Chapter 5: Kanae, You Are Really So Cute
The night was pitch black, like an inkstone accidentally knocked over by some deity, the thick ink staining the entire world until it felt suffocating.
Tatsu had his hands behind his head, chewing on a foxtail grass he had swiped from somewhere.
Having just finished those five large bowls of tonkotsu ramen, the long-lost feeling of fullness made him feel like the whole world had become adorable.
"Um, Miss Kanae," Tatsu spat out the grass root and turned his head to look at the young girl beside him. "In the middle of the night, a pretty girl like you shouldn't be at home sleeping? Instead, you've come to such a remote town; you must be on a mission, right?"
Which of the Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps wasn't busy running off their feet? In this era where demons ran rampant, every minute and every second of theirs was a race against death, struggling with all their might to protect the peace of ordinary people.
Hearing this, Kanae's somewhat drifting gaze instantly focused. She stopped walking and turned to face Tatsu. Although the smile on her face remained gentle, a trace of seriousness appeared in those light purple eyes.
"Yes, Mr. Tatsu." "The work of the Demon Slayer Corps is to slay demons and protect humanity. I received a message from a Kasugai Crow saying that there were reports of missing girls in this area, which is why I rushed over."
Having said this, she paused slightly and let her gaze drift over Tatsu. The young man before her, although possessing the aura of a demon, had eyes that were clear and bottomless, without a shred of turbidity or violence. His behavior at the ramen shop earlier only confirmed her belief that he was an 'anomaly' who had never eaten a human.
"I originally thought the demon lurking here was you, Mr. Tatsu..." Kanae covered her mouth and chuckled softly, the amusement at the corners of her eyes rippling outward. "But since Mr. Tatsu is only obsessed with ramen, and can even eat ramen with such a feeling of happiness, that means..."
Her gaze instantly became sharp. "There must be another real demon hiding nearby. He is the one harming humans."
Tatsu looked at Kanae's serious expression and couldn't help but admire her inwardly. As expected of the Flower Hashira; her sharp intuition and logical analysis skills were truly no joke. Moreover, the gentle yet decisive temperament she displayed when discussing demon slaying was damn charming.
"Mr. Tatsu," Kanae took a small step forward, shortening the distance between them, and looked up at him slightly. "Besides you, do you know where else there might be a demon nearby? Or rather, have you sensed any unusual aura?"
Faced with Kanae's question, Tatsu did not answer immediately. He stared at her intently, his gaze moving from the tips of her hair, which were gently swaying in the night breeze, to her exquisite, painting-like brows and eyes, and finally landing on her face, which was full of anticipation.
"Um..." Tatsu scratched his cheek and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Miss Kanae, look, we've eaten and walked together; we can consider ourselves friends who have shared life and death... Constantly calling me 'Mr. Tatsu,' 'Mr. Tatsu' sounds quite distant. I'm not used to being called 'Mr.,' it always feels like someone is calling some old schoolteacher."
He deliberately made a very troubled expression and spread his hands. "Just call me Tatsu directly. How about it?"
Compared to the demon hiding in the gutter, Tatsu was now more interested in the young girl before him. Or rather, he was more interested in how to get closer to this gentle big sister. After all, in this world filled with tragic colors, being able to meet such a wonderful existence as Kanae Kocho was a miracle in itself. If he didn't take the opportunity to boost his favorability, it would be a disservice to this beautiful night.
Kanae Kocho was stunned for a moment. She hadn't expected Tatsu to bring this up at such a time. Given the awkward position of humans and demons, he was actually fussing over how to address each other?
"Pfft." Kanae Kocho couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh. Her laughter was light and melodious, like the sound of wind chimes being brushed by a breeze in spring, crisp and pleasant. She genuinely found it funny.
Most demons, when they see a Hashira, either run away in terror or reveal their ferocious nature and lunge to fight to the death. But this Tatsu was different; not only did he make her treat him to ramen, but now he was bargaining with her about forms of address during such a serious topic. This sense of relaxation, this reaction so full of 'humanity,' made her almost forget that he was a demon.
"Oh my, that was my oversight." Her brows curved, and there was a bit more closeness in her eyes as she looked at Tatsu. "Mr. Tatsu... oh no, Tatsu, you really are an interesting person. You are clearly a demon, yet you are more... than many humans."
She wanted to find a suitable word to describe him, but found that there didn't seem to be any word that could accurately summarize the youth before her. Cheerful? Easygoing? Or... thick-skinned?
"More handsome?" Tatsu took over the conversation, touching his chin with a narcissistic look.
"Hehe, more witty," Kanae corrected with a smile. She could feel that Tatsu was using this method to convey goodwill to her. A kind of goodwill wanting to get along as equals.
"Hey, Tatsu~." She changed how she addressed him readily, her voice carrying a hint of playfulness. "Then you should just call me Kanae directly too. Adding 'Miss' or something makes it sound like I'm several years older."
"No problem, Kanae." Tatsu readily agreed, secretly making a "yeah" gesture in his heart. This plan to get closer to her, mission accomplished!
"Then, Tatsu," Kanae tilted her head, the butterfly wings on her hair ornament trembling gently with her movement, looking exceptionally cute. "Can you tell me now, where else is there a demon nearby?"
The smile on Tatsu's face suddenly froze. He looked left and right, as if confirming whether there were any invisible ears around, then lowered his voice, leaned in front of Kanae, and said with a look of horror: "Shh—! Kanae, you're going to get me killed!"
"Huh?" Kanae was completely confused by his sudden reaction and subconsciously took half a step back. "W-what's wrong?"
"Think about it," Tatsu pointed to the sky and then to the ground with a serious expression, saying dramatically, "If I told you the location of my kind, that would be betraying 'that lord.' Do you know how terrifying 'that lord' is? He can take a demon's head from a thousand miles away. If he finds out I betrayed my companions, and even helped the Demon Slayer Corps kill demons, he only needs to think it, and I'll go 'bang' and explode into fireworks!"
When he mentioned "exploding into fireworks," Tatsu also made an accompanying explosion gesture, his five fingers suddenly splaying open while his mouth made a "pop" sound.
Kanae's pupils contracted slightly. She, of course, knew that name—Muzan Kibutsuji. That was the source of all tragedy, the ultimate goal the Demon Slayer Corps had wanted to eliminate for thousands of years. She also knew from the demons she had slain before that all demons had been cursed by that man; once they spoke that name or betrayed him, they would instantly turn into a puddle of blood. That kind of fear was deeply rooted in the marrow of every demon.
Because Tatsu had been acting too relaxed, she had momentarily overlooked this point. If he were killed because he angered that monster by helping her find the way... wouldn't she become the murderer who caused his death? This kind-hearted young girl panicked instantly.
"I-I'm sorry..." The smile on Kanae's face disappeared, replaced by deep guilt. She waved her hands in a panic, like a child who had done something wrong. "I... I didn't consider this point. I'm really sorry, Tatsu. I shouldn't have let you fall into such a dangerous situation."
She lowered her head and bit her lip, her voice full of self-reproach. "Then I'll go find it myself. I have special tracking techniques; I will definitely be able to find that demon. I cannot let my mission implicate you... You are a good demon who has managed to maintain your rationality with great difficulty; I must never let you die because of this kind of thing."
Looking at the young girl before him who was worried about the safety of him, a "demon," Tatsu's heart felt like it had been gently bumped by something. She was genuinely worried about him. Not fake, not polite, but pure kindness from the bottom of her heart. Even if he was a demon, as long as he showed goodwill, she would return it with kindness without reservation. This was Kanae Kocho. That gentle big sister who, in the original work, was still pitying the tragic fate of demons until the very last moment of her life.
"Pfft—" Looking at her slightly trembling long eyelashes, Tatsu still couldn't help but laugh out loud. Kanae looked up in surprise, only to see Tatsu looking at her with a mischievous smile, his eyes full of teasing; where was there any trace of that terrified look from just a moment ago?
"Kanae, you really are so cute." Tatsu couldn't help but reach out, wanting to pat her head, but stopped halfway. After all, men and women should not touch, and she had a sword at her waist; if she gave him a slash out of reflex, that wouldn't be good. So he changed it to scratching his nose. "I was just teasing you."
"Huh?" Kanae blinked, her brain momentarily stalling. "T-teasing me?"