
Time passed slowly.
As dusk painted the sky in deeper shades, Yukinoshita Akira stirred from a short nap and opened his eyes.
After tidying himself up, he reached for his sword bag—the one that now held his Nichirin Blade. With it secured, he stepped forward with renewed purpose.
Tonight, the hunt would begin for real.
For the first time in his life, he felt this urgent need to grow stronger.
In this city of steel and shadows, where demons lurked unseen, there was no other option.
Progressing inheritance by a mere sliver each day was no longer enough.
He had only been in this world for a handful of days, and yet, he had already encountered demons twice.
Just like he said before—mystery draws in more mystery.
A Demon Slayer naturally attracts the attention of demons. That was inevitable.
Whether it was for survival or vengeance, Akira needed to get stronger.
Though he still carried a sealed power within him as a last resort, he had no intention of using it unless he was pushed to the edge.
Thud—
He shut the apartment door behind him and stepped out into the night.
"Heading out this late? Where to, I wonder?"
"…Why are you here?"
Akira blinked in mild surprise.
Standing before him was Yukinoshita Haruno.
Shouldn't she be busy with university or something?
"Why shouldn't I be here?" she replied, brushing back her hair. "After what happened yesterday, do you really think I could just leave Yukino alone? Of course I came back to stay with her."
"I see. The UV lamp test results are in. It can weaken demons, but it can't kill them."
"I know. Yukino called and told me."
"Good. That saves me some explanation."
Akira nodded and turned, ready to continue walking.
"Wait. I'm not done with you yet."
"…Done with what?"
"If you want to go hunting demons, that's your problem. But why did you drag Yukino into this? What if something happened to her?"
"She needs to get used to it," Akira replied calmly. "Because from now on, she's bound to encounter more of this."
"…What do you mean by that?"
"Exactly what it sounds like. People who've been targeted by demons once usually get targeted again."
Haruno's expression darkened.
Her precious little sister… fated to be exposed to those monsters again and again?
Should she send Yukino abroad? Maybe—if she left Japan, she could escape this madness altogether.
"Where are you even going?"
"Hunting."
"…You mean demon hunting? Are you serious?!"
"I'm a Demon Slayer. And the best way to grow stronger is by fighting."
"Do whatever you want. But here—take this."
Rustle—
She tossed a folder at him. Akira caught it midair out of reflex and opened it.
His eyes widened.
Inside was a compiled report of every suspicious suicide, missing persons case, and mysterious homicide across Chiba City in the last three months.
Even the cases with bizarre, unexplained circumstances had been carefully organized and categorized.
"You put this together just today?"
"Yeah. Only three printed copies exist. I erased all the digital data after printing. So don't lose it."
"…Thanks."
"Hmph. Who said I did it for you? This is for Yukino. You just happen to benefit from it."
With that, Haruno pulled out her key and slipped into the neighboring apartment.
Akira smiled faintly, his gaze dropping to the folder in hand.
With this information, his confidence surged.
Originally, he had planned to search for demons based solely on intuition and detection skills. But now, he didn't need to waste that much effort.
All he had to do… was go where the patterns led him.
If this world operated like Demon Slayer, then demons likely had designated hunting grounds—fixed territories they roamed.
After all, Muzan Kibutsuji forbade demons from gathering in large numbers. Most of them acted alone. At best, in pairs.
"Yukinoshita Akira-sama~"
"Hm? You're here too?"
As he exited the building, he spotted the Yukinoshita family car parked right in front. Their personal chauffeur stood by the door, waiting respectfully.
"This is by Lady Haruno's request. She anticipated that you'd require transport tonight, and instructed me to stand by for your command."
"…I see."
Akira tilted his head upward, glancing at the upper floors of the apartment complex.
His lips curled slightly.
Having someone who took care of these things for him… wasn't bad at all.
"First destination: Hanane Street, Chishige District."
"Understood, Akira-sama."
As a seasoned chauffeur for the Yukinoshita family, the man knew his role well.
He had one job—drive. He didn't ask questions about where or why.
Vrooom—
The car pulled smoothly onto the street, city lights streaking past the windows.
Up above, two young women stood at the apartment window, silently watching the car disappear into the night.
"…He really went out to hunt demons."
Yukinoshita Yukino whispered the words quietly, her eyes filled with worry.
Why? Why did he choose such a dangerous path?
No matter how strong he was, all it took was one mistake—just one—and it would all be over.
This wasn't a game. It was a battle of life and death.
Just today, she saw firsthand what happened to people who crossed paths with demons.
They didn't just die. They were eaten. Devoured alive.
If Akira hadn't arrived in time…
"Yukino… When someone faces a threat they don't yet understand, the only thing they can do… is grow stronger. Even if it means risking their life."
"But, Nee-san… If he dies, then what's the point of all this?"
"Even then… it's still better than doing nothing when danger comes knocking."
Helplessness—
That was the feeling Haruno couldn't shake. Not now. Not then.
All her ideals—her belief that those with power should help the powerless—they suddenly felt hollow.
Wasn't her reaction earlier… just a form of running away?
Something she always hated.
"…Nee-san. I want to become stronger too."
"Heh… now that's the Yukino I know. But sorry. This time… even I can't help you."
"…I see."
"But that's okay. Because someone else will."
"Someone else…? Who?"
"The guy who just left."
"…Yukinoshita Akira?"
"Exactly. Haven't you noticed? Little by little… he's pulling you into his world."
"…He is."
Yukino replayed the day's events in her mind.
It was true. If Akira just wanted to test the UV lamp, there was no reason to bring her along.
Her presence had only put him at risk.
And yet… he brought her anyway.
Because…
…Akira had started to trust her.
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