The logging camp

The mission had first been submitted by an experienced member of the Kakushi.

The report indicated that workers and their families had been disappearing one after another from a logging camp north of Yamanashi City.

Seventeen people had disappeared in total.

The local police had immediately sent officers to investigate the logging camp, but they had found nothing.

There were no signs of a struggle, nor any traces of blood.

Even the bedding in some of the workers' huts still held the creases left by people who had only just gotten up, as though they had simply vanished into thin air.

In the end, the police had hastily closed the case, claiming that "the workers stole valuables and fled together."

But to the Kakushi members, who had spent years dealing with demons, there were far too many suspicious details.

The case was promptly reported to the Demon Slayer Corps.

The next day, a nearby [Shin]-rank swordsman was ordered to investigate.

Yet by the following day, that swordsman and his Kasugai Crow had joined the ranks of the missing.

The Demon Slayer Corps immediately dispatched three more swordsmen who were carrying out missions nearby, forming a team to investigate again.

The team included two [Kanoto]-rank swordsmen.

And one [Tsuchinoto]-rank swordswoman whose recent performance had been particularly outstanding: Kanae Kocho.

Under normal circumstances, a team like this would have been more than capable of uncovering the truth behind the case.

Just as the Kakushi member had expected, a Kasugai Crow soon brought back news.

The missing workers had been confirmed as victims of a demon.

The swordsman who had investigated earlier was confirmed dead.

One [Kanoto]-rank swordsman was currently injured, while the [Tsuchinoto]-rank swordswoman Kanae had engaged the demon and driven it back.

The three were now attempting to pursue the demon.

But the Kakushi member in charge of dispatch had barely begun to relax when another Kasugai Crow returned with an urgent report.

One [Kanoto]-rank swordsman had fallen.

[Tsuchinoto]-rank Kanae was requesting immediate reinforcements.

Cold sweat instantly soaked the dispatching Kakushi member's back, and they snatched up the roster.

They began urgently contacting every nearby swordsman who was not already on a mission.

Meanwhile, outside the logging camp on Mount Myoken.

Two sword-wielding slayers stood back to back, gripping their Nichirin Blades as they scanned their surroundings.

They had let their guard down during the pursuit.

Not only had they lost a companion, but now they themselves were trapped in this vast sea of trees.

Not long before, when the three had first arrived at the logging camp.

With senses far beyond those of ordinary people, they had quickly discovered details the police had overlooked.

There were no signs of combat or blood at the scene.

But on the open ground and trees near the logging camp, they found faint drag marks arranged in straight lines.

They had not been made by animals.

Following the marks, they soon entered the nearby logging area.

They also noticed that something was wrong.

The trails often ended abruptly in front of large trees or piles of stone.

Yet after splitting the trees and overturning the stone piles, they found nothing behind them.

Only after night had fully fallen.

Did the three discover a Nichirin Blade broken in half in front of a massive boulder deep within the forest.

It belonged to the swordsman who had disappeared earlier.

Strangely, half of the Nichirin Blade was embedded inside the rock.

It looked exactly as though it had grown out of the stone.

At the sight of this bizarre scene.

All three immediately became alert, while Kanae, the highest-ranking among them, stepped forward to examine the details.

There was a great deal of dust and powder on the rock's surface, but it did not seem to have been blown there by the wind. It looked more like...

More like something that had seeped out after slight compression and friction inside.

Just as that thought crossed her mind.

The surrounding trees suddenly changed!

Thick trunks burst apart one after another, and countless wood splinters shot toward the three like a torrential downpour of sharp throwing weapons.

"Scatter!"

Kanae, the strongest of them, reacted first. Her Nichirin Blade traced arcs of light, shredding the wood fragments as she swiftly retreated.

The other two [Kanoto]-rank swordsmen were no novices, either.

Both activated their Breathing Styles and evaded the sudden ambush.

"Mmm... I only just finished digesting one brat who didn't know his place, and now more people have come rushing to their deaths."

Amid the dust, a figure slowly "flowed" out of a shattered tree trunk.

As they had expected, it was a demon.

Bracing both hands against the broken trunk, it pulled itself out.

Its hollow gaze swept over the three sword-wielding slayers.

"Well, which one should I start eating first?"

"No, perhaps I should keep you as food for the winter. After all, my stores are still nowhere near enough to last me through it."

[Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash]

A blue flash of steel, trailing a spray of water, descended toward its neck.

One of the swordsmen had lost patience and launched the first attack.

"Don't rush in!" Kanae warned urgently.

Thud!

It was like striking a piece of hard timber.

The demon raised its arm, effortlessly blocking the swordsman's slash.

Though the blade sank a little way into its flesh.

To a demon with such astonishing regenerative abilities, that was barely a scratch.

So hard!

The attacking swordsman's expression changed drastically.

The demon's body was several times harder than those of any demons he had cut before.

With this level of toughness, never mind striking an arm raised to defend.

Even if it offered him its neck, he would probably need dozens of slashes to cut through it.

"That really hurts, mm..."

A trace of bluish gray flowed across its pale green, wood-grained skin. Then it swept its hand back, forcibly dragging the swordsman, who had yet to pull his Nichirin Blade free, into its embrace.

"Food should behave like food for me."

Before the swordsman could regain his footing, the claws on its other hand slashed toward his throat.

Fortunately, his two companions reached him at that critical moment.

One swordsman grabbed his collar and dragged him back, while Kanae directly caught the incoming claws with her blade.

But she was not finished.

[Flower Breathing]

[Fourth Form: Crimson Hanagoromo]

Two pink slashes swept upward like rising flower petals, striking the demon's wrist and elbow.

Crack.

The arm that the swordsman had failed to sever with all his strength was now sliced into three pieces.

So this is Flower Breathing?

It's much stronger than our Water Breathing.

One swordsman could not help marveling.

In fact, had Xia Xi been there, he might have corrected him.

Because it was not Flower Breathing that was powerful, but the swordswoman using it.

[Kanae Kocho (Energy level: 86)] Flower Breathing LV.3, Water Breathing LV.1

[Fujiki Sai (Energy level: 36)] Water Breathing LV.2

[Kojiro Kondo (Energy level: 31)] Water Breathing LV.2

The fluttering petals gradually faded.

Kanae now stood between the swordsmen and the demon, holding her Nichirin Blade at an angle, fully on guard.

"You look rather delicious, butterfly..."

Once again, a faint bluish gray flowed over its body, and its arm rapidly grew back.

Staring at Kanae's butterfly hair ornament, it murmured repeatedly, "Let me have a bite. Perhaps I'll let those two pieces of inferior food beside you leave."

Naturally, the girl had no intention of granting its wish.

Without looking back, she said to the two partners she had yet to get to know, "I'll take the lead in attacking from here."

"Sorry for the trouble, but I'll need both of you to cover me."

"Yes!"

"Leave it to us!"

Faint white mist escaped between the three slayers' teeth as the power driven by their Breathing Styles surged.

(One of the first Flower Breathing swordsmen had planted trees at the site of the Butterfly Mansion decades earlier.)