Chapter 31 — Shinobu Kochō
Rokuro was truly afraid.
He was Lower Moon Two. In theory, a demon of his rank should never fear a Demon Slayer who wasn't even a Hashira.
And yet—
He was afraid.
Fragments of his past surged into his mind: memories of being mocked, belittled, and scorned for his weakness and cowardice.
Those moments had been branded into his soul.
Even after becoming a demon, he had never truly escaped that shadow.
That brat isn't human…
If I keep fighting him, I'll die!
That sword is terrifying! Even if I kill him, I'll lose half my life in the process!
"Damn it! Damn you, Wind swordsman! Damn you, you rabid dog!"
He cursed endlessly.
But his body had already begun retreating.
Right now, Rokuro wanted nothing more than to escape as far away as possible from this lunatic.
This boy—
This monster that could devour him.
"You just wait! Next time… next time I'll tear you into pieces!"
He roared in bluster, but his actions betrayed him.
His body split into several thick shadows, darting like frightened rats toward the darkest corners of the shrine.
With a flash, they melted into the darkness.
Moments later—
His presence vanished completely.
Rokuro had abandoned everything he had built in Sendai and fled like a beaten dog.
"Don't run!!"
"Return the blood debt you owe Master Arasaki!"
The veins on Asuka's forehead bulged as he tried to chase after him.
But his body refused to obey.
He had been trading wounds for wounds throughout the battle, never realizing how severe his injuries had become.
Only by stealing Rokuro's life force had he been able to keep fighting.
Now that Rokuro had escaped and the stolen energy faded away like receding tide—
Weakness flooded back into his body.
Pain.
Exhaustion.
The dizziness of blood loss.
They overwhelmed his senses like a collapsing avalanche.
In his hand,
Bakudatsu's Plunder gave a faint, unwilling hum.
The gray-black glow faded.
The blade shrank back into its worn, battered Asauchi form.
Thud.
Asuka could no longer stand.
He dropped to one knee, blood quickly pooling beneath him.
Lifting his head, he gasped heavily, trying to confirm whether Rokuro had truly escaped.
Still not enough…
Still too weak…
At this rate… forget revenge against that man… I can't even finish off these small fry.
Bitterness burned in his mind.
Just then-
Whoosh—!
A light, swift figure descended beside him like a butterfly.
She moved so quickly that only a faint streak of purple remained in the air.
The newcomer had deep violet eyes and wore her hair in a neat evening roll. A gentle smile rested naturally on her lips.
Over the standard Demon Slayer Corps uniform, she wore a haori embroidered with butterfly wings that seemed to flutter in the moonlight.
"Oh my, are you alright?"
Her voice was soft and sweet, as casual as if she were commenting on the weather.
Her gaze drifted across the devastation around them.
"Wind Breathing… and such dense demonic aura. I can even smell that Muzan's blood lingering here."
"What a fierce battle."
She tilted her head slightly.
"Did you run into one of the Twelve Kizuki?"
The moment he heard her voice, Asuka instinctively tensed.
But when he saw the Demon Slayer uniform, his guard eased slightly.
Suppressing the pain coursing through his body, he examined the woman in front of him.
"Relax a little," she said gently. "If you stay so tense, your wounds will split open further, and you'll bleed even more."
She removed a small gourd from her waist and handed it to him.
"Drink some medicine. It should make you feel better."
"…Who are you?"
"Me?"
She brushed a loose strand of hair beside her temple and looked directly into his eyes.
"I'm the Insect Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps—Shinobu Kochō."
"Does that put your mind at ease?"
Insect Hashira…
The tension in Asuka's nerves loosened slightly.
He already knew what a Hashira represented within the Demon Slayer Corps.
Authority.
Strength.
If a Hashira had arrived, he could finally allow himself to rest.
He drank the painkiller Shinobu handed him in one gulp.
Warmth spread through his body almost immediately.
"…Why are you here?"
Despite Asuka's cold tone and lack of polite speech, Shinobu's smile did not falter.
Though the corner of her eyebrow twitched slightly.
"Same reason as you," she replied calmly. "I received a mission regarding demons in the Sendai region."
"But it seems I arrived a little late."
"You ended up facing the most dangerous part alone."
Shinobu walked slowly through the ruined shrine, studying the traces of battle.
"So… which rank of Kizuki was it?"
"Lower Moon Two."
Asuka breathed heavily as he spoke.
"Don't know the name."
He briefly explained everything he had discovered:
The Shadow Sickness, the workers' protests, and the demon's attempt to assassinate Harada.
"Lower Moon Two?" Shinobu looked surprised.
But what caught her attention more were the other details.
"Humans cooperating with demons… how unpleasant."
Her gaze drifted toward the city below the shrine.
Sendai's night was growing strangely noisy.
"As for the protest you mentioned—"
"It's already begun."
"And it's quite a commotion."
On her way here, Shinobu had noticed crowds of residents and workers gathering in the streets.
They were surrounding shops and attacking businesses.
But at the time, she had been focused solely on hunting the demon and hadn't investigated further.
So the demon had a hand in this too…
Shinobu took a small bamboo whistle from her sleeve and blew a brief sequence of notes.
Less than thirty seconds later—
Several figures wearing black uniforms and masks appeared silently within the shrine courtyard.
The Kakushi.
They were the Demon Slayer Corps' cleanup unit responsible for handling the aftermath of battles with demons.
Most of them lacked the talent for swordsmanship, but still wished to fight demons and save lives in their own way.
"Hashira-sama!"
The leader bowed respectfully.
"This slayer is severely wounded," Shinobu said immediately. "Provide emergency treatment and escort him to the nearest recovery station as quickly as possible."
Her tone was crisp and efficient.
"Yes!"
The Kakushi sprang into action.
They brought out a stretcher and medical supplies, skillfully cleaning Asuka's wounds, setting fractured bones, and administering stronger medication.
Asuka cooperated quietly while watching Shinobu's pale, moonlit profile.
"…My mission isn't finished."
"It's alright."
Shinobu looked down at him.
"I'll take care of the rest."
"Get some rest, brave young man."
For a fleeting moment, the curve of her smile deepened.
Or perhaps it was only imagination.
Her violet eyes held no warmth—only a distant coldness that Asuka found strangely familiar.
This woman… isn't as gentle as she appears.
That was the thought that crossed his mind.
Shinobu watched silently as the Kakushi carried Asuka away into the night.
The gentle mask on her face slowly faded.
All that remained was icy calm—and a quiet fury burning deep in her eyes.
---
One Hour Later — Sendai Dyeing Company Office
Sasaki and several of his partners had gathered in the office, frantically discussing how to deal with the sudden outbreak of protests.
The attack on Harada Chuichi, combined with the nationwide Rice Riots, had finally ignited the long-simmering anger of Sendai's citizens.
The entire city had descended into chaos.
Furious workers and civilians clashed violently with military police.
The protests threatened to overturn the young industrial city.
Even worse—
They had completely lost contact with Lord Rokuro.
"Useless! All of you are useless!"
Sasaki grabbed a crystal ashtray from the desk and hurled it to the floor, shattering it into pieces.
"You eat my food! Take my money! And you can't even deal with one Harada Chuichi!"
"And now everything's ruined!"
"That damned priest!"
"What should we do now?" said Nakajima, the rice merchant, his voice shaking. "Should we leave Sendai for now? Wait until things calm down?"
The men argued endlessly.
Then—
Creak…
The heavy office door slowly opened.
Sasaki nearly jumped out of his seat.
"Who's there?! Get out! Who let you in—"
His voice cut off instantly when he saw the figure standing at the doorway.
An extraordinarily beautiful young woman stepped inside.
She wore a purple haori embroidered with butterfly wings.
A gentle smile rested on her face.
"Good evening, gentlemen."
"My name is Shinobu Kochō."