Seeing the doubt on Danki's face, Haruto gave a small shrug. Even he knew his reasoning sounded far fetched, yet his instincts refused to let it go.
"If we both leave, what happens to the East District and the Izakaya?"
Danki stiffened and glanced back in the direction of the Izakaya, worry clear in his eyes. He had been assigned to the East District, Haruto to the area around the Izakaya. If they both abandoned their posts, the demons could seize the opportunity to attack.
"First, we go to Hozhi," Haruto said firmly. "He's the strongest among us besides Raiden. If the four of us work together, we might actually be able to kill that Wolf Fang Demon."
At this point, hesitation would only lead to more deaths. It was better to gather their strength, eliminate the greatest threat, and deal with the rest afterward.
"Haruto, have you lost your mind? The four of us killing that thing?"
Danki's disbelief was obvious.
"We already tried that," he continued. "You, me, Hozhi, and Yuna. Even with all four of us, we could barely defend ourselves, and that was when the Wolf Fang Demon wasn't even serious."
"Now you think adding Raiden changes everything?"
"We have to try," Haruto replied calmly. "What other choice do we have?"
Danki fell silent.
There was no better plan. They could only gamble on the possibility that Raiden was not an ordinary Kinoe Slayer.
"Hurry. It's not fully dark yet. We need to regroup with Hozhi."
They accelerated toward the West District. As Kinoe rank Slayers, their speed was considerable, and it did not take long to arrive.
"Haruto? Danki?"
Hozhi, who had been watching from atop the ruins, looked surprised as he jumped down.
"Shouldn't you two be guarding the East District and the Izakaya? Did something happen?"
If the Izakaya had fallen, the situation in Hirai would spiral beyond control.
"Just you?" Haruto asked quickly. "Where's Raiden?"
"Raiden?" Hozhi frowned. "Who is that?"
Haruto blinked.
"Headquarters sent him. A Kinoe Slayer assigned to the missing persons case."
"Kinoe?" Hozhi's eyes widened. "We reported a demon approaching Hashira level. What is a Kinoe Slayer supposed to do here?"
His expression darkened. "Did he not come?"
Danki's jaw tightened.
"With his speed, he should have arrived already. If he isn't here, then he never intended to come."
The thought made his fists clench. They had abandoned their posts to support him, and he might have fled?
Haruto scanned the area repeatedly. The West District had been undergoing renovations, most buildings reduced to rubble. There were few obstructions to the eye.
Yet Raiden was nowhere to be seen.
Haruto's confidence began to falter.
"You two need to explain clearly," Hozhi said sharply. "Who exactly is this Raiden?"
Haruto exhaled slowly.
"Raiden, Kinoe rank, sent by Headquarters. He's in charge of the Hirai disappearances."
"Kinoe," Hozhi repeated, disbelief evident.
Before he could say more, the air shifted.
A cold pressure descended over the district. The wind carried a faint scent of blood. Even breathing felt heavier.
From the shadows, a tall figure emerged.
The Wolf Fang Demon stood nearly two meters tall. His skin was corpse pale, his face twisted into something barely human. Crimson eyes burned like embers. His mouth stretched unnaturally wide, torn almost to his ears, revealing jagged wolf like fangs capable of crushing bone.
His arms were long and thin, fingers ending in blade sharp nails that gleamed under the fading light. Several bony protrusions jutted from his back, giving him the silhouette of a feral beast.
"Oh?" he said lazily. "Only three of you tonight? Have you abandoned the Izakaya?"
There was no tension in his voice, only mockery.
The last time the four Slayers had confronted him, he had beaten them without effort. Facing three now hardly interested him.
Hozhi and the others turned grim.
Two days ago, after devouring a victim, the demon had gone silent. No one expected him to appear tonight.
Yuna was absent. Against this creature, that mattered.
Danki's breathing grew heavy. Anger mixed with dread. If they survived this, he would report Raiden's failure to Headquarters without hesitation.
"Relax," the Wolf Fang Demon continued with a grin. "I'll only eat a few people tonight. If you're smart, walk away. I may not feel generous twice."
He was not avoiding them out of fear. He simply saw them as unworthy of serious effort. Word had reached him that the short Slayer at the Izakaya was improving. He intended to consume more humans and widen the gap.
The three Slayers exchanged a brief look.
They had joined the Demon Slayer Corps knowing death was always possible. None of them stepped back.
Danki suddenly felt a bitter conviction. Whatever Raiden's strength, at least he himself would not abandon his duty.
"Not let you leave?" the demon sneered. "You overestimate yourselves."
He bared his pale fangs.
"I'll count to three. After three, if you're still here…"
He never reached one.
A flash of golden light flickered behind him.
Hozhi, Haruto, and Danki's eyes widened simultaneously.
A sharp slicing sound cut through the still air.
The Wolf Fang Demon blinked.
He looked down.
His body had separated cleanly at the neck. For a moment, he stared in confusion at the headless form still standing upright.
Without support, his head slid from his shoulders and struck the ground, rolling several times before coming to rest.
From that low angle, he finally saw the one standing behind him.
A young man with white hair stood calmly, left hand resting against his sword sheath. His posture was relaxed, expression indifferent, as if he had merely brushed aside an inconvenience.
Raiden.
===
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