After saying that, Senjuro turned and left.
Shinjuro's body stiffened at the words, unable to speak for a long time. He instinctively reached to guzzle down some alcohol from the flask in his hand, but remembering the message Kyoujurou had Senjuro deliver, his hand hovered in mid-air before falling back down.
Kyoujurou…
…
After training Tanjirou and the other two for some time, the demon-hunting missions began again. Tanjirou and Inosuke successively left the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters to carry out their tasks.
On the training ground, Chiba Yo was guiding the remaining Zenitsu when two Kasugai Crows landed on the training ground's fence and began cawing.
One was Chiba Yo's, the other was from the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters; Zenitsu's Chuntaro couldn't convey mission information.
"North-northeast! North-northeast! A demon is lurking in a Temple in the mountains! Chiba Yo, hurry and eliminate it!"
"North-northeast! North-northeast! A demon is lurking in a cave! Zenitsu, hurry and eliminate the demon!"
The two Kasugai Crows cawed loudly at the same time, making Chiba Yo's head spin.
"Yo, our mission directions are the same! Let me follow you!"
Zenitsu felt a surge of pleasant surprise after hearing the Kasugai Crow's words.
Watching Tanjirou and Inosuke successively depart for missions, and thinking that he would also have to go alone eventually, Zenitsu felt incredibly panicked.
Unexpectedly, the direction of his mission point was the same as Chiba Yo's, so he naturally wanted to go together.
"Alright then, but I won't interfere with your mission; you have to slay the demon yourself," Chiba Yo told Zenitsu.
After this period of training, Tanjirou and the other two had made significant progress in their strength, and Zenitsu was no exception. Chiba Yo saw all of this, but one thing about Zenitsu hadn't changed at all: his timid personality. He would get terribly scared at the mere mention of hunting demons alone. Chiba Yo felt that this was a good opportunity to change that aspect of his character.
"Mhm!" Zenitsu nodded repeatedly, but a mischievous grin was spreading across his face inwardly.
Hehehe, anyway, if I really encounter a demon, I don't believe Yo would just stand by and watch me die.
The two left the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters together, heading in the direction the Kasugai Crow had indicated.
"Oh, by the way, Yo, my grandpa's house is also in that direction. After this mission, let me invite you over as a guest. It's been a long time since I've been back to see my grandpa."
On the way, Zenitsu said to Chiba Yo, turning his head while running.
"Are you referring to your trainer, the former Thunder Hashira, Kuwajima Jigorō?" Chiba Yo asked Zenitsu.
When he first met Zenitsu, he had mentioned his trainer, and Chiba Yo thought that the person he called grandpa must be him.
"Yes, although Grandpa is very strict, he's very good to me. He helped me pay off my debts and has always meticulously taught me. Even though my talent is very poor, far inferior to my senior, he has never given up on me."
Zenitsu nodded in response.
They are all kind people…
Chiba Yo sighed inwardly. Tanjirou's trainer, UrokodakiSakonji, was the same, even risking his own life to vouch for Tanjirou's sister, Nezuko.
Chiba Yo then accepted Zenitsu's invitation, agreeing to visit Kuwajima Jigorō after this mission.
…
The first place they arrived at was Zenitsu's mission location. The sun hadn't completely set yet, and before them was a deep, dark cave.
"The villagers in the village down the mountain were just talking about people frequently disappearing at night recently. It seems the demon the Kasugai Crow mentioned is here."
Chiba Yo said, looking at the cave before him.
Zenitsu was already trembling as he looked at the deep, dark cave. The thought of a green-faced, fanged demon suddenly leaping out from inside made him incredibly scared.
"Yo… let me follow behind you…"
Zenitsu clutched Chiba Yo's sleeve, his teeth chattering, and spoke indistinctly.
"I'm not planning to go in, am I? This is your mission, right?"
Chiba Yo turned to Zenitsu and said.
Although he said that, he secretly intended to follow behind Zenitsu. Moreover, the sun hadn't completely set yet, so the demon definitely wouldn't leave the cave. Even if Chiba Yo didn't follow, Zenitsu would almost certainly not be in danger. Chiba Yo was just worried if the demon inside might be an Upper Moon.
After all, with Zenitsu's current strength, he hadn't reached the Hashira level, so he wouldn't have much chance against an Upper Moon. However, a Lower Moon should be fine. Chiba Yo felt that Zenitsu's current strength was stronger than the Lower Moon Two he had slain before.
"I can't do it! This is too scary! It's so dark inside! That demon might suddenly appear in front of me! I'll be scared unconscious!" Zenitsu said, tugging at Chiba Yo's clothes.
Scared unconscious… Isn't that perfect…
Chiba Yo remembered that when he first met Zenitsu, he had instantly slain two demons after fainting, a completely different person from when he was conscious.
However, he still hoped that Zenitsu could unleash his strength while conscious, otherwise, he would definitely be in great danger when he went on missions alone in the future.
But Chiba Yo knew that if he told Zenitsu the truth, Zenitsu definitely wouldn't believe him.
"Zenitsu, your strength is already enough to deal with ordinary demons. There's no need to be so afraid. Don't you want Nezuko to know of your bravery? You probably don't want cute girls to see you as a coward, do you?" Chiba Yo said to Zenitsu.
He already understood Zenitsu quite well and knew what would best ignite his fighting spirit.
Upon hearing Chiba Yo's words, Zenitsu indeed seemed less afraid.
"Then… alright… For Nezuko, I will work hard."
Although Zenitsu's body was still trembling, he accepted reality and turned to walk into the cave.
After watching Zenitsu enter the cave for a while, Chiba Yo also followed, controlling his body to make as little sound as possible…
Zenitsu walked cautiously through the cave. After he had walked nearly three hundred meters further in, a chilling laugh suddenly echoed through the cave.
Zenitsu's hair stood on end instantly; his body felt paralyzed as if he had been electrocuted.
"I… I already see you… Quick… Quickly come out!"
Thinking that he was alone in the cave, Zenitsu could only brace himself, though his voice was still trembling.
"Hehehehe, I didn't expect someone to willingly come and deliver food to me. Since you're so sensible, I'll eat you up completely."
The voice echoed again, but due to being in the cave, there were echoes everywhere, and Zenitsu couldn't determine which direction the sound was coming from.
A small mound of earth moved quickly from the cave wall, then reached above Zenitsu's head at an extremely fast speed. Subsequently, a yellowish-brown demon emerged from the small mound, hanging upside down from the rock wall, its face directly facing Zenitsu, making a terrifying expression.