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The Boy

Miyuki's POV

Sometime later, I observed Tanjirou, Zenitsu, and Inosuke deep in their training. 

Zenitsu's voice echoed through the training ground, "No~! Help! I'm gonna die!" His usual dramatics were met with eye rolls from Inosuke, who grunted as he swung his sword with even more ferocity than before.

It had been almost four months since Rengoku's death. Zenitsu seemed more composed now, even when facing solo missions. 

Inosuke's determination had hardened, his training becoming more intense by the day. Meanwhile, I focused on honing my Kagura Suzu technique, ringing the bells with increasing skill.

"Ha! What's the use of ringing a bell at night?" a voice interrupted from behind. I turned to see Sanemi, a bottle of alcohol in hand. I chuckled softly, "I'm at my weakest during the night."

Continuing my ritualistic movements with the bell, I explained, "The more I perform this ritual, the more my power increases."

"Wanna join?" Sanemi raised an eyebrow and offered the bottle, surprising me. "Sure." I smiled warmly and nodded.  We found a spot in the corridor and sat down, gazing up at the starry sky.

Sanemi's eyes were filled with a mix of disbelief and curiosity as he asked softly, "Did you really kill an Upper Moon? How?"

"She was emotionally unstable. I took advantage of her desperation and... managed to kill her by sheer luck." I said quietly, struggling to hold back my tears, the alcohol drowning in me. 

Sanemi's expression softened as he said, "Luck or not, you defeated an Upper Demon. That's an incredible achievement."

"At what cost?" I muttered, forcing a weak smile, "Rengoku wouldn't want you moping over his death." Sanemi's hand gently caressed my cheek as he leaned in to kiss me. 

"Sanemi..." His touch was tender, I inhaled sharply, and pulled back abruptly, my heart aching. "I need to be alone," I stood up and walked away, leaving Sanemi behind.

Time Skip~~~

"Take care out there!" As Tanjirou, Zenitsu, Inosuke, and I prepared to head out on another mission, Kiyo, Naho, and Sumi wished us well. 

"North, east, west, south. Go!" the crow instructed, and with that, we dispersed to our respective locations.

In the town where I was stationed, I heard people disappearing into the night, most notably around the bookstores. 

"Have you noticed anything strange happening around here lately?" I approached a local merchant, engaging in conversation to gather information.

The merchant glanced around cautiously before leaning in closer. "Yes, there have been rumors... People going missing after visiting certain shops. It's been happening more frequently."

"Thank you for the information. I'll look into it." I nodded, my mind already piecing together a plan. 

Then after asking around a bit I found that strange occurrences had been linked to the Sakamaki bookstore. 

It was already deep into the night when I arrived at the bookstore, planning to survey the area discreetly. 

As I scanned the surroundings, a young boy caught my eye. He seemed absorbed in books written in languages unfamiliar to me.

"Damn! Clearly, brains run in his veins." I muttered to myself, intrigued by his presence.

 Continuing my investigation, I searched for any residual demon traces but found nothing. "Miss how can I help you?" The store owner approached me cautiously, asking if I needed any help.