𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗘𝘆𝗲𝘀 - 𝗞𝘆𝗼𝗷𝘂𝗿𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗼𝗸𝘂 𝘅 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿

~Chapter 42~

A demon that kidnaps girls... very unoriginal if you ask me.

Your eyebrows scrunched up as you read the location for the umpteenth time. The northeast side of Tokyo. You almost felt nervous. Yes, you did go on several missions with Giyu, but this was your first time having one on your own. What if you screwed up? What if you ended up losing just a little drop of blood to the demon you were fighting.

Yet again, you remembered that the demon slayer uniforms were made of special fabric, preventing them from getting ripped by the teeth and claws of weaker demons. You didn't know about the stronger demons, though. What if the one you were going to fight was strong? You frowned, shaking your head as you continued your way to the northeast of Tokyo. You didn't want to run, afraid you might run out of stamina once you find the demon and start fighting it, yet you tried to be light on your feet. You promised Kyojuro you weren't going to be reckless, and you did your best to be careful.

A certain young kid caught your eye, around the age of sixteen or seventeen. His hair was dark and messy, and on the left side of his face was a bruise. You frowned, wondering what was wrong with the kid. You then overheard a group of women speaking as the boy walked past them. "Poor Kazumi-San looks so devastated." Said one of them, her voice filled with pity.

"I heard that he was right beside Satoko when she was taken." Another one spoke up. Immediately, you ran up to the boy, knowing he must have got some answers.

"Excuse me!" You panted as you grabbed the kid by the shoulder, making him turn to you with a confused expression.

"Who the heck are you?! What do you want?" He asked, obviously not in the mode to talk to anyone. You sighed, trying to catch your breath.

"May I please inquire you about the incident?" You asked, trying to sound professional. Kazumi blinked in confusion before nodding, taking you to the spot where Satoko was taken.

"We were out on a walk here when she disappeared." The kid explained as you nodded, studying the spot Kazumi took you to. It seemed to be like any other sidewalk, though you knew there was more to it. "I-it's my fault she disappeared. I'm the one who convinced her to come here this late." Guilt was visible all over the boy's face, making you feel pity for him. It was clear no one would believe his words no matter how hard he tried. You smiled at the younger boy.

"Hey. I believe you." You said softly. "Now, I want you to stay close to me so I can make sure you're safe, ok?" Kazumi nodded slowly, still confused about who you were and why you were helping him, yet he decided not to question you and do as you tell him. You closed your eyes, strengthening your other senses. You focused on what you felt right under your feet. You sensed strange movements beneath your feet, and it seemed like they belonged to more than one individual, making a knot of anxiety form in your stomach. Immediately, you started running to the right, surprising the young kid. You quickly signaled him to stay near you as you unsheathed your sword, jumping from one side of a building to another. Kazumi gasped at your actions, wondering just how were you able to move with such swiftness.

You stopped when you felt the movements under you pause. You scrunched up your eyebrows as your grip on the katana in your hands tightened. You stabbed the sword into the ground, right where you felt the movements stop, causing a loud screech to be heard from underground. Immediately, a strange murky dark liquid started to spread from the hole you just stabbed, revealing a young girl, passed out on the floor. There was cold sweat on her forehead, making it clear to you that she was terrified before passing out. You quickly yanked the girl out of the liquid and handed her to Kazumi, turning to face him. "Hold her close, and stay close to me, clear?" The young boy nodded, terror washing all over his face as he held onto the younger girl tightly. You turned back to face the dark liquid puddle, watching how a terrifying demon emerged from it. It had three horns on its forehead, and dark, blank eyes. You frowned. A castor demon