The tension in the air was palpable, but as Tanjiro stepped into the clearing, his nose twitched violently.
He didn't draw his sword. Instead, his expression shifted from wariness to utter confusion.
"You..."
Tanjiro started, his voice soft.
"You smell…nice. But there's a scent of a demon coming from your skin, even though you are human."
Okarun stood up, wiping the steam from his forehead. The violet marks on his arms were still humming from the Akaza energy he'd just digested.
"We're not demons,"
He said, trying to keep his voice steady.
"We just... had a run-in with one though."
Tanjiro's eyes widened.
"And you all are safe, thank goodness?"
"Yeah, thank goodness and wait….My name is Takamura Ken. I have something to ask you. Have you met Hashira? Or been to the Mugen Train?"
Tanjiro tilted his head, looking baffled.
"My name is Kamado Tanjiro. Hashira? No, I have never met them. And I don't know what a 'Mugen Train' is. My little.sister, Nezuko and I are just heading toward a mountain called Natagumo."
Momo let out a long breath.
"Natagumo? That's the Spider Family arc. Okarun, we're way earlier in the story than that castle fight."
"It means the powerful 'Food' isn't concentrated in one place yet,"
Makima observed, her eyes tracking the box on Tanjiro's back.
She could sense the presence of Nezuko inside—a demon who didn't eat humans. It fascinated her.
"The Upper Moons are scattered. We are in the early days of the conflict."
Tanjiro, being naturally kind, offered them some of his dried rations.
They sat by a small fire as the moon reached its peak.
"If you're going to Natagumo,"
Okarun said, looking at the Golden Path on his palm. It was glowing.
"We would go with you."
"You would help us?"
Tanjiro smiled, his scent radiating pure gratitude.
"That would be wonderful. My friend Zenitsu is probably crying at the foot of the mountain by now, and Inosuke is... well, he's probably charging in blindly."
Okarun realized that in this era, he was essentially an overpowered entity compared to even Muzan.
"Ayase-san,"
Okarun whispered to Momo.
"If we help Tanjiro, we can harvest the energy of the Spider Clan. It's better than jumping into another random castle and getting surrounded."
Momo nodded.
"Plus, we can make sure these kids don't get killed. But what about her?"
She gestured toward Makima, who was currently showing Tanjiro how to fold a piece of paper into a perfect bird, her "Love" contract making her appear like a gentle, older sister.
"As long as she's with me, she's safe,"
Okarun said.
"But we need to find me a Nichirin sword. If I'm going to eat these demon clean, I need to be able to cut them properly."
As dawn approached, the group began their trek.
Okarun felt his strength returning. The Akaza energy was finally settling, giving his Phase-Step Mirror a new, predatory edge.
9/10