The deceased was a young woman wearing a grey-blue kimono made of cotton and linen, with a dark green sash. Her exposed hands and feet had pale, shriveled skin, showing she had been submerged in water for quite some time.
The crowd gathered nearby whispered among themselves, and their voices reached Kiyokawa Izumi's ears along with the sound of the wind.
This was roughly what happened.
The deceased had a three-year-old child who suddenly disappeared one night.
Unable to bear the blow, she committed suicide by jumping into the river two days later.
The young man with a sorrowful face beside her seemed to be her husband, currently sobbing uncontrollably.
"Suddenly disappeared?"
Without a doubt, it must have been a Demon.
Kiyokawa Izumi instinctively gripped the nichirin blade at his waist, the expression on his face changing slightly.
In an era where Demons ran rampant, ordinary people lived in constant peril.
A happy family could be destroyed by a Demon suddenly, without any warning.
A virtuous and beautiful wife could also die suddenly one day.
"Muzan!"
The source of all this was, naturally, the progenitor of Demons, Muzan.
Kiyokawa Izumi's mood was indeed not great at the moment, as he was clearly projecting himself into the situation.
The Kasugai Crow perched obediently on his shoulder, merely tilting its head slightly…
The dark night shrouded the small town, and pedestrians became fewer on the reasonably wide dirt road. Kiyokawa Izumi paused for a moment in front of an udon noodles shop, but ultimately lacked the courage to step inside.
As for the reason, it was very real.
He had no money!
Not a single coin in his pocket!
It was quite pathetic; if he were to leave the Demon Slayer Corps now, he would likely starve to death.
Passing by a yatai, the steaming hot noodle soup emitted an enticing aroma, and his stomach chose that moment to growl unhelpfully.
The owner was quite enthusiastic, but what left him bewildered was that Kiyokawa Izumi walked past with an expressionless face.
A huge blow!
Were his noodles really that unappealing?
Finding a secluded spot, Kiyokawa Izumi finished his remaining rice ball with some plain water, feeling a bit troubled.
If the Demon didn't appear tonight, what would he eat tomorrow?
If it still didn't appear tomorrow, wouldn't he, Kiyokawa Izumi, starve to death here?
It was a lesson learned from lack of experience; he had found it too troublesome to bring more rice balls when he left.
Whether in his previous life or this one, reality was incredibly harsh—without money, one's spirit falters everywhere.
"Tell me, in this huge town, how am I supposed to find the Demon all by myself?"
With nothing else to do, Kiyokawa Izumi couldn't help but tease the Kasugai Crow on his shoulder.
The latter tilted its head slightly, instinctively flapping its wings and flying into the air, circling around.
Seeing this, Kiyokawa Izumi was slightly surprised.
This not-so-bright little guy was actually quite sentient.
Thus, with the cooperation of the Kasugai Crow, Kiyokawa Izumi began to wander aimlessly through the town.
He wasn't Tanjirou; he couldn't smell a Demon's scent—sometimes he felt this world was quite incredible.
Why could someone even smell other people's emotions? Is that reasonable? Is it scientific?
Why didn't he have such an ability?
As time passed minute by minute, Kiyokawa Izumi, whose sleep schedule had long been abnormal, wasn't sleepy enough to doze off.
He was just somewhat bored.
Waiting was undoubtedly long.
One hour could still be endured, but what about two hours, three hours, or even over ten hours?
Just then, the sharp cry of the Kasugai Crow came from overhead, particularly distinct in the quiet of the night.
Kiyokawa Izumi instantly entered a focused state without any hesitation, following the direction of the Kasugai Crow's flight at high speed.
Not far from him, a dark mass seemed to be moving rapidly across the rooftops.
It wasn't an ordinary stray cat.
From a certain distance, Kiyokawa Izumi almost didn't notice the thing, and it was only thanks to the Kasugai Crow's warning.
"So fast?"
Kiyokawa Izumi's brow furrowed slightly, and he was startled inwardly.
The Demon before him was much faster than the ones he had encountered in the Final Selection.
"Total Concentration Breathing!"
His rapidly expanding lungs acted like bellows, and in just an instant, he inhaled a massive amount of air.
The muscles in his lower body suddenly exploded with power, and covering the distance in a few strides, Kiyokawa Izumi closely pursued the appearing Demon, leaving deep indentations on the dirt ground.
"Are you… a Demon Slayer?"
The Demon, suddenly stopping, stood on the roof and looked down from above at the Demon Slayer who was hot on its heels.
It was the first time it had encountered such a swordsman.
The reason it stopped running was simply because it couldn't escape.
It wasn't that Kiyokawa Izumi's speed was particularly fast.
No matter how fast he was, he was still just a human, an ordinary person who hadn't mastered Total Concentration Breathing: Constant.
The Kasugai Crow circling in the air was something the Demon couldn't shake off no matter what.
It didn't want to lead the Demon Slayer to its hiding place.
Nighttime was one thing.
But if a Demon Slayer came knocking during the day, it would undoubtedly be very troublesome.
"Is it you?"
Kiyokawa Izumi also stopped, slowly looking up; panting slightly, he began to steady his breathing.
The Demon before him had dark skin and an exceptionally hunched back, looking like an old man in his seventies or eighties.
___________
We have completed today's chapters
Additional chapter at 70 energy stones