The scent of human flesh grew thicker, and then—wait! There was something else. Shinichi halted, his expression becoming grim. Inside the wooden house, it wasn't just the smell of human blood; there was also a twisted, brutal scent—the smell of a fellow demon.
"Enji, stay here. Don't follow me," Shinichi said softly as he set Enji down, though he wasn't sure if the little dog understood.
His right hand, burnt by the sun earlier, had nearly healed, the newly grown black claws just as sharp as before. Taking a deep breath, Shinichi resumed his approach toward the house.
The lantern light from inside the wooden house stood out in the darkness. This was a simple hunter's family home, and there was even a faint hint of gunpowder in the air. Yet now, the inside of the house looked like a scene from hell.
Severed limbs lay scattered on the floor, alongside blood-splattered entrails, and the disembodied head of a middle-aged hunter, his eyes wide in death. A broken shotgun lay in pieces, and at the center of the chaos was a creature crouched on all fours like a beast.
The sound of grotesque chewing echoed from the creature. Underneath it was the warm corpse of a woman, her face half-eaten, still twisted in the terror of her final moments—the hunter's wife.
Swoosh! The feeding demon suddenly turned its head. It had a gaunt, horse-like face with dark, soulless eyes filled with bloodthirsty malice. Its mouth, nearly split back to its ears, held half of a human arm, blood dripping down its chin.
Seeing Shinichi, the horse-faced demon paused, the arm dropping from its mouth. In the next second, however, the demon hunched up, baring its jagged teeth. "Where did you come from, stray demon? Don't you know this is Lord Karasuma's territory?"
Shinichi did not respond. He stared blankly at the nightmarish scene before him. Under the flickering lantern light, the blood-soaked room filled him with both dread and... an overwhelming craving.
"Oh—now I see," the demon Karasuma sneered, sensing Shinichi's aura and emotional turmoil. "A newly born demon, huh? Heh." Karasuma moved swiftly, hands and feet working like a lizard's, leaping toward Shinichi in the blink of an eye, his dark red eyes scrutinizing the young demon.
"How rare. Matsudaira County hasn't seen a new demon in ten—no, twenty years. Has that esteemed one come here? Oh, how exciting. It would be such an honor to be noticed by them…" Karasuma rambled, circling Shinichi, his tone filled with wicked delight.
Shinichi, meanwhile, observed his "companion." There was no doubt about it—Karasuma was a formidable demon. Judging by his instincts, Karasuma must have consumed at least ten humans!
The more humans a demon consumed, the stronger it became, and Karasuma's overwhelming presence pressed down heavily on Shinichi.
Despite Karasuma's monologue, Shinichi said nothing, which brought a flash of displeasure to Karasuma's eyes. Noticing Shinichi's gaze fixed on the remains inside the cabin, Karasuma flashed a cruel smile. A long, black tongue slithered from his mouth, licking the blood at the corner of his lips.
In an instant, Karasuma leaped back to the cabin and tore into the mangled corpse, soon returning to Shinichi with half a severed leg in his mouth. He spat it out before Shinichi, grinning. "Since you're a fellow newborn, consider this a welcome gift. Try it. The blood and flesh of this woman are exquisite—even more so than her husband's. I'm sure you'll love it."
Staring at the grotesque lump of flesh, Shinichi's hands balled into fists, his black claws piercing his own palms. His body trembled slightly—he was furious. The demon in front of him disgusted him to his core. Perhaps it was because Shinichi still viewed things from a human perspective. From a demon's point of view, Karasuma's behavior was rather generous; demons were territorial and cruel by nature.
But Karasuma's real intention was to toy with Shinichi. For a newborn demon, lingering human memories often caused them to resist eating humans. Yet, no matter how many memories remained, they couldn't override a demon's true nature. Karasuma was eager to see how this new demon would react when completely dominated by his primal instincts.
Karasuma watched as Shinichi clenched his fists, but he wasn't concerned. He had eaten twenty-three people, far beyond the strength of a mere newborn. On the contrary, he was curious to see how Shinichi would act once he tasted human flesh.
"Eat, my kin! I'm not like other demons; I'm happy to share. You could even follow me, serve under Lord Karasuma, and feast on more human blood and flesh!" Karasuma spoke, attempting to lure Shinichi.
Shinichi stared at the flesh, his crimson eyes trembling. His pupils narrowed into thin slits, his sharp fangs protruding from his slightly parted lips.
"Yes, that's right. Bite into it, devour it," Karasuma said excitedly. But the next moment, he froze. Shinichi had walked right past him.
"Move aside!" Shinichi commanded.
Karasuma looked incredulously at Shinichi, who had ignored his offer. His dark red eyes reflected Shinichi's retreating back, and unbridled rage surged within him. Veins bulged across Karasuma's face as his long, black tongue slithered out. "You bastard! A weakling who's never tasted human flesh dares to reject my goodwill?! Unbelievable!"
Shinichi quickened his steps, wanting to leave quickly. Though he longed to kill the disgusting demon, he knew that, in his current weakened state, he was no match for him. That demon had eaten dozens of people.
But, as the saying goes, "easy come, easy go."
Splat!! Shinichi froze, looking down to see a black tendril pierced through his chest. In the next instant, his body was yanked backward by immense force.
The pull was strong, and Shinichi could even hear the wind whistling in his ears. Without hesitation, he raised his black claws, swiping at the tendril impaling his chest.
Clang! To Shinichi's shock, his claws, capable of tearing through rock, only produced sparks against the black tendril?
Bang! Before he could process what was happening, he was thrown into the cabin, smashing through a wall and landing in the open ground outside.
The once rigid tendril now dangled limply from Karasuma's mouth, dripping with saliva, utterly revolting.
"You ungrateful fool," Karasuma hissed, "Since you won't accept my kindness, then accept my fury!"
Shinichi staggered to his feet, shaking his dazed head. A numbness spread from his chest—that tongue, it was venomous!
The wound on his chest began to heal, flesh writhing as it closed up. This was the terrifying regenerative power of a demon.
Bang! Moments after Shinichi stood up, Karasuma's black tongue lashed out again, moving with lightning speed.
Swoosh! Instinctively, Shinichi dodged, the black tongue barely grazing his neck.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Shinichi darted around the clearing, narrowly evading each of Karasuma's attacks. This wasn't due to his own power; it was a raw, instinctive talent. Demons varied in talent—no matter how many humans they devoured, only the most gifted demons would ever earn the favor of that esteemed one. Only those of the highest potential became the Twelve Kizuki.
Karasuma's face darkened completely. He hadn't expected this newborn demon to evade him for so long. How was he so fast, always able to dodge his attacks?!
Karasuma was stunned, but alongside the shock came a burning fury and jealousy. Talent! This newborn demon had extraordinary talent—far surpassing his own! Karasuma had spent years hiding carefully, avoiding detection by the Demon Slayer Corps, and had eaten twenty-three people, only to be toyed with by a newborn. It was an unbearable humiliation!
With this thought, Karasuma grew even more enraged. His tongue lashed out faster, chasing Shinichi like a black streak of lightning, gouging deep furrows in the earth with each strike.