"But... what I cannot tolerate is that a blasphemer has appeared among you!"
As the words faded, Tetsu no Sosuke felt something vibrate in the air.
The next moment, the villagers who had been prostrating themselves on the ground all stood up, turned, and looked toward the boulder where Tetsu no Sosuke was hiding.
Tetsu no Sosuke stared in disbelief. How the hell had they found him?
That made no sense!
He blinked. From the villagers' movements, it was clear they were absolutely certain he was there. There was no point in hiding any longer.
He sighed deeply. It seemed things had taken the most troublesome turn after all.
"A member of the Demon Slayer Corps?"
When Tetsu no Sosuke stepped out from behind the boulder, Black Shadow spoke. "I never expected to meet you here. I thought it would be a long time before we met..."
"Sorry I came early." Tetsu no Sosuke glanced around. The villagers' eyes glowed red, but they made no move to attack him. Clearly, the figure on the platform still wanted to talk.
"No matter." Black Shadow laughed. "Seeing the Hammer Pillar in person is moving enough. You've looked into every corner of this place since entering the cave. What do you think of it?"
A chill ran through Tetsu no Sosuke. This thing knew!?
Had it been watching him the whole time, ever since he entered the cave?
Was this some kind of mental Blood Demon Art?
No... more precisely, a mind-control Blood Demon Art?
As for what he thought... Tetsu no Sosuke considered it seriously. "I really want to kill you."
Black Shadow seemed to freeze for a moment, then began shaking uncontrollably, as if laughing.
A Deadly Trap
Tetsu no Sosuke soon realized it really was laughing.
Mocking him, in fact.