Thud!
Gently placing the bucket on the ground, Yuichiro glanced at his younger brother still lying in bed before carefully pouring the water from the bucket into the storage jar.
Though his movements were already quiet, the sound still stirred Muichiro awake.
Seeing Muichiro rubbing his eyes as he sat up, Yuichiro abandoned caution altogether.
Deliberately adopting a cold expression, he dumped the remaining stream water into the jar with a loud splash.
"Brother?" Muichiro blinked sleepily at Yuichiro, who merely snorted.
"Useless idiot. Can't even fetch water properly. I was thirsty and there was nothing to drink. Go back to sleep!"
With that, Yuichiro crawled back under the covers while Muichiro silently stared at the now-full water jar.
He recalled what Shinichi had told him earlier that day 'The ones who care about you the most will always be your family.'
"Thank you, brother," Muichiro murmured softly.
Yuichiro kept his back turned, but in the shadows where Muichiro couldn't see, the corner of his mouth curled up slightly.
Just as Muichiro got up to drink, a series of faint footsteps suddenly sounded from outside the house—clear enough for both Tokito brothers to hear.
Muichiro was still confused, but Yuichiro reacted first, angrily stomping out of bed.
He assumed it was that annoying, cold-faced man from earlier, coming to bother them again.
How infuriating!
With a sharp yank, he flung the door open and roared.
"Get lost! You pest! Weren't you annoying enough during the day? Who disturbs people in the middle of the night?!"
Grrrrrl—
Instead of a reply, a low, guttural growl rumbled from the darkness—a sound like a beast snarling from deep in its throat.
Yuichiro froze, his gaze lifting to the towering figure before him.
Sickly green eyes streaked with bloodshot veins.
Grayish skin like rotting flesh.
Razor-sharp black claws glinting coldly.
Filthy clothes reeking of something foul, stained with dark red patches.
Veins bulging across its forehead and face—a visage of pure horror.
Just one glance made Yuichiro's breath hitch.
What… what kind of monster was this?!
But the Demon before him had no such hesitation.
It had been starving for far too long and the two young human boys in this cabin were nothing less than a rare feast!
"Sluuurp! How lucky! Two woodcutter brats in the mountains—no one would even notice if they disappeared. Keh heh heh… Such insignificant little bugs might as well do me the favor of filling my belly!"
The green-eyed Demon cackled, baring its grotesque grin before swiping its claws straight at Yuichiro.
In that critical moment, a jolt of electricity seemed to shoot through Yuichiro's brain.
Reacting instantly, he twisted around and sprinted back inside—not to save himself, but to scream.
"MUICHIRO! RUN!!"
Sssshhk—! Blood sprayed.
A searing pain tore through Yuichiro's back as his body lurched forward uncontrollably, crashing into Muichiro, who still hadn't grasped what was happening.
Warm blood gushed continuously from Yuichiro's back wound, quickly soaking through his clothes.
At that moment, the green-eyed Demon stepped into the wooden house, licking the blood from its claws with a disgusting, slimy tongue while eyeing the Tokito brothers mockingly.
Gritting through excruciating pain, Yuichiro staggered to his feet, his face pale as he faced the Demon.
Muichiro had now seen the terrifying creature that had suddenly appeared.
Crash!
Suddenly, Yuichiro grabbed a wooden bucket from the ground and lunged at the Demon, shouting with all his might as he ran.
"Muichiro! Run! Head for the stream! Now!"
The cold-faced man was by the stream.
He'd said he was a swordsman of the Demon Slayer Corps, that his job is to slay Demons.
Then he could definitely protect Muichiro. Muichiro couldn't be hurt. Absolutely not!
The green-eyed Demon watched Yuichiro's charge with amusement.
"Run? None of you are escaping tonight. Since you're so eager to die first, I'll grant your wish!"
A razor-sharp claw effortlessly shattered the wooden bucket and shot straight toward Yuichiro chest.
Too fast.
No time to react.
This is it.
I'm sorry, Muichiro.
Big brother can't protect you anymore.
"BROTHER!"
Thud!
The sound of flesh being pierced rang out—yet Yuichiro felt no pain in his chest.
Opening his eyes in confusion, Yuichiro was met with a sight that made his vision blur with rage.
A figure had somehow dashed in front of him—the Demon's black claw now buried deep in Muichiro's chest.
Blood splattered directly onto Yuichiro face.
"NO!!!"
A desperate roar tore through the silent night.
Swish!!
A bluish-green streak flashed through the dense forest.
Shinichi advanced swiftly, his expression icy, one hand already gripping the hilt of his Nichirin shortsword.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, his left eye glowed with a verdant light.
"Forest Breathing, Eighth Form: Whispering Forest Eye!"
Instantly, the distant pulse of life reflected clearly in Shinichi's vision.
"Bastard!"
Rarely did Shinichi raise his voice in anger.
His speed increased dramatically as a faint bluish-green aura enveloped him, making him resemble a streaking comet.
When the Tokito family's cabin came into view, Shinichi's deerskin boots slammed against the ground.
In an instant, he was there—Crash!—kicking the wooden door to splinters as his Nichirin blade left its sheath.
"Forest Breathing, Fifth Form: Soaring Bamboo Slash!!"
Thud!
A grotesque, ashen head soared into the air as foul Demon blood sprayed from the severed neck.
In a single slash, Shinichi had beheaded the green-eyed Demon.
Yet what startled him was the fleeting glimpse of relief in the creature's eyes before death.
Before Shinichi could ponder this, another threat came—whoosh!—a bloodstained axe swung straight for his head.
Clang!!
Sparks flew as Shinichi instinctively raised his shortsword to block, though the sheer force behind the blow still shocked him.
'Its heavy!'
But it wasn't over.
Even as he blocked the axe, another attack came from his other side—a bloodied kitchen knife aimed squarely at his skull.
Whoosh!
With a risky sidestep, Shinichi dodged the cleaver while freeing one hand to grab the slender figure in front of him.
Simultaneously, he kicked at the wrist of the figure behind him holding the cleaver.
Clang!
The cleaver clattered to the ground as Shinichi roared.
"Stop it, both of you!!"
At his shout, the two figures ceased struggling.
Under the faint moonlight, Shinichi could now clearly see the faces of the Tokito brothers.
Their bodies were smeared with blood—both the Demon's and their own.
Their axes had just been raised, and before Shinichi arrived, they had nearly hacked the Demon to pieces.
Yet, their eyes were unfocused, as if their bodies were being controlled by a combat instinct triggered in the face of danger.
Thud!
Before Shinichi could say another word, the pale-faced Muichiro collapsed to the ground, blood still seeping from the wound on his chest.
"MUICHIRO!"
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