As dawn approached, Chiba Yo started back toward the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters, intending to tell Oyakata-sama about Kaigaku. He had buried everyone from the little village.
When he left, Chiba Yo had a crow dangling from him like an accessory, its beak tied shut with string.
"Crow Bro, don't blame me. I don't want to do this either, but I really can't trust you to keep quiet. Lives are at stake, so please bear with me. I promise I'll find you a couple of extra worms afterward."
Chiba Yo spoke to the Kasugai Crow as he walked. With its beak tied shut, the crow could only make muffled noises.
The following night.
Chiba Yo was hurrying toward headquarters, thinking he should be able to get back in another two days.
Just then, a man covered in bloodstains came limping toward him, his expression terrified, as though something dreadful were chasing him.
He seemed completely exhausted and looked ready to collapse at any moment.
When he spotted Chiba Yo, hope appeared on his face.
"Help! There's a monster chasing me! Please help me!"
Although Chiba Yo looked barely into his teens, the man was already close to despair and could only grasp at straws. Besides, he figured that even if Chiba Yo couldn't fight the monster behind him, the boy could distract it, giving him a better chance of escaping.
Another demon?
Chiba Yo frowned. Something felt very wrong. In the past, he would usually encounter only one demon per mission. This time, his assignment alone required him to eliminate two vicious demons, and he had encountered another three along the way. Now it looked as though he had run into yet another.
Although Chiba Yo wanted demons to come looking for him, the current situation was clearly abnormal. Their