The night was cool, with a bright moon hanging in the sky and stars twinkling.
The only piece of furniture in the Kocho household had been moved outside, as the tiny house couldn't possibly accommodate four people—and there was no lamp to begin with.
On the rickety wooden table, aside from a pot of rice, there was a fish and a plate of pickled vegetables. This was the first meat the sisters had eaten in nearly two months.
To them, this meal was more sumptuous than any New Year's feast.
Yet, to repay Tendo's kindness, they had brought out the best their home could offer.
"Another bowl, please!"
"This is absolutely the most delicious meal I've ever had!"
Watching Shinobu eat made even plain rice seem fragrant—it was as if it had become the most delicious food in the world.
That was what Tendo thought to himself.
"Tendo, you've got quite the appetite. Seems like your stomach's doing just fine."
Shinobu Kocho smiled as she served Tendo another bowl. She had been worried about his sudden stomachache earlier.
After all, the pain had come and gone abruptly, and she feared it might be some illness not mentioned in medical texts. But seeing him eat so heartily, Shinobu finally relaxed.
Obanai shot Tendo a disdainful glance. Anyone could tell how much effort the sisters had put into this meal, yet here he was, eating like a pig. Unbelievable.
Kanae watched the two of them and chuckled softly.
Soon, however, Obanai realized something odd—why were they still here eating in the middle of the night? Unless… Tendo planned to take the sisters with him.
Ugh!
What a perverted creep.
"Hssssss!"
Suddenly, Kaburamaru slithered close to Obanai's ear, letting out a series of urgent hisses. The snake's yellow, slit-like pupils were fixed intently on a dilapidated thatched hut not far ahead, radiating wariness and unease.
Obanai set down his bowl and chopsticks, his heterochromatic green-and-gold eyes gleaming coldly. His gaze pierced through the half-open door and the window beyond, catching a fleeting glimpse of a shadowy figure.
"Glutton, we've got trouble!"
No sooner had Obanai spoken than a serpentine monster burst through the wooden wall—or rather, a head attached to an entire spine.
The head was pitch black, with a sharp, single horn protruding from its forehead. Its skin had an eerie texture, like the cracked surface of a lakebed scorched by the sun, covered in dense fissures.
Realizing there was no time, Obanai swung the rickety table and smashed it downward. After days of training, his physical strength had improved significantly.
In an instant, splinters flew as the demon's head was slammed into the ground. Its spine coiled and writhed like a python, wrapping tightly around Obanai.
Though he was the future Serpent Hashira, he was still just a child now—and unarmed at that.
At the critical moment, a fierce crimson-gold blade flash streaked through the air, accompanied by a thunderous roar that left Obanai's ears ringing.
By the time he regained his senses, the demon snake had retreated. Unfortunately, the attack had been dodged.
"You two, stay back and hide!"
Tendo stood beside Obanai, turning his head to warn the Kocho sisters.
"Glutton, were you trying to kill me?!"
Obanai glared at Tendo, his eyes brimming with resentment.
"Ah, come on!"
"You know my skills—I wouldn't hit you!" Tendo patted Obanai's shoulder reassuringly.
"Hmph!"
Obanai grabbed the shattered half of the table, his gaze locked onto the distant thatched hut. The demon was still there.
Just then, a towering figure, over two meters tall, emerged from the opposite side of the hut—not by passing through the wall, but by smashing the entire structure apart.Under the cold moonlight, the two of them got a clear view of the Demon's full appearance.
It was an emaciated-looking Demon with skin that bore a ghastly, eerie pallor. Its eyes were lifeless, like two dried-up wells. The spine-headed Demon that had attacked everyone earlier now coiled around this ghostly figure's neck like a sinister serpent.
"Wow, it kinda matches your outfit!" Tendo even found time to tease Obanai.
"It's not the same!" Obanai retorted sternly, his lips twitching as he fought the urge to punch this idiot.
"I am Hakukotsu!" The Demon bowed slightly as it introduced itself, its voice like dry sticks scraping against each other—piercing and unpleasant.
"You two, long time no see!"
Tendo: "???"
Obanai: "???"
The two exchanged glances, wearing expressions that said, "Do you know this thing?"
"Ah!"
"Hakukotsu, I'll kill you!"
A roar like thunder shattered the surrounding silence. The sound seemed capable of piercing the heavens, shaking the entire world. No one could believe that such a furious cry came from the petite Shinobu Kocho.
Her eyes were wide open now, filled with boundless rage and hatred. Her body trembled slightly, not from fear or nervousness, but because the fury in her heart had surpassed all else.
"Shinobu, calm down!"
"Run! Mom and Dad are already gone—we have to live!"
Kanae sobbed uncontrollably, clutching her younger sister tightly. She was just as furious, but they stood no chance against this man-eating Demon. She couldn't understand why that monster had managed to find her and Shinobu again.
"Tendo-sensei, Mr. Iguro, please take Shinobu and run!"
"I can hold it off for a while—it's here for us!"
Kanae pleaded, her gaze sharp as knives, stripping away her usual gentleness to pierce the Demon's body.
Hakukotsu—a name the Kocho sisters would never forget, even in death. It was the name of their enemy, the one who had killed their parents and destroyed their home.
Tendo waved his hand casually and grinned. "Forgot to mention, we're professional Demon slayers!"
Obanai stared at Tendo in bewilderment. I just joined two weeks ago—I haven't even had proper training yet.
But then he smiled, agreeing with Tendo's claim. This creature was just as disgusting as the snake Demon—merely looking at it made him sick.
All Demons deserved to die.
"Shinobu, want revenge?"
"I'll kill it for you!"
Tendo asked, instinctively calling her by her first name.
"Tendo, kill it for me!"
"I want it dead!"
"Kill it!"
Shinobu screamed hysterically. She had always had a short temper, and now the monster that murdered her parents stood before her.
She wanted it dead. She craved its death. She wanted revenge—it didn't matter who delivered it, as long as Hakukotsu died.
Hakukotsu looked at the four children before it, feeling no interest whatsoever. Killing them would be effortless.
The only thing that motivated it was an unfinished meal—those two little girls had been on its mind for so long. Who knew it would run into them here?
"Two foolish human brats, just leave if you don't want to interrupt my meal."The skeletal figure slowly raised its withered, branch-like arm, swaying it gently. Its hoarse, deep voice seemed like a call from the depths of hell, saturated with the aura of death.
The sound echoed through the silent night, as if threatening to swallow the entire world.
To the skeleton, this was its way of giving the humans a chance to live—those two brats would surely flee in tears.
Humans were such fragile creatures, even if they tasted delicious.
But contrary to expectations, Tendo's stubborn and defiant voice rang out.
"I'm not running! If you've got the guts, try killing him!"