Chapter 43: The Second Upper Moon, Doma

Chapter 43: The Second Upper Moon, Doma

About forty-five minutes had passed since Kintaro left Lady Tama's house. His bird flew calmly above the snowy forest, saying aloud, "Does this forest have no end? No matter how hard I try, I still can't reach its edge."

Immediately after speaking, his eyes twitched as he heard a crackling sound, almost like electricity spreading through the air. His thoughts raced with concern: *I hope what I just heard was a mistake...*

The forest remained still for a few moments, the bird hovering in place as the snowfall grew heavier, the sky darkening with each passing minute. Then, in the midst of the silence...

**Zap!!**

Kintaro shot past the bird like a bolt of lightning, his entire body now engulfed in violet sparks. Behind him, a path of uncovered grass trailed in his wake, a stark contrast to the snow-covered terrain. On both sides of him, the snow swirled violently, tossed into the air by his incredible speed.

The gust of wind generated by his velocity reached the bird moments after Kintaro had disappeared from sight, causing it to land on the nearest branch, muttering to itself, "That's it, I'm done. I can't keep up with that man anymore!"

Kintaro's hair flowed wildly behind him, glowing with a brilliant purple light. His face, now showing cracks along his skin, emitted a faint but intense glow, as though molten lava was coursing underneath, only it shone with a violet hue. The cracks pulsed, dimming and brightening in a mesmerizing pattern. Yet, Kintaro was unaware of any of this. His only focus was reaching the Butterfly Mansion, and the scene before him was nothing but a blur of whirling snow.

At the same time, in the Butterfly Mansion, Aoi was preparing dinner as usual, with the three young girls helping her clean up. Meanwhile, Zenitsu and Inosuke were in the middle of their evening training session, sparring with the Butterfly Hashira in the mansion's dojo.

"Damn it! I can't even land a hit on her..." Inosuke growled, panting heavily. Zenitsu lay sprawled on the floor, exhausted, while Kanao watched the scene silently from the sidelines.

Shinobu glanced at Inosuke and spoke in her usual calm tone, "Do you plan to continue? That's good, perseverance is the key."

Inosuke clenched his teeth, gripping his wooden sword tightly, thinking to himself, 'Damn it! If Kunpachiru were here, things might be different. What is that idiot even doing outside?'

Just outside the Butterfly Mansion, in the garden, Tanjiro was strolling with his sword at his waist, breathing in the crisp air and the scent of flowers, deep in thought: 'How odd... Why do I smell the faint scent of a demon all over this mansion? It's so subtle, I can't pinpoint it anywhere...'

He continued wandering around the mansion, the sound of his footsteps crunching in the snow the only noise outside, aside from the distant clashing of wooden swords from the dojo. The training session was nearing its end, as Aoi had just finished preparing the dinner. After tasting the soup and smiling to herself, she said, "It's perfect."

She took off her cooking apron, stepping out of the kitchen, ready to call everyone for dinner.

But...

As soon as Aoi stepped out, she froze in her tracks. Standing against the wall, seemingly waiting for her, was a man with pale blond hair and eyes that shifted in color. A chill ran down her spine, and her body refused to move. Her bright blue eyes widened in terror as she recognized him.

In contrast to her fear, Doma was calm, smiling as he spoke in a cold tone, "That dinner smells delicious, but I'm afraid I'm not here for the food you made."

Aoi's heart pounded in her chest, and she instinctively began stepping backward, retreating toward the kitchen. The silence was suffocating.

In that very moment, the training in the dojo halted abruptly. A serious expression appeared on everyone's faces. Even Zenitsu, who had been lying flat on the floor, quickly stood up, his face pale as he muttered, "That sound..."

Everyone in the training hall turned to look at Zenitsu—Kanao, Shinobu, Inosuke, and the three young girls who had been preparing to clean up after the session. All of them stared as Zenitsu, with fear in his eyes, declared, "There's a demon in this mansion right now!"

Back in the kitchen, Aoi had reached the edge of the room, right by the curtained window. Doma, still advancing toward her, continued to speak casually, "Why don't you just stop right there? I promise to make it quick."

In a split second, Doma leapt toward Aoi, his razor-sharp claws aimed directly at her throat.

Just as his claws were about to make contact, the wooden wall of the mansion exploded in a fiery blaze. Tanjiro, with his sword blazing in flames, charged into the room, shouting, [ Fire Dance! ]"

**Slash!**

Tanjiro's fiery blade sliced through Doma's arm, severing it completely. Drops of blood scattered through the air, but before Doma's hand could even hit the ground, another arm rapidly regenerated in its place. Without hesitation, Doma grabbed Tanjiro by the throat with his newly formed hand and slammed him into the floor, the wooden boards cracking beneath the impact.

**Crash!**

Tanjiro's eyes widened in shock as the pain coursed through his body, saliva flying from his mouth as Doma, still smiling, leaned in and said coldly, "I'm not particularly fond of eating boys. So stay out of this."

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