Hunting Demons in Town

Before they set out, Sakonji Urokodaki spoke to Tanjiro.

"There's one more thing. Listen carefully, Tanjiro."

"Only one demon in this world has blood that can turn humans into demons."

"He was the first person to become a demon, a thousand years ago. In other words, he's the enemy who killed your family. And I believe he knows how to turn your sister back into a human."

Hearing this, Tanjiro eagerly asked, "What does that demon look like? What's his name?"

"No one knows what he really looks like, or where he is. The Demon Slayer Corps has only recorded his name-Muzan Kibutsuji."

After listening to Urokodaki's instructions, Lin Guang and Tanjiro set out for the town to the northwest, the mission location their Kasugai Crow had given them.

After traveling for a full day and night, Lin Guang and Tanjiro arrived at a bustling town.

Watching the small boats plying the river and the mountains of goods piled up at the nearby docks, Tanjiro looked around the town with curiosity.

"Is this the town to the northwest?"

"This is it. Let's go." Lin Guang took the lead and headed into town.

Tanjiro jogged a few steps to catch up and asked, "How did you know this was the mission location the Kasugai Crow told us about, Senior Lin Guang?"

Lin Guang smiled. "Grandpa Urokodaki raised me from childhood. I've traveled to plenty of places with him."

"This is the town to the northwest that the crow meant."

Tanjiro looked envious. "Oh, I see!"

Seeing his expression, Lin Guang continued, "There's no need to be envious. Now that you've joined the Demon Slayer Corps, who knows where they'll send you? You might even end up traveling all over Japan."

Tanjiro smiled faintly at that. "I understand."

As Lin Guang and Tanjiro walked along a road in town, a despondent young man approached from the opposite direction, but neither of them paid him much attention.

The townspeople began talking about the despondent young man when they saw him.

"Look, it's Kazumi!"

"Poor thing. He looks so haggard."

"It's because Satoko was abducted while she was with him."

"The nights are truly terrifying!"

"Ugh! I've had enough! Once night falls, another young girl will be abducted."

Hearing this, Lin Guang asked, "Tanjiro, do you remember that despondent man's scent?"

Tanjiro had heard the townspeople too and knew this could be a lead to finding the demon. He immediately replied, "Yes, I remember it, Senior Lin Guang."

"Let's go find him."

"Right, Senior Lin Guang!"

The man named Kazumi was walking down the road when a boy wearing a white haori and another carrying a wooden box suddenly stopped him.

"Mr. Kazumi, we'd like to ask you a few questions. Do you have a moment?" Lin Guang asked.

"What do you want to ask?" Kazumi said, looking at the two strange boys before him.

"We'd like to know where Miss Satoko disappeared, and how it happened."

"Will you believe what I tell you?"

"Of course!"

Seeing that Lin Guang and Tanjiro weren't joking, Kazumi nodded and said, "All right. Follow me."

Lin Guang and Tanjiro followed Kazumi to an alley.

"Satoko disappeared right here," Kazumi said, pointing down the deserted alley.

Lin Guang and Tanjiro entered the alley, checking it for anything unusual.

"You might not believe me, but I honestly don't know how to explain it. Really, I turned around, and Satoko was gone. It's true."

Lin Guang said to Kazumi, "Mr. Kazumi, we believe you. This is exactly why we've come."

Then Lin Guang turned to Tanjiro. "Tanjiro, have you noticed anything strange here?"

Tanjiro sniffed the air and soon picked up a trace.

"The scent is coming from the ground?"

Tanjiro got down on the ground and carefully sorted through the scents in the alley.

"There's still a faint demon scent!"

Tanjiro stood up and looked at Lin Guang. "There's a demon's scent, Senior Lin Guang, but it seems elusive. Something feels strange about it."

Lin Guang rubbed his chin and thought carefully, then asked, "Tanjiro, did you smell any blood?"

Tanjiro sniffed carefully once more, then said with certainty, "No, Senior Lin Guang. I don't smell any blood."

"Being able to take someone away without a sound... This one looks troublesome," Lin Guang said slowly. "Tanjiro, your sense of smell is much sharper than mine, so I'm sorry for the trouble, but could you track them down?"

Pleased by Lin Guang's words, Tanjiro replied with complete seriousness, "Yes! Leave it to me, Senior Lin Guang!"

With that, Tanjiro began searching the town carefully for the demon's scent.

As the townspeople watched Tanjiro sniff here and there along the streets, each gave him a startled, puzzled look.