Chapter 2: Thief Seekers

Kaoi POV

The life of a demon slayer is not a happy one.

Due to the circumstances that demons were once humans. There are bound to be times when one decapitates a demon in front of their former loved ones.

Murderer

Killer

Slaughterer

Butcher

At one point in a demon slayer's career are they called these names

So imaging my surprise when out of nowhere this silver-haired girl accuses me of thievery.

Yeah, let's just say I was not expecting it thus my response of

"What?!"

"I said that you should cease your actions and return my insignia to me"

I stood there dumbfounded at what is happening right now.

"First of all, these guys attacked me, so what I did was in self-defense. Hell, I only knocked them out. I could have done a lot worse. Second of all, I did not steal anything from no one. Much less from you."

"You should listen to him, Lia. I don't sense any malice from his words. Just some minor annoyance." a high-pitched voice said.

"Hush now, Puck," the girl said while grasping her green crystal.

"Huh, who said that?"

The green crystal around the girl's neck began to glow a bright light. As the light comes down I start to see a small flying cat.

With a purple handbag cause why not.

Immeaiditly I jump to gain some distance while grabbing my sword.

What is that?! I thought while looking at it

A nekomata? No, they have two tails with the tips on fire. This one has only one tail that is not on fire.

"You see Puck, He jumped away because he has a guilty conscience!" the girl exclaims.

"No Lia, I think because he was startled by my appearance. Maybe he never saw a spirit before." said the floating cat

A spirit, so is that what he is?

"Look even if you didn't steal from me, then surely you know the person who did?" Lia asked

"Sorry, but I have no idea what you're talking about" I replied.

For the next minute, we stare at each other in silence.

That is until she suddenly breaks into a worrying face.

"Wait, Oh, no, it couldn't be. Did I really make a wrong turn or maybe come the long way around?"

While she was standing there muttering to herself. I suddenly remember the blond girl that ran by here earlier. She did look like she was in a rush to get away from someone. Could she be the thief the girl now identified as Lia be after?

"On second thought, I might have an idea of the person who stole from you."

"Really!" she exclaims with hope in her eyes.

I hummed in agreement and then I turned to look up at the roof of one of the buildings.

"Hey, Teruo! Come down here I have something to ask of you!" I yelled.

Lia and the cat spirit looked at me with confusion until my feathered friend flew down and perched himself on my arm.

"Caw, Caw, What is it? Caw, Caw" Teruo squawks.

"Did you see where the blond-haired girl that was here earlier run off to?" I asked

"Caw, Caw, Yes I did. Caw, Caw"

"Then can you lead us to her?"

"Caw, Caw, Yes I can. Caw, Caw"

With that, Teruo flew off into the sky following the direction of our thief.

"Come on" I shouted as I began to run after Teruo.

Lia then yells

"Wait!"

Causing me to stop in my track and turn to her.

"What, we got to be quick if we want to catch up to your thief"

"Sorry, but I don't even know who you are and what is up with that bird. How do I know I can trust you?"

Taking what she said in, I could see her point of view and decided to introduce myself.

"Well, I guess that is fair. My name is Kaoi also no family name and I am a wandering swordsman. My feathered friend you saw just now is my Kasugai Crow, Teruo."

I left the part about me being a demon slayer for now. Back home, only a small percent of the population knew about demons. There is no telling how these people would react to my job if I told them.

"Kasugai crow?" Lia questions.

"Crows trained how to speak to act as guides for travelers such as I"

"Wow, I never heard of such a thing before"

"Well they're from my homeland"

"Oh, where are you from?"

I don't want to tell her about Japan since it probably doesn't exist in this world, but before I could turn the conversation to make it about her the cat spoke up first.

"Lia, I think he told us enough about himself. We should do him the same courtesy of telling him our names."

The cat spirit then floats toward me.

"Greetings Kaoi, my name is Puck and I am a spirit that protects the girl you see now"

"Well Puck, It's nice to meet you"

"Likewise"

I then turn to Lia for her name.

Upon realizing it's her turn for introductions she quickly says

"Well, my name is ..."

She then pauses to think before giving her answer.

"It's Satella, no family name"

"Now that we introduce ourselves. Let's get back in finding uh

I'm sorry, but what has been stolen from you again?"

She gasps at me like I had just overlooked a big revelation.

"Uh ... my insignia" Satella replied.

"Great! now let's go! We're burning daylight"

On that note, Puck disappears and we started to walk off together as we followed Teruo to the location of her thief.

That is until Satella speaks up.

"Kaoi"

"Yeah"

"The girl over there looks lost"

I looked over to where she is pointing and sure enough, there is a girl that seems to be lost.

Feeling bad to see such a young girl is without her parents. I walked towards her without consulting Satella.

"Hey there," I said as I kneel down to gain her attention.

"You look a little lost here. Do you need help finding your mother or father?" I asked.

Instead of answering me she just began to tear up. I knew that I needed to lift her spirit first.

"Hey now, it's okay, it's okay," I said softly.

"Look at this!"

I pulled out a sen coin which seems to calm her down.

"This is a coin not like any other and when I clutch it tightly in my hand," I said as I perform the trick. Next, I open my hands to say.

"It disappears! Where did it go?"

I then pulled the coin out from her hair and she looks at it with amazement.

"Why there it is" I exclaimed.

The little girl then giggles in excitement.

"Here you go, for being such a good audience. You can keep the coin. Be careful with it as it one of a kind" I said as I gave her the coin.

"Now then are ready to answers my questions?" I asked

"Yes, sir. I was walking with my mommy but I got lost and now I can't find her"

"Okay, well how about you climb my back and I can carry you around so if you see your mommy you can point her out easily. Does that sound good?"

She then hums yes to me.

I then turn my back to her and let her climb onto me. After she felt secure on my back, I lift her up and walk towards Satella. Who looks at me with a shocked face.

"This is my friend who will help look for your mommy as we walk"

"Really?" the little girl asks.

I look towards Satella for her answers.

"Why yes I will," She said in a sweet tone.

We then walk for a while before finally encountering the girl's mother. She was really grateful towards us and even gave Satella a flower to wear. We then parted ways to resume our search for the thief.

As we were walking, Satella decides to ask me a question.

"Kaoi"

"Yeah"

"Why did you stop to help that little girl there?"

"Well, one, you wanted to help her, or else you wouldn't have pointed her out to me. Two, I couldn't leave a little girl lost and scared in the streets. Finally three, she reminded me of my little sister."

"You have a sister?" Satella asks.

"Yeah, her name is Rozu" I said

"Kaoi, can I ask one last question?"

"Sure," I said as I shrugged my shoulders.

"Why are you helping me?"

"You have something that was stolen and you need help getting back. That's it nothing complicated." I said expecting it to be the end of that. That is until I hear her stop.

"Kaoi," Satella said.

"What is it now?" I said as I turn back to her.

"I'm a half-elf"

We then stood in silence for a moment before I spoke up with the one thought crossing my mind.

"What's an Elf?"

"HUH!?" she exclaims at my question.

"I'm saying what is an Elf. Judging on how you put it. I'm guessing it's a race."

"Yes, Elves are a race of people but didn't you hear what I said. I'm a half-elf"

"Satella, if I don't know what elves are. What makes you think I would know what you're trying to say by telling me you're a half-elf."

She then goes into a fetal position while I stand there confused.

"Wow Kaoi, you would have to be pretty ignorant not know what elves are?" Puck said as he floats from Satella's hair.

"Look, I told you before that I am a wanderer. I tend to just go place to place minding my own business. Just caring where to sleep and eat."

And where to hunt down demons I thought to myself.

"Kaoi, you dunderhead!" Satella shouts as she got up.

"Dunderhead, what kind of insult is that!" I said as I never heard the word before.

"Nevermind, It looks like your crow is heading towards the slums, so let's get back to the search," Satella said as she walks in the direction that Teruo is flying.

What a strange girl

We eventually ended up at a large house in the slums as it is almost sunset. Honestly, walking through there did bring me back as I mostly travel to the rural and poor villages of Japan.

Anyway, Teruo lands on my shoulder.

"Caw, Caw, She is there, She is there. Caw, Caw"

"Here we are, now how are we going to go about this?" I ask Satella

"We go in there, demand my insignia back, maybe threaten them a little if they don't comply, and get out before nightfall"

Not a good plan but not a bad one either

After knocking on the door, we hear footsteps come and the blond girl opens the door.

"Wait, you're the guy from earlier,"

Satella moves into view into the doorway.

"And you're ...!" The thief said as she was too stunned to continue.

Walking into the building I can see a large variety of goods on the left side.

Could all of this be stolen?

I then look to the right to see a bar and the second-largest human being I have seen. Seriously this guy is as tall as the Stone Hashira, Himejima-san.

Men of gigantic heights aside I start to pay attention as Satella starts to speak.

"I'm glad you're here, You won't get away this time."

"What is wrong with you? Don't you know when to quit? I'm telling you to let it go already."

"I'm sorry, but this is something I simply cannot give up on. If you do as I say and cooperate. I won't hurt you. "

Satella then summons ice crystals and points them towards the thief and giant cause of course she can do ice magic.

I shouldn't even be surprised anymore.

"I have but one request to make of you. Return what is mine. My insignia is very important to me."

The giant then says "Felt, I believe it's best to give her back what's hers"

The thief now named Felt exclaims "Rom, What's your problem. You're admitting defeat before we even start fighting?"

The giant named Rom asks Satella "Young lady, you're an Elf right?"

Seriously! What is an Elf and why is that something that makes this giant want to back down?

Satella replies with what she told me earlier "I'm only a half-Elf"

"Seriously!" Felt said, "Are you the ?"

"An accidental resemblance" Satella waved off

An accidental resemblance to who? I thought as I look at her

She then mouths to me "I'll explain later"

Taking a sigh I look back at Satella as I felt something in her direction.

I don't talk about this much but whenever someone has a passionate feeling. I can sometimes feel that emotion emanating from that person. It has to be a really strong feeling though but with some things like demons. I can easily feel their bloodlust from a distance and react accordingly and at that moment I felt bloodlust coming from behind Emilia.

In an instant, I sweep Satella off her feet and jumped back towards the bar. I then look back at a woman in purple wield a strange knife.

"My, My, My, aren't you an interesting fellow. Detecting me as I was about to kill her"

"Puck get out here now."

After putting Satella on her feet, Puck comes out.

"Thanks, Kaoi, any closer, and we'd be done for."

"Your Welcome," I said as I look at the assailant.

"A spirit. How wonderful I never had the pleasure of cutting open a spirit's stomach before." She said before she raises her head to giggle.

"Hey, what do you mean by that?" Felt shouts

"We can't really enter negotiations if the original owner is here now, can we? and because of that, I changed my plans to slaughter every one of you. You failed to see your job through. I was hoping you were more than another slum rat"

"I believe I've heard enough," I said as I move to face her.

"Oh, and who are you to stand bravely towards me? a Knight perhaps?"

"I am no such thing, My name is Kaoi. I am usually a wanderer, never drawing my sword when it is not needed. However for monsters of the night such as yourself. Who kills for sick pleasure. Who innocently trample the lives you have taken. I draw it as this day will be your last."

I drew my purple sword from its sheath. Air hiss from my teeth as I prepare for battle. Although I didn't notice it. Orange flames spew from the hilt and engulf my blade. This woman, the way she talks about killing us, the pure bloodlust coming from her, and the look in her eyes tell me what exactly she is.

"Demon"