The scent of human flesh grew increasingly intense.
Wait! There was another smell mixed in!
Shinichi halted in his tracks, his expression turning grave.
Inside the wooden cabin, it wasn't just the smell of human blood—there was also a strange, sinister odor, one filled with brutality and cruelty.
Or rather, the scent of a Demon!
"Maru-ni, stay here. Don't follow me" Shinichi said softly as he set Maru-ni down, unsure if the creature could understand him.
His right hand, burned by the sunlight earlier, had mostly healed. The newly grown black claws were as sharp as ever. Shinichi took a deep breath and continued toward the cabin.
In the darkness, the light from the cabin stood out starkly. It was the home of an ordinary hunter family. The faint smell of gunpowder lingered in the air, but now the cabin was a scene of utter hell.
Shattered limbs, blood and entrails splattered across the floor, the severed head of a middle-aged hunter with eyes wide open in death, a hunting rifle broken in two, and, in the center of the cabin, a figure crouched on all fours like a monster.
A guttural sound, the kind only a beast makes while feeding, emanated from the figure. Beneath it lay the still-warm corpse of a woman, half of her face mangled, frozen in a look of terror from her final moments.
She was the hunter wife.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the Demon turned its head. It had a long, horse-like face, its dark eyes filled with bloodlust. Its mouth, stretched almost to its ears, was clamped around half an arm, blood dripping from the corners.
When it saw Shinichi, the horse-faced Demon paused, the arm falling from its mouth. But in the next moment, it arched its back, baring its sharp teeth, and growled menacingly.
"Where did this Demon come from? Don't you know this is Lord Karasuma territory?"
Shinichi didn't respond.
Instead, he stared blankly at the hellish scene inside the cabin. In the flickering light, the blood that covered the room sent a chill through his heart—and a strange craving.
"Oh~ So that's what's going on. A newborn Demon, huh? Hehe," the Demon Karasuma chuckled, sensing the aura and emotional fluctuations emanating from Shinichi.
Like a nimble lizard, it scurried over to Shinichi on all fours, its dark red eyes scrutinizing the young Demon.
"How rare. It's been ten—no, twenty years since a newborn Demon appeared in Matsudaira County. Could it be that *that* lord has come here? How exciting. It would be such an honor to be acknowledged by him, tsk tsk tsk" Karasuma muttered as it circled Shinichi, clicking its tongue in admiration.
Shinichi, meanwhile, was also sizing up his "companion."
There was no doubt—the Demon before him, Karasuma, was a genuine and formidable monster. And, by instinct, Shinichi could tell that this Demon had devoured at least ten people!
The more humans a Demon consumed, the stronger it became.
The oppressive aura radiating from Karasuma made Shinichi feel a constant pressure.
Karasuma rambled on for a while, but Shinichi remained silent. This displeased Karasuma, and a flicker of annoyance crossed its eyes.
However, noticing Shinichi gaze repeatedly drifting toward the "food" in the cabin, Karasuma revealed a cruel smile. A long, black tongue suddenly darted out, licking the blood from the corners of its mouth.
In an instant, Karasuma darted back into the wooden hut and began tearing at the mangled body. Soon, it returned to Shinichi with half a thigh in its mouth, casually spitting it out in front of him. Karasuma grinned widely, its cruel laughter echoing.
"Since you're a new demon, consider this a welcoming gift. Try it, the flesh of this woman is far more delicious than her husband. You'll definitely find it irresistible."
Staring at the grotesque mass of flesh, Shinichi instinctively clenched his fists. His black claws pierced his palms without him realizing it, and his body trembled slightly with anger.
The Demon before him filled Shinichi with deep disgust. Perhaps it was because Shinichi still held onto his human perspective.
From a Demon standpoint, Karasuma actions could indeed be seen as generous, as Demons are inherently territorial and cruel creatures.
However, Karasuma true intention was to taunt Shinichi. For a newly turned Demon, the lingering memories of being human would make them resist consuming human flesh.
Yet, no matter how strong those memories were, they could never fully suppress a Demon nature. Karasuma was eager to see how this newborn Demon would behave once completely dominated by its instincts.
Karasuma noticed Shinichi clenched fists but paid no heed.
Having devoured twenty-three humans, its strength far surpassed that of a newborn Demon. Instead, it was more excited to witness Shinichi reaction after tasting human flesh.
"Eat, my kin! Unlike other Demons, I am generous with my food. In fact, you could even follow me, Lord Karasuma, and feast on more blood and flesh!" Karasuma enticed Shinichi, its voice dripping with malice.
Shinichi crimson eyes trembled as he stared at the human flesh before him. His pupils narrowed into needle-like slits, and his sharp fangs unconsciously bared themselves.
"Yes! That's it! Tear into it, savor it!" Karasuma exclaimed with excitement.
But the next moment, it froze in shock as Shinichi walked straight past it.
"Move aside!"
Karasuma stared in disbelief at Shinichi, who had ignored its offer. Its dark red eyes reflected Shinichi retreating figure, and an unnamed rage surged within it. Veins bulged on Karasuma face, and its long black tongue slid out from the corner of its mouth.
"Bastard! A weakling who hasn't even tasted a single human dares to reject my generosity! How infuriating!"
Shinichi quickened his pace, eager to leave this place. Though he wanted to kill this repulsive Demon, his current state of hunger and weakness made him no match for Karasuma, who had likely devoured dozens of humans.
But as the saying goes, it's easy to come but hard to turn back.
Thud!!
Shinichi body stiffened as he looked down to see a black tendril piercing through his chest.
In the next moment, he lost control of his body, being yanked backward by an immense force.
The pull was so strong that Shinichi could hear the wind whistling past his ears. Without hesitation, he raised his black claws and slashed at the tendril that had impaled him.
Clang!
To Shinichi astonishment, his claws, which could easily tear through rock, only managed to produce a shower of sparks against the black tendril.
Bang!
Before Shinichi could even figure out what was happening, he was hurled into the wooden cabin. The tremendous impact sent him crashing through one of the walls, and he tumbled awkwardly onto the open ground.
Squelch.
The once rigid black tendril that had been as hard as iron now hung limply from Karasuma mouth, dripping with saliva, utterly disgusting.
"Hiss, you ungrateful wretch. Since you refuse to accept my kindness, then you'll have to face my wrath!" Karasuma said cruelly.
Shinichi staggered to his feet, shaking his dizzy head.
A numbing sensation spread from his chest—the tongue was poisonous!
The flesh around the wound on his chest wriggled as it slowly healed. This was the powerful regenerative ability of a Demon.
Bang!
Not long after Shinichi stood up, the black tongue from Karasuma mouth shot toward him again, almost as fast as lightning.
Swish!
Shinichi instinctively dodged, and the black tongue narrowly missed his neck.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Shinichi body darted and weaved across the open ground, evading Karasuma attacks.
This wasn't due to his own strength but rather his innate talent.
Demons were divided by their talents, and those with low talent, no matter how many humans they devoured, would never earn the favor of *that* person.
Only the most talented Demons could serve *that* person—the Twelve Demon Moons!
Karasuma face had turned completely dark.
It couldn't believe that a Demon who hadn't even eaten a single human could hold out against it for so long.
How could he be so fast? How could he dodge every single attack?
Karasuma was utterly shocked, and an endless rage and jealousy surged within it.
Talent! This newborn Demon talent was undoubtedly strong—far stronger than its own!
For over a decade, it had carefully hidden its tracks, fearing discovery by the Demon Slayer Corps.
It had painstakingly devoured twenty-three humans, and now, it was being toyed with by a newborn Demon.
This was an absolute disgrace!
At this thought, Karasuma grew even more furious.
The speed of its long tongue increased, chasing after Shinichi like streaks of black lightning, carving deep trenches into the ground.