Staring at the figure walking ahead of her, Mitsuri Kanroji had been puzzled at first—why come to the forest in autumn? But Yohan had explained on the way that he wanted to take her hunting.
Although Mitsuri had already developed quite a bit of fondness for him, she couldn't quite picture him as a seasoned hunter. His clothes didn't have the rugged, worn-out look of someone who made a living in the wild. Most likely, he just wanted to catch a few rabbits or other small animals.
Thinking of that, a playful smile crept onto Mitsuri's lips.
After all, she had yet to reveal her astonishing strength.
That was also part of the reason she had agreed to this little trip. As an outsider, Yohan had no idea how strong she really was. If he harbored any ill intentions, she could easily knock him flat.
And just imagining the look of shock on his face when he saw her true power… she couldn't help but feel a little excited.
"What are you standing there for? Keep up."
Yohan glanced at her, noticing the silly grin on her face.
What's she giggling about now?
…
The two wandered through the forest for quite some time, but oddly enough, they hadn't spotted a single animal.
Both of them started feeling a little puzzled.
Mitsuri, who rarely ventured into the woods, just assumed they were having bad luck today.
Seeing Yohan frown, she tried to comfort him.
"Yohan, don't worry! Maybe it's just an unlucky day. Even professional hunters don't always catch something, right?"
"We can just go a little deeper into the forest. I'm sure we'll find something soon!"
Yohan nodded, but he didn't think this was a simple matter of luck.
Something was off.
What could be causing this?
Even though he wasn't an experienced hunter, he usually relied on his physical abilities to track prey. But to walk through the forest for so long without seeing a single living creature?
That was extremely unusual.
It was as if something had driven all the animals away… forced them into hiding.
Could it be… a demon?
That seemed like the only logical explanation.
Turning to Mitsuri, Yohan put on a casual smile.
"Haha, looks like today really isn't our lucky day."
"How about we call it a day and head back? It's getting late anyway."
"We can always try again another time."
While Yohan had grown much stronger—strong enough that he believed he could put up a fight against an Upper Moon—he could only ensure his own safety.
If there really was a demon here and it attacked Mitsuri first… what then?
If he had been alone, he would have gone deeper into the woods to test his abilities.
But right now, the priority was getting Mitsuri back safely.
Mitsuri didn't overthink it. Seeing the sun beginning to set, she agreed.
The two turned back, retracing their steps.
But it seemed fate had other plans.
…
Suddenly, dark clouds rolled in, shrouding the sky in an ominous gloom.
The beams of sunlight filtering through the trees disappeared, swallowed by the thick clouds.
A cold wind howled through the forest, sending an eerie chill through the air.
Yohan didn't hesitate. He grabbed Mitsuri's hand and picked up the pace, heading down the mountain.
Mitsuri had been startled by the sudden change in weather, but the moment she felt Yohan's firm grip on her hand, a strange sense of calm washed over her.
It felt… safe.
So reassuring…
But Yohan had no time to dwell on Mitsuri's reaction. His only thought was getting her out of there as quickly as possible.
Then—
"Hehehe… hehehehe…"
A chilling, unnatural laugh echoed through the trees.
Still lost in her thoughts, Mitsuri suddenly felt a shiver crawl down her spine.
"Yo… Yohan… that laughter…"
"Is someone else here?"
A nameless fear crept into her heart. Something was very, very wrong.
Damn it.
It's a demon. No doubt about it.
And now that it had spoken, it had already marked them as prey.
Yohan quickly assessed the situation.
There wasn't enough time to make it back to the village.
They had to stand their ground.
He turned to Mitsuri, his face serious.
"Mitsuri, listen to me. No matter what happens, don't panic. Trust me—I'll protect you."
Mitsuri wasn't sure what was happening, but she could sense the gravity of the situation.
She nodded firmly.
Then, the voice spoke again.
"Hehehe… don't run, little humans."
"I was just on my way to the village to have myself a nice feast…"
"But it looks like two snacks have wandered right into my path."
A figure emerged from the darkness.
It was a man dressed in a dark green yukata with jagged stripes. His face was marred by three deep, cross-shaped scars, and from his mouth protruded two sharp fangs.
"A-Ah! Yohan, w-what is that?!"
Even though Mitsuri had braced herself for something strange, she still couldn't help but tremble.
A bone-deep, primal fear overtook her—like a small animal caught in the gaze of a natural predator.
"…A demon."
Yohan's voice was low and steady.
"This is what people whisper about in fear… the creatures that roam the night and devour humans."
"…An Upper Moon?"
Yohan's expression darkened.
He had expected to run into a demon eventually.
But he hadn't expected to run into one of the Twelve Kizuki.
"Hah! Didn't think I'd find a human who actually recognizes the Twelve Kizuki!"
The demon grinned, baring his fangs.
"That's right. I am one of Muzan's chosen."
"I am Lower Moon Three—Wakaruba."