Chapter 21: Could You Give Me the Child? |
The rescued girl was, predictably, the future adoptive sister of Shinobu Kocho, Kanao Tsuyuri. A girl of extraordinary talent, she would reach the level of a Hashira by the age of fifteen, surpassing even Shinobu and Kanae Kocho. With her refined technique and powerful skills, she stood as a formidable figure even among the strongest Demon Slayers.
Naturally.
At the moment, she was nothing more than a small child with no will to live, her eyes blinking blankly as Kanae and Shinobu led her along like a marionette.
No desires, no actions—only a total indifference to the world.
Phew!
Kanae and Shinobu led the child further away from the bustling city center.
The crowds gradually thinned.
Soon, the sisters slowed their pace.
"That was quite a scene, but..." Kanae shook her head and looked down at Kanao with pity, ignoring the girl's filth and smell. "Such a poor girl."
Shinobu didn't mind the idea of looking after the child; after all, their own parents had been killed by demons when they were young. She felt a deep sense of empathy for someone in such a dire situation.
Kanae felt the same. Her rescue had been an impulsive act, but now that it was done, she couldn't imagine abandoning the girl to her fate. "Alright."
"Will you come home with us?" Kanae asked the little girl.
But the child only continued to blink like a porcelain doll. There was no answer, no spark in her hollow eyes, and her small body didn't even stir.
"Let's go..." Kanae murmured with a heavy sigh, gently stroking the girl's head as she turned to Shinobu.
"Mhm," Shinobu nodded, beginning to lead the girl toward their home.
As they moved further from the center, the crowds vanished entirely, leaving only dilapidated houses on the city's edge.
Walking along the quiet street.
Kanae and Shinobu suddenly slowed to a halt.
Standing directly in the middle of the road was a man wearing a simple kimono and wooden sandals. He possessed an exceptionally handsome, pleasant face and mesmerizing silver hair.
Normally, the sisters wouldn't have stopped for a stranger in their path, but this was different.
They felt it—simply felt it.
That he was waiting specifically for them!
It was impossible to say where this premonition came from. Perhaps it was the intuition and instinct shared by those who transcended the ordinary.
As the sisters stopped, the young man addressed them.
"Could you give me the child?" he asked in a soft voice.
At those words, Shinobu and Kanae looked at the girl between them before exchanging startled glances.
They had vaguely sensed he was waiting for them, but they hadn't been overly worried. At most, they were cautious, having seen much in their time.
Who would have thought he was after the girl they had just rescued?
The sisters were bewildered.
Of course, they had no intention of handing her over to a total stranger with unknown motives.
"I'm sorry, but we aren't selling this girl, no matter what price you offer," Shinobu said coldly.
Yeruashi remained silent, merely casting a deep, searching look at Shinobu that made her feel intensely uncomfortable. Just as she felt she could no longer bear his gaze, he finally spoke.
"You should follow your sister's example and smile more often," he said, his voice remaining gentle as a light smile played on his lips.
The current Shinobu wore all her emotions on her sleeve. Such straightforward, blunt girls certainly had their charm, but the gentle and mature Kanae was far more attractive!
Shinobu froze in place at Yeruashi's remark.
She felt a surge of irritation rise within her, and her delicate hands clenched into fists. 'This is outright harassment!'
But before Shinobu could act on her impulse, Kanae stepped in front of her, cooling her sister's temper while shielding her from the stranger.
"I completely agree, my sister really should smile more often. So, would you mind... getting out of our way?" Kanae asked with her usual tenderness and a polite smile.
"Well, at least listen to the offer first," Yeruashi replied nonchalantly, his gaze drifting past Kanae to look at Shinobu again.
"We already told you, the price doesn't matter!" Shinobu snapped, barely managing to keep her cool thanks to her older sister's presence.
"And what if I offer to change destiny?" Yeruashi continued, pressing his point with unshakeable calm.
"Hmm..." Shinobu frowned.
Now, this strange man seemed outright delusional to her.
Deciding there was no point wasting time on a madman, she turned to Kanae. "Let's go, Sister."
"Mhm," Kanae nodded softly, also concluding that the stranger was mentally unstable, though she maintained her polite smile. "Thank you very much, but we must be on our way."
After those words.
The sisters began to lead the girl forward together.
Although the stranger continued to block their path, they intended to simply walk around him, sensing no demonic aura from him.
One step...
Two steps...
Three steps...
The sisters moved to pass him, the girl walking between them.
But as they came level with Yeruashi, Shinobu and Kanae froze in unison, their eyes widening in shock.
To their side.
The stranger hadn't moved an inch. But the girl they had been holding by the hands from both sides had somehow, inexplicably, appeared right next to him!
The girl herself stood passively by Yeruashi's side, showing no reaction to what had happened; not even a trace of surprise flickered in her eyes.
What the hell?!
Kanae and Shinobu looked at each other with pure bewilderment, their previous composure vanishing like mist in the wind.
What had actually happened in the moment they walked past him, still holding the girl's hands?
The two Demon Slayers lost their calm in an instant.
Confusion was etched onto their faces, and their hearts hammered against their ribs.
Shinobu was particularly shaken. It was one thing if she had missed it, but the fact that her older sister hadn't reacted either was what truly terrified her!
One of the Hashira hadn't even registered the movement!
Not even an Upper Rank demon should have been able to snatch a girl from right under Kanae's nose without her noticing a thing!
Who on earth was he...
This silver-haired stranger?!