Su Mu had only taken a few steps while holding Kanao Tsuyuri's hand before he stopped. They were simply moving too slowly. Though Kanao Tsuyuri was doing her best to keep up, a human body could not compare to a demon's.
Besides, Kanao Tsuyuri was still a frail little girl.
And the town was still a long way from here. Traveling that far was simply too difficult for a little girl.
"I'll carry you."
Su Mu patted Kanao Tsuyuri's head, then bent down. "Get on."
Kanao Tsuyuri hesitated briefly, but still climbed onto Su Mu's back.
"Put your arms around my neck."
Su Mu spoke softly.
Kanao Tsuyuri obediently reached out and wrapped her arms around Su Mu's neck. Feeling the warmth of the man's broad back, her eyes sparkled in the moonlight. Deep within her closed-off emotional world, she had once envied children who had their fathers' love. Their fathers would carry them on their backs like this, too.
Even within that closed-off world, she had once longed to know what it felt like to be carried this way.
And now, what she had once longed for and envied in that sealed-off emotional world was no longer something she needed to... envy.
The girl gently rested her head against the man's neck and closed her eyes, quietly savoring and experiencing the feeling.
Su Mu paid little attention to Kanao Tsuyuri and simply ran swiftly onward. He needed to reach the town quickly. After all, he still had to go to the Hiko Dojo to learn Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu. Once he had finished learning, he would have to continue searching for the Kamado Family's home.
But just after running out of Taro Town, Su Mu stopped.
Fierce sounds of fighting and roaring came from up ahead.
One of those voices was very familiar. It belonged to the demon who had been hiding from the sunlight with him in the underground cavern over the past few days.
And anyone fighting a demon was clearly a demon slayer from the Demon Slayer Corps, whose mission was to eradicate demons and protect humanity.
Su Mu was not surprised that the Demon Slayer Corps had tracked down the demon who had sheltered with him in the cavern. After all, the demon had just hunted down one of their swordsmen. The Corps already hated demons, and the pain of losing a comrade was enough to drive its swordsmen into a frenzy.
On top of that, the demon was not cautious in the slightest. Unable to resist his instinctive craving for flesh and blood, he frequently went out hunting, making it easy for the Demon Slayer Corps to pick up his trail.
From the sounds reaching him, Su Mu could hear extreme fear and panic in the familiar demon's voice. Clearly, the demon was probably losing.
Almost without hesitation, Su Mu turned and ran with Kanao Tsuyuri on his back, having no intention whatsoever of coming to the demon's rescue.
The torches hissed as they burned, their flickering light reflecting off the edges of the Nichirin Blades in cold glints. Hiroshi Furukawa wielded his Nichirin Blade, coordinating with his companions as they attacked the demon.
In the firelight, two mangled corpses could already be seen lying on the ground. Blood dripped from them onto the earth, staining it crimson.
That was what hunting demons was like. Swordsmen would always die along the way.
Death inspired fear and dread, but Hiroshi Furukawa had long since prepared himself to die on the path of demon hunting and no longer feared it. Still, seeing his companions die before his eyes brought him grief. Yet what he felt even more strongly was anger-a desire to kill the demon before him.
These cruel demons, these demons who wantonly destroyed other people's happiness, these demons who fed on humans, these ugly monsters-all of them deserved to be killed. All of them deserved to be exposed to sunlight and burned alive.
"All demons deserve to die."
Hiroshi Furukawa gritted his teeth, his gaze icy.
"Flame Breathing, First Form: Unknowing Fire!"
In an instant, Hiroshi Furukawa leaped forward. His Nichirin Blade carried a searing heat as he reached the demon in a nearly explosive burst of speed.
"Roar!" The demon bellowed, moving almost instinctively to defend himself, but Hiroshi Furukawa's companions attacked at virtually the same instant, their seamless coordination restricting the demon's movements.
Whoosh!
The edge of the Nichirin Blade slashed toward the demon's neck in an instant, and the demon only had time to duck his head slightly.
The blade, radiating the scorching heat of flames, struck at the demon's left ear, sliced horizontally through his head, and emerged at his right ear. Red and white fluid ran along the blade's spine. Nearly the entire upper half of the demon's skull above his ears was severed in one horizontal stroke.
But even with half his head cut off, the demon still did not die. He even reached out to catch his severed skull before retreating at tremendous speed. White brain matter spilled from the severed half as he ran, making the whole scene grotesquely horrifying.
Yet Hiroshi Furukawa and the other Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen felt no fear at the sight. They knew perfectly well that these demons could not be killed unless their necks were severed outright by a Nichirin Blade. Almost without pausing, they lunged forward again and intensified their attacks.
One Demon Slayer Corps swordsman cut off the demon's right arm, the one that was not holding his severed skull.
Another member of the Demon Slayer Corps nearly cleaved through most of the bone in the demon's right leg.
Hiroshi Furukawa likewise did not pause. Gripping his Nichirin Blade, he darted forward and lunged at the demon again.
Faced with the demon slayers' fearless attacks, seamless coordination, and ruthless ferocity, the demon, covered in wounds, felt the threat of death.
If this goes on, I'll die.
The threat of death nearly drove the demon to despair. Just as he thought he would surely die beneath these demon slayers' Nichirin Blades today, he suddenly sensed the familiar presence of one of his own kind approaching. The only demon nearby was probably Su Mu, who was still resisting his craving to devour humans.
Almost instantly, hope surged into his despairing heart. His fierce desire to survive made him erupt with strength, forcing the Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen back even at the cost of further injuries.
At that moment, delight filled the demon's heart. If Su Mu came over and joined forces with him, he was confident they could kill every swordsman in this small Demon Slayer Corps squad.
After all, none of these demon slayers could match him one-on-one. Combined with his powerful demonic body, tremendous regenerative ability, and near immortality, he could practically crush them. Had they not fought without fear of death and coordinated so seamlessly, he would never have been driven into such a desperate situation.
But if someone helped relieve some of the pressure, things would be different.
Yet the joy that had just welled up abruptly vanished, because the familiar presence of his approaching kin was rapidly
moving away.
"Damn you."
The words came from the demon's mouth through gritted teeth. But as Hiroshi Furukawa and the other swordsmen attacked again, he could only turn and flee, his heart filled with hatred.