Chapter Text
Darkness descended in the form of night, like a colossal monster swallowing up the prosperity of the human world.
As long as demons still existed, there was never any tranquility or peace to speak of at night, only the anxiety and dread of ordinary people, and the constant rushing of the members of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Shinobu crossed the moonlit river and arrived at this dilapidated house far away from the village.
"Are you a Hashira?" the ugly and enormous demon asked, staring at Shinobu, showing no sign of fear or intention to flee.
"Honestly....," Shinobu smiled dismissively yet politely, "....you're not even one of the Twelve Kizuki, yet you remain completely unmoved upon seeing me. How disrespectful..."
"So what if you're a Hashira?" The demon laughed loudly, its open mouth like an abyss.
"Those who aspire to become the strongest swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps are precisely the ones with the heaviest inner demons. This might've once been your motivation, but my beautiful Hashira lady, today it will become your fatal weakness."
Only then did Shinobu realize that this was a demon that drew its power from devouring the darkness of human nature.
Paranoia, jealousy, hypocrisy, and hatred were all nourishment for this demon. It devoured humans while simultaneously absorbing their malice to nourish itself.
However, it didn't like to eat wicked people, because they were too filthy and wretched. Only the malice occasionally born from normally kind people possessed enough power, serving as the essence that fueled its growth.
Sometimes she had an inclination to play tricks on demons, but the ugly thing in front of her wasn't enough to entice her to do so.
"Insect Breathing, Dance of the Dragonfly: Compound Eye Hexagon " Shinobu unleashed her technique while the demon was still gloating.
The poison on her Nichirin Blade could've easily killed such an obscure demon. But to her surprise, the toxins that had entered the demon's body through the cuts turned completely into mist, billowing up from the gashes on its body.
"I told you, your drive will also become your weakness," the demon said smugly. "Your anger and hypocrisy have become my best defense."
Shinobu realized it. This demon was different from others. As long as she had distracting thoughts in her own heart, they would all work in her opponent's favor.
And Shinobu, who always wore a deliberate smile but whose heart was forever trapped in anger and hatred, was undoubtedly this demon's favorite opponent.
Just as it said, Shinobu possessed a compassionate will. In order to spare more people from the suffering of losing their dearest family members as she and her sister had, she had gone to Himejima Gyomei's side and later joined the Demon Slayer Corps, giving her a genuinely kind soul.
However, because of her sister's passing, that heart had been soaked in anger and obsession, becoming the very nourishment this demon eagerly flocked to.
"Miss Hashira, now it's my turn."
Mist seeped from the gashes on the demon's body once again, and this time it was black, the accumulated malice of human hearts over many years, continuously emanating a disgusting stench.
Just as Shinobu reacted, the mist transformed into black spikes, piercing into her body one after another. She successfully dissolved those spikes by relying on the wisteria poison inside her body, but discovered that those puncture marks all turned into mottled sores, oozing disgusting slime.
"I'm really angry..." Shinobu maintained her smile as much as possible.
This was not a smile directed at the demon, but her habitual gesture. Those sores were throbbing with pain, but it wasn't yet enough to affect Shinobu's performance.
"Insect Breathing, Butterfly Dance: Caprice!"
High-speed, continuous thrusts injected venom into the demon's body once more.
But history repeated itself. It was still blocked by the opponent's defense and backfired onto her body.
"I told you, as long as you still have inner demons, it'll be very difficult for you to deal with me."
These words served as a reminder to Shinobu.
However, her inner demons had resided in her heart for too long, almost becoming one with her. As long as that terrifying Upper Rank Two still existed, she would never have a way to reconcile.
Her sister was her last remaining relative. She had sacrificed herself at dawn, departing like a night that would never return, and taking away Shinobu's final vestige of self.
The demon's words, that she was hypocritical and angry, were not false at all.
She still had Kanao, Aoi, and the girls of the Butterfly Mansion, so she had to sustain herself with that hypocritical yet mature smile. She could no longer be as easily angered and straightforward as before, because she had to reassure those children.
But she could hardly suppress her anger and hatred. Those emotions were as stubborn as the existence of Upper Rank Two. They could be disguised, but they couldn't fade away.
Yet now, facing this vicious demon who was adept at exploiting human nature, those emotions turned into numerous wounds upon her body.
For every few times she attacked, she would receive just as many backlashes, until she could no longer bear the pain and collapsed limply to the ground.
She could no longer use the wisteria poison within her body. It had accumulated for too long and was very precious, prepared specifically for that powerful demon of Upper Rank Two, and couldn't be wasted on a demon like this.
"Your emotions are too delicious, Miss Hashira, but you're also too beautiful, making me reluctant to devour you." The vicious demon revealed a disgusting expression, causing Shinobu's stomach to turn.
"Then do you know?" Shinobu glanced sideways at it. "Human emotions are very complex. They have more than just one face."
"But your current emotions happen to be exactly the face I like."
"Then they don't have to be."
A hypocritical smile could be put away, and anger could also be transformed into unwavering determination.
This was a positive emotion and would not become the nourishment craved by this demon condensed from malice.
"Insect Breathing, Butterfly Dance: Caprice!"
"Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash..."
At the same moment Shinobu successfully injected the poison into the vicious demon's body at high speed, another technique appeared, severing the demon's head.
The demon's head slumped to the ground, while its body, owing to the effects of Shinobu's toxins, was still emitting painful wails.
"Tomioka-san? Why are you here?" Shinobu asked, puzzled, though the pain arising from the dense cluster of sores all over her body made her voice somewhat weak.
Giyuu maintained his usual deadpan, serious expression.
Shinobu took out the medicine she carried with her, preparing to mix an injection for her own treatment.
"Then wait for me a moment, we'll return together."
"Mm."
However, before Shinobu could finish mixing the medicine, the demon's corpse unexpectedly exploded.
"Blood Demon Art: Cage of Evil..."
The demon's silhouette vanished, but both Shinobu and Giyuu could clearly perceive that a very solid barrier had appeared around this dilapidated house.
The Nichirin Blade had no effect whatsoever. Even after Giyuu unleashed several techniques in succession, that layer of barrier remained completely unmoved.
"Hahahahahahahahaha..." The demon's voice echoed from the void. "It's useless! This is the residual will of my body, entirely condensed from the malice of humans. The reason it's so solid is because you two powerful, yet extremely paranoid and hypocritical people, have nourished my final strength. You'll be trapped here until you die of exhaustion! My death has paid for the lives of two Hashira. Muzan-sama will be proud of me!"
Giyuu unleashed a technique once again, but still could not budge the barrier in the slightest.
"Relax first, Tomioka-san," Shinobu finished preparing the injection, unbuttoned the top of her corps uniform jacket and slid it halfway down, rolled the sleeve of her shirt up to her shoulder, and then calmly plunged the needle into her own arm.
"I've dealt with this demon before. The more forceful you are, the less effective it is."
"Do you have a way?" Giyuu asked indifferently.
Shinobu shook her head, revealing her trademark fake smile.
"The demon's already dead. We can't find its true form to attack."
"Then will this barrier dissipate because of its death?"
Shinobu shook her head once more.
"According to what it just said, it's our obsessions that are nourishing this barrier now. It won't dissipate because of its death."
"Obsessions..." Giyuu fell into confusion.
"This demon grows larger by being nourished by the extreme emotions of humans, like paranoia, jealousy, hypocrisy, and hatred... Unfortunately, both of us might possess these emotions."
"Then how did you deal with it just now?"
"Honesty, and determination." Shinobu leaned back against the wall.
Since the injection hadn't yet taken effect, she was still somewhat weak.
"I discovered that the angrier I became, the less effective my techniques were against it, and instead, they would turn back to harm me. Later I realized that this is simply a demon that toys with human emotions, but it doesn't understand the complexity of humans. If you shift your negative emotions a little, then it'll be effective against it."
"I don't have any emotions."
Just as Giyuu finished speaking, he perceived that the barrier had become a bit more solid again.
"Ara, see there, Tomioka-san, your lie has nourished this barrier."
"Then what should we do?" Giyuu was somewhat impatient.
"We can try to be more frank," Shinobu said. "Say the things you want to say, do the things you want to do, keep your state of mind a bit more peaceful, and temporarily put aside your hatred. Perhaps that'll be a good solution."
