Chapter 2
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After adapting to the newly fused template, Subaru Natsuki prepared to leave the mountain. Staying in the wilderness was more uncomfortable than taking a risk.
He had arrived with nothing after crossing over. He quickly ran down a visible path, moving with purpose. He didn't encounter any danger along the way.
It seemed that in the Demon Slayer world, demons weren't so numerous that you'd find one immediately. Subaru ran and jumped, eventually coming to the edge of a steep cliff.
There was a drop of hundreds of meters below. He stood on the edge and looked around, searching for any sign of civilization. He needed to find a place where people might be.
"Hey, I found something." A village could be vaguely seen in the distance to his left. He looked back at the mountain behind him.
He didn't know how long it would take to run around the base. It would be a massive waste of time and energy. He looked down at the cliff under his feet and took a deep breath.
"I'm a man with the Gojo template now," he said to himself. "How can I be afraid of a little height?" He encouraged himself internally, taking a few steps back.
He gritted his teeth, accelerated into a run, and jumped off the cliff. "Whoooooaaaa!" He couldn't help but shout out loud. This was the first time he had done anything so thrilling in his life.
No matter how exciting it was, he still had to use his technique. He activated Infinity mid-fall. Subaru landed steadily on the ground, or more precisely, he floated a fist's width above it.
After controlling his body, he let his feet touch the earth. He then quickly ran in the direction of the village he had spotted from the cliff. "I'm about to see a living person. I'm a little excited."
Subaru thought to himself, his pace involuntarily speeding up. He soon arrived at the entrance of the village. The settlement was completely silent at this hour.
Subaru didn't think too much of it at first. He walked up to a door and knocked gently a few times. "Knock, knock, knock. Is anyone there? I'm a traveler passing through, looking for a place to stay for the night."
He knocked for a while without any response. Subaru scratched his head in confusion. "Huh? No one home? Let's try another one."
He repeated the process at a second house. After knocking for a long time, there was still no response. Now, even Subaru, who was trying to stay optimistic, sensed a problem.
He used his Six Eyes and looked around carefully. "Something's wrong. Where did all the people in this village go?" His enhanced vision scanned the area.
He observed that most of the houses in the village were empty. He could vaguely see dark stains on the ground that looked like blood. With his guard up, Subaru remained alert, watching his surroundings.
In a world with demons, encountering such a situation meant a high probability of a demon being nearby. As expected, a sharp, terrified scream shattered the night's silence.
Subaru immediately sprinted toward the source of the sound. It came from the other side of the village. When he arrived, he saw the scene.
A demon that looked vaguely human, but was huge, with a greenish face, fangs, and two horns, was chasing two young children. "Hehehe, why are you running, little desserts?"
The demon spoke with a grotesque grin. "I saved you for last on purpose. The flesh and blood of children is the sweetest. Be good and let me eat you."
The demon opened its ferocious mouth, a scarlet tongue lolling out. It looked like a terrifying predator. The little boy in front desperately gripped his sister's hand, running as hard as he could.
"Brother, don't worry about me! Run faster, I can't keep up..." the little girl cried, urging her brother to save himself. "What are you saying?! I said I'd protect you!" the little boy's eyes were firm.
He knew he and his sister couldn't outrun the demon. Since they couldn't escape, he wouldn't run anymore. He grabbed a nearby wooden stick and turned to face the slowly approaching demon.
His trembling hands betrayed his fear, but the sister behind him gave him immense courage. "I'm not afraid of you, I'm not afraid of you..." he muttered, trying to steady his nerves.
The demon wore a cruel smile, seeming to enjoy this cat-and-mouse game. "Hehehe, why did you stop running? Keep running. Since you've stopped, I'm coming." The demon closed in on the two children.
The pre-meal warm-up was almost over. It was time to feast. The demon's vicious maw opened wide. It suddenly accelerated, its large body pouncing toward the two.
The little boy gritted his teeth and swung the stick, trying to stop the demon's attack. However, the next moment, a foot came flying from the side.
It connected hard with the demon's fat left cheek. The demon's entire head deformed from the impact. The tremendous force sent it flying backward instantly.
BOOM! The demon crashed into a nearby outhouse with a loud noise. Dust and an unpleasant stench billowed out. Subaru instinctively took a few steps back, covering his nose with his hand.
"How come Infinity doesn't block smells?" He waved his hand, trying to dispel the foul odor. He then turned to the two children, speaking to them softly.
"Don't be afraid, kids. Big brother is here to save you. Go wait over there for a moment, okay?" Subaru's gentle words pulled the children from their panic.
They were awakened from their nightmare. Their emotions suddenly rose from hell to heaven. The big brother in front of them had kicked that terrible monster away with one kick.
He would definitely defeat it. The little boy nodded, pulling his sister to move to the side. Before leaving, the little sister didn't forget to say to Subaru, "Big brother, be careful."
Subaru smiled and waved to her. What a lovely little girl, he thought. At that moment, there was movement in the collapsed outhouse behind him.
Subaru slowly turned around to look at the ruins. A large hand suddenly lifted the wooden plank covering it. The demon struggled to climb out of the rubble.
Its whole body was stained with unknown filth, emitting a revolting stench. "Ugh..." Subaru stepped back again, not out of fear, but because the creature was unbearably smelly.
The situation had been urgent earlier, and he hadn't paid attention. He had actually kicked the thing into a Toilet. The demon was now incandescent with rage.
It had been about to enjoy a delicious meal when this unknown guy suddenly appeared and kicked it away, interrupting its dinner. The demon carefully observed the boy in front of it.
Except for the unusual blue of his eyes, there was nothing special about him. Maybe he was just a bit stronger. Without a Nichirin Blade, he couldn't kill a demon.
After confirming that Subaru posed no real threat, the demon didn't want to hesitate. It wanted to make this guy know the consequences of interrupting its meal.
Its teeth ground together with a creaking sound. A gloomy, hate-filled voice came from its mouth. "I'll tear you to pieces and eat you bite by bite."
As soon as it finished speaking, it roared and charged at Subaru. Subaru endured his disgust, waiting until the demon was upon him. He then bent down and delivered a powerful kick.
He focused his Cursed Energy into his right leg, enhancing his physical strike. He aimed a hard kick at the demon's stomach. The demon showed a triumphant, vicious smile.
Stupid human, I'll get you first die!
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