Demon Slayer: Like Shards of Glass (Giyu Tomioka x OC)

2

"That damn apple had better be worth it," you grumble as you walk away from the vendor's fruit stand. Kuroe doesn't reply, too busy stuffing his face with the sweet fruit. A special breed of talking bird, my ass. The only thing special about Kuroe is his appetite.

As you walk back the way you had come from, you can't help but overhear a few snatches of conversations from the townspeople.

"There's still no news? How horrible..."

"When do you think they're going to return?"

"All that blood..."

"Could it be some kind of wild animal?"

What are they talking about? You sense that something is off. You blink, footsteps falling to a stop next to a couple, who stares at you with widened eyes. Their gray auras flicker slightly with fear. What are they so afraid of? There's definitely something wrong in this village.

"Excuse me," you ask the couple politely, hoping to ease their fear and lower their guard with amiable speech. "I'm new in town, and I happened to overhear your conversation. Could you tell me more about what's going on?" You make sure to bow respectfully, as an added cherry on top.

The couple eyes you hesitantly, and you're perceptive enough to guess why. You must look out of place, maybe even dangerous, if the katana you're carrying is any indication. On top of your sword and the Demon Slayer uniform, there's also the case of your mismatched eyes. Even though you appreciate the extra sight that comes with your left eye, you wish people would be polite enough to at least try to hide their stares. You feel a flash of bitterness but will yourself to wear your usual mask of neutral countenance.

There's no benefit to displaying your true emotions, after all (not now, not ever).

The woman stares at you for an extra second and takes the smallest step back, and you're about to give up and question someone else when her mouth finally opens. "... I guess an outsider wouldn't have heard about it."

Your eyes narrow. So there is something wrong. "Please tell me more about it. Maybe I can help you."

***

The leaves softly crunch beneath your feet as you head deeper into the woods, leaving the small village behind you. "Am I even going in the right direction?" you mutter, noticing that the path is half-hidden by overgrown plants.

"Where are you going? Where?" Kuroe caws in protest, hovering the air above your head. "To the east! You must head to the east!" When you ignore him, his screeching becomes even louder. "Your next assignment! Your next assignment is-"

"-East," you finish, cutting him off testily. "I know, Kuroe. But I kind of have to take care of this first. It wouldn't be right to leave the village the way it is right now."

You pause as you spot a patch of something dark on the ground to your right. Crouching down, you examine what looks to be small splotches of a liquid, brown in color. "This is blood," you mumble to yourself as you stand back up. "Well, dried blood, to be exact." You're fairly certain about it, considering you see the substance almost daily. "Since I've found the trail, it won't take long now." Looking up at Kuroe, you roll your eyes. "I promise to solve this by tonight, so lay off, will you?"

The crow lets out a caw of indignation, giving you one last contemptuous bat on the head with his wing before disappearing into the trees. You sigh. Kuroe and his attitude problems.

As you quicken your pace through the forest, you recount the conversation you had with the woman back in the village.

Apparently, the trouble had started around two weeks ago when a young man had disappeared from the streets after night had fallen. The villagers had discovered the man's sandal and a trail of blood leading to an abandoned house in the woods, but they could not find anything even after searching the house. From that point on, more young men and women have been disappearing suddenly during the night, whether it be from the streets or their homes.