"I will kill you, Noelle."
The door burst open, and a young boy with blonde hair and a creepy smirk stepped inside, of average height.
"I will not let you run this time, Noelle-san," the boy said, his voice dark.
Everyone quickly stood up. Kaito reached for his sword—only to realize it had been broken by Ren, leaving him barely able to fight bare-handed.
"W-what… who's that? He looks scary!" Noboru whispered, hiding behind Kaito. Hakari did the same.
"He's really scary… is he actually going to kill Noelle-san?" Hakari asked, trembling.
"Buahaha! No escape, and no one to disturb us now, Noelle!" the mystery boy cackled.
"No, you dumbass! He's not going to kill me! He's just another member of our team—always looking for a fight. You, Renjuro, I'm not gonna fight you!" Noelle said, embarrassed and frustrated by Renjuro's habit of seeking battles in public places.
"Who are those people? Are they strong? Hey, can we fight? I'll kill you!" Renjuro said, glancing at Kaito, Hakari, and Noboru, who was still hiding behind Kaito.
"No one's going to fight a crackhead like you, and we have more important business than your mischief!" Noelle yelled.
"Aww, c'mon! Just one fight. I wanna see how strong they are, especially that long crimson-haired guy," Renjuro said, pointing at Kaito.
"U-uh… you want to fight me? I don't even have my sword right now… I broke it," Kaito replied, knowing he couldn't win a fistfight.
"You broke your sword? Well, that's sad… I wanted to fight you!" Renjuro said, disappointed.
"I think it's about time we get to the meeting. C'mon, I'll lead you there," Noelle said, pushing Renjuro aside and leaving the restaurant.
"At least tell me your names, all of you," Renjuro called after them.
"I'm Kaito."
"Hakari."
"I'm Noboru, and I don't like fighting, so don't you dare ask me, you mushy head!"
All of them introduced themselves. Renjuro smiled at Noboru. "Alright, I won't ask you for a fight, Noboru-san. I'm Renjuro, one of Kazuki's team members. Nice to meet you!"
"Alright, now we are going. Move out of the way, Renjuro, and make sure to pay for the door you broke," Noelle said, leading Kaito, Hakari, and Noboru out of the restaurant.
"Oh, the door? I don't have money to pay," Renjuro muttered, looking back, only to see they were already gone. "Oh… they're gone."
"Don't try to mess up at the meeting. Otherwise, the Head won't accept you as citizens of Slayer's Village and might kick you out… or feed you to demons," Noelle warned as they walked toward the meeting place.
"Feed us to demons?! How ruthless are these Captains and the Head?!" Noboru exclaimed, terrified.
Kaito held Hakari's hand while walking. "It will all be fine… nothing will happen," he thought to himself.
"That sounds like some Light Novel theory… feeding people to demons," Noboru muttered, trying to calm himself.
"I didn't even get married yet… why did I have to get stuck in this mess…" Noboru cursed under his breath. Fighting demons had never been his thing; he was forced into it.
"I'm sure you'll be alright as long as you make the captains like you and make them think it'd be a waste to let someone like you die in vain," Noelle said, trying to cheer them up. "Not that I'd care if you die or live," she added, blushing and clearly embarrassed by her words.
"Just try not to die," she concluded as they reached the Demon Corps building—a small, tatami-style house surrounded by greenery, training grounds, and a few people practicing with wooden swords or meditating.
"Ah, you're all finally here. I was expecting you," a man in his twenties with silver hair greeted them.
"My name is Daigo. I'll lead you to where you're needed. Your job here is done, Noelle—you can go back," Daigo said to Kaito, Hakari, and Noboru. Noboru was already sweating.
Noelle didn't like Daigo's tone but ignored it. "Remember what I said… try not to die," she reminded them before leaving.
The three followed Daigo into the house. Noboru clung to Kaito's arm, whispering, "This place is so dark and scary… why would they make a house like this?"
"The Head of Soul Slayers doesn't like sunlight or normal light," Daigo explained. "That's why the house is mostly dark."
Finally, Daigo stopped at a sliding paper door, opened it, and stepped aside to reveal a room with seven Captains, including Kazuki, sitting on cushions, and an older couple who were likely the Head and his wife.
"He's probably the Head of Soul Slayers Noelle mentioned," Kaito thought.
Kazuki smiled. "Kaito-kun, you all finally came. Have a seat," he said, pointing to the cushions. The three sat, observing five male and two female captains, all in their twenties and thirties.
The Head spoke, teasing Kaito. "Welcome, all three of you. So you're Kaito… I thought you'd be taller, haha."
Another captain, around Kaito's age, leaned forward with a grin. "Hey, tell me—did you defeat Ren, or did he trip over his own feet? Judging by your bandages, I think he got bored of you. How did you defeat him? I'm excited!"
"Well… uh… we didn't defeat him. Kazuki-san helped us. Otherwise, we'd be dead," Kaito explained.
"Oh, I see. Guess you were lucky. That big oaf doesn't help anyone. Always trying to find excuses to avoid work, haha. By the way, I'm Takuma—let's be friends."
A female captain leaned toward Noboru. "Hey, pale one, I thought you'd catch poison from Ren, but you still look so fragile that a gust of wind might knock you over. I'm Kohaku."
Noboru chuckled nervously, clutching Kaito's sleeve. "If I survive this meeting, I bet I won't be scared of demons anymore… these captains are terrifying!"
"We still fought with everything we had," Kaito blurted.
Another female captain tapped her fan against her shoulder, smirking. "Everything you had? Hm. You wouldn't have survived if it weren't for Kazuki. Maybe we should feed you three to the demons so you serve as snacks. Also, I'm Akane."
Kaito's expression turned serious. "I'll fight any of you if I have to prove my strength, but don't you dare touch my friend or sister."
The captains chuckled; one even clapped. "Ohhh, I like this one. Full of fire. Reminds me of myself when I was young. I'm Minato—call me a friend if you like, haha."
Even the sternest captains cracked small smiles.
Finally, the Head raised his hand. "Enough. Mock them if you will, but we must decide—will they be tested as recruits or cast out of the walls?"
The laughter died down, but a few captains' grins remained; they seemed to like the trio.
A tall captain with messy hair leaned back, yawning. "Honestly, I vote to throw them out. We need fewer mouths to feed."
Kohaku smirked. "Ha! Says the one who eats enough for three squads," earning chuckles from the others and the Head.
Akane added, "I still say we let the demons have them. Ren was after these three, and Ren's a bloodfang demon. Even two captains couldn't defeat him, and who knows if he'd target Slayer's Village for hiding these kids."
Takuma spoke up. "I disagree. They're raw, yes, but raw ore can be forged. Also, Kaito-kun seems strong—I want to fight him!"
Another scarred-faced captain laughed deeply. "You just want a new toy to play with."
Takuma shrugged. "And what's wrong with that? Besides, Ren doesn't retreat from just anyone. These three might be special or strong."
The Head, blind-eyed, turned toward Takuma. "So you claim them for your team?"
The room fell silent; every captain waited.
Takuma smirked. "Why not? If they die, they die. If they live, they live. But I pass."
Whispers spread. Some captains said, "We already have enough people in our team," while others muttered, "Feed them to demons—they're weak."
Akane smirked. "No one stepping forward? Then perhaps it's simple… why waste food on dead weight."
Kohaku spoke up. "I would've taken you three because you're interesting, but my team already has enough members. I'm sorry."
The Head clapped his hands. "Silence. So it's decided: the three of them will be kicked out of the village."
Kaito's heart sank. "What should I do… what should I do… I have to protect my sister and Noboru!"
Suddenly, Captain Kazuki stood up, drawing his katana. "Silence, everyone!"