Gekkou felt relief…
It had been two days since he had left the estate, and he had finally made it onto a traveler's path.
After days of camping in the forest and traveling for hours on end, it felt good to find even a hint of civilization.
The path wasn't particularly well maintained in the Fuyu months, as it led only to minor villages and small-scale merchants. Those who traveled to such villages didn't have the manpower to make the journey in the harsher seasons.
It also wasn't a common route for transport, as people from small villages—especially fishing-centric towns—rarely left.
Gekkou continued his journey with renewed determination, the paved path allowing him to move faster than through the dense forest.
He had packed light, carrying only the clothes on his back, his sword secured to his black obi, and a small sack of equipment.
He reasoned that if he couldn't survive with minimal supplies, then he wasn't fit to become a Demon Slayer.
Each step crunched in the cold snow beneath his feet, the chill seeping into his body.
It was common for Demon Slayers—and those training to become one—to wear minimal clothing even in snowfall, as breathing techniques enhanced the body's thermal temperature.
It was a subconscious way of training the body further; less equipment not only made travel easier but also increased strength and stamina.
Gekkou thought about the power of breathing, and how such a simple thing could grant its user strength far beyond that of an ordinary person.
Yet he still wasn't strong enough.
He still wasn't strong enough to kill a demon—much less fight Takeshi!
Hours passed as dusk began to dim the sky, vibrant hues of orange and purple contrasting with the crisp bite of the cold air.
But as Gekkou continued his journey through the white blanket that marked his path forward, he saw it.
A fire!
It came from a small merchant camp of three men, the wagon looking as if it had seen better days, its cargo surprisingly light.
As he approached from the road and examined the camp, which sat just off the main path, a middle-aged man called out to him.
"Hey, boy! It's not safe to travel this road alone—come over here!" the man shouted, his voice carrying easily across the open air.
Is this a trap? No… these three seem to be the only people in the area, and I don't sense anyone else hiding nearby.
Gekkou hesitated for a moment before walking over, his hand resting lightly on his hilt.
As he neared the older man by the fire—while the two others busied themselves setting up camp—he could finally make out their features.
The man by the fire certainly looked the part of a lower-class merchant. His cotton kimono was slightly dirty around the hem from the road, and his sandals were worn and patched.
The other two men matched the same image, their clothing just as scuffed and weathered.
"May I take a seat, sir?" Gekkou asked as he approach the crackling fire, its warm engulfing his frozen hands.
The man simply nodded in confirmation, before Gekkou sat down on his knees his hands laid on top of them respectfully.
"So what are you doing out here, kid?" the man asked, sitting cross-legged with one hand resting on his bent knee.
"I'm traveling to Takashime, sir."
The man burst into loud, unrestrained laughter before speaking again.
"Kid, don't you know that place has evil yokai lurking?"
Gekkou simply nodded at the man, realizing that he was probably speaking about demons.
"If you don't mind, could you please elaborate? Aren't yokai just a myth?" Gekkou asked inquisitively.
"Me and my boys packed up as soon as we heard, along with most of the other merchants in Takashime."
At the mention of them, both younger men perked up from their duties to glance at their father.
"In fact, you might be the only person trying to enter Takashime instead of leave right now!" the man said with a boyish laugh, taking a massive swig from his jug—half of it spilling down into his beard.
"Yes, sir, I know it's foolish of me to enter… but what do you mean by yokai?"
"Ah, sorry about that, got a little off track!" the man said, his laughter slowly dying down.
"Apparently some evil spirit's been killing any men that enters Lake Biwa. I've heard the only thing that comes back is the boat itself."
"Could it be bandits?" Gekkou asked.
"I suppose, I suppose… but me and my boys aren't stupid enough to stick around just in case."
"Ain't that right, boys!" the man shouted, pumping his fist in the air.
Both men hollered back at him in agreement.
"Sir, has anyone actually seen this beast?" Gekkou asked awkwardly.
"Some say they have, though I didn't need to hear the details to be convinced to leave that dump of a village."
"But what about the snow and cold, sir?"
"Oh, this?" the man said, catching a snowflake in his hand.
"This snow is nothing. We've dealt with worse in the past."
"That's good to hear, sir," Gekkou said, bowing politely before standing to leave.
"Hey, kid, I like you. You're respectful! Why don't you stay with us for the night?" the man asked, his words slightly slurred.
"No thank you, sir, but I truly thank you for the offer," Gekkou said, bowing again.
"Come on, kid, come on!" the man pressed, a faint twinge of anger creeping into his voice.
One of the younger men walked over and grabbed Gekkou by the shoulder.
"That's a nice sword you've got there, kid," the young man said, his breath hot against Gekkou's neck.
Gekkou gripped his sword…
"I bet that would sell for quite a lot, don't you, Ozaki?" the other young man called from across the fire.
"Yeah… if you're not gonna stay the night, the least you could do is pay us back for the fire," Ozaki said, tightening his grip on Gekkou's shoulder.
"Come on, kid, do you even know how to use that thing? Make this easy for yourself—and for us!" the father said mockingly.
Ozaki started laughing at his father's words as the dusk deepened, the darkness beginning to swallow the camp.
And just like that, Gekkou's respectful façade shattered.
Swish!
Before Ozaki could even stop laughing, his head was on the ground, the snow softening the thump as it fell.
"Wha—what the hell!" the other son shouted, his panicked roar echoing through the trees.
The father staggered to his feet, swaying from his drunken stupor, desperately searching for the boy they had mistaken for an easy target—only to realize he had vanished into the night.
Where is he! That was all the man's mind could cling to as his eyes scanned the forest line, his instincts refusing to dwell on his dead son.
Schink!
The older brother, standing beside the disheveled wagon, was struck swiftly through the back of the head by a blade that shimmered a beautiful yellow under the night sky. The steel pierced so deep it burst through his mouth before being viciously cleaved upward.
A fountain of blood and brain matter scattered across the snow as the young man's head split in two.
The father—watching both his sons die so brutally—let out a scream of primal fear. His inebriated body collapsed to the ground, his already disheveled state unraveling into madness.
Gekkou stepped out from behind his fresh kill, his outline flickering in the firelight.
"You're… you're one of those evil yokai!" the man cried, the flames reflecting only Gekkou's dark grey eyes and the shimmer of his blade.
Gekkou smirked at the accusation, a low chuckle rumbling from deep in his chest.
This felt good.
No—this felt great.
Watching the man tremble in front of him, Gekkou relished the despair he saw in his eyes. It was intoxicating to force another to feel what he had suffered for so long.
The feeling of being weak and helpless.
He crouched down, meeting the man's panicked gaze, and flicked his son's blood from his blade.
"Me… a yokai, you say?" Gekkou mocked, his pale, sunken features casting him in an almost inhuman light.
The merchant scrambled backwards, clawing at the dirt, throwing pebbles and stones in desperation.
"Get away from me!"
Gekkou rose calmly from his crouch, batting aside the pitiful projectiles with a flick of his sword. He stepped forward, looming over the man, and raised his blade high above his terrified face.
"I'd say I'm closer to a demon than a yokai," Gekkou said before plunging the steel into the man's forehead.
A sharp rush of euphoria coursed through him as the life faded from the merchant's eyes.
And just like that, Gekkou found himself with more supplies than he could have ever imagined.
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"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
John 3:16
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