The night had passed, and the early rays of sunshine began to bathe the Ubuyashiki mansion in warm light. A silver eagle with massive wings descended from the sky, carrying All's message.
Shinobu was enjoying a quiet morning tea with Ubuyashiki, savouring the calm and serenity of these moments with her lord. She found mornings like these particularly peaceful, a welcome reprieve from the chaos of demon-slaying.
Ubuyashiki was discussing potential improvements to the medical department and suggesting an increase in the number of medical Kakushi, those who had proven invaluable in assisting injured Demon Slayers and citizens harmed by demons.
"Oyakata-sama, this is a brilliant idea," Shinobu said with a nod, her expression thoughtful.
"I will help by teaching and providing materials for them to learn. I could also send my sister occasionally to assist."
Ubuyashiki took a sip of his tea, preparing to thank Shinobu for her support, but he was interrupted by a knock at the door.
"Oyakata-sama, a letter for you regarding the new Demon Slayer, Ali," came the voice from behind the door. At the mention of Ali's name, Shinobu's heart skipped a beat. She put down her teacup, her gaze shifting toward the entrance.
"Come in," Ubuyashiki answered calmly.
The Kakushi slid open the wooden door and bowed deeply to his lord and the lord's wife, who was seated quietly at his side. He handed the letter to the beautiful, white-haired woman, then bowed again before excusing himself.
Amane, Ubuyashiki's graceful wife, opened the letter and read its contents, then leaned over to whisper them into her husband's ear. A gentle smile spread across Ubuyashiki's face as he listened.
"My dear, please give the letter to the Insect Hashira," Ubuyashiki requested, and his wife handed the letter to Shinobu.
Shinobu hurriedly skimmed through the letter, concern etched on her face. She worried for Ali, even though she knew he was strong. This was his first mission to hunt a demon, after all. As for why she worried about him so much, she couldn't quite explain it herself.
The letter consisted of two parts. The first was from Ali's messenger eagle, detailing the demon and recounting its battle with Ali. The second part was from the Kakushi sent to deal with the aftermath of the fight and conduct further investigations. The Kakushi had discovered letters in the demon's residence containing detailed information about various Hashira and routes commonly used by Kakushi members carrying out their assignments, as observed by travellers from different regions. The letters also mentioned a certain item the demon was searching for.
"It seems Ali's first mission involved a hidden Lower Rank demon who specialises in gathering information for Muzan," Ubuyashiki said thoughtfully. "I will have the Kakushi investigate further, as this could be very important. We should also inform all Kakushi to change their usual paths." He nodded to his wife, who stood and left the room to relay his orders.
Shinobu excused herself from Ubuyashiki and left the mansion. Back in the room, Ubuyashiki sipped his tea, a smile of satisfaction playing on his lips. This letter had greatly lifted his spirits.
As Shinobu walked towards the Butterfly Mansion, she thought, 'Of course, a Lower Rank demon on his first mission, and he kills it with ease. That's so like him!' A small, genuine smile graced her face. But her tranquility was short-lived as she heard a loud voice calling her name.
"SHINOBU! SHINOBU!" Mitsuri called out as she ran up to her side. "You just came from Oyakata-sama's place, right?"
Shinobu sighed, bemused by her friend's enthusiasm this morning, and nodded.
"Hey, is Ali still locked up in the training hall? Do you think he'd come out for breakfast if I went over? I'm sure he missed me since I was on a mission all week," Mitsuri asked, unaware that Ali had already gone on a mission.
"You don't know, do you? Also, just so you know, Ali never asked about you," Shinobu replied with a teasing smirk. She then proceeded to inform Mitsuri about Ali's mission and how he was already requesting another.
The news surprised Mitsuri, sparking another round of questions and complaints as the two walked together, their conversation animated.
Meanwhile, atop a cliff, a young, handsome man sat cross-legged, half-naked, holding a spear with both hands before him. He inhaled deeply, taking in a massive breath. Black markings began to spread from his heart down to his arms, then to his fingers, before a black smoke of sorts exited his hands, swirling around the black spear. Initially, the smoke formed small streaks, but as moments passed, these streaks grew thicker and thicker, until the entire spear was enveloped in a fast-rotating, menacing cloud with a purple edge shimmering through the darkness. The streaks of smoke accelerated, growing more intense until the spear started trembling from the force of the vicious energy surrounding it. Blood droplets fell onto Ali's lap from his nose, prompting him to cease the technique.
The streaks of smoke gradually slowed and thinned out until they dissipated into the air. Ali wiped the blood from his nose and stood up. 'That was the best I could do with the spear while continuously healing myself internally. Any more, and I wouldn't be able to keep up with the damage done to my insides. But the improvements are promising', Ali thought as he gazed out at the sky from the high cliff.
He dressed quickly, waiting for his eagle to return with his next target. It was already afternoon. Earlier, Ali had gone down to the river to catch fish for a meal, yet still, the eagle hadn't come back.
"Fucking hell, what's taking that bird so long?" Ali muttered. He moved to a tree at the edge of the forest and lay down in its shade, continuing to wait.
Hours passed before Ali suddenly opened his eyes, finally hearing the eagle's call. He stood up, holstered his spear, and walked to the edge of the cliff, looking upward. High in the sky, he spotted the silver wings flapping down towards him.
He extended his arm for the bird to land.
"The next target is five hours running through the western forest," the eagle informed him.
"A family of five has reportedly been found dead in their home, the victims torn to shreds. Civilians think a pack of wolves, but the Corps suspects otherwise."
With that, the eagle flapped its strong silver wings and took off, heading west.
The sun was setting, casting a warm glow over the landscape as the silver eagle shone against the dimming sky.
Ali immediately set off running, following the eagle westward. He moved through the forest, his path illuminated only by the moonlight. The forest was eerily quiet as Ali zipped past tree after tree with inhuman speed. Suddenly, he sensed a presence from his left and came to an abrupt halt.
Standing still, Ali turned his gaze to the left. Even with his enhanced vision, he could barely see into the dark forest, but he could hear slow, deliberate footsteps approaching him. In the sky, the eagle circled back upon noticing Ali was no longer running behind it.
As the footsteps drew nearer, Ali could finally make out the form of a red-haired demon with thick, tattoo-like stripes all over his body. He recognised the demon immediately-Akaza, the Upper Rank Three, was approaching, his mouth smeared with blood, and in his left hand, he held the severed head of the man from the town who had described Ali to him, blood still dripping from his lifeless face.
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