66. The Strongest Demon Till Now (2)

The town.

"In cloudy nights?" 

"Y-Yes. I'm sure the demon only comes during cloudy nights." 

Hunting a demon is not as easy as it sounds. The hunt is not just about killing the demon. If all Kotaro did was swing his weapon and kill demons, then he wasn't hunting but merely slaying them. 

But what is he doing now? He is collecting information, listening to the victims' families trying to find out anything, no matter how minuscule, about the demon. 

Hunting a demon starts with the first step—finding out about the demon. No sane demon would be out in the open, ready to be slain. Demons hide, and more often than not, Demon Slayers have to find traces of the demon in order to eliminate them. 

Isn't it just like hunters who track and set traps to kill animals? 

"Sigh! At this point, wouldn't it make more sense to call ourselves Demon Hunters instead of Demon Slayers?" 

Kotaro sighed and complained, all because he was doing the work he never thought he would have to do. No wonder protagonists interact so much with side characters. 

Still, he could think of a reason why it was Demon Slayer and not Demon Hunter. It was simple. While Demon Hunter is indeed a good name, Demon Slayer sounds more refined. Demon Hunter sounds strong and barbaric; Demon Slayer sounds more refined and noble. 

The Demon Slayer Corps was founded for the noble purpose of eliminating demons and protecting humans, so shouldn't it have a noble name? That's probably what the founder of the Demon Slayer Corps thought. 

"But still, to think they talked to me… Aren't they suspiciou—Oh!" 

Kotaro was a bit puzzled about why the victims' families didn't find him suspicious. The high pay made him forget, but Kotaro knew very well that he was working for an illegal organization. No one knows the Demon Slayer Corps exists. 

But Kotaro was doubtful that the higher-ups in the government didn't know about the Demon Slayer Corps. Maybe they truly didn't know. 

Don't forget, "The Demon Slayer" takes place during the Taisho Period (1912–1926). The current year is 1917. What does that mean? 

World War I has ended! And even though the war has ended, Japan—no, the Japanese Empire—is still expanding, colonizing other countries. 

If the government knew, wouldn't they enlist Demon Slayers in the army? Demon Slayers are practically superhuman. If Kotaro were the Emperor, and he knew about the Demon Slayers, he would definitely enlist them! 

Or is it that they know about the Demon Slayer Corps, but the Ubuyashiki family's influence is so strong that they ignore it? 

Well, whatever it is, this reminded Kotaro to make sure not to live near Hiroshima and Nagasaki after everything is done. He, Kotaro Kenshin, can face anything but he can't face the nuclear bombs! 

As for the victims' families? Kotaro was puzzled but soon understood.

The victims' families were indeed suspicious, but their grief made it impossible for them to think beyond it. When one is in grief and despair, they try to grab every single rope they can. Kotaro Kenshin was such a rope to them. The world didn't believe in demons, but Kotaro did. So, the mother who claimed to have seen a demon would naturally talk about it to this non-government-certified Demon Slayer.

… 

"She said the demon only comes on cloudy nights… Hmm…" 

Kotaro didn't fully believe the mother's words. After all, she only said what she saw. But that doesn't mean it's necessarily true. 

Still, it was daytime now. Whatever he did, the demon wouldn't come out. 

"I'd better sleep for the night." 

Since there wasn't a Wisteria Crest checkpoint in this town, Kotaro had to use money to check into a local inn. He cleaned up and slept, exhausted from the long journey. 

… 

Nighttime. 

Knock! Knock! 

The knocking made the sleepy Kotaro grumble as he turned, trying to find a more comfortable position to sleep in. But the knocking didn't stop, making him groan in frustration. 

"Who is it?" 

"Oh! Kenshin-san, it's nighttime." 

Kenshin… Sometimes, Kotaro was jealous that his first name wasn't as good as his surname. Still, the lady's words made his sleepy eyes open. Reluctant as he was, in the end, he was still a Demon Slayer. He opened the door and thanked the old lady who came to wake him up. 

"Thank you for listening to my selfish request." 

When he rented a room, he requested the old lady in charge to wake him up when the sunset.

"It's fine. Helping with customers' requests is our job." 

After a bit more conversation, the old lady finally left. Kotaro stretched out his arms, loosening up before putting on his uniform. 

Now that he was ready, it was Demon Hunting Time. 

… 

The night progressed. Now, it was midnight. 

The people who were still lingering around earlier were no longer outside. Silence enveloped the entire town. The only one left outside was Kotaro, sitting on a roof, gazing at the moon. 

"Hmm… it's not cloudy tonight." 

If the mother's words were true, the demon wouldn't appear tonight. 

But… 

Whoosh! 

'Who is it!' 

Kotaro felt a sudden gust of wind. It indicated that someone moved very fast. In that instant, he stood up and spread his Hamon through the environment. 

[Hamon Detector] 

The Hamon spread from his body to the roof, then continued downward before reaching the ground, rippling outward everywhere. 

It was his good fortune that all of his training had increased the amount of Hamon he could generate. Otherwise, spreading Hamon over such a large area wouldn't be easy for anyone. 

"Is that—Huh?!" 

For a moment, he detected a demon, but as soon as he tried to check, the demon vanished! Kotaro became unsettled. A demon escaped his detection? 

No, it can't happen! How did the demon do it? 

"Calm down, Kotaro. Think. How could a demon escape the [Hamon Detector]? If it were you, how would you escape detection?" 

"!!!"

In that instant, Kotaro understood and didn't wait. He ran toward the spot where he had detected the demon for that brief moment. He spread [Hamon Detector] again, and the demon that had vanished reappeared! 

It lasted for a second then the demon vanished again, only to reappear! 

"It seems I was right. To think [Hamon Detector] had such a shortcoming, and I didn't realize it. But it's good that I do now."

===

A/N:

Finally, the last exam ended today. At least I am sure to pass. Sigh, why am I even studying Education? By the way, how is the chapter?