Demon Slayer: I am a Demon.

"I really want to sleep in."

Makomo muttered something, but she moved quickly. She got out of bed, changed her clothes, washed up, and then went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for her favorite chef, Urokodaki Sakonji.

After doing all this, the girl picked up her Nichirin Blade, walked out of the courtyard, and then gently clenched her fist towards the sky: "Makomo, you have to do your best today!"

The girl's voice was soft, ethereal, and very pleasant to hear.

Makomo's daily training session has begun.

Soon, the soft shouts of a petite girl and the sound of a Nichirin Blade being swung echoed through the spacious courtyard.

As the sun rose, sweat gradually appeared on the girl's forehead, and her breathing became heavier.

Without the tengu mask, revealing a gentle face, Urokodaki Sakonji ate the breakfast that Makomo had prepared for him in his room. He also heard Makomo training. While eating, he looked at the fox mask with Makomo's closed eyes and smiling face hanging on the wall.

He made many such masks, but eventually collected and sealed them away. Now, only two of these masks remain.

One is right in front of them, and the other is in the hands of Giyu Tomioka.

However, after the 'Fujiyama' assessment, Giyu Tomioka sent a letter saying that he had a mission to hunt down demons and would not be returning for the time being.

Urokodaki Sakonji knew that Giyuu hadn't returned from a mission to hunt demons, but rather that he was too afraid to come back. Giyuu was deeply remorseful, but how could his master possibly blame him? He was too busy blaming himself.

"This year, the new 'Fujikasayama' swordsman examination is about to begin."

He murmured

He abruptly put down his chopsticks, his fingers unconsciously clenching, and the sounds of his disciples training around him became incredibly noisy.

"call……"

Taking a deep breath, Urokodaki Sakonji put on his tengu mask, covering his gentle face. Under the fierce tengu mask, the old man's figure became majestic.

Stepping out of the room, in the courtyard, Makomo was still training, and you could see drops of sweat streaming down her forehead.

Very hardworking, very hardworking.

But the disciple's diligent training left Urokodaki Sakonji speechless.

"Master, have you eaten the breakfast I prepared for you?"

Makomo practiced several more times before stopping, her breathing becoming somewhat rapid. She looked at Urokodaki Sakonji and asked him with great concern.

"Ate."

Urokodaki Sakonji nodded, looked at Makomo whose face was already covered in sweat, hesitated for a moment, and then whispered, "How about this year's 'Fujikatayama'..."

As if she already knew what her master was going to say, Makomo clenched her fist at her master and said excitedly, "Master, I will definitely succeed in this year's 'Fujisakuyama' swordsman examination."

Urokodaki Sakonji opened his mouth, wanting to say something to dissuade him.

"By the way, Master, how's the information I asked you to find out last time?"

Makomo suddenly interrupted Urokodaki Sakonji, who was about to say something.

Urokodaki Sakonji fell silent for a moment.

"They must have hunted down quite a few evil spirits again, otherwise they wouldn't have failed to contact me until now."

Makomo sheathed her Nichirin Blade and walked up to her master. When they parted last time, Hiroshi Furukawa had said that he would invite Kyojuro Rengoku to dinner soon and that he would invite him along.

On the eve of her final 'Fujikakuyama' test, she also wanted to ask the 'Flame Pillar' for some advice, hoping to hear some different demon-slaying experience from Master Urokodaki.

But since their last parting, there has been no news from Hiroshi Furukawa.

"already……."

Urokodaki Sakonji turned his head and looked away.

"Is he already off on another ghost-hunting mission? How infuriating."

Makomo pouted, somewhat complaining. Only in front of her most respected master Urokodaki would Makomo show her childlike side.

"He has...sacrificed himself."

Urokodaki Sakonji gently opened his mouth.

In an instant, Makomo's small hands clenched slightly. That journey of hunting demons together, though arduous and difficult, was also unforgettable.

During her first demon hunt, everyone took good care of her and diligently taught her demon hunting experience, as well as many things about wilderness survival. A man named Hiroshi Furukawa seemed to like her. Although she didn't like him, she didn't dislike him either; in fact, she admired and respected him.

She even worried about how she would refuse if Hiroshi Furukawa said "I like you" or something similar during their next meeting. She had even thought of how to avoid embarrassing or disappointing him.

But I never expected... to receive such terrible news.

It's hard to accept

That's unacceptable.

"That squad was all wiped out; not a single one survived."

Urokodaki Sakonji spoke again.

For a moment, Makomo's body swayed slightly. Were all her former comrades dead? So tragic? So heartbreaking...

The girl gripped the Nichirin Blade tightly, her heart filled with helplessness and sorrow. From the very beginning of her memory, it seemed that her life had been a constant cycle of losing very important people.

One by one, our beloved senior brothers and sisters went to 'Tengxi Mountain' and were eventually lost.

Even Sabito, who was closest to him, was lost a year ago at Fujikasane.

Even partners who had only recently started working together were all lost.

Every loss is related to ghosts.

Every important person in the world had their life cruelly taken by the ghost.

Now, all she has left are Yoshiyuki Tomioka and her master.

"How did he die?"

Makomo lowered her head, her toes kicking the stone steps, but her tone was deliberately light, as if she wasn't sad at all.

Urokodaki Sakonji didn't see any pain on Makomo's face, but his nose could smell the sadness on his disciple.

The scent of sorrow was so intense.

Although I really don't want to tell you about such a sad thing, these things can't be solved by hiding them; one day I will have to face them.

If this were said now, perhaps the greatly affected disciple would no longer participate in the 'Mount Fujiki' assessment?

He didn't want to lose his last disciple.

Amidst a sea of ​​worried gazes, Urokodaki Sakonji revealed what he knew.

Makomo then learned that Hiroshi Furukawa had died fighting a demon on the day they parted ways, which caused her heart to clench with pain.

if

If that day

If I had lingered a little longer, would I have been able to rewrite this tragic ending?

Will things change?

Would they then be spared from dying?

I feel so guilty, so incredibly guilty.

I feel an overwhelming sense of remorse for leaving so early. If I had stayed a little longer, perhaps this wouldn't have happened.

"What about the ghost that killed them?"

Makomo raised her head, biting her lip, and looked at her beloved Master Urokodaki.

"It rained heavily that day, washing away all traces. The swordsman who arrived couldn't track it down, and the ghost got away."

Urokodaki Sakonji told him the truth.

Did they escape?

Makomo gripped the hilt of her Nichirin Blade tightly, her teeth clenched.

"No, we won't let that ghost get away."

Chapter 98 There's no way they can escape my control (1/4)

Enclosed cave

Akaza trained frantically as usual, his fists, imbued with fighting spirit, causing almost explosive damage with every punch that struck the mountain wall.

The entire cave was on the verge of collapse under such bombardment.

"Boom!"

When the final punch was unleashed, even the cave formed from solid rock could not withstand Akaza's continuous impact. With a sound of cracks expanding under the strain, the entire cave collapsed, even causing a small section of the mountain to cave in.

Countless stones crashed down, smashing everything around them into deep craters.

Stones flew and dust billowed.

"Bah ah..."

Amidst the flying dust and stones, Akaza burst out of the deep burrow, spitting out the dust he had inadvertently inhaled.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, Akaza abruptly raised his head.

A tall, pale-skinned young man with black hair, plum-shaped eyes, and wearing tight black clothes appeared not far away.

"Greetings, Your Excellency."

Akaza immediately knelt on one knee, but his tone showed no respect whatsoever.

"For so many years, as the Upper Moon Three of the Twelve Demon Moons, you still haven't completely wiped out the Ubuyashiki clan. In fact, in recent years, you haven't even killed a single Pillar. It's truly disappointing."

As he spoke, the young man's eyes turned bloodshot, filled with ferocity and cruelty: "Do you want me to take back the blood I gave you?"

"It's my fault for not doing my job well. However, the 'Ubuyashiki' clan is really hard to find, and there isn't a single 'pillar' among them..."

Akaza immediately explained that while he might not care about other things, taking back his blood was unacceptable, because it meant a decrease in his own strength, which was something Akaza, who pursued power, could not accept under any circumstances.

Muzan Kibutsuji didn't speak, he just stared at Akaza, and then suddenly reached out his hand.

Akaza's expression changed slightly, and after a moment's hesitation, Muzan Kibutsuji's hand was already on his head.

The memories were shared all at once, and Akaza's experiences during this period also surfaced in Muzan Kibutsuji's mind.