Butterfly Mansion.
Kochou Shinobu lay on her bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.
"A strange feeling."
Kochou Shinobu got up and looked out the window at the bright moon in the silent night. Her brows furrowed, and she felt uneasy, a feeling she had never experienced before.
"Caw! Caw!"
A pitch-black Kasugai Crow landed by the window, its intelligent eyes fixed on Kochou Shinobu.
Kochou Shinobu recognized the familiar Kasugai Crow and murmured, "Sister's Kasugai Crow?"
The Kasugai Crow flapped its wings, "Kanae, Kanae, Kanae..."
The Kasugai Crow's voice carried a hint of sadness, its continuous calls giving a strong sense of helplessness.
Kochou Shinobu's beautiful eyes widened. Could it be!
She scrambled out of bed, quickly put on her Demon Slayer Corps uniform, grabbed her nichirin blade, and rushed out of the Butterfly Mansion.
The Kasugai Crow soared, and Kochou Shinobu followed her sister Kanae's Kasugai Crow, all the way to this small town.
Kochou Shinobu's gaze anxiously searched the surroundings. This town was neither big nor small, and finding someone was not easy, almost like searching for a needle in a haystack. Just as she was about to ask the "Kakushi" for help...
Boom!
Flames shot into the sky in the distance, and a huge explosion instantly caught Kochou Shinobu's attention. Now she didn't need to search anymore.
She rushed directly towards the explosion site.
As she passed through the street, her pupils reflected the scene: her sister, Flower Pillar Kanae Kocho, had her heart pierced.
"You bastard! Insect Breathing, Dance of the Bee Sting: True Flutter!" Kochou Shinobu's eyes were bloodshot as she roared, drawing her nichirin blade and charging forward frantically.
Whoosh!
Kochou Shinobu quickly covered the short distance, thrusting her nichirin blade towards Kamihara Tetsuya.
Kamihara Tetsuya pulled his blood-soaked right hand out of Flower Pillar Kanae Kocho's chest. Without support, Flower Pillar Kanae Kocho's body fell to the cold ground.
Then, he saw Kochou Shinobu attacking.
Kamihara Tetsuya raised his left hand to block. The sharp edge of the nichirin blade landed on his wrist, cutting his skin.
Kochou Shinobu gripped the hilt tightly, exerting all her strength, but the blade was stuck in the opponent's bone, unable to go further or be pulled out.
"Too weak."
Kamihara Tetsuya murmured. With Kochou Shinobu's wrist strength, she couldn't even cut off his arm.
Upon hearing this, Kochou Shinobu's rage flared even more. She gritted her teeth and said, "Demon, I will definitely kill you!"
Bang!
Kamihara Tetsuya backhanded and grabbed Kochou Shinobu's nichirin blade, completely disregarding its sharpness. He twisted it forcefully, and with a cracking sound, the nichirin blade broke into two pieces.
Immediately after, Kamihara Tetsuya threw the blade, which turned into a streak of light, piercing a large tree a hundred meters away.
Kochou Shinobu's face showed surprise, and her body recoiled.
Akaza said, "Time's up."
The horizon showed a hint of dawn, the morning mist gradually dissipated, and the outlines of objects on the ground gradually became clear. There were less than ten minutes left until the sun rose.
Kamihara Tetsuya glanced at Akaza, who had already hidden in the shadows, ready to flee at any moment.
Natural enemies were no joke.
Any demon that touched sunlight would instantly turn to ash, even an Upper Moon!
Kochou Shinobu then noticed that there was another demon present, with characters carved deep in its eyes: Upper Moon Three!
Her petite body trembled slightly.
"The sun is about to rise. You're very lucky; you've saved your life." Kamihara Tetsuya turned, walked past Kochou Shinobu, and headed towards the shadows.
Kochou Shinobu glared angrily. Without her nichirin blade, she couldn't stop him from leaving.
"Demon, what is your name?"
Kochou Shinobu's face was icy, her eyes burning with fury, her silver teeth almost grinding to dust as she squeezed out each word.
Kamihara Tetsuya paused. A demon's name was hard to come up with. He looked up at the sky, his tone complex.
"Yasuo!"
As Kamihara Tetsuya and Akaza left, the oppressive aura around them dissipated.
About ten minutes later, a ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds, shining upon the earth, bringing new vitality. The morning rain had long stopped, leaving behind the smell of earth in the air.
Kochou Shinobu held her sister Flower Pillar Kanae Kocho's cold body in her arms, her face filled with unbearable grief.
...
Numerous Kasugai Crows soared, making chaotic "chirping" sounds that blotted out the sky.
The residents of the small town looked up. Having lived there for decades, they had never witnessed such a shocking sight. The Kasugai Crows' voices seemed incredibly sad.
The news quickly spread throughout Japan.
Ubuyashiki Mansion.
In the spacious courtyard, a young man sat on the veranda. The comfortable breeze could not blow away his sorrow.
This young man had a hideous scar on his forehead and cloudy eyes, but his voice, rhythm of movement, and every word and action could make people feel at ease.
Two children, as cute as porcelain dolls, accompanied him.
A young, beautiful, silver-haired woman arrived in the courtyard with a letter. "Flower Pillar Kanae Kocho encountered Upper Moon Three and the mysterious demon Yasuo and died in battle."
The two children playing in the courtyard stopped their movements, enveloped by a sorrowful atmosphere.
"Sigh!"
Ubuyashiki Kagaya sighed softly. It was another Upper Moon, who knew how many swordsmen they had killed.
"Cough! Cough!"
Ubuyashiki Kagaya covered his mouth, coughing violently, a trace of blood overflowing from the corner of his mouth.
"Kanae, don't worry, you won't be too lonely." Ubuyashiki Kagaya murmured to himself. He didn't know how much longer he had to live, perhaps he would die tomorrow.
"Amane, what about the recruitment efforts?"
"We are currently in contact with Muichiro Tokito and Kanroji Mitsuri. It might take a little more time."
"Please hurry, I have a feeling something big is going to happen." Ubuyashiki Kagaya said softly.
Amane Ubuyashiki's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. The Ubuyashiki Clan's incredibly accurate intuition allowed them to sense impending danger to themselves and precisely find talented individuals who could become powerful swordsmen among people.
Wind Pillar Dojo.
Sanemi Shinazugawa crumpled the letter sent by the Kasugai Crow and threw it into a corner. His hideous face became incredibly cold, three parts more terrifying than a demon.
"I will kill all demons!"
After speaking, he picked up his wooden sword and continued training. Each swing of the sword generated a tearing, furious wind.
Water Pillar Dojo.
"Is that so..."
Giyu Tomioka sat cross-legged in the spacious training ground, his eyes vacant, his expressionless face perfectly calm. Only the tense muscles beneath his skin showed his anger.
Within the silent dojo, even the slightest sounds were clearly audible, evoking a sense of sadness.
In a certain deep mountain.
Rumble!
A burly strong man pushed a boulder taller than a person, leaving a scratch on the ground. His formidable and terrifying aura was like a heavy mountain.
The strong man was blind. A member of the "Kakushi" read out the contents of the letter.
Gyomei Himejima sat on the ground, silent for a long time, without any movement. He put his hands together, tears streaming from his eyes. His sadness and anger finally turned into a single sentence.
"That child was too kind. To deal with demons, we must eradicate them completely. namu amida butsu!"