Lower Rank Six, Kamuna

Watching the two demons' bodies scatter in the wind, Tsugikuni Kuuga caught up with the main group. Next was their boss. Which Lower Rank could it be?

Tsugikuni Kuuga followed the large group of villagers deep into the woods, carving markers into the trees along the way so he could find the path again later.

Before long, the group stopped in front of a cave. Guided by the Centipede, the villagers lined up and entered the cave one by one.

It reminded Tsugikuni Kuuga of the "wonderful" memories of lining up for food in the cafeteria—except the villagers were going in to deliver a meal.

Soon, every villager had entered. Tsugikuni Kuuga did not follow them inside. He might alert the enemy if he did, and besides, the villagers would be safe for the time being.

Ordinary Demon Slayer Corps members, aside from the Hashira, had to report it when they encountered a Lower Rank and wait for a Hashira-level swordsman to handle it. But Tsugikuni Kuuga was clearly an exception. After all, a path to promotion lay right before him.

And once he became a Hashira, Tsugikuni Kuuga would have more influence within the Corps. It would also be easier to implement certain things. Otherwise, who would listen to him?

Tsugikuni Kuuga lay on a thick branch, concealed perfectly by the dense leaves. Through the gaps, he could just see what was happening outside the cave.

Tsugikuni Kuuga waited until the flowers nearly withered, yet nothing happened. Just as he was about to rush in for a look, a villager emerged from the cave.

Then, like bamboo shoots after rain, the villagers came out one after another. Tsugikuni Kuuga even counted them individually. Not a single one was missing.

That was right. He had counted every villager when they entered. It might have looked foolish, but it ensured that none of them had vanished.

After the last villager left, Tsugikuni Kuuga prepared to withdraw. He would make his move during the day. The demon was hiding in the cave and could not escape anyway, while daylight would be more advantageous to him.

After all the villagers disappeared from Tsugikuni Kuuga's sight, a figure appeared at the cave entrance. The light was too faint for him to make out the numbers in the other party's eyes.

But he was a man who had seen the script. He could identify him from his appearance alone.

His hair was black, with four short braids at the back. The tips were orange, and a green I-shaped mark was on his forehead.

Thank heavens the moon was especially round tonight. Otherwise, he might not even have been able to see the other party's appearance. Tsugikuni Kuuga knew it might also be because his five senses had improved.

In any case, he already knew that the other party was Lower Rank Six. What a pity Scum Boss had killed him, so his exact abilities were unknown.

"Damn it! Where the hell did those fat and skinny demons go? Don't tell me they went for another snack. Looks like I'll have to straighten those two out properly in the future!" Kamuna complained.

After complaining, Kamuna cautiously looked around before returning to the cave.

Tsugikuni Kuuga memorized the cave's location once more before leaving. When he returned to the old man's house, he found the little boy asleep against the doorframe.

Tsugikuni Kuuga gently carried him back to his room. The boy's hands were still trembling. He had clearly been terrified.

After settling the little boy, Tsugikuni Kuuga opened the old man's room and found him asleep as well. Upon closer inspection, the giant Centipede was gone, replaced by a red centipede mark.

So that Centipede had not been real. It was Kamuna's Blood Demon Art.

Tsugikuni Kuuga barely slept at all that night. With a Lower Rank practically living on his doorstep, he could not sleep soundly even if he wanted to!

The next morning, the old man acted as usual, as if nothing had happened. Tsugikuni Kuuga sent the little boy away and spoke with the old man.

"Grandpa, have you ever heard of demons?" Tsugikuni Kuuga asked.

The old man was not as shocked as expected. Instead, a glimmer flashed through his eyes.

"I've encountered one!"

The old man suddenly paused, then looked at Tsugikuni Kuuga. Trembling, he asked:

"Are you from the Demon Slayer Corps?"

"You're right," Tsugikuni Kuuga said with a nod.

The old man excitedly rose to his feet and tried to bow to Tsugikuni Kuuga, but Tsugikuni Kuuga stopped him.

"What are you doing?"

"Ten years ago, a Demon Slayer Corps member sacrificed himself to save our family. Even now, I can't forget the relieved smile on his face!"

By this point, the old man's eyes were brimming with tears, as though those events had happened only yesterday.

"That was a senior's resolve. You don't need to thank me. Demon Slayer is the wish of every Corps member!"

"Ah... there's a problem in the village, isn't there?" the old man asked with a sigh.

"That's right. But after today, you can all live without worry," Tsugikuni Kuuga said firmly.

"By the way, do you remember what happened last night?"

The old man thought seriously about it. It seemed that other than allowing Tsugikuni Kuuga to stay the night, nothing else had happened.

"After agreeing to let you stay, I went to sleep. After that, I don't remember anything!"

"I see."

Tsugikuni Kuuga's words left the old man utterly confused.

"By the way, could I borrow a few of the incense sticks you burn for your grandson?" Tsugikuni Kuuga asked.

The old man did not answer. He got up and went into the room, then came back holding a large bundle of incense sticks and dumped them all into Tsugikuni Kuuga's hands.

"If that's not enough, I have plenty more. I make them myself, so there's no shortage. Usually, I just use them to keep bugs away from my grandson!"

"It's enough, it's enough!"

"Thank you so much. This is a huge help!"

"I'm glad I can help!" the old man said with a smile.

Tsugikuni Kuuga looked down and saw roughly thirty incense sticks, thicker than the ones he had seen the previous night.

He did not know whether they would work against a Lower Rank, but they would definitely work well for repelling insects. Otherwise, those centipedes would surely cause him endless trouble.

Tsugikuni Kuuga then ground some of the incense into powder and divided it into three packets. Once it became powder, it had more surface area in contact with the air and would ignite more easily.

He kept only five whole incense sticks. Once everything was ready, Tsugikuni Kuuga set off for the cave.

Standing at the courtyard gate, the old man watched Tsugikuni Kuuga's retreating back and could not help shedding tears. In the end, he and his grandson bowed to Tsugikuni Kuuga.

At the same time, he tightly clutched the small bag in his hand. Inside were the Wisteria Seeds Tsugikuni Kuuga had given him. Perhaps they could keep the grandfather and grandson safe!

"Grandpa, what's Big Brother going to do?" the little boy asked in a childish voice.

"Him? He's going to fight monsters. He's protecting us!" the old man answered.

"Big Brother, good luck!"

The little boy shouted loudly and kept waving at Tsugikuni Kuuga. Hearing him, Tsugikuni Kuuga turned back and smiled.

Then the young man's figure vanished into the woods, while the sun remained warm.