Kimetsu no Yaiba doesn't belong to me. I decided to continue this story, so, here it is the sixteenth chapter!
Nezuko read aloud the new assignment they had received. It had been two months since their mission in the fishing village, and the group hadn't been able to enjoy a minute of rest since then. The only positive aspect was that their savings for the camera had grown a bit, reaching around four thousand yen.
"So, we have to go to Hokkaido this time," murmured Kaigaku thoughtfully. He rubbed his chin and looked at his companions.
"Yes, several slayer squads have disappeared in that region," Nezuko said, rereading the assignment to herself. "It doesn't seem too complicated."
"But if several squads have disappeared, shouldn't they send more experienced people than us?" Enmu asked, puzzled, furrowing his brow. "It doesn't make much sense to send us," he thought.
Nezuko shrugged, unsure how to respond to that question. She understood Enmu's reservations perfectly, but they didn't have the slightest chance of refusing the mission.
"They must have their reasons," Rui commented nonchalantly. "I'm sure it's not a very complicated mission. I bet those other squads were weaklings."
The other three exchanged a skeptical look, not entirely convinced by Rui's theory, but none of them voiced their doubts out loud.
"Well, we'll see when we get there," Enmu said, putting an end to the discussion. "Which part of Hokkaido do we have to go to?"
"To a forest west of the city of Sapporo," Nezuko read aloud, serious.
"It's the first time they've sent us so far," Rui observed. "How many days do you think it'll take us to get there?"
"Well, we could ask someone here," Kaigaku suggested.
At that moment, they were in the Eternal Paradise, as they had received injuries that needed medical attention after their last mission, and that house was the closest. They were now sufficiently recovered to resume missions.
"That's not a bad idea," Nezuko agreed. "I'm sure one of the women working here can tell us how to get there."
"Do you think so?" Kaigaku doubted, looking at her with little conviction in his gaze. "I was thinking of asking the Ice Pillar or some other hunter here."
Nezuko made a displeased face at the mere mention of Douma, but she refrained from voicing her disagreement. She reluctantly nodded, agreeing with her friend.
"I guess so. If someone knows how to go, it's him," Nezuko said, finding it more challenging than she would have liked to utter those words.
"Well, who's going to ask him?" Rui wanted to know, looking at his companions. Nezuko was the first to avert her gaze, suddenly finding her nails very interesting.
"I have things to do, sorry," Nezuko excused herself immediately, ignoring Kaigaku and Enmu's reproachful glances.
"I'll go myself," Kaigaku finally said when no one else volunteered. Nezuko and the two boys nodded right away, and the oldest of the group suppressed a sigh of exasperation. "Get ready, I don't think it'll take long."
"I want to write a letter first; it shouldn't take too long," Nezuko said, but when she saw the looks of disbelief from her three friends, she furrowed her brow, annoyed. "Did you think I was making an excuse?"
"Well, to be completely honest, it did sound like that," Enmu confessed. "Sorry."
Nezuko nodded and decided not to make a big deal out of it. She didn't feel like arguing over such a trivial matter. "I won't take long," she said, bidding them farewell with a gesture and quickly leaving.
Kaigaku clicked his tongue, somewhat irritated, catching Enmu and Rui's attention. "Well, I'll ask him. I don't think it'll take too long."
"See you in a while," Enmu agreed. Rui nodded, and Kaigaku left as well.
Douma looked up from the documents he had been reading when he heard someone knock twice on the door of his office.
"Come in," he granted, placing the papers on the desk and forcing a smile of false courtesy.
One of the women who worked there peeked inside. Douma stood up and looked at her with some interest.
"Is there something wrong, Misao?" he asked, changing his smile to a much friendlier one.
"One of the hunters wanted to see you," Misao said, stepping aside and allowing Kaigaku to peek in. The moment the Pillar's gaze fell on him, the young man respectfully bowed his head.
"I apologize for disturbing you," Kaigaku immediately apologized.
"It's fine," Douma dismissed it instantly. "I wasn't doing anything important, so you don't need to apologize."
The blond-haired man glanced at Misao, and the brunette woman mumbled an apology before leaving, closing the door behind her.
"Well, what did you want, young...?" Douma realized at that moment that he didn't know the hunter's name.
"Kaigaku Kaminari, sir," the boy responded, raising his head, although he still avoided looking Douma in the eyes. "There's something I would like to ask you."
"What is it?" Douma asked, trying not to let his disinterest and boredom show.
"We have been assigned the next mission in Hokkaido, in a forest west of Sapporo, and..." Kaigaku began to explain, but the Ice Pillar didn't let him finish speaking.
"I'll join you," Douma told him, managing to confuse Kaigaku, who looked at him, for the first time, not knowing what to say or how to react to that. "I have received reports of the disappearances that have occurred there, and I was planning to take a look. So, my successors' squad and I will accompany you. Is there a problem?" the Pillar asked softly.
"No! Of course not!" the Thunder Breathing user replied hastily. "It's a great honor to have you accompany us!"
"Well, it's settled then," Douma said, evidently pleased. "Inform your teammates, and we'll all meet at the door in ten minutes. Understood?"
"Yes!" Kaigaku hurriedly left after that.
Nezuko hugged herself, curled up against the wall. She had been feeling terrible since boarding that boat. The abrupt movements of the ship every time it crashed against the waves only worsened her discomfort.
The girl felt nauseous and dizzy. Enmu, who stayed with her, watched her with concern.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, offering a canteen with some water.
"Awful," Nezuko murmured weakly. "How much longer until we arrive?" she asked, exerting effort.
"A couple of hours, according to the captain," Enmu informed her. "By the way, he says that if you leave the cabin, you might feel somewhat better."
"I prefer to stay here," Nezuko stubbornly replied. She wasn't sure if she would be able to move properly in her condition.
Enmu looked at her, sympathizing with her, and sat down beside her. "It's your first time traveling by boat, isn't it?"
"Yes..."
"I feel the same way," Enmu confessed. "And I have to admit, I'm quite nervous, you know?"
Nezuko lifted her head slightly and looked at him curiously. "Really?"
"Of course, you don't get to ride a boat every day, do you?"
"Well, yes, you're right," Nezuko said. Although she still looked quite pale, her eyes had regained some sparkle. "We were lucky that they paid for our tickets."
Douma had taken care of everything and refused to let the four of them pay for the expenses.
"It was a nice gesture on his part, indeed," Enmu agreed. "We would have been left with no money and savings if we had to pay ourselves."
"I hope they don't send us on a mission to Hokkaido again," Nezuko lamented, suppressing a gag and covering her mouth.
Enmu looked at her again, now concerned. "I'll bring you a bucket or something," he said as he got up. He looked around, searching for something that could be useful. His eyes stopped at a wastebasket in a corner of the cabin.
He approached and grabbed it, then handed it to Nezuko, who practically buried her head inside and started vomiting a few seconds later. Enmu looked away and waited while fiddling with a cloth handkerchief he had in the left pocket of his pants.
"Thank you," Nezuko murmured when she had recovered a bit. Enmu handed her the handkerchief, and feeling somewhat embarrassed, she wiped the corners of her mouth.
"It's nothing, after all, we're friends, right?" Enmu said. "It's natural for us to help each other."
"That's true," Nezuko said, and she smiled with relief.
Nezuko felt immense relief as her feet touched the wooden floor of the dock. Her skin was gradually regaining its usual color, and she felt much better now that they were finally on land.
"You're such a wimp," Ume's irritating voice put an end to the girl's relief. Nezuko, containing the urge to respond rudely, simply glared at her, but that only prompted Ume to continue. "What? Do you have something to say, brat?"
Exercising all her self-control, the young Mizunoto headed towards where her friends were, completely ignoring Ume's jabs.
According to Douma's explanation at that moment, the ship had left them in a coastal city called Otaru. So, they still had a couple of days left to reach their destination.
"Are you feeling better now?" the Ice Pillar asked, stopping in front of Nezuko. The girl nodded immediately, and Douma smiled in relief. "I'm glad to hear that, but are you sure? If you prefer, we can rest for a while and continue when you're feeling better."
"I'm perfectly fine, really," Nezuko assured him. Douma, after giving her one last wary look, relented and nodded.
"Well, then it's best for us to continue our journey, taking advantage of the remaining daylight," the Pillar decided, starting to walk towards the exit of the harbor. The eight slayers followed him in silence.
It took them the time Douma had estimated to reach their destination. The two squads were now standing in front of the forest where the demons they had to kill were located.
The Ice Pillar cleared his throat, capturing the attention of the eight young individuals who looked at him expectantly.
"Based on the reports I've received, I have deduced that it is highly likely that it is a Lower Moon," the blond-haired man began to explain. Kaigaku's eyes widened so much that they seemed like they were about to pop out of their sockets.
"And why have they assigned us such a dangerous mission!?" he exclaimed, unable to contain himself. Ume and Gyutaro, though thinking similarly, shot him irritated glances.
"How dare you raise your voice at one of the Pillars!?" Ume shouted, losing composure.
"It's alright, Ume," Douma said, adopting a conciliatory tone. "It's normal to be confused. I am also somewhat perplexed that they assigned such a mission to mere Mizunotos. But there's nothing we can do about it, right?"
Nezuko clenched her fists upon hearing that insult from the lips of one of the Pillars and had to make a titanic effort to refrain from expressing what she was thinking at that moment.
"So, another Pillar offered to accompany us and I accepted," Douma continued, in a cheerful mood looking at Nezuko's squad. The four of them, not particularly pleased, nodded. "I'm sure Hantengu will be here soon."
"Hantengu? And who's that?" Nezuko wondered, intrigued. "Although I wish they had assigned Hakuji, oh well, never mind."
"So, are we just going to stay here waiting and doing nothing?" Susamaru asked, not hiding her impatience.
"Of course, after all, there are still a couple of hours until nightfall," Douma pointed out, glancing at the position of the sun.
"Well, that's boring," the girl lamented, completely ignoring the disapproving look Yahaba was giving her. "I hope it's a Lower Moon, right, Ume?"
"If I kill it, I will finally ascend to a Pillar," Ume said with poorly concealed pride, casting a disdainful gaze towards Nezuko, who immediately averted her eyes.
Hantengu took an hour and a half to arrive. Douma quickly approached him, smiling a little.
"I'm glad to see you, Hantengu!" said the Ice Pillar, stopping in front of the other man. "I was surprised when you offered to come and help me with this mission. It's nothing out of the ordinary."
"Do you think it's nothing out of the ordinary that our comrades are possibly dead?" Hantengu reproached, serious.
"Of course not!" Douma exclaimed. "I never said that!"
"I hope so. It wouldn't be right for you to insult our fallen comrades."
"You're already assuming they're dead," Douma pointed out. "They're just missing."
"If it's a Lower Moon, I think it's normal to consider them dead, don't you think, Douma?" Hantengu replied.
"Well, we'll soon find out," the Ice Pillar concluded, turning around. "I think it's best if we split up," he proposed.
"Split up?" Hantengu asked, incredulous.
"Yes, you see, a squad of Mizunotos was assigned to this mission, and I think it's better if they go with you."
The Wind Pillar's gaze, still filled with disbelief, landed on Nezuko's squad. "It was supposed to be only Douma's successor squad assigned to this place!" Hantengu mentally shouted. "What am I supposed to do now?"
"I think it's safer if we all go together," objected the Wind Pillar, quickly recovering. "Splitting up is usually a bad idea."
"Do you think so? We'll cover more ground that way," Douma commented, puzzled by his refusal.
"Yes, I believe that, considering they're rookies, it's safer that way."
Douma raised an eyebrow and looked at him without saying anything for a few seconds. He sighed slightly and shook his head. "Well, as you wish. Just make sure they're not a hindrance."
"Of course!" Hantengu exclaimed, greatly relieved.
With everything resolved, the ten demon slayers ventured into the forest.
Hantengu glanced sideways at the trees in the forest, and as they advanced, it seemed like the temperature was dropping even further. The man couldn't help but start shivering a little. He hated this place; Hokkaido was the region he detested the most because of its temperatures.
But he had to endure it; after all, he was in that place for a good reason. And judging by the rising fog, they were waiting for the best moment to attack.
The Wind Pillar glanced sideways at his companion. Douma led the way, walking calmly as if nothing was happening. Hantengu clenched his teeth, irritated by his attitude. He couldn't stand people like that.
"Soon, he will get what he deserves. Relax, Hantengu," a voice, too deep to be his own, spoke in his mind. "He asked for it," opined a feminine voice, sweet as honey, in his mind. "We just have to wait for the right moment," intervened a third voice, attempting to calm the Wind Pillar's nervousness.
Hantengu took a breath and relaxed a bit. Suddenly, and without warning, a wall of fire rose in front of them. Douma, who had been too close, jumped back to safety.
Ume and Gyutaro quickly approached him when they realized that Douma had a pained expression upon landing. Hantengu had to suppress a smile of satisfaction when he noticed that Douma's left foot was slightly burned.
"It's nothing," said Douma, quickly recovering. "There are more important things to worry about right now. We are not alone."
The fog had become even thicker by that point, and they couldn't see their surroundings clearly. Although they could hear movement, they couldn't pinpoint its origin.
Nezuko anxiously gazed at the fog. She had unsheathed her katana, just like the rest of them, and they were all on standby.
"Hantengu and I will take care of it," said Douma, advancing determinedly. He looked at Ume and Gyutaro. "Don't follow us; I'm sure the Lower Moon demon here will come after us. You take care of the lower-ranking ones."
"But, Douma...!" Ume tried to protest, but the stern look she received from the Ice Pillar silenced her.
"It's clear that there are several demons here. I don't think they're all that powerful," Hantengu intervened, trembling with fear—or so it seemed to the others. "We'll handle it."
Without giving the others time to object, Douma and Hantengu ventured into the fog. Ume, who was not at all satisfied with that, tried to follow them, but another wall of fire rose in front of her, blocking her path.
"It's clear they don't want us to follow them," muttered Ume, annoyed, wiping the sweat from her chin. "Damn demon! Stop hiding and show yourself for once!"
In response, a lightning bolt sped towards her. If Ume hadn't had excellent reflexes and been able to dodge it in time, she would have been hit by that attack. The eight demon slayers looked around uneasily, expecting any attack.
"What do we do?" Rui asked, unable to hide his fear. Nezuko looked at him, worried and unsure of what to say.
"Kill the demons, obviously," Gyutaro spat, his eyes fixed on the fog.
"Any ideas on how to do that?" Susamaru wanted to know, trying to maintain composure.
"No. Honestly, I don't," admitted Ume. "Just make sure not to die."
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