"Where... is this?"
Yae opened her eyes and looked at the unfamiliar ceiling, a little dazed.
"You're awake?" Shinobu brushed her hair back, leaned over, and pressed her forehead to the girl's, feeling her temperature.
This intimate gesture made Yae blush instantly, and she let out a surprised cry.
"Thank goodness, looks like you're okay."
Shinobu smiled and waved her hand, signaling her to calm down.
"Where is this?" A faint blush still remained on Yae's beautiful face.
Shinobu spoke softly, "The pharmacist's house across the street. You've been asleep for most of the day."
"Here, quickly drink the medicine. It'll help you recover your strength."
Looking at the steaming and suspicious liquid in the wooden cup, Yae started to sweat and asked hesitantly, "May I ask… what's in this?"
Shinobu smiled, "Alright, alright, don't ask so much. Just drink it."
Yae closed her eyes and drank it all in one gulp. Then she asked, "By the way, where's Taro?"
Shinobu paused, then quickly realized she was talking about the dog.
Bloodhounds are standard for hunters. Taro wasn't just a dog; he was Yae's childhood companion.
Shinobu opened the door to show the pharmacist's yard. The dog named Taro was circling Jotaro. It was panting with its tongue out, looking very friendly.
"That's odd. Taro is clingy, yes, but he's always fierce toward strangers. Why..."
She noticed that a big bump had formed on Taro's head.
"Taro!" Yae rushed forward and hugged the dog tightly, distressed. "What happened to you? Did you bump into something?"
Looking at the large bump on the dog's head, Shinobu smiled helplessly.
No need to ask, this was definitely Jotaro's doing.
"Whimper... woof woof! Woof woof!"
Once back in its owner's arms, Taro dropped the friendly act and barked furiously.
The noisy barking made Jotaro frown. His pale green eyes glared at Taro. As if recalling something terrifying, Taro instantly stopped barking and curled up in Yae's arms like a kitten.
"Taro, what's wrong? Why are you shaking?"
Sensing Taro's fear of Jotaro, she turned and questioned him, "You jerk, what did you do to Taro!"
Jotaro replied flatly, "Nothing. I just taught it some lessons on how to behave like a proper dog."
He normally wouldn't trouble a dog for no reason. But this one lunged at his hand the moment they met. So he gave it a punch and tamed it.
Who knew the mutt would start barking again after returning to its owner?
"Yare yare..."
'Are all dogs like this? Not cute at all.'
Shinobu helped Yae back into the room and glanced at Jotaro, who was smoking in the yard.
To be honest, she was a bit surprised Jotaro had stayed here. But maybe that was a good thing. If left alone, this guy would only cause trouble. Fighting is one thing, but chasing demons is another. At least she could keep an eye on him here.
Of course, Jotaro knew what Shinobu was thinking. He stayed only because he was worried about the girl named Yae.
The girl was now all alone and in poor health. That didn't really matter to him. What mattered was the enemy the girl was searching for.
'If it was a man-eating bear, fine, but if it was a demon…'
Jotaro glanced at the hunting rifle Yae had placed in the corner. That kind of weapon would be useless against such a foe.
Shinobu's eyes reflected Yae's back. In her view, the girl seemed troubled.
When she sat down, Shinobu said gently, "About the incident at the hall, I offer my deepest condolences. If possible, I have a few questions I'd like to ask."
Yae looked at her in confusion.
Shinobu said, "The attacker may have been a demon."
Yae's expression changed slightly. After hesitating a moment, she began to recount what happened that day.
However, she insisted that the one who attacked her father and her companions was a bear.
"Are you satisfied now?!" Yahaba seemed a little impatient, "I also have a question. Who are you? And what are demons?"
Shinobu was very patient and answered her questions one by one.
"Demon Slayers, which is us, the organization we form is the Demon Slayer Corps."
Yahaba's expression seemed a bit worried, and she asked, "Demon Slayer Corps? Will you kill all demons?"
After encountering Nezuko, Shinobu held a bit more hope for demons, and said, "We only kill evil demons."
Shinobu glanced at Yahaba, and in her violet, misty eyes, there was a trace of sympathy.
"But this time seems different. Miss Yahaba, if you think it's okay, I can help you hunt the bear."
Yahaba looked a bit downcast, then firmly said, "I'm a hunter. I'll take revenge myself!"
After saying that, she put on her clothes, picked up her hunting gun, brought along Taro, and hurriedly ran out.
Jotaro sat on the wooden floor of the corridor, quietly smoking, watching the girl run out the apothecary's front door.
"Jotaro-san, why didn't you stop that child?"
Seeing this, Shinobu was a bit angry and said, "You should know, right? The one who attacked the girl wasn't a bear, but a man-eating demon."
Jotaro was unmoved, leaning against the pillar, looking completely indifferent.
"Don't mind her. She's a hunter. Since she dares to go, that means she has a lot of confidence in her shooting skills."
Shinobu said, "Jotaro-san, you've also encountered demons, you should know that weapons like guns are completely ineffective against demons."
After saying that, Shinobu no longer paid attention to Jotaro and quickly ran into the inner room to change into her Demon Slayer uniform.
When she came out again, the empty courtyard no longer had Jotaro's figure.
"Where is Jotaro-san?"
'Forget it, why should I care about that cold-blooded guy!'
Shinobu stomped her foot in anger, and with her Nichirin sword, her whole person seemed to turn into a flying butterfly. In the blink of an eye, she had already moved dozens of meters away.
However, after walking just a few hundred meters, she heard Kaigaku's shouting voice.
"Lady Shinobu! Lady Shinobu!"
Shinobu frowned, stopped, and looked at him, saying, "Why are you here? Sorry, I still have matters to attend to."
After saying that, her light steps were about to continue forward. She was still in a hurry to find Yahaba and didn't have time to waste here.
"Wait a moment!" Kaigaku gasped for breath. Seeing Shinobu about to leave, he hurriedly said, "Lady Shinobu, I've found the place where the demon is hiding!"
"But I'm too seriously injured, and I don't have a Nichirin sword. I still hope Lady Shinobu can lend me a helping hand."
"What?!" Shinobu suddenly turned her head and asked, "What you said, is it true?"
Kaigaku vowed solemnly and said, "Of course! Lady Shinobu! How could I dare lie about this matter!"
"I know my actions the other day might have disappointed you, but my dream from the beginning has been to become a qualified Demon Slayer swordsman."
"I studied demon-slaying techniques under the former Thunder Hashira since I was young. My desire to eliminate demons is stronger than anyone's!"
"You are Master Kuwajima's disciple?" Shinobu was somewhat surprised.
Kaigaku's face remained calm, but in his heart was full of joy, and he quickly nodded.
"No wonder your Thunder Breathing gave me a familiar feeling."
At this moment, Shinobu was already fully convinced and asked, "Where is the demon? Take me there quickly!"
In her view, there was only one demon here at the inn. Since Kaigaku had already found the demon's hiding place, then the girl Yahaba, who had gone to seek her enemy, most likely wouldn't encounter it.
Confirming the girl's safety, the worry in her heart was put to rest. The current priority was to eliminate the man-eating demon.
Seeing Kaigaku limping along like a cripple, Shinobu sighed and said, "Tell me the demon's location. I can go by myself."
Kaigaku laughed awkwardly and said, "Lady Shinobu, the demon's hiding place is very concealed. Better if I take you there."
"If you can't find it and come back to ask me again, that will delay your demon-slaying. If the demon finds out and takes the opportunity to escape, it will be even worse."
Although what Kaigaku said made a lot of sense, for some reason, Shinobu still felt something was off.
"Lady Shinobu, the demon is very close to here. Let's be careful not to be discovered by it."
Kaigaku had a righteous background, so Shinobu had no suspicion and followed him with her steps.
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