Chapter 14: You Will Definitely Be Eaten by That Demon
Upon hearing this question, the previously furious demon suddenly quieted down.
It froze for a moment, then a deeply relishing, utterly lecherous expression spread across its face.
It stuck out its tongue and licked across most of its face, making a 'tsk tsk' sound.
"Ah... you mean those little girls..."
The demon narrowed its eyes as if lost in some wonderful memory,
"That's right, that's right, I did eat them.
I must say, the soil and water around here are truly excellent. The girls raised here are each one more fresh and tender than the last."
It spread its hands open and began describing its'spoils of war' as if no one else was present,
"The one in red last month,
Ah, her skin was as tender as tofu.
One bite, and the blood plasma bursting in my mouth felt just like drinking sugared water.
She was so scared she couldn't even scream, just stared with wide eyes and shed tears.
That flavor of fear mixed with the meat... exquisite!"
"And the one with pigtails a few days ago, though a bit on the thin side, her bones were especially crunchy when chewed,
Crunch, crunch—that texture, truly so crisp."
"Young girls... they really are the freshest, most tender ingredients in this world.
Their flesh doesn't have the sour stench of men, nor the dry, rough texture of the elderly,
Every bite is full of collagen and the vitality of youth.
Every time I finish eating, I feel like I've gotten several years younger."
The demon grew more and more excited as it spoke, even making a few chewing motions, completely immersed in its own perverse fantasies.
"What? You want to try some too?
Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot you're human, and a Demon Slayer Corps swordsman who wants to kill me at that.
But it's fine. After you die,
I'll save the tenderest piece of your flesh for your demon companion here. Hahahaha!"
As the demon gave its nauseating description, the surrounding air seemed to freeze solid.
Kanae Kocho lowered her gaze, her long eyelashes concealing the emotions in her eyes.
But her knuckles on the hand gripping her sword had turned pale from the force of her grip.
The wind seemed to have stopped flowing.
"So it was you."
"Just to satisfy your own gluttony, you cruelly snuffed out those lives in the prime of their youth...
Making the suffering of others the source of your own pleasure..."
She slowly raised her head.
At that moment, the demon seemed to see a flower blooming on the distant shore,
Beautiful, yet carrying a lethal killing intent.
The confusion, the blind pity for demons—all of it vanished from Kanae's eyes,
Leaving only a pure, resolute determination to wield her sword to protect life.
"Since you are beyond redemption, since you have completely devolved into a beast of desire..."
"Then, as the Flower Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, I, Kanae Kocho, shall slay you here!"
*Shing—!*
A clear, crisp ring of steel echoed through the mountain forest.
The peach-colored Nichirin Sword was drawn in an instant. The four large characters 'Destroyer of Demons' engraved on the blade gleamed brilliantly under the moonlight.
The demon only saw a blur before its eyes. The girl who had seemed utterly fragile in its view
Instantly erupted with an aura that chilled it to the bone.
"Flower Breathing, Fourth Form: Crimson Hanagoromo!"
Kanae's figure vanished from her original spot.
No, not vanished—it was an afterimage left behind because her speed was too fast.
Countless pink petals seemed to scatter through the air, an illusion formed by condensed sword aura.
A graceful yet lethal arc-shaped slash, rising from below,
Like a crimson feather robe dancing in the wind, instantly bridging the distance between the two.
Too fast.
Truly too fast.
The demon didn't even have time to raise its arms to block.
It felt a slight chill at its neck, as if gently brushed by a petal.
Immediately after, its vision began to spin wildly.
It saw the pitch-black night sky, the trees hanging upside down...
Its own headless body, still maintaining a menacing, clawing posture,
Blood gushing from its neck like a fountain.
*Thud.*
The demon's head landed heavily in the grass, rolled a few times, and came to a stop beside a rock.
Its body, after swaying a few times, weakly knelt to the ground,
Then began to slowly disintegrate.
"H-how... how is this possible..."
Only at this moment did the demon realize what had happened.
Intense pain arrived a step late, but more than the physical agony was the Spiritual disbelief.
Its eyes, gradually losing focus, fixed a death stare on Kanae, who was gracefully sheathing her sword not far away.
"How could she be this strong... she's just a woman... she looked so frail..."
Its body began to rapidly dissipate, turning into black dust that drifted toward the night sky.
This was the sight of a demon's death, the end of their sinful lives.
Fear finally completely seized its heart at this moment.
The shadow of death descended, letting it feel the despair experienced by the humans it had once eaten.
But, even in its final moments of life,
The demon showed not the slightest hint of remorse.
Its eyes filled with venomous hatred, staring fixedly at Kanae as she walked to the side of its head,
Then glancing at Tatsu, who was watching coldly from not far away.
It was unwilling.
Unwilling to die like this,
And even more unwilling to see this unnatural 'pair' continue to exist.
"You... don't you get cocky..."
Using its last vestiges of strength, the demon issued a hoarse, malicious curse,
"Woman... you will definitely be eaten...
You will definitely be eaten by that demon!"
Its voice was like the cry of a night owl, sharp and piercing,
"Demons cannot change their habit of eating humans... it's a curse...
It's a curse that flows in our blood!
Hahaha!
I can see it... I can see the desire deep in his eyes!
He's not eating you now only to fatten you up!
One day, when you are completely off guard against him,
He will bite through your throat in one go and drink you dry!
You will regret it!
You will regret trusting a demon!
I'll be waiting for you in hell... waiting to see that despairing face of yours!
Hahahaha—"
Amid this series of malicious, maniacal laughs, the demon's head completely turned to ashes.
A gust of wind blew, scattering the black dust to drift away, its filthy soul along with it, dissipating into the world.