Chu Yang was still debating whether he should pretend to be a customer—buy some oden and casually strike up a conversation with Tanjuro Kamado—so the man wouldn't grow suspicious.
Before he could decide, a peculiar stench drifted through the air, abruptly cutting off his train of thought.
He followed the smell with his eyes.
It was coming from a carpentry shop across the street.
The small boy beside Tanjuro Kamado seemed to have caught the scent as well. His face twisted in instinctive disgust, though he was still too young to understand what that smell truly represented.
After a moment of consideration, Chu Yang decided it would be better to deal with the demon hiding inside the carpentry shop first—then worry about Tanjuro afterward.
"Ah, that reminds me," Tanjuro said after unloading all the charcoal. He coughed a few times, then bent down to speak gently to the boy. "Nezuko told me before we left that she wanted a toy. Tanjiro, how about we go buy something for your sister?"
"Okay! Let's buy a toy for Nezuko!" the young boy replied excitedly.
The "toys" Tanjuro had in mind were nothing fancy—just inexpensive wooden trinkets. The carpentry shop directly across the street sold exactly that sort of thing.
Yet today, the shop—normally open early—remained tightly shut.
Tanjuro planned to knock. If the owner was home, he would politely ask to buy a few toys.
Given Tanjuro's personality, if he hadn't already promised Nezuko, he would never have gone out of his way to trouble someone else.
Father and son held hands as they walked toward the carpentry shop.
Little Tanjiro Kamado skipped along happily, tugging at his father's hand.
"Careful, Tanjiro," Tanjuro reminded him softly, completely unaware that a tall figure had stepped into their path.
"This shop is closed. Come back another day."
Hearing the voice, Tanjuro looked up and saw Chu Yang standing between them and the carpentry shop. He frowned slightly, but still explained politely, "Sorry. I urgently need to have something made. If I cause the owner any trouble, I'll apologize properly."
Then, adhering to his belief that less trouble was always better, Tanjuro led his son around Chu Yang and continued toward the shop.
Chu Yang sighed.
A stubbornly kind person, once set on something, was surprisingly difficult to deal with.
He followed after them.
Having practiced the Fire God Kagura—Sun Breathing—for years, Tanjuro possessed senses far sharper than ordinary people despite his chronic illness. He noticed Chu Yang trailing behind and a flicker of concern crossed his eyes.
From the young man's presence alone, Tanjuro could tell Chu Yang was no ordinary person. He knew his own physical condition well—if the man meant harm, any confrontation would end badly for him regardless of the outcome.
Unconsciously, Tanjuro quickened his pace, hoping to buy the toys quickly and leave as soon as possible.
Sensing his father's anxiety, Tanjiro stopped fooling around and followed closely, tension written on his small face.
He didn't understand why his father was so uneasy.
Was it because of the big brother behind them?
But that big brother didn't seem like a bad person…
He didn't have the smell of a bad person at all.
Before he realized it, Tanjuro was standing at the carpentry shop door, raising his hand to knock.
Suddenly, a powerful hand grabbed his wrist.
"That's going too far!" Tanjuro snapped, glaring as he hesitated over whether he should strike.
Chu Yang made an unexpected gesture—placing a finger to his lips, signaling Tanjuro to stay quiet.
Tanjuro froze.
The young man didn't look like he was looking for trouble.
At that moment, Tanjiro's expression turned to pure terror. He tugged frantically at his father's hand and pointed at the shop.
"Father! There's the smell of blood inside! So much blood!"
Tanjuro's face changed instantly.
He knew how extraordinary Tanjiro's sense of smell was—there was no way the boy could be wrong. Which meant the shop truly reeked of blood.
Coupled with the fact that the carpentry shop hadn't opened all day, Tanjuro immediately realized the owner might already be dead.
But then—
How did this young man know?
Tanjuro looked at Chu Yang in confusion.
Chu Yang leaned in and whispered a single word near his ear.
Tanjuro stared at him in disbelief.
He had always believed such creatures existed only in legends.
A demon.
"You don't believe me, do you?" Chu Yang said calmly. He placed his hand on the door and spoke softly. "That demon is right behind this door."
Tanjuro quickly pulled his son back, unease flooding his heart despite his doubts.
"As long as you stay in the sunlight, you'll be fine," Chu Yang said, gripping the handle and preparing to open the door. This demon was the very reason he had come to this town.
A demon daring to remain in a town during daylight was practically courting death. Such creatures should live like rats—hiding in dark sewers.
"Wait!" Tanjuro said nervously. "If it really is a demon… what are you going to do?"
"What am I going to do?" Chu Yang chuckled. "Kill it, of course. I'm a demon hunter."
"A demon hunter…" Tanjuro murmured. Childhood stories his parents had told him surfaced in his mind—tales of demon hunters, and of some vague connection between them and his family.
The Fire God Kagura…
He couldn't help thinking of the secret art passed down through his lineage.
Tanjiro tilted his head, unable to fully understand what his father and the big brother were talking about.
But he could feel it.
That big brother was about to do something dangerous.
"If you're scared, take your son and leave," Chu Yang said, offering one final warning. "Once I'm done here, I'll come visit you."
But Tanjuro asked instead, "As long as we stay in the sunlight… we'll really be safe?"
Sensing that Tanjuro was desperate for confirmation of a demon's existence, Chu Yang said nothing more. He forcefully yanked the door open, drawing the attention of nearby shopkeepers.
"Hey! What are you doing destroying someone else's shop? Tanjuro, stop that guy!" the oden stall owner shouted angrily from across the street.
Tanjuro didn't follow the man's command.
Instead, the moment Chu Yang tore the door open, he swiftly retreated with Tanjiro.
Chu Yang walked alone into the dark interior of the shop.
Inside, it was pitch-black—no light at all. Outside, the sun was already sinking toward dusk, its rays unable to reach into the depths of the carpentry shop.
"Honestly, what are you people even thinking?!" the oden shop owner grumbled as he stormed over, furious at seeing Chu Yang break in so brazenly.
"Stay here—don't go any closer!" Tanjuro grabbed the man urgently, terrified he might rush inside without thinking.
"What's gotten into you today, Tanjuro? You're nothing like your usual self!" the owner said in shock. Shaking off Tanjuro's hand, he stubbornly continued toward the carpentry shop.
(End of Chapter)