Tendo Kazama raised his arm and firmly pressed down on the towering man in front of him, asking earnestly:
"Excuse me, I'd like to ask—was the girl you were chasing named Shinobu Kocho?"
The man, visibly irritated, slapped Tendo's hand away and roared angrily:
"What the hell do you want?"
"Who the hell are you?"
"Oh, so you know Shinobu Kocho? Then why don't you pay her debt for her!"
The burly man turned around, gripping Tendo's wrist tightly and lifting him off the ground, as if looking for someone to vent his anger on.
Tendo didn't care. At that moment, only one thing occupied his mind—confirming the girl's identity.
"Was that girl Shinobu Kocho?"
He repeated his initial question.
According to the original story, the Kocho sisters were taken in by the Stone Hashira and brought into the Demon Slayer Corps. Before that, they had been wandering.
Tendo never expected to encounter Shinobu Kocho in some unknown town.
Perhaps it was fate.
"Are you out of your mind? I'll beat you to death!"
The burly man raised his hand to slap Tendo, but suddenly cried out in pain, releasing him and clutching his arm:
"How is this kid so strong?!"
"Beat him up!"
Wearing a mask of agony, the thug ordered his two lackeys to attack.
At the entrance of the nearby alley, Shinobu Kocho, dressed in coarse clothing, watched the scene with wide eyes.She looked thin, her face smeared with what seemed like soot, resembling a little tabby cat—a necessity for the survival of the Butterfly sisters.
Being displaced with a pretty face was no blessing, especially in these times.
Shinobu Kocho frowned deeply, hesitating. Thanks to that stranger, she had managed to escape, but now it seemed that stranger was in grave danger.
She glanced at the medicine pouch in her hand, then at Tendo, who was about to be ganged up on.
Sister, please wait for me a little longer!
Shinobu's gaze hardened, and she dashed out of the alley at top speed.
"Hey, you bunch of filthy thugs! Weren't you trying to catch me?"
"I'm right here! Nyeh nyeh nyeh!"
Hearing Shinobu's taunts, the loan shark leader immediately signaled his lackeys to chase after her.
"You little bitch! If I catch you, I'll kill you!"
Tendo, who had just sheathed his Nichirin Blade, glared at the three fleeing men with a murderous expression, his eyes burning with rage as if he wanted to tear them apart limb by limb.
His body trembled slightly, fists clenched, teeth grinding audibly—his heart filled with overwhelming fury and resentment.
Did these bastards just insult Shinobu?
If I can't kill them… then breaking a leg or two should be fine, right?
Damn it, how dare they insult Shinobu—I'll kill them!
Tendo immediately chased after them into the alley. I didn't even get to greet Shinobu properly yet!
It's all these bastards' fault.
Familiar with the area, Shinobu quickly turned a corner, successfully tricking the three loan sharks.
But then she saw a vaguely familiar figure run past her, and her heart sank.
"Huh?!"
Why is he following me? Why didn't he run away?
Did he not understand what I was trying to do? What an idiot!
"Ugh!"
Shinobu sighed, rubbing her forehead in exasperation. Her plan had been to lure the debt collectors away so Tendo could escape.
"Hey!"
"Over here, over here!"
She grabbed the hem of Tendo's clothes, trying to pull him into the alley to hide, but instead, his greater strength yanked her forward.
From Tendo's perspective, the petite girl he had been longing to see suddenly crashed into his arms.
Huh?
What's happening?
Am I dreaming?
This dream is amazing!
Hehehe! (﹡?o?﹡)
Shinobu stared at the grinning boy, baffled. Is this guy an idiot?
Suddenly, a shout shattered the bizarre moment.
"They're here! Both of them are here!"
Only then did Shinobu realize she was still in someone else's embrace. Remembering Tendo's stupid grin, she flushed red beneath the soot smeared on her face, torn between embarrassment and anger.
"You little pervert, what are you thinking?!"
She slapped Tendo out of his daydream, making him realize this wasn't a fantasy.
Shinobu hit me!
I'm so happy!
Tendo covered his cheek with a lovestruck grin, staring dopily at the girl covered in soot.
Even as a fellow weirdo, I find him creepy.
"Run!"
Shinobu grabbed Tendo's wrist and dragged him deeper into the alley. The two weaved through the maze-like passages, the debt collectors hot on their heels.
Before long, Shinobu was panting heavily. Her irregular meals had left her weak, and her hunger-addled brain had led them straight into a dead end.
Glancing at the still-smiling stranger, then at the three closing-in debt collectors, Shinobu stepped in front of Tendo, shielding him.
Because he helped me stop those guys.
And because he got dragged into this because of me."I'll find a way to repay the money. This has nothing to do with him!"
"My sister and I already paid back the principal and interest long ago. We just need time for these extra interest charges that came out of nowhere."
"Please give me a few more days?"
Shinobu Kocho's tone was no longer firm but carried a pleading note.
"Hahaha!"
The loan shark leader doubled over with laughter, his face twisted in mocking scorn:
"Little bitch, weren't you as fierce as a stray cat?"
"What happened to those sharp fangs? I actually preferred your fiery personality. Come on, give me a smile, maybe I'll—"
Before he could finish, Tendo appeared like a ghost, his fist cutting through the air with terrifying force before smashing into the man's stomach.
The punch felt like it might pierce straight through his body. A pig-like squeal echoed through the alley.
Then an intense pain radiated from his abdomen. Clutching his stomach, he collapsed to his knees, vomiting stomach acid across the ground.
Tendo raised his foot and pressed the man's face into the steaming pool of vomit, his voice icy with murderous intent.
"Say it again, I dare you."
"I've been holding back for too long."
"Loan sharking, huh? Let's see if you'll live long enough to spend it."
In the next instant, a blade embedded itself in the ground beside the loan shark's head, its cold gleam freezing him in place.
He'd thought the sword at the kid's waist was just for show—never imagined it was real.
Under the sword prohibition laws, only madmen or desperate outlaws still carried blades.
Either way, this was someone he couldn't afford to cross.
Tendo's sword-drawing motion also intimidated the loan shark's two lackeys, who quietly took several steps back.
"Brat, you don't scare me! I was killing people before you were born!"
"You actually dare to draw that thing?"
Loan sharks were desperate men by nature. After all his years in the business, he refused to believe some punk would actually attack—this kid probably couldn't even slaughter a chicken.
But before his words finished echoing, the long blade plunged into his thigh. Since this scum had killed before, Tendo felt no psychological burden.
If he said he'd take a leg, he'd take a leg.
Sometimes, humans weren't much different from demons—both devoured people without spitting out the bones. The only difference was their methods.
"AAAAAH!"
The loan shark's screams filled the air—his leg was ruined. Seeing this, his two underlings turned tail and fled.