The green-haired demon, still enjoying the thrill of the hunt and the panic of this "mutant demon," suddenly froze when he caught a glimpse of the figure in the sky smiling.
Before he could figure out what was going on, a tail covered in pitch-black scales burst from behind Rowen.
In the moonlight, the tail gleamed with a cold, metallic sheen, like a deadly serpent.
Just as his wings were about to be seized, the tail broke through the confines of the wind without a sound and shot silently from behind, aimed at the green-haired demon who had no way to dodge midair.
He didn't even see it coming—Rowen's demonic tail lunged from below, striking right into his blind spot and stabbing straight into his heart.
"ARGH!!" The demon's shriek tore through the night sky as blood gushed from his mouth.
Rowen didn't let up.
Two fingers jabbed toward the demon's eyes while his other hand slammed into his throat with crushing force.
"GWAH—?!" The shriek cut off like a strangled duck, grotesque and abrupt.
He couldn't even breathe.
His whole body went limp from the rapid string of injuries.
The wings he had just seized on instinct loosened their grip.
"What a dumbass... chasing me into the air," Rowen sneered as he whipped his tail forcefully, sending the demon's body crashing to the ground like a broken ragdoll.
Boom!!
"BLEAGH—!!"
Dust exploded on impact.
The green-haired oni, whose neck had already begun healing, coughed up a mouthful of thick blood that dyed the fallen leaves beneath him red.
He struggled to rise, but the agony surging through his entire body made it almost impossible to summon any strength.
The wound where the tail had pierced his heart refused to close.
Strange black mist clung to the injury, preventing it from healing.
Even his eyes—normally capable of regenerating—remained useless, as if that haze would stall any attempt to recover once his flesh was torn.
"What the hell is this?! Some new kind of poison?—You filthy bastard!! You dare use that crap to ambush me?! I'll rip you apart!! Get down here!! I'll swallow you whole!!"
Blood spewed from his mouth as he cursed and clawed wildly at the air, flailing at the sky in a tantrum that could only be described as impotent rage.
Hovering above with wings outstretched, Rowen watched him—a beaten cur wallowing in humiliation, rage, and thinly veiled terror.
And then...
"...Goodbye."
Without waiting any longer, Rowen dove.
From the mother and daughter's perspective, a shadow plummeted from the sky.
CRACK—!!
The ground shook.
Alongside the impact came a sound like a watermelon exploding.
That was the sound of the green-haired demon's skull being stomped to pulp.
His brains and blood splattered out in a wide arc, grotesquely vivid.
And atop the convulsing corpse—muscle reflexes twitching in death—stood a figure spattered with gore, like a demon straight out of hell itself.
The entire fight had taken less than thirty seconds.
A fleeting moment—and yet, for the mother and daughter, it was so overwhelming that they couldn't even begin to process what had just happened.
It wasn't until fragments of flesh sprayed in their direction and landed on them that their bodies jerked with instinctive fear.
...
Rowen had hesitated—if only briefly—about killing.
But he could clearly feel it: his heart was beating too fast, almost painfully so.
His body felt like it was being drained at a terrifying speed.
He instinctively understood—his current form couldn't last long.
Just like how a human's muscles burn energy differently at rest versus in motion, a demon's body had its own way of burning through reserves.
And right now, he didn't have much to spare.
The demon's swirling emotions were tantalizing, yes—but now wasn't the time to get greedy.
Still...
"Ugh, disgusting..."
His foot came down without hesitation, but the squelching sensation beneath his boot, the splattered remains sticking to him—it was so nauseating that even as he felt glad his enemy had been a fool, his stomach churned violently, and he nearly threw up.
Yet the corrupted soul, saturated with malice, felt like a delicacy—dulling that nausea just enough to bear it.
He exhaled deeply.
As his emotions settled, the demonic traits of his body slowly receded, transforming him back to a more human, energy-efficient form.
Only the crimson vertical pupils remained, their earlier glow now faded.
His body wobbled slightly.
Had he not braced himself, he might have collapsed on the spot.
That said, just as the Demon Panel had described, even though he looked human again, his speed, stamina, and strength had all seen a significant boost compared to before.
...
He took a few deep breaths to steady his heart and regain composure, then staggered toward the still-stunned mother and daughter.
At that moment, a thick cloud of negative emotion clung to the two—probably fear, maybe mixed with something else.
And honestly, who could blame them? That grotesque spectacle would terrify anyone—let alone a housewife and a ten-year-old girl.
"Nezuko," Rowen said, crouching down to her level. "Are you... afraid of me?"
Her pink eyes trembled slightly. She instinctively clutched at her mother's sleeve. Before she could answer, her mother stepped forward protectively.
"Mr. Rowen... what are you?"
"Uh..." Rowen paused, unsure how to respond.
The night breeze picked up, carrying the stench of blood and breaking the brief silence.
Not far away, the corpse on the ground began to wither away like burnt paper—crumbling and vanishing eerily.
"Let's just say... I'm a demon passing through," Rowen murmured, watching the disintegrating body. He stood and glanced toward the wooden cabin he'd called home for a year. "It's time for me to go."
"W-Wait!" Nezuko suddenly broke free from her mother's grasp and stumbled after him.
"Hm?" Rowen turned instinctively. The familiar child stood just behind him, mouth open slightly, as if trying to find the right words but too flustered to speak.
Almost reflexively, he reached out to pat her head.
But he hesitated. His hand stopped midair, then slowly pulled back. Under her uneasy gaze, he offered a faint, helpless smile. "Don't be scared. I won't hurt you."
"No—it's not that! I'm not...!" Nezuko shook her head vigorously, trying to explain that she just didn't want him to leave.
"It's okay. I know what you're feeling." He gave her a gentle nod, but then turned away. "If I stay any longer, I might put you in danger again... This wasn't how I planned to leave, but maybe it's for the best."
His voice was so soft it was almost lost in the cold night wind.
Tears welled up in the girl's eyes. Her voice cracked with emotion. "Even if you look different... you're still Mr. Rowen!"
Rowen froze.
Under the moonlight, the glimmer of tears at the corners of her eyes was unmistakable.
Her unexpected trust brought a pained expression to his face.
But in the end, he still shook his head. "After tonight... forget about this 'hunter.' If I get the chance—just maybe—I'll come visit you again."
With that, he clutched his broken ribs and walked toward the forest.
The monster had come here following his scent.
He couldn't selfishly stay and risk dragging this family into danger again.
In the moonlight, his solitary figure, limping into the trees, carried with it a silent melancholy.
Watching him vanish, Nezuko felt a strange ache in her chest and instinctively tried to run after him.
But what could she say? What could she do to make him stay?
She didn't know. All she could do was cry out his name.
Yet no matter how that tearful voice echoed through the mountains...
There was no answer.
Like a kite with its string cut, he drifted farther and farther away—until he disappeared completely into the depths of the night.