...
Feeling the touch on his shoulder.
"Eh?" The bald believer turned his head in confusion, his squinted eyes were stunned.
Beside him.
"Hello." Kocho Shinobu smiled, the hilt of the Nichirin Sword at her waist [unintentionally] showed up.
Seeing this.
The believer's gaze gradually stiffened in place.
...
...
Soon.
In the depths of the dark alley.
Bang!
The bald believer fell to the ground, he crawled back in a stumble, his shiny forehead was full of cold sweat:
"Really! I don't know anything else!"
His squinted eyes widened, he was shouting in fear:
"I'm just an ordinary believer, recently the Church of Eternal Paradise Faith is recruiting believers on a large scale! The nearby church point is right here!"
"I'm just doing things according to the news."
"Everything is the command of the church founder!"
Saying that, he swallowed a mouthful of saliva, the bald believer's pupils were trembling, looking at himself in front.
In front of him.
Three people's shadows enveloped him.
"Eh...really?"
Kocho Shinobu said softly, she looked down at him with her drooping eyes, the eyes covered by the shadow couldn't see the contained emotions:
"It's suspicious."
Her slender fingers twirled the hilt of the sword, but she didn't pull out the sword, it seemed to be just a threat.
The Church of Eternal Paradise Faith, both the name and the doctrine are not a problem, but——
The day before yesterday, the crow had passed on a message to her.
It was about Yoshiwara Flower Street, the information Tomioka Giyu got.
It seems that a church controlled by an Upper Rank, the name is the Church of Eternal Paradise Faith.
And now, more than half of the Upper Ranks are already dead, and they haven't met the guy described by her sister, so...
The "founder" of this church is very likely him.
Thinking of this.
Kocho Shinobu slowly opened her eyes, her expression was gloomy, and the frequency of her heartbeat gradually increased.
Beside her.
"...Shinobu-sama."
Kanzaki Aoi was looking at Kocho Shinobu with some worry.
Is Sister Shinobu... angry?
Just now, when she hadn't reacted to anything.
Kocho Shinobu had already taken this uncle and quickly walked into this alley.
——But is this really okay?
——Now, is it coercion...
She was stunned.
——No, it's interrogation!
Her gaze looked at the bald believer who was scared and stumbled to the ground.
——It looks like just an ordinary middle-aged man.
Thinking about it, Kanzaki Aoi turned her head to look at Kanao on the side, trying to get her opinion.
Kanao just smiled, without any movement.
At this moment.
"So, why do you want us to join this church?"
Kocho Shinobu smiled, she asked the bald believer who fell in front of her in a soft voice:
"I saw it very clearly, you came out of the crowd and came straight at us——"
She opened her smiling eyes, the purple pupils in the shadow without highlights stared at the bald believer:
"Lying is useless, you know."
Click.
The Nichirin Sword's hilt and sheath lightly collided, making a crisp sound.
The light reflected from the sword momentarily dazzled the cultist's face, turning it pale:
"Wait! I understand!"
The bald cultist heard the clash of metal, he sat up in terror, instinctively stretching out his palm to block:
"I'll talk! I'll tell everything!"
His breathing was somewhat rapid, his gaze dodging,
he took a deep breath twice:
"Looking for you, because the church leader likes young women, doing so, my rank will be promoted..."
"And..."
In Kocho Shinobu's gloomy smile, the bald cultist spoke in a low voice, shrinking:
"I feel... you guys are easy to fool."
After saying this sentence.
!
The bald believer suddenly shivered, he looked around in terror, unconsciously rubbing his shoulders.
—Why, it feels suddenly cold around.
"Feeling huh..." Kocho Shinobu lowered her head, the veins on the back of her hand faintly bulging.
Sensing the bloody smell on the cultist in front of her.
For such a simple reason...
She slowly raised her eyes, staring directly at the bald believer, her tone was unusually kind in the cold atmosphere:
"You really..."
"—What kind of feeling have you been living with?"
Plop.
Good... good viciousness!
Kanzaki Aoi looked at Kocho Shinobu next to her in surprise, she was scared and took a half step back, her face full of astonishment.
In her impression, the kind and smiling Shinobu-sama would not say such words!
But Kanao next to her still had no reaction, as if she had long been used to it.
Kocho Shinobu said so, while pondering in her heart, her gaze kept looking at the cultist:
"If you're just an ordinary believer, have you seen what the church leader looks like?"
"What's the purpose of recruiting believers?"
Hearing this, the bald cultist suddenly shivered, he turned his head away, his voice trembling:
"I haven't... haven't seen!"
"A believer like me, am not yet qualified to see the church leader... let alone the purpose..."
He speculated tentatively: "Probably, for money?"
The bald believer's eyes were squinted again, or rather, his eyes were always squinted.
As if afraid, he dared not look directly at Kocho Shinobu.
On his forehead, the sweat became more and more.
Suddenly.
Plop.
A hand suddenly reached out.
The bald believer was stunned, he looked in surprise at Kocho Shinobu who squatted down and pinched his wrist with her thumb.
Thump, thump.
After a while.
"I see." Kocho Shinobu felt the bald cultist's pulse, she slowly got up, released her hand, her mouth slightly raised:
"Uh-huh, I think I know enough."
"Thank you, Mr. Bald."
After saying that, she turned sideways, ready to leave.
The bald believer was taken aback, he looked at the three who were about to leave, a stone in his heart heavily fell.
They're leaving?
He let out a long sigh of relief, his back was already soaked with cold sweat, his fearful emotions gradually calmed down.
After all—he was not only an ordinary believer, but also the closest believer to the church leader.
What he should know, what he doesn't know, he knows a little bit.
Today he just came to a region far from the bishop's location to see what the church here has developed into.
Who would have thought that he would encounter these three terrifying guys!
May the church leader bless!
The bald believer's eyes were squinted, or rather, his eyes were always squinted.
If the other party forced out all the information he knew, then—
Thinking about it, the cold sweat on the bald cultist's face increased.
Just when he thought Kocho Shinobu and the others were leaving.
Plop.
"Oh, right."
Kocho Shinobu, who had turned around, suddenly stopped, slightly turned her face, smiled at the bald cultist, using the same tone.
She pretended not to know him, slightly raised her hand to greet:
"Ah~ Mr. Bald, hello."
"I wonder, are you interested in learning about my organization... oh, no, it's a church."
Kocho Shinobu smiled and tilted her head, her hands spread out, her fingertips lightly overlapping:
"The name of our church is——"
She opened her eyes that had no light, and her voice suddenly became low:
"The Demon Slayer Corps."
After saying that.
The smile at the corner of Kocho Shinobu's mouth suddenly disappeared, she coldly glanced at the believer.
"Take him with us, we're going back to the Butterfly Mansion."
The bald believer's face turned pale as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
His heart kept screaming.
——Master!!
...
On the road.
"Uh! Uh!!"
Kanao had no expression on her face, she was carrying the bald believer who was tied up and gagged, walking effortlessly.
The bald believer kept struggling, trying to make a louder noise to attract people around him to come and rescue him.
But——after struggling to twist off the cloth covering his eyes and hurriedly seeing the surrounding scenery, he suddenly fell into despair.
From his squinted eyes that gradually widened, the rugged mountains around him were reflected.
——Why would anyone take the mountain road?!
At this moment.
"That...that!"
Kanzaki Aoi looked at the advancing figure of Kocho Shinobu in front of her, she hesitated for a long time, and finally asked:
"Shinobu-sama, is this really okay for us?"
Her fingers tightly gripped the backpack strap, clenched anxiously, her eyebrows furrowed:
"Taking an ordinary person to the Butterfly Mansion, is this really what we should do..."
"Aoi." Kocho Shinobu suddenly spoke, interrupting Kanzaki Aoi's words, she didn't look back, her tone was extremely calm at this moment:
"That guy has a strong smell of blood on him."
She slightly sidelong her eyes, her gaze was gentle:
"He's not an ordinary person at all."
Plop.
Upon hearing this.
"...Eh."
Kanzaki Aoi, carrying a heavy backpack, was stunned in place, blinking her eyes.
...Not an ordinary person?
Thinking about the question Kocho Shinobu just asked her.
A demon?
Her pupils shrank slightly.
Looking at Kanao who kept walking, passing by her, and the gradually distant figure of Kocho Shinobu in front.
At this moment, she suddenly realized.
As a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, even as a member of the Butterfly Mansion.
There is still a lot she needs to learn.
Thinking of this.
Creak——
She tightened the backpack strap, took a deep breath, stopped talking, and quickly followed the pace of the two people in front.
It's still a long way from the Butterfly Mansion, it took them several days to get here when they came.
...
At the same time.
In a dim and spacious room.
Gorgeous ribbons hung down from the ceiling, covering the soft cushion in the middle of the room.
On the cushion.
"...So boring."
"It's just a patrol, he hasn't come back for several days."
Doma, wearing a crown, was propping his chin in boredom, casually playing with the golden fan in his left hand.
He was talking to himself:
"The number of believers has already exceeded a thousand, why is there still no news of the Blue Spider Lily?"
"All they do is complain about money, status, and are full of desires, humans..."
Pop!
Doma sat up straight, he suddenly closed the fan, the corner of his mouth smiled peacefully, his eyes were compassionate:
"They are truly pitiful creatures."
In front of him.
The dark red blood gradually spread, in the dimness, the mirror-like blood reflected Doma's smiling face.
...
...
Time gradually passed.
The dim sunlight passed through the clouds, leaving the last trace of light at the end of the mountain.
It was dark.
Somewhere in the town.
In front of the house, faint conversations could be heard.
"...Is Tomioka-sama's mission always like this?"
"I don't know, this is my first time taking on a Hashira's mission."
Three members of the Demon Slayer Corps in black uniforms were standing in front of a house, they looked at each other.
They had been on guard here for several days, originally waiting for the transparent word training to end, so they could leave when Tomioka Giyu returned.
But suddenly they received news that the Water Hashira was participating in the mission to subdue the Upper Rank, and they waited for several more days.
They originally thought that the Hashira's mission would give them a chance to hone themselves, become stronger, or kill demons.
But—these few days, they hadn't found any trace of demons at all.
At most, it was just between neighbors, occasionally someone would speak ill of "Mizuki Nanami" who was required to be protected by the mission, or throw rotten vegetables.
Did they really need to specifically protect this kind of mission?
They could clearly go and help more people.
Killing one demon could save the lives of a dozen or even dozens of people!
Such questions had already appeared in their hearts several times.
Click.
"Everyone from the same period has already been promoted several ranks, isn't it really a waste of time here?"
A member looked down at the sword in his hand, the sword reflected his worried face in the faint moonlight.
He felt that if he didn't kill a demon soon, the sword would rust.
At this moment.
"That——"
The crew-cut member's face turned blue, he hadn't spoken all along, his legs were tightly clamped, he carefully looked at the two people.
He pointed to the side with a pleading tone:
"I... um... can't hold it anymore, I'll leave for a while."
"Go, go, we won't tell the top." Another member waved his hand helplessly:
"Move quickly."
Clap! The crew-cut member put his hands together:
"Thank you very much!"
After saying that, he turned his head and ran away in a puff of smoke.
Watching the back of his companion disappearing around the corner, the member sighed again.
...
Not far away.
"I wouldn't do this kind of mission."
The running crew-cut member's movements gradually normalized, he turned his head and looked at the other two people who were still guarding the door of the house.
Although it was very stable, who joined the Demon Slayer Corps for stability?
A certain yellow dandelion sneezed hard in the Butterfly Mansion.
The crew-cut member stared straight ahead, he started running, his eyes firm.
Take this opportunity to leave.
Anyway, as long as they kill demons, the top probably won't blame anything.
Step, step, step!
Ahead, the street, the corner of the low wall.
He stomped on the ground hard, his speed did not decrease at all, he directly turned his head and rushed towards the corner.
The next moment.
Around the corner, deep peach-colored hair first came into view, a figure wearing only a short shirt suddenly appeared in front of him!
He was taken aback, unable to brake in time.
Oh no!
I hit it!
The crew-cut member was scared and closed his eyes.
But, the expected collision did not happen.
After hesitating for a while, he opened his eyes in a daze.
In front of him, was the ground.
—Am I lying down?
"...Huh?" He said softly in his mouth unconsciously, but it seemed that something was stuck in his throat, and he couldn't make a sound at all.
Puff!
Blood couldn't stop flowing from the corner of his mouth, the crew-cut member's expression gradually became horrified.
What happened?!
His panicked gaze looked around, but his limbs had no feeling at all!
Until—
The crew-cut member's gaze saw a headless body standing there, swaying, and then falling down.
His lonely head on the ground, his wide-open eyes, the light of panic gradually dimmed.
On the side.
Swish!
Akaza disdainfully shook off the blood on his hand, the crimson blood splattered on the wall.
He had just returned to his base.
He looked at the crew-cut member's clothes in doubt, murmuring to himself:
"...Demon Slayer Corps?"
Click.
The fist full of tattoos hung down, slightly clenched, the corners of his eyebrows frowned hard, his heart was full of impatience:
"Why is there a demon hunter in my base..."
-----
read up to 20++ advanced chapters on patreon.com/GMadman