Demon Slayer : Breath of The Forest

"AHH!!"

A brief, piercing scream erupted from within the Eternal Paradise Faith compound, only to vanish in an instant.

The old devotee standing at the entrance, hands folded over her abdomen, remained expressionless, standing serenely by the door.

She was fully aware of everything happening inside the room, yet she showed no reaction.

Her only duty was to clean the disheveled space after the cult leader had finished his... indulgence.

Bang!

The sudden sound of something being shattered made the old devotee look up in surprise, though she quickly dismissed it.

The leader must have gone out for another indulgence.

After all, dining under the bright moonlight was far more pleasant than in a dimly lit room.

With this thought, the old devotee pushed open the door and stepped inside.

As expected, the thick metallic scent of blood assaulted her the moment she entered.

Ignoring the large pool of blood on the floor, she merely frowned at the shattered window before fetching cleaning tools to tidy the chaotic room.

On the wall behind her, rows of bleached human skulls stood neatly arranged on a massive shelf.

***

The Eternal Paradise Faith grounds were eerily silent at night, devoid of any movement—this was one of their doctrines: no wandering after dark.

But tonight was different.

A nimble figure flitted between rooftops like a dancing butterfly.

Swish!

Her toes landed lightly on the tiles, barely making a sound.

Kanae Kocho rested a hand on her Nichirin Blade, her calm eyes scanning the surroundings.

"Such unsettling silence. Could a place like this truly bring happiness?" Kanae mused to herself.

She didn't understand the devotees' mindset, nor did she care.

Her mission was simple: investigate whether a Demon lurked behind the Paradise Faith or not.

If so, she would find it—and eliminate it.

Her mastery of Flower Breathing granted Kanae extraordinary agility, allowing her to swiftly and efficiently comb through the entire compound in search of the Demon's traces.

Soon, she caught it—a faint but unmistakable scent of blood.

"Human blood."

As the mistress of the Butterfly Mansion, Kanae was acutely sensitive to such odors.

Without hesitation, she followed the scent.

Under the moonlight, atop a towering three-story building, a figure swayed precariously on the roof's edge.

The moonlight revealed his features: a bizarre, multi-horned hat, a crimson coat, striped baggy trousers and ivory-hued hair peeking out from beneath the hat.

The figure seemed delighted, humming cheerfully between bites—like a child savoring a favorite treat.

But Kanae expression turned icy.

Beside him lay the corpse of a young girl, her face frozen in terror.

The human girl's leg was currently being held by that figure and the cheerful chewing sound was none other than the Demon feasting.

Swish!

The cherry-red Nichirin Blade was unsheathed in an instant.

The sound of Kanae drawing her sword immediately caught the Demon's attention.

"Ara~ Discovered, have we?" The Demon turned its head, speaking in a lighthearted tone, his multicolored pupils locking onto Kanae with her drawn blade.

Kanae now saw the face of this man-eating Demon clearly—a visage that could be described as strikingly handsome, lips curled in what seemed like a perpetual, insincere smile.

Fresh blood trickled down the corners of its mouth.

In his clawed, purple hand, he clutched half of a mangled human calf.

But what was most chilling were those multicolored eyes.

On the sclera, the left eye bore the characters "Upper Rank" and the right eye "Two." The oppressive aura he exuded inadvertently made Kanae feel an overwhelming terror, as if a mountain loomed over her.

"Upper Rank Two..."

Sweat unconsciously seeped from her grip on the sword.

The Upper Rank Two now took in Kanae's appearance, his face actually showing a hint of "delight."

Casually tossing aside the half-eaten human leg, he spoke cheerfully.

"My, my, how exciting! To think I'd be discovered by such a lovely, adorable little girl? That outfit is unfamiliar—you're not a follower, are you? Hmm~ And you're carrying a sword~"

Suddenly, Upper Rank Two raised a finger, "excitedly" declaring.

"Ah, I remember now! Little girl, you're from the Demon Slayer Corps, aren't you? How delightful! It's been decades since I last saw a member of the Corps, let alone a rare female swordsman. Let me introduce myself~ I am the leader of the Eternal Paradise Cult. They usually call me Lord Douma, but for a cute and pretty girl like you, you may call me by my name directly~"

Upper Rank Two—Douma!

Kanae eyes widened as she stared at the figure radiating overwhelming malice before her.

She knew she might be facing a grueling battle ahead.

'Shinobu... I'm sorry. Big sister might... not make it back...'

Douma, studied Kanae Kocho with interest.

Though his face wore a cheerful smile, his heart remained utterly unmoved.

Facing Kanae, Douma could clearly sense her extraordinary breathing and immense power.

At this level, she couldn't possibly be just an ordinary Demon Slayer.

No—this girl before him was a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps!

But even if she were a Hashira, so what?

Though Upper Rank and Lower Rank differed by just a single word, the gap between them was higher than Mount Everest.

"Hey now, little girl, I've said so much, yet you haven't uttered a single word. Isn't that a bit rude?" Douma tilted his head, blood still dripping from his lips.

He casually raised a clawed finger, wiping away the human blood with a delicate motion before slipping the finger into his mouth.

The grotesque sight made Kanae frown.

Though she had always wished to befriend Demons, there was no way it could ever be this man-eating monster before her.

"A Demon that devours humans needs no further words. Whether you're an Upper Rank or not, as the Flower Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, I will cut you down!"

Douma was taken aback for a moment, then turned to look at the human girl's corpse before raising his hand with a smile and saying.

"Ah~ Don't misunderstand me. As the leader of the Eternal Paradise Cult, of course I must fulfill my followers' wishes~ This girl was suffering greatly. Since that's the case, by being eaten and merging with me, she'll never feel troubled again, isn't that right?"

"Nonsense! Flower Breathing, Fourth Form: Crimson Hanagoromo!"

"My~ What an impulsive girl~"

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