"Master, these dumplings are so delicious."
"Eat as much as you like if they're delicious. There's plenty."
Ayato bought over a dozen dumplings from a stall and handed them all to Mitsuri.
Mitsuri was also a foodie.
Almost everywhere she went, she had to eat various delicacies to her heart's content.
Ayato held Mitsuri's hand, walking along a lively street.
'Right now, it's still four years before the plot begins.'
Ayato thought to himself.
He looked around, his eyes flickering. 'But in this place, there seem to be a strangely high number of Demons.'
"These two humans... their smell is special."
"Eat. I want to eat them."
In the shadows, several Demons had already set their sights on Ayato and the other.
"Master."
Having become a Devil, Mitsuri, with her extremely sharp senses, also felt the danger and instinctively hugged Ayato tighter.
Feeling the surging softness, Ayato smiled. "It's okay. Keep eating."
With that, several bolts of lightning flashed from his fingers and vanished into the air.
Silently,
The surroundings were clear.
Those Demons didn't even leave ashes behind.
Under a Campione's power, this level of immortality was a joke.
"Hmm?"
After walking for a while longer, Ayato's pace halted, his expression sharpening.
A battle seemed to be happening in the distance.
And the strength of both sides far exceeded these ordinary Demons.
Ayato's eyes flickered, seeming to pierce through the endless distance.
After a moment, a look of understanding appeared on his face. He murmured to himself, "This is... quite a coincidence."
"What's... what's wrong... Master."
Mitsuri, her cheeks puffed out with food, asked instinctively.
"Someone is in danger. Come with me to have a look."
With that, Ayato wrapped his arm around Mitsuri's waist and vanished on the spot.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In an open, desolate area, the sounds of battle were incessant.
The air around was very cold, and the ground showed visible frost.
Kocho Kanae's figure moved back and forth, her Nichirin Blade constantly swinging, shattering blocks of ice into pieces.
But her body was growing increasingly numb, her blood feeling as if it had become extremely cold.
However,
She couldn't stop.
If she stopped, she would surely die.
Her opponent was a rather handsome man with rainbow-like, demonic eyes.
On his left and right eyes were respectively carved the characters for "Upper Rank" and "Six".
"Ah, how beautiful."
Doma looked at Kanae, an infatuated look in his eyes. "Give up resisting and become a part of me."
"Beautiful women like you are the best."
Kanae remained silent, just using her breathing technique to arduously resist.
There was a hint of despair in her eyes.
The gap between them was simply too great. Even if she wanted to take him down with her, she couldn't.
Who would have thought that on what was supposed to be a routine mission, she would encounter an Upper Rank Demon.
At this rate,
Defeat was probably only a matter of time.
But at least, she had to hold out until daylight.
Shinobu was still nearby. She absolutely could not drag her into this.
But just then, a gentle voice rang out.
"Miss, it looks like you could use some help."
'Whose voice? Had someone else come?'
Kanae adjusted her breathing and turned her head slightly.
From the corner of her eye, she saw the figures of a man and a woman walking slowly toward her.
"You two, get out of here quickly. It's very dangerous."
She immediately shouted anxiously.
If she died here, so be it, but absolutely no innocent people should become food for this Demon.
As her mind wavered, a flaw appeared. A block of ice was already inches away.
'Oh no!'
Kanae's pupils contracted sharply.
Crack!
Just as this thought arose, the block of ice shattered in mid-air. Kanae only felt herself being pulled into a warm place.
She instinctively looked up and saw a handsome face.
'So fast!'
'When had he moved?'
A look of confusion appeared in her eyes.
As a Hashira, she hadn't even noticed how Ayato had moved.
"Interesting human. So you're also a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps?"
Doma waved his folding fan, speaking with interest. "But unfortunately, I have no interest in men at all."
"I share the same opinion on that point. I'm only interested in beautiful girls too."
Kanae: "..."
She felt the conversation between these two people was really hard to listen to.
Shaking her head, Kanae spoke. "Sir, you're not a member of the Demon Slayer Corps. You have no obligation to fight him. You should leave here."
"I don't have the habit of avoiding ants."
'Ants?'
'Calling an Upper Rank Demon that?'
'What an arrogant talk.'
Kanae was stunned, then quickly said, "I'm serious. And without your own Nichirin Blade, you can't hurt a Demon."
"Don't worry, dealing with him will be easy."
Ayato smiled. "But for saving your life, how do you plan to repay me?"
"Repay?"
Kanae was stunned for a moment, then quickly said, "Any way you want, but please leave here quickly."
If he delayed any longer,
It wouldn't be about repayment.
It would be about all of them dying here.
"You've agreed then."
Ayato smiled slightly, then released Kanae and walked toward Doma.
"All done?"
Doma looked at Ayato with a knowing smile. "Shouldn't you be thanking me for letting you finish all your cool lines?"
His tone gradually turned cold, frost forming on the folding fan in his hand.
"How dare you call me an ant. Mere human, you sure have a big mouth."
A dangerous glint flickered in his eyes.
Although this human's speed had indeed surprised him, that was all.
Under his Blood Demon Art, speed meant nothing.
"To thank you, I'll make your death painless."
Ayato looked at Doma, his expression impassive.
"Haha, you just can't stop running your mouth, can you? Mere..."
Whoosh!
A bolt of lightning flashed, completely engulfing Doma's figure.