"It's right inside here, Momota-san..." Hiroki fiddled with the lock to the Bizen fishery storeroom.
Ritsuki stood behind the boy with a gaslamp in hand. His mouth was a flat line as he waited for his 'disciple' to unlock the door.
They had to make a trip back to Hiroki's house on their way over, neither of them knew how to pick a lock, so they had to borrow his father's keys to the fishery.
"You know we'll likely be unable to help if it's a demon, right Hiroki?"
"It doesn't matter if we must prevent something bad from happening!" the boy stubbornly declares, and turning the keyhole under the rusted lock, the door to the fishery was loosened with a creak.
"Besides, I can handle myself Momota-san, I'll use one of your cool take-down moves if the demon tries to attack me."
Hiroki turned around and wordlessly asked for Ritsuki's gaslamp so the young man gave it to him with a heavy sigh.
Ritsuki still had his reservations about Hiroki's theory, he was just humouring the boy in hopes that he may calm down and go home to sleep. The young man just couldn't have the boy go on this small quest unaccompanied.
"Come on, Momota-san, it's just around here somewhere..." Without waiting for him, Hiroki made his way inside.
Before Ritsuki could enter the fishery himself, however, he heard a sound come from behind, the unmistakable rustle of fabric and while it was odd it hadn't alarmed him too badly.
Turning around, he saw a few fishing boats docked at the jetty illuminated by the few gaslights on the pier; one of them was rocking which was strange because the waters were completely still.
"Who goes there?" he called out but got no response. Ritsuki was about to call again before he felt a sharp and twisting sensation in his spine.
His hand unconsciously moved to his blade and he unsheathed the base of the tachi, he whirled around to glare at the empty bay.
The waters were completely still, and the moonless night made for an eerie vista. Ritsuki felt like he stared at a bottomless abyss.
"Momota-san, here I found it...!" He heard Hiroki call from inside the storeroom.
Turning back, Ritsuki realised he had been gritting. Wincing from the pressure on his teeth and jaw, he turned around and took one last look at the rocking boat.
Deciding to ignore it for now, the young man made his way inside the storeroom, Hiroki's theory of demons being the cause for all of this bearing new credibility in Ritsuki's mind.
"Have a look yourself Momota-san, tell me this doesn't smell like a demon," he excitedly beckoned for him to see as he held the gaslight close to it.
There was indeed a severed hand, broken off right around the upper forearm.
It was suspended in a jar filled with a clear oil of some kind, and just like Hiroki had said it was bloated and a few natural growths were observed.
What intrigued Ritsuki the most was the presence of multiple human-shaped bite marks on the palm and wrist.
"Dear goodness..." the young man couldn't help but exclaim.
It was now highly likely a demon of some kind was indeed involved, perhaps a powerful and malevolent entity did reside in the bay; settling down, Ritsuki made an assessment of the situation.
"Do you believe me now, Momota-san...?" the boy hopefully turned to the young man.
"Hiroki, you said victims disappeared in the lake after midnight, right?" Ritsuki got up to his feet and placed a hand on his sword.
YOU ARE READING
GHOST RIDER X DEMON SLAYER: Book 1: Imps and Prayers
FanfictionA boy who sold his soul in exchange for his father's life, cursed by the devil to exact his will and vengeance upon the world. Slowburn. Set roughly two to three years before the events of the first episode of Demon Slayer. - Cover Art courtesy of J...
