From the age of eleven, Kawanishi had been helping his father, Tanjuro, chop firewood. He had also started carrying a small bamboo basket, following Tanjuro to sell charcoal.
After Tanjuro passed away early, Kawanishi took on all the heavy labor alone to keep his younger siblings from having to suffer, especially during their growing years.
He often ventured into the forest alone to find fresh, edible wild berries for the family.
During those trips, Kawanishi had encountered plenty of wild animals—boars, lynxes, even packs of wolves...
But thanks to his agility, honed through hard work, and his naturally sharp combat instincts, he had never feared any of them.
Only that monstrous being called a demon had ever left him completely powerless, beaten to the ground.
"Let's see just how strong this demon body really is."
He clenched his fists, joints cracking audibly.
Even though he was starving and drained of energy, Kawanishi could clearly feel the immense power coursing through his new body.
The strength of a demon, combined with his combat instincts from when he was still human—
Kawanishi believed he could handle an ordinary demon.
But what he didn't know was that the one he was about to face was anything but ordinary.
...............
Following the scent, Kawanishi tracked it through the forest. After about ten minutes, he stopped in front of a mountainside cave.
The cave entrance was well hidden, obscured by person-height shrubs and overgrown grass. In normal conditions, Kawanishi might never have spotted it.
But the rich, sweet scent of fresh blood wafting out of the cave was like a blazing candle in the dark, making Kawanishi's eyes turn blood-red as he struggled to resist the urge to charge in.
Fortunately, the trauma of his first night as a demon had built up some mental resistance, allowing him to barely suppress the impulse.
"Judging by the claw marks around the cave… this used to be a bear den."
"This demon must've stolen a bear's winter shelter. Disgusting."
Back in his human days, Kawanishi had always dreaded encountering bears in the forest.
They had incredible noses, could track scents for kilometers, burst into explosive speed, and even climb trees…
No one wanted to face a predator like that.
Kawanishi had clashed with bears a few times before, and had always held deep respect for their power—choosing to avoid them at all costs.
But now, even the forest's apex predator had become just another victim before the terrifying existence of demons.
Moonlight lit the snowy landscape, but it couldn't reach into the cave's mouth.
The entrance loomed like the gaping maw of a beast, hungry for flesh.
But demon eyes could see in the dark—similar to those of felines.
Even a sliver of light was enough to make everything visible.
In Kawanishi's eyes, the pitch-black cave was completely clear, with no secrets hidden in the shadows.
"If demons didn't have twisted minds, weren't driven to devour humans, and weren't vulnerable to sunlight… they'd practically be perfect beings."
Kawanishi slowed his breathing and stepped into the cave without hesitation.
Though the entrance looked narrow, once inside, the tunnel opened up, growing more spacious as it extended deeper.
No wonder a demon would fight a bear for this spot. It was roomy, hidden, and a perfect shelter from daylight—ideal for a demon's lair.
Kawanishi couldn't help but consider taking it over for himself…
The cave went fairly deep. After walking more than ten meters in, the scent of blood hit its peak. Kawanishi stopped.
He clearly saw a grotesque figure crouched with its back to him, tearing into a mangled corpse.
The blood still steamed with warmth—it hadn't been dead long.
The body lay sprawled on the ground, while the demon greedily gnawed at its midsection.
From his angle, Kawanishi could see the corpse's face.
It was a young boy, maybe twelve or thirteen, his small features frozen in an expression of agonizing despair.
Whatever he'd gone through before dying, it must've been horrifying.
"Uninvited guest... don't you know better than to trespass on someone else's hunting ground?"
The heavy breathing behind him made the demon, Black Fang, pause his meal.
He raised the still-warm heart in his hand and spoke to Kawanishi in a gruff, menacing tone.
Like wild animals, demons had a strong sense of territoriality. Another demon invading his den made Black Fang deeply displeased.
Kawanishi's breathing grew heavier, his eyes locked onto the fresh, tender corpse.
The close-range scent overwhelmed his senses, and his long-starved body screamed for relief.
He needed time—just a moment—to steady himself, to resist the temptation before his instincts could take over again.
Black Fang turned around, giving Kawanishi a good look. Then he said in surprise, "You're… resisting?"
Black Fang had a lean but agile build. His upper body was bare, revealing muscular arms crisscrossed with bulging blue veins.
His face bore three savage claw marks on each cheek. His waist was loosely covered with animal hide.
He radiated primal, feral strength.
The heart in his hand was still twitching faintly, and the sight of it made Kawanishi's breathing even more ragged.
Black Fang, intrigued, observed him with growing interest.
"This look on your face…"
"So you're a newborn demon with your human memories still intact."
"Seems that great lord passed through nearby recently. How I wish I could meet him again… but I'm too weak to stand at his side…"
He waved the heart in his hand forward. "Hey kid, you want this real bad, don't you? Come. Walk over and take it. If you do, it's yours."
Ordinarily, demons were fiercely possessive over food. But Black Fang's curiosity got the better of him.
A newborn demon—such a rare sight.
Craving flesh yet shackled by lingering human morality, hesitating to feast… it was hilarious.
The mental struggle of a newborn demon—now that was entertainment.
But Black Fang had made one mistake: Kawanishi wasn't caught in a moral dilemma—he was locked in a war between instinct and reason.
There was a huge difference between the two.
"How long can you hold out, little demon?"
Newborn demons with human memories usually resisted for a bit. But soon enough, the warped hunger in their hearts would win, and they'd give in to the feast.
Black Fang believed this completely. After all, he had gone through the same.
He'd hesitated for less than thirty seconds before surrendering to his nature and joyfully devouring human flesh.
Once a demon fully released its evil and plunged into depravity, it would discover how intoxicating it was to cause pain and destruction.
That was what Black Fang hoped to see now—how long this one would last.
To his amusement, it took less than thirty seconds for Kawanishi's feet to move.
Eyes fixed on the heart in Black Fang's hand, he slowly stepped forward, eyes red, one step at a time.
Black Fang burst out laughing. "That's more like it! As a demon, eating humans is your birthright! What's there to hesitate about?"
"Come, take this heart with your own hands—open your soul to it, and devour it!"
Though it was a pity to give away such a delicious piece of meat—
Black Fang was far more eager to witness the moment a demon cast aside its last shred of humanity.
It was just like watching himself back then…
(End of Chapter)