Demons in the MountainsDeep within the mountains, where moonlight scarcely touched the forest floor, Kokushibo moved in silence.
It did not take long before he encountered them.
Demons.
Drawn instinctively toward power far greater than their own.
The moment their eyes fell upon him, their bodies trembled uncontrollably. One by one, they dropped to their knees, pressing their foreheads to the ground in absolute submission.
"U-Upper Rank One…!"
Their voices shook.
Fear was not merely an emotion it was instinct.
Among demons, hierarchy was absolute.
Those who bore the title of the Twelve Kizuki stood at the pinnacle beneath Muzan Kibutsuji, and Kokushibo… stood at the very top among them.
Any demon who failed to show proper reverence risked immediate destruction.
Not by rule
But by inevitability.
Kokushibo did not so much as glance at them.
To him, their existence was insignificant.
"Do not follow me."
His voice was calm.
Yet it carried a weight that crushed all resistance.
"Yes…!"
None dared question him.
Without another word, Kokushibo continued forward until he found a secluded cave, far removed from both humans and lesser demons.
There, he sat.
Still as stone.
The Problem of Time"Twelve years…"
The thought echoed within him.
Too early.
Far too early.
The timeline he now occupied placed him well before the rise of the current generation of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Before the key players had taken the stage.
Before the chain of events that would eventually lead to Muzan's downfall.
And most importantly
Before he had any clear way to locate the one individual he needed most.
Tamayo.
Kokushibo's fingers rested lightly against the hilt of his sword.
Unlike other demons, Tamayo was an anomaly.
A being who had escaped Muzan's control.
A possibility
No, a necessity.
If he wished to sever the absolute authority Muzan held over him, then finding her was not optional.
It was essential.
"…A physician."
His thoughts sharpened.
Tamayo lived among humans, disguising herself as a doctor. That alone narrowed the search.
She would gravitate toward places where illness spread.
Where suffering gathered.
Where lives hung by a thread.
Not out of obligation
But atonement.
Gathering InformationKokushibo opened his eyes.
All six.
A faint, oppressive aura spread through the cave.
The demons he had dismissed earlier returned almost immediately, unable to resist the silent summons.
They knelt once more.
"Answer me."
His voice was quiet.
Yet none could ignore it.
"Are there any settlements nearby afflicted by widespread illness?"
The demons exchanged uneasy glances.
Finally, one stepped forward.
A young-looking female demon, her movements hesitant, her head bowed low.
"R-Reporting to Upper Rank One… There is a town not far from here. Many have fallen ill recently… a fever that spreads quickly."
Kokushibo remained silent for a moment.
In this era, even minor illnesses could claim lives.
Medical care was inconsistent at best.
What might be insignificant in another time… could become fatal here.
"…That will suffice."
The tension eased slightly.
The demon exhaled shakily, unaware she had just narrowly avoided death.
"You will guide me."
Her body stiffened.
"Y-Yes!"
There was no refusal.
There never could be.
The Town at NightWhen the sun dipped below the horizon, Kokushibo stepped out from the forest.
The female demon led the way, moving quickly, though she never dared get too far ahead.
Despite his unhurried pace, Kokushibo remained beside her effortlessly.
Such was the difference in strength.
Before long, a town came into view.
Lanterns flickered along the streets, casting warm light over wooden buildings. It was not large, but it was far from destitute.
Kokushibo paused.
He adjusted his form once more, concealing four of his six eyes.
To human perception
He became nothing more than a blind swordsman.
"Leave."
The command was simple.
The demon did not hesitate. She vanished into the darkness immediately.
Kokushibo stepped into the town alone.
Unnecessary DisturbanceThe streets were not entirely quiet.
Groups of men lingered idly, their laughter crude, their behavior restless.
It did not take long for him to attract attention.
"…Oi. Look at that guy."
"A swordsman? At this hour?"
"And blind, too?"
Amusement quickly turned to mockery.
A small stone flew toward him.
Kokushibo tilted his head slightly.
It missed.
Another followed.
Then another.
Each one avoided with minimal movement.
The men fell silent.
"…He dodged that."
"…Oi. You're not blind, are you?"
Their tone shifted.
Suspicion.
Hostility.
They approached.
Kokushibo did not respond.
Instead, he turned and walked into a narrow alley.
A silent invitation.
The men exchanged glances before grinning.
"Looks like he wants to die."
They followed.
The Nature of DemonsThe alley fell quiet.
Moments later
Screams shattered the stillness.
Not one.
Many.
They did not last long.
When the first figure stumbled out into the street, his body convulsed violently. His veins bulged, his eyes bloodshot, his mouth opening unnaturally wide.
The crowd froze.
Panic spread like wildfire.
"A-A demon ?!"
The transformation was incomplete.
Unstable.
Crude.
Kokushibo watched from within the shadows.
He had not turned them into proper demons.
Only a trace of his blood had been given
Just enough to trigger the change.
But without Muzan's direct will, such transformations were imperfect.
Violent.
Short-lived.
The creature lunged at the nearest person.
Screams erupted.
Chaos consumed the street.
No one could stop it.
Not the townspeople.
Not the local authorities.
And certainly not anyone untrained.
Kokushibo observed for a moment longer.
Then
He turned away.
"…Not here."
Tamayo was not present.
Had she been, she would have intervened already.
An Unexpected EncounterHe left the town without hesitation.
But fate
Or perhaps something else
Had other plans.
Not far from the outskirts, two figures appeared, moving swiftly toward the town.
A woman.
And a young man.
Kokushibo stopped.
Even before they drew closer, he recognized them.
The presence.
The difference.
They were demons.
Yet
Not bound in the same way.
Tamayo.
And beside her
Yushiro.
How convenient.
Tamayo slowed as she noticed him blocking the path.
A blind swordsman.
Ordinary, at a glance.
Yet something felt… wrong.
"Excuse me," she said politely, though urgency colored her voice. "We must pass through."
They had already sensed it.
The presence of a demon within the town.
Kokushibo did not move.
"There is no need."
His voice was calm.
Unhurried.
"It will end shortly."
A subtle pause followed.
Then
He opened his eyes.
All six.
The illusion fell away.
The oppressive aura surged outward instantly.
Tamayo's expression froze.
Yushiro's eyes widened in shock.
That presence
That overwhelming, suffocating pressure
There was no mistaking it.
"…Upper Rank One…!"
The night fell silent.
And for the first time
Kokushibo stood before the one being who might sever his chains.