Man-eating Inn

Tsugikuni Kuuga looked at the father and daughter embracing each other in tears, and he was still quite happy. Although Shinobu Kocho was worried about Tsugikuni Kuuga, wasn't this exactly why they killed demons?

Shinobu Kocho helped Tsugikuni Kuuga to the sitting room. Next, they needed information about the demon. The moment the two of them sat down, Murata Hiroshi ran out.

Just as he was about to perform another deep bow, Shinobu Kocho stopped him.

"Come on, boss, you don't have to do this. I can't accept it!" Tsugikuni Kuuga said with a wry smile.

After all, the man was his elder. He felt awkward having an elder kneel before him every day.

"Boss, just tell me what you know!" Tsugikuni Kuuga said.

Murata Hiroshi no longer hesitated and began telling Tsugikuni Kuuga, "Judging by how you're dressed, you're from the Demon Slayer Corps, right?"

Tsugikuni Kuuga and Shinobu Kocho looked at each other in confusion.

The boss smiled and continued, "I was saved by them once when I was little, so I remembered!"

"I see!" the two said in unison.

"I think the place you should go is the one known as the Man-eating Inn. What you're looking for should be there. But that place has already been sealed off. Tourists come through our town from time to time, and it wouldn't look good if word got out, so we've kept it hidden."

"Where is that inn? We can kill the demon and bring peace back to your town!" Tsugikuni Kuuga said, patting his chest.

But the weakness nearly made him fall. It seemed he had forgotten how exhausted he still was.

"The inn is in the woods, a hundred meters outside town. It was once a stunning place beside the lake. Who would've thought it would become like this? Sigh!" The boss looked full of regret.

"You idiot, be careful!" Shinobu Kocho scolded as she watched him.

Meanwhile, the boss wore a knowing smile. He had seen Demon Slayer Corps members before, and he had seen demons too, but this was the first time he had seen a couple carrying out a mission together.

"Do couples go on missions together too?" the boss asked with a smile.

"We're not like that, boss. You're overthinking it!" Shinobu Kocho said with a tsundere look.

The boss merely smiled without saying anything. Shinobu Kocho took Tsugikuni Kuuga away to rest. She planned to carry out the mission after nightfall; daytime was far too conspicuous.

Back in the room the boss had arranged for them, Tsugikuni Kuuga drifted off to sleep in a daze. Before long, night fell.

Shinobu Kocho looked at the sleeping Tsugikuni Kuuga, then thought of how he had saved people. This guy isn't always so irritating after all!

In the end, Shinobu Kocho did not wake Tsugikuni Kuuga. She left the room alone, but as she was leaving the Murata residence, she happened to run into Murata Hiroshi.

"Miss, aren't you going to wait for your benefactor?" Murata Hiroshi asked.

"He's too tired. Let him rest properly. And please look after him for me!" Shinobu Kocho said, bowing.

Then Shinobu Kocho followed the route the boss had described. Before she left, Murata Hiroshi called out, "Miss, take some advice from me. When you meet someone you like, don't wait too long. Besides, I can see that you like each other!"

Shinobu Kocho did not look back. Instead, she sped up as she ran toward the inn. She only wanted to destroy that demon as soon as possible; she had already delayed too long.

"Sigh! It's good to be young!" Murata Hiroshi muttered.

Under the cover of night, Shinobu Kocho soon arrived at the place the boss had described. The ruined inn was overgrown with vegetation, cracks covered every surface, and the wind made the wooden boards creak.

The smell of blood in the air and the chilly night wind made Shinobu Kocho deeply uncomfortable. The inn no longer had a door, only a pitch-black opening like the gaping mouth of a monster.

But Shinobu Kocho was a member of the Demon Slayer Corps. She had to face the darkness. Drawing her sword, she walked toward the black opening.

Shinobu's sword had a four-leaf-shaped guard. Its hilt was primarily mint green, while its sheath was white. The blade was long and slender, and its tip was hooked. The words "Demon" and "Extermination" were engraved on either side of the blade.

Of course, Shinobu's sword had no cutting edge, greatly reducing its weight and allowing her to move faster. Shinobu was not very strong, but her poison made up for that weakness.

The moment she stepped through the inn's entrance, Shinobu Kocho wished Tsugikuni Kuuga were by her side. But she quickly shook her head and dismissed the thought.

By the faint light of the candle in her hand, Shinobu Kocho searched the inn for the demon. Just as she pushed open a room—

The room instantly lit up, though the light came from green torches on the walls. Bathed in that green glow, the entire room truly looked like the underworld.

Then a sinister voice came from all directions. "Wow! Someone from the Demon Slayer Corps. Looks like I'll get to eat some strong, healthy organs! Hehehe!"

The creepy voice echoed continuously through the room. Shinobu Kocho instinctively tightened her grip on her sword while trying her best to locate its owner.

But the voice came from every direction, without any definite location. Shinobu Kocho decisively threw the candle to the ground, and before long, the wooden floor caught fire.

"You crazy woman, are you trying to burn yourself to death?" that strange voice rang out again.

Then the wardrobe in the room opened, and a demon about a meter tall stepped out. He looked furious as he glared at Shinobu Kocho.

The demon's most striking feature was the oversized mouth that did not match the rest of his body. His mouth took up nearly half his face. This was the Soundwave Demon.

Without wasting words, Shinobu Kocho immediately unleashed Insect Breathing: Centipede Dance - Centipede Undulation.

With a powerful stomp strong enough to gouge up the ground, Shinobu Kocho moved like a snake, circling around the fire as she charged at the Soundwave Demon.

Before the Soundwave Demon could react, Shinobu Kocho stabbed him six times in rapid succession. This was Insect Breathing: Dragonfly Dance - Six-Eyed Katydid.

The Soundwave Demon realized that the stabs had done nothing to him and immediately laughed. "Were you sent here to scratch my itch? You're pathetically weak!"

Then five soundwave blades shot from his mouth. At such close range, Shinobu Kocho felt intense pain in her eardrums. She hurriedly covered her ears and retreated. Now, she only had to wait for the Wisteria Flower poison to take effect.

Shinobu Kocho nimbly evaded the soundwave blades, but the burning floorboards were sliced to pieces, and the flames gradually died out.

The green torches on the walls were extinguished as well, plunging the room into darkness once more. Only a few remaining flames gave off a faint glow.

"Tch! Go burn your own house down and die, you stinking woman!" the Soundwave Demon cursed.

Then deafening soundwaves tore through the entire room again. Shinobu Kocho rushed straight out the door, but at some point, cuts had already appeared on her arm. Her Demon Slayer Corps uniform was torn, and five bloody marks were left on her arm.