Mitsuri called upon the villagers to retrieve the body and arrange for a proper burial, hoping it would grant the grieving family some semblance of peace.
Ali and Mitsuri were seated in the victim's home as his wife prepared tea for them. Her eyes were swollen and red from crying, though it seemed she had no more tears left to shed. Mitsuri gently rocked the newborn baby, trying to lull him to sleep, while the widow moved about in silence, setting the tea cups down with trembling hands. Her five-year-old son watched quietly from the corner, his young face shadowed with confusion and fear.
"So, what happens now? How are you going to find the demon that did this to us?" the widow asked, her voice strained as she handed them the tea.
"I will wait until nightfall and venture into the forest, attempting to lure the demon out," Mitsuri replied confidently. "Once it shows itself, I'll slay it. You should take your children and go down to the village, just to be safe. Ali will accompany you."
"It won't work," Ali interjected, taking a sip of the tea. 'This tea is terrible,' he thought, placing the cup back down on the table.
"What do you mean it won't work?" Mitsuri asked, puzzled. "If I disguise myself as one of the villagers, the demon will definitely be drawn out."
"It still won't work," Ali responded, his tone matter-of-fact. "Remember what the chief said—the killings were spaced weeks apart because no one was brave enough to enter the forest after someone went missing. They waited a while before venturing in, and when they did, they died. The cycle continued like that. The demon is smart enough to recognise a trap unless the potential victim has a convincing reason to be in the forest."
Mitsuri's expression grew more serious. "You're right... but then who do you suggest should go?"
Ali's gaze shifted to the widow, who stiffened under his scrutiny. "You won't like it, but he will," Ali said, pointing at the five-year-old boy who was watching them silently, his eyes widening in surprise at being singled out by the intimidating foreigner.
"No! I won't allow it! I'll go instead," the widow said fiercely, her voice trembling with anger at Ali's cold suggestion of using her son as bait.
Before Mitsuri could step in to support the widow, Ali spoke again. "That won't work either. The demon saw you hesitate when you didn't chase after your husband. It knows you wouldn't risk your life the next day and leave your children orphaned. It wouldn't believe you'd venture into the forest alone now."
The widow's resolve wavered, her anger giving way to fear. Ali's words seemed to cut through her defences, but she still couldn't bring herself to agree with his plan.
Ali stood up and approached her, his voice steady and persuasive. "Listen, if you refuse, Mitsuri will go into the forest, and she'll come back empty-handed. This will continue for days until headquarters orders her to leave for a more urgent mission. Maybe they'll send another Demon Slayer in her place, but eventually, the demon will wait until there's no one left to protect you. Then it will come back and finish what it started."
The widow began to tremble, the terror of Ali's prediction sinking in. She looked at her children, her heart breaking at the thought of them being left defenceless.
Ali continued, "Or... you can let your little boy be a hero. He can lure the demon out of hiding, and trust me, every step he takes, Mitsuri and I will be right there with him. The moment the demon appears, I'll bring him back to you, and Mitsuri will handle the rest. She's a Hashira—strong enough to defeat the demon with her eyes closed. So, what will it be? Will you fight back, or will you run?"
The room fell silent, the weight of Ali's words hanging heavily in the air. The widow struggled to find her voice, her mind racing between fear and the desire to protect her children.
But then, before she could respond, the five-year-old boy stepped forward. "I'll do it," he said bravely, his small voice filled with determination. "I want to take down the demon that hurt my dad."
Ali looked at the boy, a hint of approval in his gaze. "Well said, kid," he replied, before turning and walking out of the house for some fresh air.
A few minutes later, Mitsuri joined Ali outside, standing beside him as they looked out at the forest. "That was incredible, Ali. You convinced them to trust us," Mitsuri said, her admiration for him clear in her voice.
"Not exactly," Ali replied, his tone cool. "I convinced the boy to trust us and used his mother's fear of the future against her. She would have never agreed on her own. She just needed someone to push her, and that's where the boy came in."
Mitsuri looked at him, slightly unsettled by his calculated approach, but she couldn't deny the effectiveness of his plan. "You know, you're scary sometimes... but in a good way," she said with a nervous laugh, trying to lighten the mood. She smiled at him, the sunlight enhancing her bright, cheerful expression.
"Now, let's explain the plan to the boy," Ali said, shifting his focus back to the task at hand. "He has to follow our instructions exactly—where to walk and when to start running back. He needs to go far enough into the forest to draw out the demon, but not so far that the dog could catch up to him too quickly. We want the demon to be confident enough to get closer, thinking it's an easy hunt."
Mitsuri nodded in agreement, her determination returning. Together, they took the boy out into the forest to show him the path he needed to take. They marked the area clearly for him, ensuring he knew where to stop and where to start running. They also chose a route that would make it appear as though the boy had come from the village, rather than from his home, to make the ruse more believable.
As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the village, Mitsuri and Ali watched the widow say goodbye to her son, who was about to play a dangerous role in their plan.
"He's a brave boy. I need to make sure nothing happens to him, no matter what," Mitsuri said softly, her voice filled with resolve.
"He'll be fine," Ali reassured her. "He's got a strong and beautiful Hashira like you watching over him." His words brought a blush to Mitsuri's cheeks, and she quickly turned away, flustered but also somewhat comforted. Ali knew the compliment would help ease some of the tension she was feeling about the plan.
As the last rays of sunlight faded away, the boy set out from the village, heading toward the ominous forest. The night was dark, with only the pale light of the moon to guide his steps along the path that Ali and Mitsuri had shown him.
As he ventured deeper into the forest, the boy's voice rang out, trembling slightly with fear but also laced with anger. "Come out! Come out, you evil beast! Give me back my dad! Give him back to me!" He continued to shout, repeating the lines Ali had suggested, but also adding his own heartfelt pleas. The pain of losing his father fuelled his courage, making his voice louder and more desperate.
Suddenly, a chilling howl echoed through the forest. "AWOOOOOOOOOOO!" The sound was followed by the rapid, heavy footsteps of the demonic dog as it charged through the trees, its eyes glowing with hunger.
"Now!" Ali whispered to the boy, prompting him to turn and run as fast as his legs could carry him, taking the shortest route back to the edge of the forest. As he ran, he kept thinking about the times his father had taken him on hikes and adventures, memories that gave him the strength to keep going, despite the terror closing in behind him.
Five extra chapters on patreon.com/Rondo312