"Ah!!!"
Another demon turned to ash. Half a month had passed since he left the Butterfly Mansion. This was the eighth demon he had killed. Now, most of the demons in this area had been slain by him, and Yōsen found it difficult to detect any more traces of them.
At this moment, Yōsen's light blue kimono was torn in several places, stained with demon blood. His hands were also covered in blood. Yōsen felt uncomfortable and thought about finding a river that night to wash up. Although he no longer had such needs after becoming a demon, Yōsen still preferred to be clean.
Suddenly, many footsteps, probably five people, approached from not far away. Yōsen quickly hid behind a tree to observe. From the sound of their footsteps, they were not ordinary people. Soon, five figures dressed in black, with a large "滅" (destroy) character on their backs and nichirin blades at their waists, appeared. Since it was daytime, they were completely unguarded, walking idly through the forest.
One of them walked with his hands clasped behind his head, kicking stones and speaking impatiently.
"What's been going on lately? No demons anywhere."
Another echoed, "Exactly. Did they know we were coming and all ran away?"
The group laughed together. Yōsen watched silently from behind the tree. It seemed he had killed almost all the demons, which should make things a bit easier for Shinobu, right? He decided to leave this place in a few days.
Night fell.
"Caw~ Caw~" An unknown sound echoed through the forest. Yōsen searched for a water source while sensing for any demon presence.
A strong demonic aura, more intense than any he had encountered before, came from the west. It seemed to be a formidable opponent. Yōsen turned without hesitation and ran west. He also had a question: why hadn't he sensed this demon's presence before? He had passed through this area many times; he shouldn't have missed it!
As he got closer, Yōsen finally found the demon, but there were also people fighting it. Yōsen first hid in the grass to observe. The people were the Demon Slayer Corps members he had seen during the day. If they could handle it, he would leave; if not, he would go help. The fewer people who knew of his existence, the better. A demon that helped humans appearing in Shinobu's territory, with the Demon Slayer Corps' investigative abilities, would likely trace back to the Butterfly Mansion and implicate them.
Yōsen secretly observed. The demon had long gray hair and black-red eyes, with sharp fangs. Facing the surrounding Demon Slayer Corps, it showed no tension, calmly combing its gray hair. Its voice was somewhat high-pitched as it hooked a finger at them and said,
"Not beautiful at all! No value in eating you. Let's make this quick."
One slayer couldn't hold back. He gripped his nichirin blade, preparing to unleash a Breathing Technique. As soon as he assumed his stance, a suffocating sensation came. The demon had appeared behind him at some point, grabbing his neck and lifting him up.
"I wouldn't want your filthy blood to splash on my clothes," it said with obvious disgust. The other slayers immediately reacted, swinging their blades.
"Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash!"
The demon seemed to know in advance, dodging with a flash. The attack didn't even touch its clothes. The Demon Slayer Corps member in its hand was directly thrown, crashing heavily against a tree, coughing up a large mouthful of blood and falling unconscious.
The others launched a coordinated attack, not wanting to give the demon any breathing room.
"Water Breathing, Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust!"
"Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide!"
"Flame Breathing, First Form: Unknowing Fire!"
"Thunder Breathing, Second Form: Rice Spirit!"
But all these attacks missed. The demon seemed to have an all-seeing eye, accurately dodging every attack, even casually swatting one slayer away. That person flew backward like a broken kite, falling to the ground unable to move.
The remaining slayers were all of the Kinoto rank. Seeing this scene, they panicked, their blades trembling so violently they could barely hold them. The demon also found it boring and decided to pick them off one by one. As it took a few steps closer, the three Demon Slayer Corps members fell straight down. As it wondered why, a direct punch, quick as lightning, landed on its temple.
The demon clutched its head in pain. That single blow had shattered its eyeball, plunging its vision into darkness. The demon roared hoarsely,
"Who is it! How dare you hit my beautiful face! I won't let you off; I'll flay you and strip your bones! My face~ my face!"
Yōsen hadn't expected to land a hit. The demon's dodging ability was something Yōsen had studied for a long time without understanding. But those Demon Slayer Corps members wouldn't last much longer. To be safe, Yōsen had knocked them out first. Watching the demon recover at a visible rate, it was clear this demon was very strong.
Its vision restored, the demon glared at Yōsen. When it saw the other's face, its anger vanished instantly, replaced by a blush on its pale face. It said in a high-pitched voice,
"Oh my~ Why is this handsome man so naughty? My face is very precious, but I'll forgive you since it's your first offense~"
He was truly handsome. His golden hair, dazzling even in the moonlight, those gem-like blue eyes, that indifferent expression! The demon swallowed. It had no resistance to beautiful people; such people were the most delicious food to it! So, it forgave Yōsen for hurting its face. It was always more tolerant of beautiful people.
"?" Yōsen looked at the demon in front of him, puzzled. What was wrong with it? But its gaze made Yōsen very uncomfortable. He needed to lead it away, or the people on the ground might be affected.
"You… are truly… ugly…" Yōsen tried his best to put on a look of disgust. This demon seemed very concerned about its appearance. He would provoke it this way, then lead it away from here.
"What?!" The demon's eyes widened, grinding its teeth in anger, producing a harsh noise. How dare he! How dare he call it ugly! Unforgivable! It liked beautiful people, but in its own perception, it was the most beautiful. Anyone who judged its appearance would pay the price!
"I've decided, I'll peel off your skin to make a human skin mask!" With that, it charged at Yōsen. Seeing this, Yōsen immediately moved away from the area to another location. The demon pursued him relentlessly. Although its speed wasn't as fast as Yōsen's, it was still the fastest among the demons Yōsen had killed. Coupled with its recovery ability, it seemed this demon had eaten many people. Feeling that the distance was sufficient, Yōsen stopped.
The demon also stopped not far from Yōsen. Although angry, it hadn't lost its reason. It noticed that the person's aura was very subtle. No, that person had a demonic aura, though very faint. It wondered why a demon would save Demon Slayer Corps members.
At this moment, Yōsen turned to face the demon, his eyes calmly looking at it.
"How many… people… have you eaten… already?"
"How would I remember? 40 people? 50 people? Who keeps track of how many meals they've eaten~" The demon replied carelessly, even tidying its slightly disheveled clothes from running. "You're a demon, aren't you! Why are you helping the Demon Slayer Corps?"
40? 50? So many lives lost to its hands. Yōsen clenched his fists. He was getting angry. This demon had destroyed so many families and showed no remorse. It had to go to hell to atone!
"Go to hell."
Yōsen's usually indifferent tone was uncharacteristically laced with anger. Why take away others' lives? Why take away others' loved ones? Why take away others' happiness! Yōsen was experiencing an unprecedented emotional surge. Something in his mind seemed to be breaking free from its shackles, something was on the verge of emerging, accompanied by continuous, dense stinging sensations.
Yōsen covered his head with one hand, revealing only those sapphire-like eyes, which now glowed, making them even clearer and deeper. His other palm faced the demon.
"Blood Demon Art: Air Raid."
A demon that also uses Blood Demon Art? A bit troublesome, but only a bit. Although it didn't understand why the other party was attacking it, it would definitely make the other party pay. How dare he call me ugly! I am clearly the most beautiful being!
How foolish, to dare to attack rashly without even knowing my abilities. Its demonic aura is so faint; it must be a young demon who hasn't even eaten a few humans. Don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're handsome, the demon snarled.
"Blood Demon Art: Danger Perception."
As long as I activate my Blood Demon Art, I can sense any attack. The greater the killing intent, the stronger the danger, and the less likely it is to hit me. Let me see where your attack is~ I'll dodge it in an instant!
The demon laughed triumphantly, but soon its laughter died. Because Yōsen's attack had already pierced through its entire abdomen!
"How is this possible! Why wasn't it sensed?!"