One Blade Executes Evil, One Blade Calms Souls! (Part 1)

On the afternoon that Gyomei and Kujo Tachibana finished their sparring session, Ubuyashiki Kagaya took Gyomei and departed.

He intended to help Gyomei rediscover his sense of self.

The next day, Kuwajima Jigoro, who had stayed in Dongchang Town for many days, also bid farewell to Kujo Tachibana and returned to Peach Mountain.

Two days later.

By this time, Kujo Tachibana had donned the Demon Slayer Corps uniform, layered with a gorgeous blue haori, and carried two long swords of identical appearance slung across his waist.

In an instant!

The handsomeness that had been sealed away for so long was finally recovered.

With nothing but his two swords and a pouch of "mission funds," Kujo Tachibana finally left the Wisteria House where he had been imposing for so many days.

He followed his exclusive Kasugai Crow, "Zhong Kui"!

(This was the name Kujo Tachibana had requested, though his crow had yet to agree to it.)

He began his first long-term mission to exterminate demons!

This was a special mission issued to Tachibana by Ubuyashiki Kagaya.

Given Kujo Tachibana's exceptional speed, Ubuyashiki Kagaya had designated him as a mobile unit for the Demon Slayer Corps, tasked with patrolling the entirety of Japan.

All Demon Slayer Corps members, affiliated industries, and every Wisteria House along his route were to provide him with maximum support unconditionally.

In this move, Ubuyashiki Kagaya had placed his absolute trust in him.

As Kujo Tachibana counted his money, he called out to the crow perched on a treetop:

"Ah! It's truly great to have an organization backing me!"

"If I don't kill an Upper Rank demon, I'll be too embarrassed to face the Master again."

The Kasugai Crow in the sky showed no desire to chat with Tachibana, merely repeating:

"South-southeast, south-southeast! Suspected man-eating demon in Black Mountain Township!"

"Alright, alright, I get it!" Kujo Tachibana tucked away his banknotes and dashed rapidly toward Black Mountain Township.

His chosen mode of transport was his own two feet.

There was no helping it; that was just how things were in this era.

Horses were extremely rare in Japan, and given the rugged terrain, if he actually rode one, the beast would be ruined within a few days of travel.

Otherwise, why wouldn't the wealthy Demon Slayer Corps provide every member with a horse?

However, Kujo Tachibana's current speed was truly immense; running at full tilt for a day covered far more ground than any horse, though it was a bit taxing on the legs...

After nearly ten hours of relentless running, sparing no stamina, Tachibana finally arrived at the residential area of Black Mountain Township just before nightfall.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead and catching his breath, Kujo Tachibana began his work.

Tachibana's Sword Heart Clarity had a perception range of nearly one hundred meters; for a small place like Black Mountain Township, he could finish a full sweep in no time at all.

Of course, it wasn't as if Tachibana became blind or deaf beyond that distance; he just lacked the radar-like precision he possessed within that hundred-meter radius.

The closer something was to Kujo Tachibana, the clearer his perception became.

Within one hundred meters, Kujo Tachibana was certain!

No demon could hide from him.

Three minutes and fifty-six seconds after arriving in Black Mountain Township, Tachibana sensed the man-eating demon lurking there.

That thick, foul stench of blood was like a beacon in the dark night.

In Kujo Tachibana's view, a man-eating demon that would hole up in such a small place without even bothering to mask its aura was likely just small fry.

Following the guidance of the "beacon," Kujo Tachibana arrived outside the courtyard wall of a residence.

Before Kujo Tachibana even entered, the heavy scent of blood wafted through the wall, hitting him head-on.

Frowning, Kujo Tachibana felt he might have to revise his previous assessment of this demon as "small fry"!

Such a thick, lingering stench of blood!

In Kujo Tachibana's vision, the courtyard wall before him seemed to be constantly weeping fresh, crimson blood from the cracks in the masonry.

Just how many people had the demon here already consumed?

Looking at the tall wall built of bluestone, Kujo Tachibana didn't waste time knocking on the door.

With a light leap, he vaulted over the high perimeter wall of the residence.

The moment he entered the courtyard, Kujo Tachibana sensed something amiss!

The scent of blood within this courtyard was simply overwhelming!

What was even more terrifying was that the source of this stench of blood seemed to be human!

After a moment of thought, Kujo Tachibana did not hesitate any longer.

He walked directly toward a pavilion on the south side of the courtyard, tucked into the shadows, where the smell of blood was strongest.

"Heh, quite the wealthy household," Kujo Tachibana sneered while observing the architectural decorations within the courtyard.

Back in the day, his own Kujo Clan had also been quite affluent.

Although there was little money left by the time it reached Tachibana's generation, his discernment was still far superior to that of the common folk.

Walking through this cold and foul-smelling pavilion, Kujo Tachibana gently drew the Nichirin Sword from his waist, transforming into a butcher of demons in the dead of night!

He moved slowly toward the room where the scent of blood was most concentrated.

Tajima An was obsessively licking a female human leg bone in his hand, which had already been polished to a smooth, pearly white, unwilling to waste even a tiny bit of "food."

Only when the leg bone in his hand had been sucked dry of all flavor did Tajima An reluctantly discard it.

He casually picked up another complete thigh of a female human that had already been severed and prepared nearby.

He began to tear and chew at it frantically.

This was a depraved habit Tajima An had retained from his time as a human.

After turning into a demon, this habit was not discarded; instead, it was infinitely amplified.

This habit was—an obsession with the feet and legs of women!

Young girls were his favorite, followed by young married women.

Every time he tasted the flesh from these parts, the desires deep within Tajima An's heart seemed to be completely satisfied!

The pleasure was akin to an orgasm...

This was also one of the reasons why he hadn't wiped out the Tajima Clan after becoming a demon.

In his eyes, men and elderly women were nothing but collections of foul stench.

He would rather starve to death than eat their flesh!

The Tajima Clan, which he had preserved, had been purged by Tajima An and turned into his loyal followers.

They were the biggest accomplices that allowed him to hide for so long, evading the Demon Slayer Corps without their knowledge!

Having witnessed his power and uniqueness, these clansmen were also longing to become "demons" themselves!

To gain unparalleled power while also obtaining eternal life.

The only price was a trivial change to their "diet" and a lifestyle of living in reverse of day and night.

For their Tajima Clan, the shadow rulers of Black Mountain Township and members of the noble class, this was a very profitable trade!

Unfortunately, what they did not know was that Tajima An, a small-fry demon, had no ability to turn any of them into demons!

Even if one were to take a step back and assume Muzan-sama agreed, Tajima An himself would be loath to share the precious Demon King blood within his body with these "clansmen" of his!

This group of monsters, who had long since lost their conscience and humanity, were merely dreaming an unrealistic dream!

In the years since Tajima An became a demon, the Tajima Clan had spent vast amounts of money every year, using various pretexts in other regions.

They abducted large groups of young human women to provide as food for Tajima An.

This was also the reason why Tajima An's tracks had not been discovered by the Demon Slayer Corps for so long.

What was even more terrifying was that, after long-term exposure and influence, these devils within the Tajima Clan!

Had actually started "eating people" themselves!

They foolishly believed that Tajima An's transformation was a result of "eating people"!

Tajima An was happy to see this; after all, what these people were eating were merely the "scraps" he left behind!

Because of this, they were even more proactive in helping him find food.

And he, Tajima An, only needed to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

However, if one does enough evil, the truth will eventually come to light!

In the mountain forests outside Black Mountain Township, a large number of young human female skeletons were discovered, which finally drew the attention of the Demon Slayer Corps!

The moment he pushed open the door, even though he had prepared himself mentally, Kujo Tachibana's hands still began to tremble uncontrollably.

The next second, Kujo Tachibana slowly sheathed his Nichirin Sword.

He reached out and drew the long sword his father had left him!

Today, he would not only slay demons!

He would also purge evil!