Demon Slayer : Breath of The Forest

Osaka City, Hirano Prefecture.

"The Cult of Eternal Paradise? Young lady, why are you asking about this cult?" An elderly man eyed the beautiful girl before him with suspicion.

Across from the old man stood a lovely girl wearing a butterfly-patterned haori, smiling gently.

"I'm just curious, sir. I heard this Cult of Eternal Paradise is quite famous."

The old man glanced around to ensure no one was nearby before leaning in and whispering.

"Girl, don't be curious. Let me tell you—this so-called Cult of Eternal Paradise is no good place. All day long, they preach nothing but negativity.

'Don't do things that make you unhappy'—what kind of nonsense is that? Farming isn't exactly fun, but does that mean we shouldn't farm? What would we eat then?

Besides, that cult is downright strange. Many young, pretty girls like you have gone in and never come back. So listen to an old man's advice—don't even think about joining that Cult of Eternal Paradise."

With that, the old man shook his head and walked away.

Kanae tilted her head, watching his retreating figure, a thoughtful expression crossing her delicate features.

"Is that so...?"

Still, Kanae went on to question many passersby about the Eternal Paradise Faith.

After some time, she gathered plenty of information.

To summarize:

The Cult of Eternal Paradise had existed for a very long time—around two hundred years—and was said to have been founded by a married couple who bore a child rumored to communicate with the gods.

This child was born with iridescent eyes and a divine temperament.

Of course, it sounded like a myth. But the cult's doctrine was indeed bizarre—encouraging people to live joyfully with a tranquil heart, insisting that difficult or painful tasks need not be done, as there was no absolute necessity for them.

What kind of doctrine was that? Wasn't it just glorified laziness?

Yet, with such teachings, the Cult of Eternal Paradise had managed to recruit countless followers over the years, even to this day.

Moreover, the cult was particularly keen on recruiting female devotees—especially young, beautiful ones.

Once these women joined, they rarely returned home and even if they did, they seldom spoke about the cult's inner workings.

As a result, the entire organization remained shrouded in mystery.

Many missing young women had vanished after joining the cult, a pattern that had persisted for two centuries.

The Cult of Eternal Paradise also seemed to deliberately control its numbers, maintaining a congregation of only two to three hundred members.

This was why it had never drawn the attention of the Demon Slayer Corps.

This time, however, the daughter of a merchant family with ties to the Demon Slayer Corps had gone missing and the trail led back to the cult.

Combined with other suspicious signs, it was suspected that the cult might be connected to Demons.

Otherwise, under normal circumstances, no one would pay much attention to a small, passive cult.

With enough information gathered, Kanae decided it was time to act.

One of the cult's branches was located just outside Hirano Prefecture, occupying an entire small street.

Kanae resolved to start her investigation there.

Once the plan was settled, Kanae set off immediately.

To save time, she didn't call for reinforcements or gather nearby lower-ranked Demonslayers.

In Kanae heart, as the Flower Hashira, she shouldn't show any weakness.

A Hashira must set an example for the other members.

With the direction decided, the next steps were simple.

***

Meanwhile, inside the Eternal Paradise Faith.

A young female follower dressed in plain white robes trailed behind an older female follower.

Along the way, the elder follower kept chattering nonstop about the various rules when meeting the cult leader—don't look around randomly, don't move carelessly and so on.

But the excited young follower didn't take any of it in.

Her mind was filled with the thrill of finally seeing the cult leader.

For young followers like her who had recently joined, meeting the legendary leader, hailed as the Child of God, was the greatest honor.

Soon, under the elder follower's guidance, the young girl arrived before a room.

She knocked respectfully and asked.

"Leader-sama, Komaru, who wishes to pay her respects, has arrived. Please grant me an audience."

A cheerful voice came from inside.

"Ara, already here? Then come in~"

As the door opened, an unusually dim room appeared before the young follower, Komaru.

Without a second thought, she stepped inside eagerly.

The moment Komaru entered, the door behind her slammed shut with a bang!

She immediately knelt on a cushion before a curtain.

"Leader-sama!"

Through the curtain, Komaru could vaguely make out a seated figure, but the lighting was too dim for her to see their face clearly.

"Come now, rise~ Komaru-chan. I heard you were very eager to meet me. Do you have some troubles? You can tell me all about them~" The leader's voice from behind the curtain sounded lighthearted, almost optimistic, filling Komaru with a sense of encouragement.

Without hesitation, Komaru poured out her grievances and sorrows.

It turned out she was born into a minor noble family and her parents had arranged a marriage for her with a family of equal status.

But Komaru already had someone she loved—just an ordinary farm boy.

Her parents would never approve of her choice, so she was in agony.

Through a friend, she learned of the Eternal Paradise Cult and torn by her dilemma, joined in search of solace.

After Komaru finished speaking, the leader behind the curtain continued in the same cheerful tone.

"Is that so~ How unfortunate. A lovely girl like Komaru-chan can't be with the one she loves—that must be so painful, so distressing, right?"

Tears welled up in Komaru eyes as she nodded.

"Yes, Leader-sama. I'm in so much pain. Please, tell me what I should do."

As she spoke, Komaru noticed the figure behind the curtain slowly rising and walking toward her.

"How pitiful~ Since Komaru-chan is so desperate for release, let me help you~"

"Leader-sama!" Komaru gazed excitedly as the curtain was suddenly drawn aside.

Soon, she saw the legendary rainbow-colored eyes of the Child of God—they were truly dazzling and beautiful!

But... why were there characters written in those rainbow eyes?

The left eye bore the inscription "Upper Moon" while the right eye had "Two."

And why did the air carry a faint scent of blood?

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