Obanai Iguro, knocked to the ground, froze. His mind went blank as he watched Tendo's bloodied body get sent flying.
What the hell?!
Why did he save me? I'm just a sinner!
Damn it!
Obanai roared, slamming his fists into the ground again and again, his heart drowning in guilt.
The attacking demon revealed itself—a hunched, emaciated figure with blue fish scales that opened and closed in the rain as if breathing.
"Hehehe!"
"So it's a Rare Blood! What a lucky catch!"
The fish demon greedily licked the blood from its claws, its eyes now fixated solely on Tendo.
It sauntered toward him leisurely, every cell in its body trembling with excitement.
Just then, Obanai Iguro ran in front of Tendo, spreading his arms and shielding him with his frail body.
"Monster! If you want to eat someone, eat me first!"
The fish demon gave Obanai a disgusted look. Compared to a premium Rare Blood like Tendo, this human was like dry, inedible bark—not even a dog would touch it.
"Get lost! Don't ruin my meal!"
It swung its arm at Obanai, but instead of his head flying off, there was a sizzling sound—and the demon's forearm was severed.
"Surprise attack right back at ya, you dried-up fish!"
Tendo rested a hand on Obanai's shoulder, taunting mercilessly.
Both the demon and Obanai were stunned, their gazes snapping toward Tendo in unison.
"You're not—"
"Tch!"
"It's just a little blood. I'm not gonna die. No need to freak out!" Tendo grinned, patting Obanai's shoulder dismissively.
Obanai: "..."
While speaking, Tendo had already dragged Obanai several meters back.
The fish demon barely snapped out of its daze. How is he not dead? Is he the demon here, or am I?
"Tch!"
"Eating you alive works too!"
"Brat, if I can kill you once, I can kill you again!"
The demon pressed its chest against the muddy ground, slithering forward with fish-like agility. In the blink of an eye, it closed the distance between them.
Tendo tightened his grip on his sword hilt, his gaze sharp and focused.
In an instant, crimson-gold lightning erupted from his legs, spreading across his entire body like a flash of electricity.
Breath of Thunder, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash.
With a crisp shing, Tendo swung his blade at blinding speed.
The slash gleamed with dazzling crimson-gold light, accompanied by an earth-shaking clap of thunder that tore through the rain.
From above, it looked like a crimson-gold meteor had sliced through the downpour—and in that split second, the fish demon was bisected.
Obanai stared in disbelief, his heart pounding with awe.
So strong!
He looks about the same age as me...Tendo gracefully twirled his sword before sheathing it smoothly.
He glanced at Obanai, who was too stunned to speak, and extended an invitation:
"Obanai, do you want to become as strong as me? Join the Demon Slayer Corps!"
"We're an organization dedicated to hunting these monsters!"
"Come with me, young man, and let's save the world together!"
Tendo's face was filled with utmost sincerity, his eyes gleaming with unwavering determination, as if burning with a blazing fire.
His voice was deep and powerful, brimming with boundless strength, carrying an irresistible charm—almost like a cult leader.
"Me... Can I really?" Obanai Iguro hesitated, staring at the boy who seemed to glow golden in the rain.
Before he could finish, Tendo grabbed his hand, treating the question as an affirmation:
"Thank you for joining!"
Obanai: "???"
"Ugh, that was way too cringy. I can't take myself seriously!"
Tendo awkwardly mocked himself, while Obanai just stared blankly, unable to comprehend his nonsense.
Still, this guy had saved his life and could kill monsters to atone for sins. Might as well go along with it.
Suddenly, a tall figure embraced them from behind, Shinjuro Rengoku's booming laughter making their heads ache.
"Tendo, well done!"
"Never thought there'd be another demon here. That was close."
Hearing this, Tendo shot a glance at the overly enthusiastic man and quipped, "Old man, don't tell me you were just watching from the sidelines?"
"Ahahaha… Of course not!" Shinjuro's eyes darted away guiltily. He had only returned after Tendo was attacked and decided to see how the kid handled the demon.
"By the way, I'm sorry. Before I arrived, your family was already slaughtered by that demon. Only one survived…" Shinjuro said remorsefully.
At the mention of his family's demise, Obanai felt nothing. Those monsters deserved to die long ago.
Sacrificing their own kin to demons, aiding those creatures in ambushing travelers—every act was unforgivable.
Such a rotten family should have been wiped out ages ago.
"Oh, I brought out the surviving girl. She said she's your cousin!"
Shinjuro pointed into the distance, where a girl stood holding an umbrella. Though visibly traumatized, her gaze at Obanai was filled with pure hatred.
"Obanai, why did you run away?"
"Why couldn't you just let yourself be eaten?"
"Why didn't you just die?"
"It's all your fault! If you hadn't escaped, everyone would still be alive! As the sacrifice, you should've just accepted your fate!"
"Why didn't you die so the rest of us could live?!"
The girl sobbed as she hurled venomous accusations at Obanai, her words devoid of any logic.
Obanai silently watched his cousin, a ripple of emotion stirring within him. He had considered the consequences of his escape for the Iguro family, but he refused to be devoured by that monster.
At the very least, he wouldn't die without a fight. Even in death, he would resist.
"Obanai Iguro, why couldn't you just let it eat you? Why?!"The girl's fear turned entirely into rage, her hysterical gaze stabbing into Obanai like daggers.
"Shameless!"
Only the girl's curses and the relentless rain remained in this world.
Suddenly, a crisp slap cut through the noise.
The girl's tirade stopped abruptly as she watched Tendo withdraw his hand.
"I don't usually hit women, but don't keep yapping at me endlessly."
"Why don't you go get eaten by demons instead? What obligation does he have to be devoured?"
"Your clan's death was nothing but deserved retribution!"
"Find somewhere else to live. You should go home and see—there's probably still money stolen by demons there!"
Obanai's cousin regained her senses, covering her face as she knelt down and burst into tears.
Deserved retribution.
Did we deserve this?
Tendo paid her no further attention. Turning around, his gloomy expression cleared as he cheerfully said:
"Old man, Obanai, let's go!"
"I'm starving!"
At that moment, the sky suddenly cleared. A warm beam of sunlight pierced through the heavy clouds, falling upon Obanai Iguro.