26 Cult

"This should be the place," Kanae whispered. Her expression remained calm but focused, while Shinobu looked a bit more tense, her brows furrowed in seriousness. Giyu, walking slightly behind, merely nodded, his face impassive as usual. It was exactly midnight, and the village before them lay shrouded in darkness.

At first glance, the village seemed ordinary, with wooden houses and dirt paths illuminated by dim lanterns. But there was an eerie atmosphere clinging to the air. The people who moved around seemed... off. They whispered to one another, casting furtive glances at the trio as if observing their every step. And despite their unsettling stares, the villagers wore unusually bright expressions, all dressed in similar attire. It was just as they had been warned: this village felt more like a cult than a simple settlement.

Only a moment had passed since they entered when a man stepped in front of them. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties, bald-headed with a narrow eyes. His demeanor was overly friendly, almost unnaturally.

"New faces, hello!" the man greeted. Shinobu remained silent, though she frowned in discomfort. Giyu's expression stayed neutral, betraying no reaction to the man's words.

"Hello," Kanae returned the greeting with a polite smile, though her eyes remained watchful.

"Ah, sorry if I made you uncomfortable," the man quickly apologized seeing their reaction, still smiling that too-perfect smile. "We don't get many visitors, especially not at this time of night. I was just curious about you three." 

Kanae gave a small nod. "It's fine. We understand, and we're sorry to trouble you at such a late hour."

"Please don't be! In fact, I believe you've arrived just in time," the man said, his smile widening. "We're about to hold a ceremony in an hour, a tribute to our most adored one. It's our custom to welcome all newcomers, and I'm sure the founder would be delighted if you joined us."

Kanae tilted her head slightly. "We'll think about it," she said with her usual gentle tone, then walked past the man. Shinobu followed, shooting him a wary glance, while Giyu trailed behind, his expression unchanged.

The man's gaze lingered on them as they walked away. "It would be rude to refuse our blessed one's invitation," he called after them, his voice dripping with unsettling cheerfulness.

Once they were out of earshot, Shinobu leaned closer to Kanae, her voice barely a whisper. "Sister... that man was suspicious."

Kanae nodded, keeping her voice low. "I know. They all stopped what they were doing the moment we entered. They've been watching our every move."

"Could they be under the control of some kind of demon art?" Shinobu asked, her brow furrowed in thought.

"I'm not sure," Kanae replied, glancing over at Giyu. "Tomioka, what do you think?"

Giyu was silent for a moment, his eyes narrowing as if deep in thought. When he spoke, his voice was calm and deliberate. "That man knows about demon slayers."

Both Shinobu and Kanae's eyes widened slightly. "Are you sure?" Shinobu asked, curious how Giyu had come to that conclusion.

"His greeting was just a facade," Giyu explained. "When he saw our uniforms, his heartbeat quickened."

Shinobu raised an eyebrow. "You could tell just from looking?"

Kanae smiled softly, not doubting Giyu's words. "You are amazing Tomioka, I didn't notice anything like that... I'm glad you're with us."

Giyu looked away, avoiding Kanae's kind gaze, which caused a faint scowl to cross Shinobu's face. She was already irritated by his presence, and now it seemed like he was ignoring her sister's praise.

What she didn't know was that Giyu wasn't ignoring Kanae—he was simply too shy to respond to her compliments. And as for how he knew about the man's heartbeat, Giyu had used the See-Through World, the transparent world could even predict movements, sensing a lie was easy

"So, does that mean he's working with the demon?" Shinobu asked.

Kanae nodded, her expression serious. "I believe so. This entire village feels wrong, and the ceremony he mentioned... it's likely a trap. It was strange enough hearing about a demon leading a cult, but now it's clear this mission is more dangerous than we thought."

Giyu closed his eyes for a brief moment, focusing his thoughts. Kanae was right. It was highly unusual for a demon to maintain control over a group of people. Typically, weaker demons acted out of alone and hunt at random, they were not the type to use manipulation. This had to be the mission—the one where Kanae encountered an Upper Moon demon.

"We need to act carefully" Kanae said, her voice softening as she tried to lighten the tense atmosphere.

***

"I see you decided to join us! Our founder will be pleased!" The bald man from earlier greeted Kanae with the same overly enthusiastic tone. They stood in front of a large estate, the biggest and nicest building in the village. Before the entrance, rows of people, mostly young women, stood waiting with eerie smiles on their faces.

"I couldn't help but notice your companions aren't with you this time," the bald man said, his eyes scanning the area.

"They received urgent news and had to leave," Kanae replied smoothly, her usual gentle smile in place.

"Ah, that's unfortunate." The man sighed, though a hint of annoyance slipped through his otherwise cheerful demeanor. "It's customary for all guests to be greeted by our founder. Please, follow me."

Kanae nodded, walking behind the man as he led her through the estate. The dark hallways were narrow, and the air inside felt thick and oppressive. Soon, they reached a large wooden door. The man turned to Kanae. "Wait here for just a moment, I'll—"

Before he could finish his sentence, something struck the back of his neck. His body went limp, and Kanae caught him before he fell, gently lowering him to the ground.

"Tomioka, your stealth skills are amazing," Kanae whispered as Giyu stepped out of the shadows. He gave her a nod, unsheathing his blade as he moved to stand beside her. Kanae drew her sword as well, and the two exchanged a glance before pushing open the door.

The room inside was vast, with tall pillars and dim lighting from lanterns lining the walls. At the far end stood a grand altar, and inside it sat a man. Despite siting down they could tell he was tall, with long platinum-blond hair and striking, almost beautiful features. His eyes gleamed with an unsettling beauty, their multicolored irises catching the flickering light. But it was the number on his eye that made Kanae grip her sword tighter. The number "2" was etched into his iris.

"Oh? It seems our guests have arrived," the man said, his voice dripping with amusement as he smiled. "Though, you could have knocked."