Tanjiro was still standing there in a daze.
That was too—too fast.
No… not just fast.
It was bloody. Brutal.
Aoyama walked past him and flicked his forehead lightly.
"What are you spacing out for? Is the fire ready? Can we eat yet?"
Two questions in a row left Tanjiro even more confused.
He had just started the fire in the broken hut and put the flatbread on to warm when he caught the scent of a demon. Worried about the two outside, he had rushed out.
Which meant—
The bread on the fire…
Ah!
Tanjiro bolted back inside.
He had to save the bread. If he was lucky, maybe it was still edible.
When he returned—
It was charcoal.
Completely black.
Beyond salvation.
Footsteps approached. Senior Brother Aoyama and Nezuko were coming back.
Tanjiro quickly shifted his body, blocking the fire—and the tragic remains of the bread.
Aoyama snapped his fingers, gesturing for Tanjiro to move aside.
Tanjiro gave an awkward laugh and stepped away.
Aoyama's eyes fell on the fire… and the unidentified black objects.
"Let's have grilled fish," he said casually. "Suddenly craving some."
Tanjiro's face went blank.
After a few seconds, he said weakly, "Senior Brother… we still have two rice balls. Let's just make do tonight."
Aoyama didn't intend to make things difficult.
He took a rice ball, split it in half, and tossed one portion to Tanjiro.
"If we're 'making do,' then eat less. Save the extra one for tomorrow morning."
He took a bite and frowned slightly.
"What were you worried about just now? That the demon could hurt us?"
Tanjiro swallowed his food.
"I wasn't worried… I just wanted to check if you needed help."
That was what he said.
But now that he'd calmed down, he realized—
When he smelled the demon, he had worried Senior Brother and Nezuko might get attacked.
And once he calmed down, that worry twisted into something else—
What if Senior Brother did something strange to his sister…
Tanjiro!
What are you thinking?!
How could Senior Brother possibly do anything bad to Nezuko?!
He shook his head violently, trying to rid himself of the thought.
When they finally arrived at the town mentioned by the crow, Tanjiro was eager to search for the demon preying on young girls.
Aoyama grabbed him by the collar.
"Eat first. Then work. How are you supposed to fight on an empty stomach?"
"But—"
"To what?" Aoyama pointed at the sun overhead. "You think the demon's coming out while the sun's up?"
He patted Tanjiro's shoulder.
"A brain's a good thing. Use it often. Otherwise it rusts."
With that, he headed into a noodle shop along the street.
Aoyama had already calculated the timing.
Plenty of daylight left.
Eat well. Rest a bit. Take a stroll. Locate the wealthy household.
When night falls—
Wait for the rabbit.
Tanjiro followed quickly, wooden box on his back.
After eating, Aoyama patted his satisfied stomach.
Now this was life.
Even demon slaying required proper meals.
A young man with hollow eyes stumbled into Aoyama.
Nearby women whispered among themselves.
From their conversation, Aoyama recognized him—
Kazui. The man whose fiancée had just gone missing.
"Kazui, right?" Aoyama asked calmly. "I need information. Tell me exactly where your fiancée disappeared."
Kazui grabbed him like a drowning man clutching driftwood.
"Help me! They're all laughing at me! She vanished—right beside me! It was a demon! It wasn't human!"
"Believe me! She just… disappeared…"
Aoyama waited until he finished.
"We believe you. Take us there."
No one else in town believed demons were involved. They thought it was the work of some criminal. They whispered that Kazui had lost his mind.
Now someone finally believed him.
He hurriedly led them to a narrow alley.
"It was here. Riko disappeared right here. Just suddenly… gone."
Aoyama closed his eyes and fully activated his sense of smell.
There it was.
A faint demon scent.
Weak.
But enough.
He memorized it.
Find the wealthy household.
Tonight—
The demon would come on its own.
When he opened his eyes again, he saw Tanjiro lying flat on the ground, sniffing intensely.
Aoyama immediately hauled him up by the collar.
"Maintain some dignity. Stop sniffing the pavement. Come with me—we're staying somewhere nice tonight."
A faint smile curved his lips.
Kazui blinked in confusion.
Wasn't this guy helping him?
Why were they talking about lodging?
Aoyama walked ahead a few steps. Seeing neither of them move, he returned and casually slung an arm around each of their shoulders.
"Relax. That demon? Tonight, I'll make sure it dies."
He said it with a warm, gentle smile.
As if he were discussing the weather—
Not life and death.
To Read advanced Chapters, head over to P@treon
patreon.com/DarkVerse146