Demon Slayer : Breath of The Forest

Over a decade ago, in Kippei Village, there was a notorious gambler named Kohara Ryo.

This scoundrel was addicted to gambling, having squandered not only his family wealth but even the coffin money his seventy-year-old mother had painstakingly saved.

His wife, utterly disillusioned, left him with their child and had been out of contact for many years. His father had also passed away from anger more than ten years prior.

Later, this wretch developed a drinking problem, stumbling around drunk every day. But that wasn't even the most infuriating part.

His elderly mother, already in her seventies, barely scraped by by weaving hemp ropes and foraging for wild vegetables.

Yet he never once cared for her.

Instead, he often violently snatched the meager earnings she managed to save from her labor, using the money to buy alcohol.

Even the villagers couldn't stand such despicable behavior.

One day, someone reported him to the police station in town. The officers promptly mobilized to arrest this unfilial bastard and throw him in jail.

But then something shocking happened.

The gambler's mother—the seventy-year-old woman—knelt and tearfully begged the police not to take her son away, insisting she had willingly given him the money.

Helpless, the police could only issue a stern warning before leaving.

Yet the bastard showed no gratitude toward his mother. Instead, he treated her even more cruelly.

Then one day, news spread that a gang of bandits had fled from the city prison and were hiding in the mountains. They had killed many along the way. While the police hunted them, they also issued warnings for villagers to stay indoors.

Families of victims could claim compensation at the station.

Upon hearing this, the gambler hatched a wicked plan.

The next day, his mother vanished and he went to town to collect a large sum of money.

With the money, he indulged even more recklessly—drinking and gambling daily.

When asked about his mother, he shamelessly claimed he had upheld an age-old tradition.

But everyone knew the truth.

His fortune didn't last long. The money was soon gone and he ultimately drowned drunk in the village creek.

But from then on, rumors spread that an Oni (demon) haunted Kippei Village. Many claimed to have encountered it in the mountains.

Around the same time, elderly or gravely ill villagers began disappearing mysteriously.

The villagers whispered it was the Oni's doing.

Yet days after each disappearance, the missing person family would inexplicably receive a large sum of money.

Tempted by the wealth, some villagers stopped fearing the demon—some even grew grateful. Though times were hard, most families still lived in abject poverty.

So... that was the story of Kippei Village.

Shinobu Kocho eyes widened in shock, her hand covering her mouth in disbelief.

She couldn't comprehend it—how could mere money outweigh the value of family? It was pure evil!

Had Shinichi been there to hear this tale, he would've realized how eerily similar it was to the story of Teranishi Village, which he had once visited.

The darkness of human nature sometimes far exceeds imagination.

Soon, the hurried Shinobu Kocho found Shinichi, who had discovered nothing and told him everything she had learned in detail.

Shinichi remained silent for a long time after listening, his expression darkening.

After a while, he sighed and said "The Teranishi Village isn't an isolated case. Human nature, huh..."

Shinobu tilted her head up at Shinichi, puzzled.

"Teranishi Village? Blockhead Shinichi, what place is that? This village is called Kippei Village."

Shinichi shook his head. "That's another story, Shinobu. I'll tell you about it when I have time later. But for now, the mission comes first. Let's meet this legendary 'Oni'." As he spoke, Shinichi reached out and ruffled Shinobu hair.

This action naturally provoked great displeasure from Shinobu.

However, over time, she had grown accustomed to it. Though she would grumble unhappily, she couldn't be bothered to resist anymore, letting Shinichi mess up her hair.

Fortunately, her hair wasn't too long and was easy to tidy.

Having roughly understood the situation with the Demon, the next step was to lie in wait.

Kippei Village still had over a dozen households with elderly people approaching seventy years old, two of whom were bedridden with serious illnesses.

If the Oni Demon were to strike, it would likely target these two households first.

So Shinichi and Shinobu agreed to each watch one house, with the Kasugai Crow serving as immediate communication if anything happened.

Shinobu Kasugai Crow was named "En" a crow with a pleasant voice—at least far more pleasant than Eizo.

After Shinobu headed off first toward one of the households, Shinichi couldn't shake a sense of unease.

"Maru-ni, go follow Shinobu. If anything happens, make sure to protect her!" Shinichi crouched down and patted Maru-ni rear.

"Oww~" Maru-ni let out a reluctant whine, casting a resentful look at his master.

Bad master, always worrying about that little girl.

I was here first, and not only do you not care about me, but you even let her put me on a diet.

But grumbling aside, Maru-ni eventually wobbled his fat body into the darkness.

Shinichi had full confidence in Maru-ni strength.

Over the years of battles, it wasn't just Shinichi who had improved—Maru-ni had grown stronger too. Compared to the Demon Kurasuma from back then, the current Maru-ni could easily overpower over a dozen Karasumas.

[A/N : This random ass demon become a power measuring unit like kakashi with chakra :( ]

With Maru-ni watching over Shinobu from behind, Shinichi could finally relax.

He then hurried toward the other household.

***

The night, shrouded in clouds that obscured the moon, was eerily unsettling.

The faint moonlight filtering through the clouds barely illuminated the path ahead.

Perched on a tree branch like an elegant and nimble butterfly, the petite Shinobu Kocho carefully observed the house enveloped in darkness with her large violet eyes.

Time passed quickly, and just as Shinobu thought the Oni Demon wouldn't appear, a pair of sickly green eyes suddenly lit up on the dim rooftop of the house!

"It's here?" The moment she spotted the Demon, Shinobu small frame tensed up instantly.

At the same time, the Kasugai Crow "En" on her shoulder immediately flapped its wings and flew toward Shinichi location.

The flapping sound of the Kasugai Crow immediately drew the attention of those sickly green eyes. A fierce gaze instantly turned toward the tree where Shinobu Kocho was perched.

Under the faint moonlight, Shinobu could now clearly see the face of this oni-masked Demon.

Pale, wrinkled skin, long fangs and those eerie green eyes—its terrifying appearance truly resembled the mythical oni of legend!

Swish!

A uniquely shaped Nichirin Blade was swiftly drawn from Shinobu waist.

Her large violet eyes burned with determination.

"I can do this!"

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