After dealing with the aftermath of Mukago's death, Hiru had originally intended to head straight for the next location where a member of the Twelve Kizuki had been sighted.
However, a Kasugai Crow arrived with new orders—he was to suspend his pursuit. Other Hashira would take over those targets.
Hiru didn't question it. He simply returned to his steady, almost mechanical routine of hunting demons.
Not long after, he received a letter from Nezuko. She wrote that she and Takeo had completed their first demon-slaying mission, successfully rescuing someone who had been on the verge of being devoured. Tanjiro's condition remained stable as well.
Unfortunately, their rest had been brief. A new assignment had already come in.
The news left Hiru quietly satisfied.
Soon afterward, fresh orders arrived for him as well—he was to proceed to another village that had suffered a retaliatory attack by a member of the Twelve Kizuki. His task was to assist the Swordsmen stationed there and search for survivors.
But once he arrived and spoke with the officer in charge, Hiru realized that "searching for survivors" was an overly generous phrase.
This was closer to recovering remains.
The Twelve Kizuki here was far bolder than Mukago. When the Kakushi sent to investigate were discovered, the demon slaughtered them on the spot and dumped their half-devoured corpses at the village entrance as a warning.
And yet, the investigation did not cease.
Only this time, those sent were no longer Kakushi, but fully enlisted Swordsmen.
More than a dozen Swordsmen—each ranked Kanoe or higher—took over the investigation. What followed was even more brutal.
In a single night, dozens of villagers were slaughtered. Of the Swordsmen assigned to the case, only a handful of mutilated corpses were recovered. The rest vanished without a trace. Soon, nearby villages began suffering attacks as well.
The Demon Slayer Corps was now facing open retaliation.
From the officer in charge, Hiru learned that he was not the first Hashira to arrive. The Water Hashira, Urokodaki Sabito, had already come—but he had yet to locate the demon.
"Are any other Hashira coming?"
The officer answered candidly. "Originally, this mission was assigned to you and the Sound Hashira. However, the Sound Hashira was delayed by matters within his jurisdiction, so we contacted Water Hashira Sabito instead. Sabito-dono is currently investigating the victims inside the village."
"I see…"
Hiru glanced at the sky, now beginning to lighten with dawn.
"There's still time. Bring me the records of the missing and the deceased."
He reviewed the list of missing Corps members, his expression steady. Only one page held his gaze a fraction longer than the others.
After committing the details to memory, he returned the documents.
His eyes briefly shifted between his own weapon and an ordinary Nichirin Blade resting nearby. In the end, he chose to leave empty-handed.
When he reached the village where the massacre had taken place, it didn't take long to spot Sabito—being chased out of a house by an elderly man brandishing a cane.
Hiru caught fragments of their exchange.
"Sir, please listen! I'm not a bad person—I'm investigating the murders—"
"Rubbish! If you're not a bad person, why are you sneaking into my house?!" the old man shouted, his voice trembling with anger. "Is this how you investigate? No credentials, no proof—who are you trying to fool? Just because I lost my son doesn't mean I'm easy to push around! Get out! Come back again and I'll break your legs!"
The door slammed shut with a resounding bang, leaving Sabito standing outside.
"Hiss… that old man's got quite the swing."
Sabito rubbed the spot where he'd been struck. His gaze swept down the street—until it settled on Hiru, who stood at the corner watching the scene unfold.
He straightened.
"Oh. You're here."
"How embarrassing," Hiru said flatly. "Getting chased out by an ordinary man."
Sabito adjusted his mask and made a polite gesture.
"Your turn."
Hiru vaulted over the wall with complete confidence.
Less than ten minutes later, he too was driven out by the old man's cane.
Sabito stood with his arms crossed, watching as Hiru calmly brushed the cane marks from his clothes, utterly unfazed.
"While it's still daylight," Hiru said evenly, "let's investigate the forest first."
Sabito didn't comment. He simply nodded and fell into step beside him.
"You arrived before I did. Any news about the missing Swordsmen?"
"We recovered the bodies of a few within the village," Sabito replied, his voice heavier now. "But several are still unaccounted for. There hasn't been much disturbance in the mountain forest either. I'm afraid the outlook isn't good."
"Then we'll avenge them," Hiru said, his gaze fixed on the mountains veiled in dense fog. "And bring back what we can."
"Did you receive the earlier intelligence?"
"I did," Sabito said, shaking his head. "Unfortunately, none of the areas in my jurisdiction matched. And at a time like this, of all times…"
Once they left the village, the two moved swiftly toward the forest.
As they neared the edge, both reached out at the same moment.
"Wait."
They paused, exchanging brief looks of surprise.
Sabito spoke first.
"The fog is too thick. If this is the demon's territory, it may be able to move freely even during the day. You didn't bring a weapon. I grew up in conditions like this—I'm more used to it. Let me go in. You stay outside and provide support."
Hiru shook his head and pointed to the grass at their feet. Dark blotches mottled the leaves.
"This fog isn't like the one on Sagiri Mountain. Besides natural moisture, there's likely a Blood Demon Art mixed in. These diseased plants are proof enough."
He lifted his gaze.
"I know medicine. Even if there's poison in the air, I can deal with it. You stay outside."
"And what if you run into the demon?" Sabito frowned. "And why did you come without a weapon in the first place?"
"You can lend me yours," Hiru replied matter-of-factly. "I didn't bring one because it's too conspicuous. More importantly, I don't feel like getting scolded."
"…"
So that's why you're always borrowing other people's swords.
For a moment, Sabito was speechless—once again confronted with Hiru's particular brand of shamelessness.
In the end, despite his obvious reluctance, he unfastened his blade and handed it over.
"If it breaks, you're coming with me to Swordsmith Village. I refuse to take the scolding alone."
Hiru accepted the sword, gave a casual wave, and walked straight into the fog.
Sabito sighed. After glancing once more at the black-speckled grass at his feet, he stepped farther back from the forest's edge.
…
Inside the forest, visibility was abysmal.
Beyond five meters, it was hard to tell a man from a woman. Beyond twenty, human and animal blurred into one indistinct shape.
And yet, stubborn threads of sunlight still pierced the rolling mist, casting a strange liveliness against the forest's suffocating stillness.
Hiru followed the mountain path at an unhurried pace.
But his gaze kept drifting to the surrounding vegetation.
The plants, mottled with dark blotches, grew wildly within the fog. In the dim light, those blackened spots seemed to twist and shift, like countless eyes hidden in the shadows.
Eyes brimming with malice.
Watching every living thing that dared step into the mountain forest.