"Thank you, Senior Brother Aoyama, for encouraging me!" Tanjiro said gratefully, his eyes shining.
"No, no, no." Aoyama waved his hand dismissively. "You're overthinking it. I just meant—since it's already black, you might as well use it."
Tanjiro's expression stiffened.
He slowly turned to look at Urokodaki.
"Urokodaki-sensei… Senior Brother Aoyama, he…"
Urokodaki pressed a hand to his forehead.
There was nothing he could do.
With Aoyama, one had to be careful—otherwise, you'd fall straight into whatever pit he had just dug.
Before setting off, Nezuko shrank into her miniature form and climbed into the wooden box Urokodaki had prepared.
The box was crafted from Kiri Cloud Cedar, an extremely lightweight wood, reinforced with rock lacquer on the outside to increase its durability.
Just before departure, Urokodaki hesitated.
He almost said it—almost warned Tanjiro to be careful of Aoyama, that bottomless pit of trouble.
But looking at Aoyama's innocent smile, he felt he might be favoring Tanjiro too much.
Aoyama would still dig his pits.
But how far could he really push it?
"In the end, I'll say this once more," Urokodaki said seriously. "Be extremely cautious. The Blood Demon Arts of those aberrant demons are far more dangerous than you imagine."
Tanjiro engraved every word into his heart.
And so, the three of them left Mount Sagiri, heading toward the northwestern town mentioned by the crow.
As they traveled, Aoyama mulled over the mission.
Northwest town.
Wasn't that where the trio of demons preyed specifically on sixteen-year-old girls?
Their current rank was Mizunoto—the lowest rank in the Demon Slayer Corps.
But in Aoyama's view, being low-ranked had its advantages.
One thing needed to be clear:
Low rank did not equal low strength.
The scenery along the way was pleasant.
But walking side by side with another man?
That dampened the mood considerably.
Night finally fell.
Aoyama immediately grew lively.
He lightly tapped the wooden box on his back.
Soon, a soft sound echoed from inside.
Nezuko was awake.
Since they were in the middle of nowhere, with no inns nearby, they took shelter in a rundown mountain hut for the night. Based on their pace, they would reach the northwestern town the following day.
Adorable Nezuko climbed out of the box and—thump—returned to her usual size.
Watching the process, Aoyama felt his heart melt completely.
"Senior Brother Aoyama, what should we eat tonight? Rice balls or flatbread?" Tanjiro asked.
Urokodaki had prepared dry rations for them before they left. They only needed to light a fire and warm them up.
Aoyama took Nezuko's hand, the pent-up frustration of the day finally easing.
"You light the fire. You cook. You decide."
With that, he dragged Nezuko outside.
Holding her hand.
Watching the moon.
Chatting beneath the stars.
What a perfect night.
"Don't worry," he said softly. "I'll definitely turn you back into a human. And when that day comes… heh heh…"
The thought made him grin uncontrollably.
Nezuko blinked her large, innocent pink eyes, confused.
"Mm? Mm?"
Aoyama suppressed his laughter and gently patted her head.
"It's nothing. You don't understand now. One day, you naturally will."
Suddenly, Nezuko stiffened.
At the same time, Aoyama caught the scent.
A demon was nearby.
"It's fine," he said calmly. "Just a small fry. It won't interfere with our bonding time."
"Mm~"
Nezuko relaxed.
Rustle—
A sound came from the bushes.
The demon was close.
"Got you!"
A dark shadow burst out and lunged at them.
Aoyama took a breath and delivered a brutal kick straight into the demon's face, sending it flying over ten meters before skidding across the ground.
"You caught nothing, idiot. If you don't want to die right now, stop interrupting my conversation with Nezuko."
The demon climbed up stubbornly.
After finally finding prey in the wilderness, how could it retreat because of a single kick and a few words?
It charged again, its mouth stretching open unnaturally wide, filled with razor-sharp teeth.
Aoyama's patience snapped.
He drew his blade, expression turning cold.
"You really have zero awareness. I gave you a chance. You chose death."
His feet moved swiftly.
Under the moonlight, the blade flashed.
Slash—
Gah—gah—
The demon's body split cleanly in half at the mouth, divided into front and back as Aoyama's blade cut straight across.
He hadn't even needed to decapitate it.
The wound was fatal enough.
The demon died so quickly it didn't even manage a final word.
Its body disintegrated into ash.
"Ding! Host has slain a normal demon. Reward: Body Enhancement +5."
Tanjiro, who had rushed over after hearing the commotion, stood frozen.
He knew Senior Brother Aoyama was strong.
But this method of killing a demon—
He hadn't expected something like this.
Beside him, Nezuko silently raised both thumbs in approval.
Aoyama sheathed his blade and walked over casually, taking her hand again.
"Let's go. Mood's ruined. Time to eat."
PS: Everyone, please keep supporting! This newbie author will keep working hard! Thank you!