In the darkness of night, a silver figure darted like a ghost between the wooden houses, swiftly coming to a stop atop one of the roofs.
Under the faint moonlight, the eerie figure could be seen clearly—bare-chested, its exposed muscles smooth and gleaming as if coated in silver powder.
Its fingers ended in long, sharp crimson claws, but the most grotesque feature was its deformed face.
A mouth stretched wide to the ears revealed sharp fangs and a scarlet tongue, while the eye sockets, where eyeballs should have been, were instead crammed with two small silver mirrors.
Without a doubt, this was a demon—the one the villagers of Teranishi called the Silver Mirror Demon 'Ginkan'.
Crouched on the rooftop, the Silver Mirror Demon twitched its pale nose, its gaping mouth already drooling.
"Fragrant! So fragrant! Such tender flesh and blood—worth five silver mirrors!" No sooner had it spoken than it raised its claws and slashed downward, effortlessly tearing through the roof.
Whoosh!
The demon burst into the house, its sudden intrusion eliciting a scream from the occupants—a little girl terrified shriek.
Under the dim moonlight, the Silver Mirror Demon appearance was especially monstrous.
Before it stood the very same girl who had tried to warn Shinichi during the day, only to be stopped by her grandfather. Now, clad in a traditional skirt, she trembled in fear, shrinking behind her grandfather, who was equally terrified but still managed to stammer.
"G-Ginkan-sama... t-today, a stranger came to the village! I saw him! He went to Komiyai house! Couldn't... couldn't you feast on him first?"
Schlick!
The demon licked its lips, the silver mirrors in its eye sockets reflecting the terrified faces of the girl and her grandfather.
"Normally, yes. But not tonight. This little one flesh is too enticing. I'll have her tonight—she's worth five silver mirrors."
With that, it opened its maw wide and one by one, it spat out five exquisitely crafted silver mirrors. Though slick with saliva, their quality made the grandfather eyes widen—each was as fine as the one previously sold for three thousand yen!
While the old man stood frozen, the demon could wait no longer. The mirror in its right eye suddenly gleamed and an immense force yanked the trembling girl forward.
"Grandpa! Grandpa! Help me!" she wailed, desperately reaching for him.
"Yuko!!" the grandfather cried out—yet his feet remained rooted in place. Though his voice was thick with grief, the five silver mirrors on the floor were too tempting.
Whoosh!
The girl vanished in an instant, leaving her grandfather to collapse to his knees in vain.
"Gahahaha!" The Silver Mirror Demon seemed to relish this ugly test of human nature.
Licking its lips once more, it thought to itself—it only craved tender young children. That old man was too withered to be of interest.
But wait... hadn't the old man mentioned an outsider?
A change of taste might be nice.
Ginkan crouched down, gathering strength before leaping onto the rooftop in a single bound, locking onto a direction—the home of Komiyai Kaisuke.
"So that's where it is? Heh heh..." The demon Ginkan let out a sinister chuckle.
Perfect timing—he could feast on the two Demon Slayer brats he'd captured a couple of days ago, then have the girl for dessert.
Just as Ginkan was fantasizing about the delectable taste of human flesh, an intense sense of danger suddenly struck.
Whoosh!
In less than a second, his body instinctively launched itself off the roof.
Clang!
A flash of emerald-green blade light sliced through the air, instantly shattering half of the wooden rooftop where Ginkan had just stood.
The sudden attack not only startled the demon but also roused many nearby villagers, who scrambled out of their homes to investigate.
The shattered roof sent up a cloud of dust.
As it gradually settled, Ginkan hunched his back, baring his fangs as he roared at the figure emerging from the haze.
"Who the hell are you?!"
With a single hand gripping his emerald-green Nichirin Blade, Shinichi stepped forward, his expression cold.
After just one glance at Ginkan, his brow furrowed slightly.
"What an ugly bastard."
Ginkan sensed the aura of Shinichi Nichirin Blade and let out a grotesque laugh. "I was wondering who it could be—another Demon Slayer brat. You fools just keep throwing yourselves at me. I should thank you—your meat is so tender and delicious! Wait... that scent on you? Ugh, such a strong wisteria stench. Disgusting!"
Shinichi raised his Nichirin Blade, gripping the hilt with both hands as he coolly addressed the demon before him.
"Spare me the rambling, you hideous freak. How the hell did a blind idiot with ugly mirrors for eyes like you even mistake me for one of those straight-laced Demon Slayers?"
Crack!
Like a bolt of lightning, Ginkan didn't quite catch everything Shinichi said—but the insult about his mirrors being ugly rang loud and clear.
"You damned human brat! You've pissed me off!" With his maw gaping wide, Ginkan lunged straight for Shinichi.
A hint of seriousness flickered in Shinichi eyes.
"Bring it on!"
His Nichirin Blade pointed directly at his opponent. No fancy techniques—just a straightforward, vertical slash.
Clang! Clang!
Crimson claws clashed against the emerald blade, sending sparks flying in all directions.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The demon claws and the slayer's blade collided repeatedly.
Shinichi stood firm, his feet planted steadily as his Nichirin Blade danced around him, waves of emerald-green blade light enveloping his body.
After just the initial exchange, Shinichi was completely at ease.
Whether it was strength, speed, or even combat skill, this demon was nothing special and that was without even factoring in the overwhelming advantage of his Forest Breathing, enhanced by his keen perception—every ounce of life force the demon gathered before attacking was clearly reflected in the emerald glow of Shinichi left eye.
Unlike the composed Shinichi, it was Ginkan who was now drenched in sweat.
This human brat was nothing like those two weak Demon Slayer swordsmen from before!
His swordsmanship and strength were monstrous!
Could it be... had he run into one of the Demon Slayer Corps' Hashira today?
With a subtle step back, Shinichi dodged Ginkan tearing strike.
His Nichirin Blade spun once in his grip before he crouched slightly, angling the blade to gather power.
A wisp of steam escaped his lips as the emerald light in his left eye flared brighter.
"Forest Breathing, Fifth Form: Soaring Bamboo Slash!"
The emerald Nichirin Blade instantly swung upward, unleashing a dazzling emerald slash!
Splat!
The smooth body of the demon was instantly cleaved open, its form sent flying backward.
As Ginkan flew through the air, shattered organs and bloody chunks of flesh scattered in all directions.
Watching Ginkan that had been nearly bisected by his single strike, Shinichi disdainfully flicked the demon blood from his blade.
"Pathetic!"