Esoteric Flame Breathing [INDEFINITE HIATUS]

7 - Burned Tower

Yakiri and Morag were the most formidable demons Satoru and Jun had ever faced so far. Thankfully, the demon slayers were able to handle them, despite Morag being a former Lower Moon Two of the Twelve Kizuki.

It appeared that the injuries sustained by Satoru were more severe than those of Jun, which could be attributed to Morag's immense strength. While Jun also had some cuts and bruises, they were not as serious. Regrettably, there were no medical professionals available to provide treatment for Satoru's wounds. Jun had to resort to utilizing some Kakushi to conceal his comrade's injuries, which was not the most ideal solution, but it was sufficient for them to continue their journey.

It's been about five hours since the two slayers started to travel up the road to their next assignment, and Satoru's crow is flying in their direction, continuously pestering them to go northwest. It can only be assumed that they will continue to go on missions together as it was the only one to reach the demon slayers rather than him and Jun's crow. However, the distance wasn't being made at a preferred pace because Satoru still needed to recover fully and started to walk with a slight limp about two hours into the journey.

Jun: "Oh, Satoru-san! Over there... there's a dumpling shop!" He said as he pointed at a small hut ahead of the two slayers. "Let's take a break. We've been walking all day; I'm exhausted!" He pleaded with a hint of a whine before running off toward the shop like a giddy four-year-old.

Satoru: "Speak for yourself. You don't look all that exhausted..." He annoyingly muttered as he walked up to his comrade who had just finished placing an order. He had to deal with the crow's obnoxious pestering and Jun's complaining about being hungry despite them eating some rice balls an hour ago, so he was not in a good mood. "You're like a four-year-old sometimes, you know that?"

Jun: "Aw, what's the rush?" He casually asked, much to the crow's irking. "We're trying to kill some more demons, but we don't even know where they are."

Satoru: "...The crow knows." He jerked his thumb toward the crow, who now had a tick mark on his head.

Jun: "Besides, you look like you need some more rest, so what's it going to hurt if we kick back for a bit?" He asked, not expecting an answer as they stood by the stall, waiting for their order. "By the way, which one are we after again?"

Satoru: "How should I know?!" He exclaimed, his frustration evident in the exasperated tone of his voice. Jun's carefree attitude toward their job had worn thin on him. "All I know is that we need to follow the bird to get to our next mission!"

Jun: "First we find them, then we kill them. Just leave it to me, okey dokey?"

Satoru:

Jun: "Right?"

???: "Here you go. Dumplings for two." The shop lady said as she held out two plates of rice dumplings skewered onto sticks in groups of three and covered with a sweet soy sauce glaze.