Demons only stir at night, hiding away during the day.
For Ren, a demon hunter, this meant waiting until darkness fell to track their traces.
Night descended swiftly over a remote village. A boy, carrying a younger boy on his back, trudged along the empty streets.
"Brother, when can we go home?" the smaller child murmured softly from behind.
The older boy glanced at the charcoal in his bamboo basket and sighed. "Once we sell all this, we'll head back."
But the weather wasn't cold enough to drive demand for charcoal, and with midnight approaching, every house was shuttered, the streets deserted. Who knew how long it would take to sell the load?
At that moment, a man approached from the far end of the street.
"How much for the charcoal? I'll take it all," Ren said.
The boy's eyes lit up, and his younger brother lifted his head eagerly.
The boy named a price—modest, even cheap.
Ren paid without haggling, taking the entire basket of charcoal. "Hurry home with your brother. And remember, if you can't sell this late again, don't try. Nights aren't safe."
"Thank you, sir!" the boy said gratefully, then turned, happily carrying his brother toward home.
"Woo, all sold!" the younger boy cheered from his back, their steps light and bouncy as they headed off.
Ren watched their retreating figures, then shifted his gaze to the charcoal in his hands.
He slapped his forehead with a wry grimace. "Ugh, Chitoshi's going to scold me again."
Chitoshi would surely lecture him for wasting money on so much charcoal when he got back.
In a shadowed corner, a pair of crimson eyes fixed on the two boys in the street.
*Drip, drip.*
The sound of drool hitting the ground.
"Heh, who'd have thought I'd find two kids? Children's flesh, so tender and juicy—absolutely delicious!"
The demon, saliva dripping, crept toward the boys.
Closer, ever closer, it moved like a spider, skulking in the darkness, inching toward its prey.
The boys, chatting and laughing, remained oblivious to the looming danger.
"That was lucky. We met a kind person today, or who knows how long we'd have been stuck with that charcoal," the older boy said.
His brother, nestled on his back, replied, "I wish you'd sell less, brother. Then you wouldn't have to work so hard."
"No way. I need to earn money to buy treats for Little Rain," the older boy said.
"I don't need treats. I just don't want you to be so tired," the younger insisted.
"Heh, your brother's not tired," he teased.
"Liar," the younger boy accused.
"I'm not lying. Soon, neither of you will have to work so hard!"
A raspy, grating voice cut through the night behind them.
The older boy froze, his body stiffening. Under the moonlight, he saw a shadow engulf them.
Slowly, he turned, coming face-to-face with a pale, ghastly visage.
The demon grinned wickedly, its claw reaching for them.
"Sun Breathing, Second Form: Clear Blue Sky!"
A flash of fire illuminated the night sky.
The demon's face froze in its final expression, unaware its head had been severed.
"What… happened?"
It saw its head soar, its body standing alone, motionless.
I'm dead?
My head's been cut off?
I'm dying?
Who did this?
*Thud.*
The demon's head hit the ground, rolling until it stopped at someone's feet.
In its final moments, it saw its slayer—a youthful, refined boy. It opened its mouth, but no words came. Its body began to burn, disintegrating into nothingness.
"It's you!"
The older boy's voice trembled, recognizing the man who'd bought their charcoal. He glanced at the fading demon, swallowing hard in fear. "What… was that?"
"A demon," Ren said, sheathing his Nichirin Blade. "Remember this: don't go out at night. Even if not for yourself, think of your brother."
"There are no more demons nearby. Your path home is safe."
Under the moonlight, Ren raised a hand without looking back, waving dismissively—a gesture eerily reminiscent of Yoriichi Tsugikuni's.
The boy stared at Ren's departing figure, the image of that single, decisive strike against the demon seared into his mind, impossible to shake.
"Brother," the younger boy's voice snapped him back.
"Brother, are you hurt?"
"I'm fine. What about you? Are you okay?"
"…I'm okay too."
Slaying the demon didn't halt Ren's patrol; this village was merely his first stop. He had many more places to check.
A crow flapped its wings, landing on Ren's shoulder.
Ren glanced at it. "Where to next?"
"There seems to be demon activity southwest, but it's far. If you go, you'll be late getting back," the Kasugai Crow said.
"Good food's worth waiting for. We can't ignore it just because it's far," Ren replied. "Chitoshi won't mind."
The crow sighed. "Ugh, I was hoping for some tasty rice balls."
"Stop moping. I'll have Chitoshi make more for you when we're back," Ren promised.
"Fair enough," the crow conceded.
Every Demon Slayer Corps member had a Kasugai Crow to relay intelligence.
Ren's crow, named Rōyu, had been with him for years. To Ren, Rōyu wasn't just a messenger but a trusted comrade.
Heading southwest, Ren tracked demon signs, soon arriving at an open field.
His gaze caught a man and a woman approaching from the distance.
He stopped abruptly. As his eyes locked on the man, a chill surged through him.
He sensed a demonic aura from the pair, but this presence was more terrifying than all the demons he'd faced combined.
What was this feeling?
It was as if a monstrous demon king was closing in on him.
The man hadn't even noticed him, hadn't spared him a glance, yet the oppressive force made Ren's skin burn as if scorched by fire.
In an instant, Ren drew his Nichirin Blade, muscles tensing, teeth gritted, staring at the man.
"Muzan Kibutsuji!"
Yes.
Only the legendary Demon King, the progenitor of all demons, Muzan Kibutsuji, could exude such a terrifying aura.
The man paused, his gaze drifting carelessly to Ren.
Those eyes regarded him like a mere fly. "A demon hunter, hm?"