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It's dark.
Evil spirits are roaming.
Don't be afraid.
Mom and Dad will protect their children.
Big brothers and sisters will protect their younger siblings.
Everyone has a happy home.
...
Night had fallen.
Kisaragi Rin and the other two were staying in a civilian house, where a young boy, their 'grandfather', warmly hosted them and was singing a nursery rhyme.
Unfortunately, given the circumstances, the normal lyrics made Yukinoshita Yukino and Hachiman Hikigaya feel a bit eerie.
"Another bowl!"
The old woman, their 'daughter-in-law', enthusiastically refilled Kisaragi Rin's bowl with barley rice.
Although the husked barley rice had a very rough texture and could easily scratch the throat, Kisaragi Rin ate it with relish.
This was a family of four, consisting of the boy's 'grandfather', a middle-aged 'son', an 'old woman' daughter-in-law, and an 'old man' grandson. Although the family structure was as bizarre as those outside, they were actually good people.
After Kisaragi Rin performed breaking a large stone with his bare hands and cutting a kitchen knife with his iron hand, they became very warm and hospitable. To thank Kisaragi Rin for his wonderful performance, they not only prepared dinner but also invited the three to rest temporarily.
"If you plan to settle here, it's best to form a new family as soon as possible."
The somewhat bald 'son' reminded them.
"What exactly is the situation here?"
Yukinoshita Yukino couldn't help but ask.
Yukinoshita Yukino's question made the family somewhat puzzled.
The grandson, with a big beard, retorted, "Aren't you specifically coming from other places to settle in Mount Natagumo?"
Hachiman Hikigaya quickly explained, "The Demon's rule in our hometown was too brutal, we couldn't stand it anymore, so we passed by here while fleeing. We really don't know much about the situation here."
Although this family was "warm and hospitable," it was still better not to reveal their true identities.
The old man didn't think much of it, just sighed.
"Then you've come to a good place. The Demons here aren't as ferocious as those in other nearby places."
Yukinoshita Yukino and Hachiman Hikigaya exchanged glances and asked the old man, "What's the situation with the Demons here, and is it related to what you said about forming a new family?"
The old man sighed and told them, "The Demon ruling here demands that we form loving families. Anyone without a family will be eaten by him."
"What about your original family members, then? Why is the family structure so strange?"
Yukinoshita Yukino asked, puzzled.
"Our original family members were, of course, eaten by that Demon. He makes us become family to each other, yet he dislikes the existence of true family, so we are all 'reformed' families."
"We act as family members according to that Demon's wishes, but we are also afraid of being treated as a true family. So we reversed our identities: children became old people, and old people pretended to be children. Everyone here has become like this."
"Having family, but not being able to have true family—this is the rule of survival here. Remember these two points, and as long as you're not too unlucky, you can more or less get by."
"After all, how many people can a few Demons eat in a day?"
By the end, the old man even laughed, his teeth showing through the gaps, quite pleased with himself.
Yukinoshita Yukino clenched her fists. With her moral standards, she found this kind of worldview somewhat unbearable.
Kisaragi Rin ate his meal and asked, "Didn't you resist?"
He already knew which Demon was here.
The source of all Demons in Demon Slayer is Kibutsuji Muzan, and his strongest twelve Demons are called the Twelve Kizuki, divided into Upper Moons and Low Moons.
The Demon here is Low Moon Five.
The Mount Natagumo Spider Demon, Rui.
He personally killed his parents in his childhood and was instilled with distorted values by Kibutsuji Muzan, enjoying capturing other Demons to form fake families and play this 'house' game.
This world had undergone a strange change; Demons no longer hid in the shadows to secretly eat people, but instead openly ruled the world and set the rules.
Kisaragi Rin couldn't help but wonder where the Demon Slayer Corps had gone?
Although the Demon Slayer Corps was weak compared to Demons, and this anime was even jokingly called "Pillar Slayer," the Pillars of the Demon Slayer Corps could still deal with Low Moon Five.
"Resist? How could we ordinary people possibly resist a Demon?"
The old man suddenly became angry, even standing up as if to attack Kisaragi Rin, but then remembered he couldn't beat him and silently withdrew his fist.
He simply took away Kisaragi Rin's rice bowl in displeasure and leaned against the wall, sulking.
His 'father', the bald man, went over to comfort him. It was an eye-watering scene, yet they didn't find anything inappropriate about it. It seemed they had completely adapted to their 'reformed' identities.
"Then do you know about the Demon Slayer Corps? Ordinary people can't resist Demons, but surely the Demon Slayer Corps can, right?"
Hachiman Hikigaya asked the kindest old woman.
What he got in return was the family's silence, looking at Hachiman Hikigaya with a strange gaze.
...
Late at night, they were sleeping on the floor in a partitioned room.
The situation with the Demon Slayer Corps was probably not good. They only mentioned it once, and the family refused to speak to them anymore.
Hachiman Hikigaya sat on a tatami mat, his dead fish eyes staring blankly, editing his journey's observations on his phone.
On his lap was a copper coin sword, which he claimed could ward off evil if placed in the room, but Kisaragi Rin couldn't help but think it looked very similar to one he had seen before.
"Hikigaya, where did you get this sword?"
Kisaragi Rin asked curiously.
Hearing the question, Hachiman Hikigaya picked up the copper coin sword and handed it to Kisaragi Rin.
"I got it in the initial trial. I used this sword to stab a zombie in its rear end to complete the mission."
"Although it's disgusting, one can certainly imagine how critical the situation was back then."
Yukinoshita Yukino said seriously.
She placed her tatami mat in a corner of the room, away from the two of them. Because the confident Miss Yukinoshita Yukino was worried that Kisaragi Rin and Hachiman Hikigaya might go wild.
"Actually, my initial trial was quite safe. I just assisted a Taoist priest named Uncle Ying in dealing with reanimated zombies..."
In such a dangerous paradise, even the socially awkward Hachiman Hikigaya wanted to talk more with people he knew, which could bring some sense of security and inner comfort.
Kisaragi Rin silently put the 'stab-the-rear' sword back on Hachiman Hikigaya. Hearing Hachiman Hikigaya's trial content, Kisaragi Rin was a little surprised.
"I had to survive seven days in a world full of zombies..."
Only Yukinoshita Yukino hadn't mentioned her initial trial.
Kisaragi Rin and Hachiman Hikigaya both stared at her.
Yukinoshita Yukino stared back with a cold gaze.
But Kisaragi Rin and Hachiman Hikigaya had both told her their experiences without reservation, and with Yukinoshita Yukino's moral standards, she eventually gave in, feeling weary.
Yukinoshita Yukino turned her head, organized her words, and simply said, "My task was to work as a waitress for three days in a cafe full of Demons. There were many rules, and touching a rule meant death."
Last night's experience felt as if it were happening right before her eyes. Yukinoshita Yukino gripped her blanket tightly, her eyes filled with determination and seriousness.
Hachiman Hikigaya gazed at her, lost in thought. Even a simple summary conveyed the difficulty and despair of Yukinoshita Yukino's trial.
"But titles are formed based on the player's experiences in the trial. You worked in a cafe full of Demons, yet you got 'Cat Encyclopedia'?"
Kisaragi Rin clapped his hands, suddenly realizing.
"So it was a catgirl cafe?"
"Why is your focus always different!"
Hachiman Hikigaya complained.
"Should be executed."
Miss Yukinoshita Yukino pronounced the judgment.
"Mr. Pan, your judgment is too cruel."
Yukinoshita Yukino, nicknamed Mr. Pan, stared at Kisaragi Rin with a cold gaze. Her title and nickname were somewhat embarrassing in front of people she knew.
Yukinoshita Yukino chose to change the subject.
"How should we arrange the night watch?"
Kisaragi Rin raised his hand and said, "I'll handle it."
Yukinoshita Yukino and Hachiman Hikigaya looked at Kisaragi Rin, wanting to see how he planned to handle it.
Kisaragi Rin's eyes glazed over for a moment, and then a Banana appeared beside them.
Banana???
Yukinoshita Yukino: "..."
Hachiman Hikigaya: "..."
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