Time: Five in the afternoon.
Winter days are short, and the sun sets quickly.
Shinobu, waking with her whole body at ease, got out of bed, ready to head back into the mountains to hunt demons. If evil demons weren't eliminated, she felt a bit uneasy.
But she planned to first go to the Nagatani home to check on Kamado Asaki. She could have him follow her and search for the evil demon together at night, and let him get familiar with demons in advance.
However, Shinobu heard a piece of news that shocked her.
"What, you're saying Asaki was eaten by a demon?"
Hearing Old Nagatani's words, Shinobu Kocho's eyes went wide.
"Could it be that while I was up the mountain investigating, that demon slipped into the town?"
"Sigh, what a pity. Such a promising person. The little canines were cute, and his figure was great…"
Shinobu couldn't help a bit of self-blame. She felt Asaki was already so miserable—wanting to find demons to avenge his family—yet died before he even set out, and this was connected to her not efficiently dealing with the evil demon.
Old Nagatani sighed: "Yes, Lord Shinobu."
"Mr. Asaki, last night he said he wanted to stroll around Shiqiao Town first, to get to know our town."
"I reminded him that evil demons might appear at night, that it wasn't safe."
"But Mr. Asaki didn't listen. He said he was a friend of Lord Shinobu Kocho and could handle demons."
"But sigh, a fine young man, gone just like that…"
Shinobu asked: "Then did you see with your own eyes the demon kill Asaki?"
Old Nagatani shook his head: "No."
"But he said he'd be back after just a short stroll. It's been so long, and there's still no sign of him. I searched the town and asked many people, but alas, they all said they hadn't seen him."
"Tell me, if he wasn't taken and eaten by a demon, what else could it be?"
"It's my fault for not stopping him. It's not good for young people to be too arrogant."
Shinobu answered softly: "Maybe…"
After chatting a few more lines with Old Nagatani, Shinobu left, saying she was going up the mountain to slay demons, and left the Nagatani home amid Old Nagatani's reminders.
Walking slowly, Shinobu mulled over Old Nagatani's words, pensive.
"Asaki, were you really eaten by a demon?"
"Or are you avoiding me, but why would you do that?"
As one of the Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, Shinobu's eye was naturally razor-sharp. Just from seeing Asaki's performance in the water, she knew he possessed the ability to fight demons.
She felt that although Asaki didn't have a Nichirin Blade and couldn't kill demons, he shouldn't be so easily killed by one either.
And after asking others, who said that they hadn't heard any sound of fighting. Then the question is: why did you choose to slip away quietly?
Do you not want to join the Demon Slayer Corps and want to act freely?
Or is there some other reason?
Shinobu didn't think too long. She was quite interested in Asaki, but not to the point of special importance.
As the sky gradually darkened, Shinobu Kocho went up Blue Mountain again, trying to search for the already dead Black Fang.
This wasn't Shinobu's fault. After a demon dies, some ashen traces are generally left on the ground. Whether cut down by a Nichirin Blade or burned to death by sunlight, it's the same.
But Asaki had completely absorbed the black-and-red ash that Black Fang became, so Shinobu naturally assumed subconsciously that Black Fang was still alive.
"Hope I can find him tonight. I can't delay here too long—there are tasks in other places as well."
"If I still don't find him this time, I'll search one more day, then hand the matter to others."
Between the branches in the night, a butterfly's shadow skimmed past.
...
Another day passed. Shinobu went to Blue Mountain as usual, but this was also the last day. Whether or not she could find a demon, she planned to leave tomorrow.
As for Asaki, he had also slept long enough in the wine cellar.
"Asaki, wake up."
"Asaki, wake up."
"......"
"The people of this town need your help. Wake up."
"Remember, be sure to help them. Don't let the suffering that happened to us happen again..."
Asaki's brow was tightly furrowed. He didn't sleep peacefully.
In his dreams, he seemed to hear his family's voice again and again.
"Mm…"
His eyes slowly opened. After sleeping for two days, Asaki woke.
He rubbed his slightly aching head and stood up.
"Tss—how long did I sleep?"
Asaki had lost track of time. He only felt he'd slept till heaven and earth were dark, sun and moon without light. Could it be that a long time had passed?
At this moment, looking at the empty wine jars beside him, Asaki sighed: "Drinking really messes things up…"
"I originally planned to go find the road home after one day, but now I don't even know how long it's been. It's certainly more than a day."
Asaki felt time was tight. He very much wanted to see Tanjiro immediately; Tanjiro was already his only family.
At this time, Asaki still didn't know that Nezuko had survived by becoming a demon too.
"Hm? What's this?"
Unintentionally, Asaki discovered that there seemed to be a rather strange place by the wall.
The walls of Black Fang's wine cellar were rough but overall flat.
But by chance, Asaki saw a slightly protruding brick on the wall. This brick had previously been blocked by the wine jar. After he took down the jar to drink, it happened to be exposed.
The brick's protrusion was extremely slight. With ordinary eyesight, not as good as Asaki's, it would be hard to notice.
Asaki stepped forward and tapped that wall.
"#$*£~"
This sound didn't seem like a solid wall.
Recalling that protruding brick, Asaki immediately thought of what to do.
"Seems those previous-life memories are somewhat useful. All those spy movies weren't watched for nothing."
Asaki placed his palm on that brick and pressed slightly.
Sure enough, as the force increased, that brick made a ka-cha ka-cha sound and slowly sank inward.
Under Asaki's curious gaze, the wall began to tremble slightly.
Within a few breaths, the wall's shaking grew stronger. Gradually, a crack appeared, connecting the top and the floor.
A great cloud of dust rose, blocking Asaki's sight, but he wasn't in a hurry. He slowly waited for the answer to reveal itself.
"What's inside here?"
"Black Fang—seems like your family isn't that simple, as I previously thought."
Along the crack, the wall split from the middle to both sides, revealing a small compartment.
Asaki blew out a fierce breath, scattering all the dust that blocked his view.
Looking closely, he found the compartment was very, very small, used to store only one thing, not a passage leading somewhere else as Asaki had imagined.
In the middle of the compartment sat the only item inside.
It looked slender and long, simply covered in white cloth. Asaki couldn't make out what it was.
He slowly stepped forward and lifted the white cloth.
"Hu—"
The white cloth flew up, revealing the item it had protected.
It was a Nichirin Blade with its sheath attached. Ancient patterns were carved on the exposed hilt—very beautiful.
Asaki seemed to see a Nichirin Blade that had followed its master through hundreds of battles. After its master's passing, the master's descendants had collected it as a memento, and it had never again had the chance to drink a demon's blood.
It lay lonely and silent in its sheath, quietly waiting to be drawn once more.