Hiru watched as Kokushibo stepped out of the house first, coming to a quiet stop before the door. Faint murmurs of conversation still drifted from inside. Moments later, Tanjiro followed Takeo out and stood before Kokushibo.
Once the two began speaking, Hiru finally allowed himself to relax.
But Kitaro, perched on his shoulder, was clearly displeased. Lowering his voice, he muttered, "You're hiding another demon! How are you supposed to face Oyakata-sama, gah!"
"Ubuyashiki is aware," Hiru replied, raising a finger to scratch under Kitaro's chin. "Well? Any updates?"
"Gah. It's about the investigation into the Lower Moons of the Twelve Kizuki…"
As Hiru listened to the report, his brows gradually drew together.
No demon who had risen to the rank of the Twelve Kizuki was a fool. Many, once they realized they were under investigation, attacked the investigators and fled into nearby towns, making further tracking extremely difficult. A smaller number killed the investigators but brazenly stayed put.
"I see. Leave the ones who haven't moved for now. As for those who fled into towns… map out a route. I'll handle them."
"Gah. The nearest one is in a small town two districts east. But it may be troublesome…"
"What could possibly be troublesome about a Lower Moon…"
Hiru didn't hesitate. Guided by Kitaro, he headed straight for the nearest location. The moment he arrived, however, he understood exactly what Kitaro meant.
Even at night, the town was ablaze with lights. The streets were packed with people in all kinds of bizarre outfits. Some wore such exaggerated makeup that even certain demons might have looked less strange.
After a brief pause, Hiru stopped a passerby whose appearance was at least somewhat tolerable and quickly learned the reason.
The town was in the middle of a Spirit Appeasement Festival.
It wasn't about worshipping man-eating demons, but offering prayers to various spirits and deities for protection and peace. For the next month, the town would remain in a state resembling a "Night Parade of a Hundred Demons."
High-ranking demons could assume human form and only appeared at night. Under these circumstances, picking them out would be extremely difficult.
"This is a pretty interesting custom…" Hiru said, stopping at a mask stall and looking over the wide array of spirit and demon masks. "When I entered town, the guards even warned me about my weapons. If I hadn't reacted quickly, they wouldn't have let me in at all… You think this line of work is getting harder to stay in?"
"Gah. That's because you don't use ordinary weapons."
Hiru: …
He really couldn't argue with that.
Scanning the bustling crowd, Hiru let out a sigh. "With this many people around, even if I spot a demon, it won't be easy to make a move."
"Gah, you've already found one?"
"Hm… Isn't there one right over there?" Hiru glanced at a demon disguised as a candied-apple vendor nearby. "But if I kill it outright, that'll cause a panic, won't it?"
He strolled over casually.
"Hey, boss. Those candied apples look pretty good. How much?"
The moment Hiru singled out the demon, Kitaro took off toward the nearest Wisteria House to call for reinforcements.
It didn't take long for a squad of Swordsmen to arrive, each dressed in eccentric festival outfits. Their dramatic entrance immediately made them the most conspicuous sight on the street.
Hiru glanced at the vendor beside him, who was now trembling uncontrollably, and gave his shoulder a light pat.
"Your disguise was actually pretty convincing. Too bad you ran into me. In your next life, try for a better start and be born human. With skills like that, you'd probably be quite popular—though if you stole this stall from the real owner, then forget I said anything."
After that, Hiru led the squad through the night market, pulling more than a dozen demons out from among the crowd.
Quite a few had deliberately come from other areas to take advantage of the festival's cover and gorge themselves. Unfortunately for them, they had run into Hiru, who was here specifically to investigate the Twelve Kizuki. No matter how perfect their disguises, they were useless under the Swordsmen's watchful eyes.
What frustrated Hiru was that none of them were the Twelve Kizuki Kitaro had mentioned.
He led the Swordsmen through the streets again and again.
"Where exactly is that Twelve Kizuki hiding…? Catching this many small fry doesn't mean anything."
After regrouping with the Swordsmen who had finished off the demons, Kitaro landed back on Hiru's shoulder.
"Gah. Tonight's harvest is already impressive. And aren't you enjoying yourself?"
"What are you talking about? I'm extremely irritated."
"It'd be more convincing if you put down the takoyaki and the toy in your hands, gah."
"…."
For several nights after that, Hiru continued patrolling the streets with the Swordsmen. During the day, he wandered the town alone, steadily flushing out more demons.
This relentless hunt finally put the hidden Twelve Kizuki on edge.
"What's going on? How are we being found…?"
A white-haired, red-eyed girl with twin horns stood in the shadows, watching the passing Swordsmen. She gnawed at her nails, her expression dark and resentful.
"Tch—those stubborn pests. It's not like I only ate a handful of people…"
Her clawed fingers dug into a nearby shrub as she tracked their retreating figures.
"If you're so eager to die, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Hiru abruptly stopped mid-step and turned toward a dim alleyway.
Under the Swordsmen's puzzled stares, he retraced his steps.
"Evacuate the civilians. A demon's activated a Blood Demon Art."
The moment the words left his mouth, thick vines erupted from the ground. They spread rapidly, and nearby buildings began collapsing one after another. The festival crowd instantly fell into chaos.
Thanks to Hiru's warning, the Swordsmen avoided the falling debris. The stronger among them even managed to pull several civilians to safety.
Hiru looked up at the girl-like demon, now elevated high above the ground by twisting vines. He gently set down the terrified bystander he'd been holding.
"Well, you finally decided to show yourself. Let's see… already a Lower Moon? Not bad. That's a worthwhile catch."
"Perfect. I think you'll make excellent food." The girl's expression remained icy. "Remember this clearly—the one who devours you is Lower Moon Four, Mukago."