I handed the cat to Tamayo and walked over to the man Tanjiro had knocked out. I slid two fingers down from the top of his head, stopping over his chest.
"Everyone, I figured out why they went crazy," I said, my eyes moving over Tanjiro and the Tokito brothers before landing on Yoriichi. "But my method might be… a little unconventional."
Yuichiro Tokito nodded, understanding I wasn't speaking about anyone else. "Since you said you can heal any injury, do whatever you need—as long as you don't die."
"Then… here goes!" I spread my fingers and pressed them over his heart. With a whoosh, my hand sank in, chilling the space inside as I probed carefully.
"Wait… what are you doing?!" Ichiro shouted, horror in his voice. He tried to move, but he was still holding down another frenzied man. He turned to Tanjiro. "Kamado! Stop him!"
Tanjiro didn't react much. He trusted me—Bramiya Chijo had saved himself even after being pierced during Fuji's attack on Mt. Fuji. And it looked like I really wanted to find out why the man had gone mad.
Exactly what I intended. I felt something hard beneath his beating heart, pressed firmly, and pulled it out.
The man instantly went limp, as if his soul had been sucked away. His arms and legs, once thrashing wildly, collapsed. He slumped unconscious.
"It's a poisonous insect." I held the hard object up for everyone to see. My other hand gently touched the man's chest, restoring his heart to normal.
Then I turned to the others, who were still processing everything.
"To put it simply," I said, "those people went mad because of these little black bugs in my hand. They're ghost insects controlled by blood magic. They made the victims attack others, then drained the blood from their hearts for the bugs to feed on."
I crushed the insect in my hand. It exploded. The people being held down by Yuichiro and Muichiro froze, staring at me, puzzled.
"These ghosts aren't very strong. If one insect dies, the others die too. That way, people can't trace the ghost through the bugs."
Yuichiro looked at me, thinking. "Now that the insect is dead… do we just leave it?"
"No," I said, wagging a finger at him. "You're giving me too much credit. I'm not letting a ghost like this go." I turned back to Tamayo and picked up the cat.
Everyone looked confused. What was I doing with the cat?
I held it and approached the three people controlled by the insects. The cat brushed my legs, squinted, and meowed.
Even Tanjiro and the Tokito brothers were stunned. A cat… as part of the plan?
I checked each person with a sniff, then looked east and said, "Alright. Time to catch the ghost controlling those bugs."
"Okay," Yuichiro said first, opening his box and setting it in front of me.
I coughed, a little embarrassed by being interrupted, then turned toward the cat. A strange purple light appeared beside it, and gusts of wind swirled around.
When the wind died down, a white nine-tailed cat stood before me. I stroked its head and spoke without turning around.
"The insect ghost is deep in the mountains. He'll notice if we just walk. But if we rush, he won't have time to react."
After everyone got up, we moved to the back, and I sat on Yuanbao's neck.
Since Tamayo had gone out at night to gather medicinal herbs, and now that she had them, no one else wanted to handle this next part.
I stroked Yuanbao's fur. The cat seemed to respond, meowing and spreading its paws before leaping into the air in an instant.
"This… is this okay?" Tanjiro asked nervously. "If we go in like this, won't the demon run away?"
I ignored him. I hadn't sat on Yuanbao in a long time, and the softness of its fur was comforting. For a few seconds, I could relax.
But the peace didn't last long.
"What are you doing? Don't get any funny ideas, or I'll make you regret it!" I teased, lying on the cat's fur, eyes narrowed.
Jigoro Yoriichi slowed and said calmly, "We need to stay close to make sure you don't run off."
Muichiro's face stayed calm, but his tone was firm. No distractions, just focus.
I opened my eyes and sat up straight, looking at the mountains ahead. "Hmph… so worried I'll run away? Am I really that important?" I patted my empty haori pocket, hoping for a snack, but it was empty.
"I…" Yoriichi started, but his voice was cut off. Muichiro shouted suddenly, "Wait! Are… are we flying?!"
Everyone, even Yoriichi, leaned forward, peering down.
Beneath Yuanbao's paws, black clouds seemed to support us. With each step, clouds formed under its feet, solid and fast, carrying us forward. It was like riding on the clouds themselves.
"Is this… real?" Yuichiro muttered. A nine-tailed cat carrying us through the air? It was impossible.
"It's not an illusion. It's an ability," I said.
"An ability to fly?" Yuichiro looked unconvinced. "A cat that big can really fly?"
"Some animals can use demon magic too," I said, keeping it simple.
We crossed the swamp, blackened and murky, until we saw a house. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary home, but piles of bones and skulls surrounded it. They were human, and some had been gnawed clean.
"Eighteen skulls… eighteen people. This isn't old—it's recent," I muttered, fists clenching. My eyes turned blood-red as I glared at the house.
Tanjiro sniffed the air. "The stench of decay… it's inside."
Yuichiro asked, "Do we capture it alive… or just kill it?"
Muichiro shrugged. "We're not on a mission. Kill it directly."
Yoriichi said nothing. Jigoro watched calmly, though a strange familiarity tugged at him.
Muichiro stepped forward, but as soon as he did, insects poured out—flying, crawling, poisonous, harmless—trickling from hidden crevices.
I sighed. "Didn't I say? This ghost relies on blood magic, not training. Of course he'd set a trap."
I cast a thin red light around us, a defensive barrier. "Don't rush. Stay focused."
We carefully dodged the insects and traps. Loud noises echoed as bugs scurried, but the red light protected us.
Finally, I kicked open the wooden door. It shattered, and the threshold splintered.
Tanjiro whispered, "Breaking into a private house… is this okay?"
I waved it off. "In a forest like this? Who's going to notice?" Then I added jokingly, "If he's caught, ten years in jail at most."
Inside, it looked normal—warm and cozy. The other three stared in disbelief. The smell of ghosts lingered, but the home felt real, almost welcoming.
Then, click! A sound came from the right door. Yuichiro opened it—and purple smoke billowed out, enveloping him.
Luckily, the red light protected him. He activated a breath technique, and the smoke was burned away instantly.
I peered inside and froze. In the center, a white bandage hung from the ceiling. Beneath it, a human-shaped figure wrapped like a mummy—but the head was bare.
"This… a human head?!" Tanjiro stammered.
"Save him first," I said.
Jigoro stepped forward, increased his strength with a breath technique, and sliced through the bandages. The figure fell with a thud. I looked up at the ceiling—its weight had started to break the old wood, causing the noise.
I squatted on the floor, shaking my head.
What had started as a simple ghost hunt had turned into something else entirely. And then I saw it.
The face, the voice, the wild muscles…
Mouth flat, Inosuke?
How on earth did he end up here?!