Chapter 10. Rumors

At afternoon,

Harada was currently on a cart.

"Hey,young boy,why do you want to go to a village that far away?" said the middle aged man who owned this cart.

"I have some family related work there,once I am done,I'll return home" Harada said while keeping a smile on his face.

"Ah,you're so young yet so mature and hardworking,if only my son was like you"said the middle aged man.

"oh I'm not as good as you think I am" said Harada in a polite tone.

"Oh I see hahaha,you are still young.And young people usually do make mistakes haha" the middle aged man laughed as he said that.

Harada decided to take a cart,because it was faster and it saved him a lot of effort.

If no problems occured,then he'd arrive at the village,which was infested by a demon,by evening.

Though,really,this man talks too much!

......

As expected nothing unusual happend and he arrived at his destination by evening.

The old man had to go to another village a few kilometers ahead so we parted ways at the entrace of the village.

"Seems like my calculations were correct,I arrived at the village before dusk,I can rest and prepare to fight,no....kill the demon" As Harada thought about him killing a demon,he didn't get scared,he felt excited,and a hint of seriousness flashed in his eyes,for a fight to death.

He wanted to see what kind of blood demon arts will the demon use.

But he also knew that this isn't a game.He could also die.

And so he prepared amply,he rested well.

Regulated his breadthing and after entering the village he started hearing rumors.

Rumors about a demon who awakens at night and kills all the dogs and cats as well as infants.

As Harada heard this rumor,he asked a bald man near him about the rumor.

"Eh,it's not a rumor,it's true there is a demon infesting this village,my neighbour's child got eaten by the demon a few days ago" the bald man said.

"oh is that so? Can you take me to your neighbour's house" Harada said.

"Okay,but don't be insensitive" said the bald man.

After that Harada followed the bald man to the alleyways,and went to that neighbour's house.

"But well,I never saw you in this village before,are you some relative of thier's?" He bald man inquired.

"No,that's not really the case,I am a traveller who likes to explore these kinds of rumors,that's all" Harada said.

"Oh,that's true,how stupid of me,if you were to be their relative,then wouldn't you stay with your family,in this village hahaha." the bald man siad while laughing.

While talking about these things,we arrived at the front door of the house.

"Don't talk too much or ask them about anything their infant while that man's wife is around.Her child's death had a huge impact on her health and mind" the bald man,once again reminded me.

"Okay,ojii-san" I said in a low voice yet in a serious tone.

knock knock

The bald man knocked two times in a row,then a middle aged man appeared.The middle aged had a face full of concern.

"What is it,Tsuguro-san,why are you here,and who is this man behind you?" The middle aged man let out a barrage of questions.

"oh,so this kind bald man's name is Tsuguro,what a good name!" Harada thought.

"Ah one question at a time,Kaminari-san,this young man has some bussiness with you."Saying that their gazes seemed to have become fixed on me.

"My name is Harada,I am here to discuss the matter of your infant" I said in a low tone.

"Ah,I see,but not here,my wife is already in a very bad state,let's go somewhere else first,but wait a moment" saying that he rushed into a room in his house.

"Then I shall take my leave" Tsuguro-san said.

"This man really,really loves his wife" He said in a calm manner.

"Indeed,taking care of his wife so much,and not leaving her,even for a second,he is definetly a great husband,alas the heavens didn't want this man to stay a father for too long" Before I could say anything, Tsuguro-san replied to himself,I could only listen to him as he turned away and left.

"Yes,now I'm ready" saying this,Kaminari-san appeared infront of me.

We went to the nearest tree,which was 20-30 steps away from his house.

"So what do you have to do with my dead child's story,anybody in the village would tell you what had happend" Kaminari-san asked.

"Becuase,I don't want rumors,I only want to know what actually happend,nothing more,nothing less." Harada said in a determined tone.

"Ah,I can never forget what had happend"

Kaminari-san said and continued, "A few days ago,when me and my wife were eating dinner,and our child was in the bedroom,suddenly we heard a voice from that room,so we went to see is there was any thief,but who we found there wasn't a thief,it was only darkness,deep darkness was all we saw yet there was a nauseating stentch lf blood.

After sometime,when the darkness gradually faded,we saw that in our child's place,there was blood,only blood" as Kaminari-san said that,he trembled as if he would puke any second recalling that scene.

"Then we saw that the window of that room was compeletly broken" and that was it.

"I have told you everything,my wife beliefs that our child may still be alive as the child's body wasn't there"

"That's the reason why I don't want to leave my wife alone for a second,as her condition may get worse,people say that I am worrying too much,but I don't care" He said in a low tone.

"I am in no position to say this but you are definetly doing a great job as a husband" I said in an appriciating manner.

"Thank you very much,Harada-san"Kaminari san said in a polite tone as he went to his home.

I watched him go to his home.

"He is strong" I thought.

It was dusk by this time.

"Hm,this demon appears to have some level of intelligence,and that dark smoke should be it's blood demon arts.It didn't want to cause a ruckus,thus it didn't kill the child's parents.I mean,an entire family getting slaughtered overnight would certainly make a huge uproar.

Every time a Demon devours a human, the Demon becomes stronger, and they can eventually develop special, supernatural powers, known as Blood Demon Arts.

The power bestowed by the Blood Demon Arts is different from Demon to Demon, and in some cases, Demons are able to use more than one of them.

"This demon seems to have a lot of self control,and had also awakend it's blood demon arts eh" Harada anaylsed the entire situation.

Due to the sheer variety of different unique techniques, powers, and abilities a demon develops as they grow stronger, each Blood Demon Art possesses their own unique weaknesses and no two techniques or powers are the same.

However, a universal weakness to these powers is the fact that they are susceptible to both Sunlight and Nichirin blades due to the fact that each technique is fundamentally created from using a Demon's flesh and blood, and similarly, the matter created from these techniques would also likely disintegrate once exposed to sunlight and be dispelled or weakened if a Nichirin blade cuts it.

"In any case I think that I don't have enough time to prepare anything other than collecting information,which I have done,now only need to wait until night"

"Oh wait! I should probably ask people about a house in which there is a newborn,that's how I can eaisly encounter that demon!" Harada thought as he started asking people about a house in which lived a newborn.

After asking 5 or 6 people,he got to know that there was a carpenter whoose wife had given brith 3 months ago,he asked for the carpenter's address and went to his house as fast as he could!

Due to running all day,currently Harada was thirsty,he needed water to drink.

knock knock knock

"Who is it?" A black bearded man asked as he opened the door.

"Hello,I am Harada,I came here to investigate about the rumor lf that child eating demon." Harada came straight to the point,so what if he had to be starightforward like this.

It was till better than being slow and letting that demon attack before he had made ample arrangements.

"Ah,I see! I and my wife have been worried sick since the the last 3 months,but I can't let a stranger indside my house.I can give you food,water and information but that's just it" said the carpenter.

The carpenter wasn't being selfish,he was just being realistic.

Who would let a stranger whom they just met inside thier house?

Only idiots would.

"Thank you very much,please give me some water then" I said

"But as fast as you can!"

"Okay,okay young man" said the carpenter as he hurriedly rushed to bring Harada a glass of water.

Few minutes after Harada drank the water,it was night.

To be continued....