Miri was reluctant to part, but Horitake remained calm. "Miri, don't be so down. We'll meet again. We can stay in touch through our Kasugai Crows."
Miri's eyes lit up. "Really… I can contact you through the crow?"
"No need to call me 'Lord Horitake.' It feels weird. I saved you once, but we're friends now, right?"
"Really? We're… friends?" Miri beamed.
"Of course! What, you don't see me as a friend?"
"No, I do!" Miri's cheeks flushed with quiet joy.
Horitake waved goodbye. "See you, Miri. Be careful slaying demons—stay safe first."
Watching him leave, Miri called out, "Got it! You be careful too, Horitake! Bye…"
They parted ways.
Leaving the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters, Horitake walked with a spring in his step. This time, he'd passed the Final Selection, joined the Corps, met Gyomei, bonded with the Ubuyashiki family, rose to Rank Hei, met Shinobu, and became friends with Miri. A lot accomplished in one trip!
Buoyant, he quickened his pace.
But near dusk, a small incident occurred.
"Hold it!"
"This mountain's ours!"
"These trees, ours too!"
"Want to pass?"
"Pay the toll!"
"Or else…"
"We'll kill and not bury!"
Horitake gaped at the masked bandits, their chant leaving him questioning reality. Bandits? Here? Their lines sounded straight out of a play—had he stumbled into the wrong story? Their neon-style clothes and assorted weapons suggested otherwise, but they were… a sorry bunch. "Motley crew" was too kind a term.
Surrounded, Horitake pondered.
The bandits mistook his pause for fear. "Haha, Boss, he's scared stiff!"
"His clothes are odd—some kind of uniform."
"Never seen that fabric. Must be pricey. Is he rich?"
"But, Boss, he's got a sword. Could be trouble."
"Trouble? That sword's just for show. Boys, rob him—strip the clothes too!"
"Yes, Boss!"
Horitake's temple throbbed. These nobodies dared challenge him?
Perfect timing—he hadn't tested his Gale Swordsmanship yet. Time to break it in on these fools.
"Steel-Cutting Flash! Wind Barrier! Forward Slash! Tempest Severing Slash!"
Horitake unleashed the Gale Swordsmanship fluidly. Wind blades howled through the mountain path, accompanied by panicked screams as bandits flew, blood spraying.
When they hit the ground, they were barely breathing.
The defeated bandits wept regretfully. They'd aimed for an easy target but hit a steel wall. Gods, it's not fair!
The gods didn't care.
Horitake sheathed his blade, savoring the swordsmanship's sharpness. Impressive—his arsenal had grown.
But… he glanced at the mangled bandits. The Gale Swordsmanship's debut, and it's against these losers? Yasuo would cry.
Ignoring the riffraff, Horitake continued down the mountain path, traveling by starlight.
Unbeknownst to him, these losers would soon become demons.
Half an hour after his departure, night fell completely.
A fierce, imposing demon appeared on the path, eyeing the bandits with interest. Muscular, with peach-pink hair and dark blue tattoos, his eyes bore the words: Upper Rank Three.
This was Akaza, Upper Moon Three of the Twelve Kizuki!
Horitake would've been shocked—not just at nearly crossing paths with Akaza, but because this mountain range, though on the outskirts, was close to the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters!
What did Akaza's presence here mean? A coincidence, or had he sniffed out the headquarters' general location?
Akaza studied the bandits. "Dead? No, they've got some life left. Might as well make use of them—could be interesting."
He plunged his hand into their bodies, injecting his demonic blood.
As expected, after agonizing screams, the bandits transformed into demons!
Feeling their newfound power, they cheered, faces twisted with ugly excitement. "I… I'm a demon!?"
"Hahaha! Such power! I could crush ten of my old selves!"
"This is being a demon! I'm unstoppable now!"
Akaza, eyeing the sorry lot, questioned his choice. Frowning impatiently, he barked, "Kneel!"
The bandit-demons' knees buckled, hitting the ground hard, foreheads pressed to the earth under Akaza's terrifying aura, sweating in fear. One moment cocky, the next teetering on the edge of oblivion.
Upper demons held absolute dominance over lesser ones, especially those created by their blood. Akaza's control was ironclad.
Scowling at the rabble, he snapped, "Becoming demons doesn't make you invincible. Sunlight and the Corps' Nichirin Blades can kill you. I trust you're not dumb enough to sunbathe. But if you're stupid enough to pick a fight with the Demon Slayer Corps and get killed, you'll have wasted my blood.
"Want to survive? Eat humans. Get stronger—strong enough that the Corps can't touch you. Strong enough to slaughter them.
"Now, you worthless lot, I made you demons for a reason. Three simple tasks: First, find a plant called the Blue Spider Lily. Second, locate the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters in these mountains. Third, kill as many Corps swordsmen as you can to weaken them. Got it, you idiots?"
Simple tasks, indeed!
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