12 Vol. III Demon Slayer: Floating Comment

Clang! Clang!

Clang! Clang!

Haruto's eye twitched as he glanced over at his two disciples, both furiously hacking away at a round boulder with their swords.

"Hahaha… It's noisy, isn't it?" Sabito couldn't help but chuckle. "We were just as loud back then, banging away at the boulder with Giyu at the door. Eventually, Urokodaki-senesei couldn't take it anymore and dragged the stone deep into the mountains."

"Makomo didn't really do much cutting," Sabito continued, his voice softening. "She seemed to think for a long time and then… just split the stone in one swing."

"That's because Makomo's a clever girl," Haruto replied.

Sabito's gaze lingered on Genya and Tanjiro, their sweat gleaming in the sun as they poured their energy into each strike. His expression grew nostalgic.

"So, why are you here this time?" Haruto turned to Sabito, raising an eyebrow. "You can't have come just to hang around with a couple of rookies who haven't even joined the Corps yet."

Sabito nodded. "I've got some news to pass along. It seems that on November 15th, Tokyo will host the Shichi-Go-San Festival. It's a big celebration, and there will be many children out on the streets. But in previous years, dozens of kids have gone missing during the festival. The police suspected human traffickers but never found any leads. Headquarters now believes a powerful demon might be behind it, one that only appears during this time of year.

"Oyakata-sama has assigned us to assist Rengoku Kyojuro, the Flame Hashira, in Tokyo. Our mission is to eliminate the demon and maintain order in the city."

Shichi-Go-San is a traditional Japanese festival celebrated on November 15th. Boys aged 3 and 5 and girls aged 3 and 7 dress in their finest kimono or haori to visit shrines and pray for good health. Tokyo, being the bustling capital, transforms into a sea of joy and festivity during this time.

But the idea of a demon preying on children during such a joyous celebration was infuriating.

However, Haruto frowned at the number of people being deployed.

"Three Hashira sent on the same mission… Could it be an Upper Moon demon?"

"Not sure," Sabito admitted. "Or maybe it's just because Tokyo's so large, and maintaining order is no easy task. They might also be cautious after what happened last time when Rengoku fought Lower Moon Two, and the demon planted bombs all over the city."

With no clear answers, the two dropped the topic. Whether it was a Lower Moon or an Upper Moon, their only choice was to prepare for battle.

Haruto and Sabito departed immediately, heading to Tokyo to rendezvous with Rengoku before the Shichi-Go-San Festival began. When they arrived, Rengoku greeted them enthusiastically.

"Haruto! Sabito! It's a pleasure to work with you!" Rengoku's voice boomed, as lively as ever. He had donned his father's old haori since becoming a Hashira, and it added a steady gravitas to his already commanding presence. He looked remarkably like Shinjuro Rengoku had a decade ago.

Beside him stood Mitsuri Kanroji, the Love Hashira, her ever-sweet smile lighting up her face. Haruto's eyes drifted to her striped green stockings.

"You're already wearing those?" he thought with a small, bemused sigh.

"Good evening, Haruto! Sabito! I'm so excited to work with you two!" Mitsuri chirped before humming a playful tune:

"Oh, my prince! Oh, my prince! What is it that flutters before your noble steed~?"

Haruto and Sabito exchanged a glance, a smile tugging at both their lips. The Demon Slayer Corps certainly had its share of… unique individuals.

"Let's split up and begin our search!" Rengoku announced, his voice carrying over the bustling streets. "The sooner we find the demon lurking in the shadows, the sooner Tokyo's children can return home safely!"

"Kaoru! Kaoru! It's time to head back!"

A five-year-old boy wriggled free from his mother's hand, darting through the crowd. In no time, he had left his anxious parents far behind.

The festival was too exciting to resist. Lanterns, fireworks, and neon lights painted everyone's faces in shades of red and gold. Children in bright, new outfits laughed and played, their smiles as pure as sunlight.

Kaoru's eyes sparkled as he ran, spotting a vendor shaping colorful wagashi sweets.

Nearby, a girl with unusual hair colors leaned in, equally fascinated by the intricate treats. Kaoru thought to himself, "Even adults love sweets, huh?"

Mitsuri noticed him and crouched to his level, her smile softening. "Hey, little one. Are you here by yourself?"

Kaoru stiffened, eyeing her warily. "Stay away, you weird-haired lady! My mom and dad are just behind me!"

Mitsuri froze, her eyes widening in shock. "QAQ… How could he say that to a girl?"

Kaoru squeezed through the crowd, putting as much distance as he could between himself and the "strange" woman. He sighed in relief when he finally broke free of the throng.

"Mom was right. There really are a lot of weird people in the world," he muttered. But when he turned around to find his parents, they were nowhere in sight.

"Mom? Dad?" Kaoru called out, walking forward in hopes of seeing a familiar face among the bustling festival-goers. But no matter where he looked, his parents were gone.

"Maybe they're waiting at the corner," he thought, stepping toward the edge of the street to escape the crowd.

As he wandered further, the noise of the festival began to fade. The cobblestone street gave way to dark alleys, their eerie silence broken only by faint, strange noises echoing from within.

Kaoru hesitated. The sounds reminded him of the noises his parents made at night when they thought he and his little brother were asleep.

Standing there, unsure, something caught his eye—a large, floating goldfish glowing red like a lantern. It swam lazily at the mouth of a nearby alley, illuminating the darkness around it.

Kaoru's curiosity got the better of him. "What a pretty fish. I want to touch it."

He took a cautious step forward, hand outstretched. But as he approached, the goldfish flicked its tail and swam deeper into the alley, maintaining a tantalizing distance. Kaoru glanced back, still unable to spot his parents, then followed the fish further into the shadows.

The deeper he went, the darker it grew. The fish's glow guided him, but when he reached for it again, it flickered and vanished—like a dream slipping through his fingers.

"Huh?" Kaoru blinked, confused. All that remained in its place was an ornate jade vase sitting on the ground.

"Who would leave something like this here?"

The fish's disappearance didn't set off any alarm bells in the boy's mind. Instead, Kaoru crouched down to examine the vase. "This looks expensive… Did someone lose it?"

His small hand reached out to pick it up, thinking he'd bring it back to the main street and find its owner. But the moment his fingers touched its surface, the vase's mouth widened into a yawning void.

Kaoru barely had time to gasp before the darkness swallowed him whole.

The vase wobbled on the ground, then steadied. A sharp, eerie voice echoed from within:

"Kekekeke… How delightful. How very delightful!"