Chapter 34 — The Changing Asauchi and New Orders
"Well then, this is where we part ways, Mr. Asuka."
Outside the recovery house, Shinobu Kochō bid Asuka farewell with a gentle smile. As a Hashira, she still had many missions waiting for her.
She handed him a small gourd-shaped flask, her voice as soft as ever.
"There's some pain-relief medicine inside. I hope it helps. But in the future, try not to push yourself too hard, alright?"
"Thank you for your concern. I'll be careful… Safe travels, Hashira-sama."
"Oh my, there's no need to be so formal. Just call me Senior Shinobu. Well then—until next time."
With that, she departed like a butterfly carried away by a passing breeze, disappearing from sight.
After Shinobu left, Asuka briefly checked on Asano Mori's condition. Satisfied that he was stable, he prepared to leave as well.
Counting everything, this mission—from the south all the way to the north—had taken more than half a month.
It was about time for him to return.
Unlike some Demon Slayers, Asuka didn't wander around hunting demons when he had no orders. If a mission was assigned, he would carry it out. If not, he preferred to return quietly to Hayama, instead of patrolling everywhere like Shinsuke.
"Mr. Asuka! Your sword!"
"Hm…?"
Asuka, who had just finished packing and putting on his new uniform, took the blade from Yuka with a puzzled expression.
"Why is there only one?"
"Eh? Th-this is the only one that was delivered! Could the other one have been left behind?" Yuka stammered nervously as she began searching the room.
She didn't understand the details of demon slaying, but she knew these swords were extremely important to Demon Slayers. Losing one would be a serious problem.
Asuka weighed the sword in his hand.
It felt… strangely familiar.
The scabbard and the cord wrapped around the hilt belonged to Bakudatsu.
But the wind-swirl shaped tsuba—that belonged to his Nichirin blade.
He slowly drew the blade.
The colorless sword gleamed faintly in the light. It was unmistakably a Nichirin blade.
Yet at the same time, a strange resonance pulsed within it—something that seemed to echo with his very soul.
"Bakudatsu…?"
He pulled the blade fully free.
The sword hummed softly, as if responding to his voice.
"You… devoured the Nichirin blade?"
The thought sounded absurd.
And yet, it was the very first intuition that came to his mind.
Running his fingers lightly along the blade, he could clearly feel it—the presence and spiritual pressure within the weapon were unmistakably those of his Asauchi.
Unbelievably, the thing had somehow merged with the Nichirin blade.
Was that a good thing?
Did the Nichirin blade's demon-slaying properties still remain?
Would it… devour other swords in the future?
"I'm sorry, Mr. Asuka… I really—"
"It's fine, Yuka. I was mistaken."
Interrupting her anxious search, Asuka calmly sheathed the sword under her confused gaze.
"Thank you for taking care of me. I'll be leaving now."
"Eh? So suddenly? Aren't you going to look for it a bit longer? Mr. Asuka, shouldn't you rest a few more days?"
Asuka said nothing more.
The corner of his brand-new gray-white haori fluttered lightly in the wind.
Just as he had arrived in Sendai in haste—
He left just as quickly.
---
On the Road South
Traveling alone along the old southern road, several more days passed.
Most of the time, Asuka camped out in the wilderness.
Occasionally, when he passed through sparsely populated villages, he would rest beside an empty wall and observe the locals.
Their faces were yellow and gaunt from hunger.
Seeing them, he often thought about everything he had witnessed on his journey north.
He remembered the conversations he had overheard in the bookstore.
Perhaps… it was precisely because the world was like this that so many demons roamed freely.
If all the demons were wiped out, wouldn't that solve the problem?
Then innocent people wouldn't have to die anymore.
The world would become peaceful.
…But after thinking about it more carefully, he realized that wasn't entirely true.
Demons were evil, yes.
But in a way, it was like wolves eating sheep—a natural act of predation between two species.
Perhaps it would be the Demon Slayer Corps, or perhaps someone else in the future.
Eventually, one side would wipe out the other.
But when Asuka thought about the humans who cooperated with demons, he felt something even more terrifying.
Humans devouring other humans.
That… was a problem he didn't know how to solve.
---
Several Days Later
At dusk, Asuka finally stopped walking.
He stood before an old tree at a fork in the road, his footsteps coming to a halt.
The wind swept across the cracked field ridges and skimmed over the dried irrigation channels before spiraling into the old tree.
At the hollow between its roots, two small figures were curled up together beneath a ragged quilt whose original color could no longer be recognized.
The older child—about seven or eight years old—was clumsily breaking apart half of a hard, dry flatbread and feeding the crumbs into the mouth of the even smaller child in his arms.
Asuka's gaze lingered briefly on the pale, bluish face of the younger one.
Then he reached into his robe and took out a small oil-paper bundle containing several rice cakes.
He ate a portion himself.
After that, he silently placed the remaining pieces beside the torn quilt.
The older child suddenly looked up.
His eyes filled instantly with fear as he instinctively pulled the younger one closer, like a startled little animal protecting its sibling.
But Asuka said nothing.
After setting down the food, he simply turned and walked away.
"Th… thank you, sir!"
The child's tearful voice echoed from behind him.
But Asuka's footsteps never slowed.
Whether it's Rukongai… or this world… neither seems like a place where people can truly live, he thought.
---
A New Mission
Caw—!!!
Just as he continued down the road, a dark shadow descended from the sky with a loud cry.
Without even looking up, Asuka already knew.
His Kasugai Crow had arrived.
"Emergency order! Emergency order!"
"Demon Slayer Seventy-eight Asuka! Delivering instructions!"
"Southwest! Southwest! Mount Natagumo!"
"Multiple demons are gathering! Proceed immediately to investigate!"
"Repeat: Mount Natagumo! Head there at once!"
After delivering the message, the crow did not immediately leave as it usually did.
Instead, it added a few more words.
"Asuka, more than ten Demon Slayers have already been dispatched for this mission. Exercise extreme caution!"
"I understand. Thank you."
Caw—!!
With a powerful beat of its wings, the crow shot back into the sky and vanished into the distance.
---
Toward Mount Natagumo
Mount Natagumo…
Asuka knew of the place.
Traveling north from Hayama to Sendai, one inevitably passed the Azuma Mountain Range, a vast chain of peaks stretching endlessly across the land.
Since Asuka knew nothing about this country when he first arrived, he had spent a long time studying maps before setting out.
He had even asked Kenichi how to properly pronounce many of the place names.
At the western foothills of the Azuma range lay Mount Natagumo.
It was said that the mountain was home to many species of highly venomous spiders.
Some rumors even claimed that being bitten by certain rare spiders there could transform a human into a spider-like creature.
So it wasn't just a legend…
There are demons involved.
Without wasting another moment, Asuka adjusted his route and began heading southwest toward Mount Natagumo.
---
Three days later, after climbing over a low hill twisted with gnarled branches and dense woodland, the view suddenly opened before him.
In the distance stood a towering mountain, shrouded in thick, oppressive fog.
Dark and heavy with malice.
"This is Mount Natagumo…?"
Asuka tightened his grip on the new Asauchi at his waist and slowly spread his spiritual pressure outward, probing the area near the mountain's base.
Cold.
Bloody.
Uneasy.
Fearful.
Even from far away, the fluctuating spiritual pressures coming from the mountain told him something important.
There was more than one presence inside.
More than one person.
Or perhaps…
More than one demon.
"What an oppressive feeling…"
"It's even more dangerous than that Lower Rank Two… Could it be an Upper Rank?"
For the first time, Asuka felt a faint trace of tension.
His battle with Lower Rank Two had already shown him the limits of his strength.
If he encountered an Upper Rank demon now…
Would he be able to win?
"…Better take a look first. The mission is only reconnaissance."
Asuka took a deep breath and ran toward the shadowy mountain.
---
Meanwhile — The Other Side of the Mountain
At the same time, on the opposite side of the mountain, three noisy figures appeared at the base of the slope.
"Wait! I said wait a second!!"
"What's wrong, Zenitsu? Why are you crouching down over there?"
"This is terrifying—!!! This mountain feels terrifying!! Can't you feel it?!"
"What a useless coward! Gonpachiro Kamaboko! Let's charge!!"