5 Chapter 5: Shinobu's Arrival

Chapter 5: Shinobu's Arrival

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[Shinobu POV]

Standing at the village entrance, sword in hand, Shinobu observed the villagers gathering to welcome her.

Amidst their arrival, she couldn't help but ponder the unusual orders she'd received from Oyakata-sama through her trusty Kasugai crow just moments ago—distinct from the usual missions of demon slayers.

Lost in thought, a small group of villagers approached her. The likely village elder spoke up, "You're the Insect Hashira from the Demon Slayer Corps, right?"

With a nod, she confirmed, "Yes, I've come on Oyakata-sama's orders to deal with the demon here."

Expressing gratitude, the old man said, "Thank you very much, Hashira-sama, for coming to our remote village to save us."

Shinobu smiled and replied, "It's all right; it's our duty to eradicate demons."

The elder continued with some nervousness, "For Hashira-sama, we've prepared the best house we have and a feast. Please stay there until the demon is dealt with."

After a brief moment of contemplation, Shinobu declined, "You don't need to go through all that trouble. I'll head out immediately to deal with the demon."

As she turned to leave, a small girl rushed to her from the other side, offering an omamori, saying, "Please take this with you; it will bring you good luck."

Shinobu accepted the omamori after a short pause, smiling warmly, and gently stroking the girl's hair. She said, "Thank you very much for the gift; I will always keep it with me."

Keeping the omamori in her inner robes, she set off into the forest, prepared to hunt down the demon.

As Shinobu moved swiftly through the dense forest, her senses were sharp, and her blade was ready for any sign of the demon that might appear. The villagers' gratitude still lingered in her mind, and their offering of the omamori reminded her of the trust they had placed in her.

Venturing deeper into the woods, the signs of demon presence became more obvious: twisted trees, eerie silence, and the faint odor of blood. It was clear that a demon laire was nearby.

Then, she spotted it—a grotesque and menacing creature. The demon was unlike any she had faced before, with leathery skin, pungent mucus flowing through its pores, and elongated limbs that added to its horrifying appearance.

But witnessing the demon holding a boy by his hair, ready to kill him, Shinobu quickly put a stop to her thoughts and prepared to attack.

Suddenly, a stone was thrown towards the demon's eye, distracting him just long enough for the boy to seize the opportunity and deliver a decisive blow with his glaive. However, maybe luck seemed to elude him today; the demon barely dodged the blade aimed for his neck, redirecting it to his chest.

But to her surprise, the wound on the demon did not heal as expected; instead, it began to burn. Interpreting the demon's shrieks, she focused on the glaive in the boy's hands. The shining colour, half gold and half silver, formed a magnificent weapon. Its curved blade appeared capable of cutting through anything in its path. The more she looked, the more mesmerised she became by the quality of the weapon.

"I will kill you human!!" The demon shrieked.

Thankfully she was snapped from her trance, spurred by the demon's frenzied ravings, she hastily prepared herself to launch an attack on the demon before it could harm the boy.

Due to her intense curiosity about the boy wielding the glaive, she refrained from torturing the demon or revealing her sadistic side.

To swiftly dispatch the demon, she wasted no time, engaging it with swift and precise strikes. The battle was too easy for her, as the demon wasn't even from the lower moon. With her final strike complete, the demon began to melt and collapse inward as the poison burned him from the inside out.

Finally walking over to the boy silently, she crouched towards him.

"You have a nice glaive," she remarked.

Observing his speechless face, she thought in her mind, ''He is quite cute.'

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[Ace POV]

Encountering an anime character in the flesh was undoubtedly bizarre and surreal. Despite mentally preparing for the experience, it remained oddly peculiar.

Imagining how characters from series like My Hero Academia or One Piece would manifest in reality with their distinctive physiques sparked both amusement and a touch of sadness.

The idea of someone with a washing machine for a body or a face resembling a comic panel seemed comical yet mildly tragic—how would they manage basic functions like eating, relieving themselves, or basically fucking with such unique bodies?

Nevertheless, the real-life version of Shinobu appeared even more breathtaking than her animated counterpart. Observing her execute seemingly impossible moves left him captivated.

It also made him wonder about his appearance in this new world—did he retain the old look from his previous life, or had his appearance undergone a change? At Least judging by the reactions around him, it seemed like an upgrade to his looks.

"Mind if we hang around the village for a while?" Ace inquired, directing his question to the person who was carrying him.

Shinobu responded promptly, "No, we need to depart right away to meet Oyakata-sama.""

Ace said, "But I'm injured."

She countered, "You'll receive better medical care there."

Ace fell silent, unable to offer an immediate response. He had already deduced that they need to leave quickly, particularly after discerning the gleam in Shinobu's eyes whenever she cast a glance at his glaive.

They had already discussed how things would proceed from here. She had informed him that to fully heal, he needed to go to their headquarters. Since he was infected with demon poison, and she didn't have any antidote with her, their headquarters was the only place he could find the necessary treatment.

Upon witnessing Yuki's sorrowful expression, he couldn't resist one more plea. "Can't we wait just one day?" Ace implored.

Sighing, Shinobu reluctantly conceded, "We'll depart at sunrise tomorrow."

"I'm permitting this solely due to your injuries and the necessity for rest," she added.

Observing her behaviour, he deduced that she had intended to stay all along, and was just finding amusement in his pleas. It irked him a bit, but acknowledging his limits, he refrained from pushing further, understanding that he needed her help for his recovery. Nevertheless, he made a mental note to remember this.

As for why he wanted to stay in the village, of course it wasn't just due to Yuki's plea. He needed time to plan things out. After all, in just a few moments into this new world, he had already faced a demon attack. He needed some time to sort out his thoughts.

After an hour of travelling, they finally reached the village's entrance. Yuki, unable to match Shinobu's pace, had made the journey quite slow.

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