Kawanishi stopped using the Hinokami Kagura breathing technique. His entire body abruptly relaxed, and his steps became slightly unsteady.
"My physique… the temporary boost from Hinokami Kagura burned through my internal energy, but some of it stayed behind and became a part of me…"
If that's how it worked, then if he could just convert that energy more efficiently into strength, Kawanishi felt it might be worth trying to maintain Hinokami Kagura for longer periods. But the pain… that searing, unbearable pain...
Still, he believed in himself. One day, he'd be able to endure it all. This time, the agony had already dulled—just a little.
"If I keep using it, I'll get used to it…"
Kawanishi decided to leave the town. His body was still buzzing from battle, and his heightened senses made it difficult to calm down and return to a human-like appearance.
"Guess I'll just go."
"I'll head west. Better than scaring people by walking back through the center."
"This is too much…"
He couldn't forget the look of fear in Yoshisuke's eyes. The fear humans felt toward demons—it ran deep, rooted in their bones.
Humans were strange creatures. They had a certain affection for humanoid but clearly artificial things—like stuffed animals, dolls.
But once something crossed a certain threshold of similarity—when it became too human but still not quite right—they began to fear it. And demons… sat right at the peak of that fear.
Only when something looked completely human again did the fear disappear.
Honestly, while Kawanishi understood Yoshisuke's terror, he still felt a bit bitter. He'd just risked his life to save the whole town, and this was the thanks he got?
He wasn't a saint. He could stay calm in battle, but once the fighting was over, he had emotions too.
"Sigh… Can't blame them, though…"
All that frustration turned into a single sigh. He didn't blame anyone. This was just the way the world worked—he couldn't change it, and neither could anyone else.
All he could do was live by his conscience.
Kawanishi turned and headed west, retracing the battlefield where he'd fought Duko and Royuna, and followed the road the two demons had originally taken.
Along the way, he walked in silence, growing more somber with every step as he saw the bodies scattered across the ground.
Some townspeople had escaped, but many hadn't. So many had died by demonic hands. And Kawanishi couldn't save them all—he was just one person.
"I just wonder… where is Shinobu Kocho?"
If it were her, with her speed and strength, these four demons wouldn't have stood a chance.
But even though the town was burning and glowing so brightly in the night, he hadn't seen any sign of her.
Had she left already? Maybe she didn't know what was happening here.
Eventually, Kawanishi exited the town and stepped into the Blue Haze Mountains, planning to take another route down toward the main road.
But the moment he entered the forest, he froze.
Everything around him felt… off.
The ground was littered with fallen trees and craters—like the aftermath of a demolition site. It was a scene of complete devastation.
"What happened here…?"
"…That smell."
He could faintly hear sounds of combat up ahead, and the trees in that direction looked like they were still being knocked over.
Someone was fighting.
On the ground, he found a torn sleeve. The pattern on it looked like butterfly wings.
If he remembered correctly, Shinobu's haori was covered in that exact design.
He lifted the cloth to his nose and sniffed.
A familiar floral scent.
"This is definitely Shinobu's."
Besides the faint fragrance of her body, he also picked up two distinct blood scents. One of them, more pleasant, was likely hers. The other—acrid and pungent—had to belong to a demon.
And then, there was a third scent—thick, overwhelming, powerful.
"That must be the one Ma Gui called 'Akaza-sama'…"
"Looks like Shinobu is fighting him. That's why she hasn't come to the town—she's been held up by Akaza."
Kawanishi no longer cared if he exposed himself. He unfolded all four of his wings, preparing to rush in and help—
—but then hesitated.
He slowed his steps, frowning.
"There's blood from both of them here, but Shinobu's scent is far stronger… Does that mean she's losing?"
He didn't know for sure. But if someone could keep a fighter as strong as Shinobu at bay this long—maybe even push her back—then that enemy had to be immensely powerful.
And if Shinobu really was on the losing end…
Kawanishi felt a wave of unease. He didn't know her full strength, but he was certain of one thing:
She could kill him in an instant.
Even now, after gaining his steel-like skin, he didn't think he'd last a second.
"What do I do? Shinobu is already unimaginably strong… and this Akaza might be even stronger. Do I even stand a chance?"
"From Duko's memories, Akaza could shatter her body with a single punch…"
It wasn't that he didn't want to help her.
Those enchanting, two-colored eyes of hers… they were engraved in his mind. Of course he wanted to save her.
But charging in blindly wasn't bravery—it was just dying with conviction.
Boldly rushing in would just mean boldly handing Akaza his head.
He needed to hesitate. He needed to think. He had to find a way to actually help her.
The battle up ahead hadn't stopped yet. Shinobu was still holding out.
"Hang in there just a little longer, Shinobu…"
If he just rushed in now, the most likely outcome would be getting turned into dust by one of Akaza's casual punches—and making absolutely no difference.
"What can I do? What strengths do I have? How can I actually be useful?"
Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?
This wasn't some philosophical question—it was self-assessment.
To find the answer, he had to understand what made him different. Only then could he find a way to intervene effectively.
As he reflected on his battles with the four demons, one recurring theme came to mind—
His own nature.
He was a demon.
To Demon Slayers, demons were enemies to kill. But to other demons? He was one of them. That meant they let their guard down.
Ma Gui had practically treated him like a brother.
He'd been able to kill Ma Gui and Watakuchi in large part because they didn't see him as a threat. Even taking down Royuna had been easier thanks to Duko's assumption that demons couldn't kill each other.
"A demon…"
"To think… the very thing I once hated about myself might now be the only card I can play."
Being a demon—that was Kawanishi's one edge in facing Akaza.
"But if she sees what I really am… what will she think?"
His thoughts drifted to Shinobu. He cared what she thought. He still held onto some foolish, hopeful fantasy about her.
"Please… don't see me as an enemy…"
With a quiet sigh, Kawanishi turned and started walking toward the sounds of battle.
(End of Chapter)