In reality, Kamihara Tetsuya and Akaza did not escape; they remained in the small town.
With only a little over ten minutes until sunrise, they had no choice but to hide nearby if they didn't want to die.
They randomly selected a lucky resident of the small town.
They broke into the person's house and took it over.
As for the house's owner, Akaza casually killed him and threw him into the well in the small courtyard.
Demons kill without any reason.
It's their nature, their instinct!
After doing all this, Akaza leaned against the wall, waiting for the sun to set, as that was when demons were active.
Compared to the boring waits of the past, Akaza watched his 'companion' for this light-avoiding session with great interest.
Kamihara Tetsuya sat in the corner, head bowed, eyes blood-red, silent since earlier.
Ever since he killed the Flower Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps, the aura around him had been fluctuating, sometimes surging dramatically.
Intense sorrow enveloped Kamihara Tetsuya's heart, and deep within his eyes, a crimson blood-light surged, two blood-colored tomoe spun madly, and a third blood-colored tomoe flickered, emitting an evil aura.
"What is this?"
Akaza's eyes showed a hint of solemnity; Kamihara Tetsuya indeed had something special about him.
The brutality and evil he exuded were no less than that of a demon who had eaten hundreds of people and lived for centuries.
A flicker of clarity passed through Kamihara Tetsuya's eyes; the third blood-colored tomoe in his eyes ultimately did not fully emerge, but the Sharingan's ocular power clearly increased significantly.
"Well done, even those Lower Moon guys haven't killed a Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps," Akaza said with a laugh.
That was the truth; most Lower Moon demons who encountered a Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps ended up being slain.
Kamihara Tetsuya debuted at his peak, slaying a Pillar!
"I couldn't have done it alone."
Kamihara Tetsuya shook his head, saying, seeing the battle between Kocho Kanae and Akaza, he understood that Kocho Kanae had gone easy on him back at the Black Dragon Merchant Guild.
Perhaps she had seen the graves he built for the deceased outside the town and had softened her heart.
But this kindness ultimately killed her.
If she had decisively cut him down, Kocho Kanae would have left this small town and would not have encountered Akaza.
At the very least, she wouldn't have been injured.
Dragging her injured and ailing body into a desperate fight with Akaza, it was impossible for her to last until sunrise.
Bang!
At this moment, Kamihara Tetsuya's body tilted downwards, falling to the ground, his skin turning purplish-red.
Akaza asked, "What's wrong?"
Kamihara Tetsuya said coldly, "That girl's nichirin blade is poisoned!"
"Tsk tsk!"
Akaza clicked his tongue; he had heard that among demon slayers, there were swordsmen who used poison to hunt demons, and Kamihara Tetsuya's luck was truly bad to have encountered one.
Kamihara Tetsuya lay on the ground, his body automatically detoxifying; Kochou Shinobu was not yet a master of poison in the later stages, and this trial version of wisteria poison couldn't kill him.
Time passed, and night fell.
At that moment, the evil demons hidden in the shadows all opened their eyes; it was their time to be active!
Akaza slowly stood up, a hint of cruelty in his golden eyes; he was finally free.
Hunting time!
"Good luck!"
Akaza saw that Kamihara Tetsuya had not yet eliminated the poison, waved his hand, and turned to leave.
He had no interest in being Kamihara Tetsuya's babysitter.
Even if Kamihara Tetsuya was accidentally killed by a passing demon slayer, it would only mean his luck was bad.
Kamihara Tetsuya watched Akaza's retreating back with indifference.
That's right, this was how demons interacted.
Akaza not stabbing him in the back was already considered good.
Sharingan!
More than half an hour later, Kamihara Tetsuya's eyes were blood-red, with two blood-colored tomoe, using his powerful insight to scan the surroundings again and again.
He finally confirmed that Akaza had truly left.
Kamihara Tetsuya stood upright; he had already expelled the poison three or four hours ago.
He feigned weakness to make Akaza relax his guard.
A azure blue ball of light appeared in his palm, revealing its true form: a stunning girl with long black hair, none other than the soul of Kocho Kanae.
He had stolen the kill from Akaza.
Of course, it was to use Soul Manipulation - Reaper to secretly take Kocho Kanae's soul.
...
At the Butterfly Mansion.
Kochou Shinobu tidied Kocho Kanae's remains, changing her into clean and neat clothes.
Kocho Kanae's funeral was simple.
Kocho Kanae's cold remains lay in a coffin adorned with flowers, her hands resting on her lower abdomen, eyes closed, a faint smile on her face, peaceful and serene.
Kochou Shinobu and Kanao Tsuyuri wore black mourning clothes, kneeling on the left side of the main hall.
Not many people attended the funeral.
With evil demons appearing everywhere in the island nation, the Demon Slayer Corps was already short-handed, truly helpless.
Everyone rushed over, offered a flower, and looking at the lifeless Kocho Kanae, thought of how this girl used to be lively, cheerful, gentle, and elegant, sighing repeatedly.
Immediately, their resolve to eradicate evil demons became even stronger.
Some people had suggested thoroughly dissecting Kocho Kanae's remains, saying that they might be able to obtain information about Upper Moon Three Akaza and "Yasuo" from it.
This suggestion was sternly rejected by Ubuyashiki Kagaya.
Call him old-fashioned, call him stubborn.
The Demon Slayer Corps has been able to exist for a thousand years by relying on the strong beliefs of the demon slayers, not by such opportunistic means.
Dissecting Kocho Kanae's remains, while potentially yielding important information.
But defiling a corpse would only make people feel disheartened.
If morale is lost, it will be difficult to rally people again.
Moreover, the Demon Slayer Corps's target was Kibutsuji Muzan, not merely an Upper Moon Three Akaza.
They would not do such a short-sighted thing.
After the funeral, Kocho Kanae's remains were sent to a crematorium that had a cooperative relationship with the Demon Slayer Corps for cremation.
"Please..."
Kochou Shinobu bent down with difficulty.
"Mhm."
The old master at the crematorium had no ripple on his face; almost all the Demon Slayer Corps's bodies were handled by him, he had seen too many partings of life and death and had become numb.
The old master pushed the gurney, walking towards the cremation room.
Looking at the distant remains, Kochou Shinobu could no longer suppress the sorrow in her heart; the strong facade she had maintained in front of outsiders instantly collapsed, and she covered her face, weeping.
Kanao Tsuyuri stood behind her, expressionless, but in reality, she was flustered and at a loss.
Her sorrow was no less than Kochou Shinobu's, but she didn't know how to express it.
The old master pushed the gurney into the cremation room.
In this place where he had worked for decades, he was familiar with every corner inside; he would detect any abnormality immediately.
The moment he entered, he sensed it.
There was someone else!
"Who is it..."
The old master suddenly turned his head, and as his gaze met those blood-colored eyes, he didn't finish his sentence, his body stiffened, and his eyes became hazy.
Sharingan · Genjutsu!
Kamihara Tetsuya walked out, lifted the white cloth on the gurney, and indeed, it was Kocho Kanae's remains.
He casually threw the body of the small town resident killed by Akaza to the old master.
"This is Kocho Kanae's body!"