Chapter 58: The Most Skilled Hunters Often Appear as Prey

Heiji and Ono walked cautiously through the town, hands gripping their Nichirin Blades, not daring to loosen their hold. Heiji was particularly nervous, his palms sweating incessantly.

Along the way, apart from the occasional crow in the sky offering a fleeting sense of security, the darkness only brought him fear.

[The most skilled hunters often appear in the guise of prey.]

[Listen, Heiji-san, in this battle, the opponent has incredibly strong reconnaissance abilities, or perhaps a precognitive type. Therefore, I cannot appear near you, at least not within the town. So, this is a fishing plan.]

During the day, Uchiha Nagi's serious face appeared in his mind as they discussed the plan of action.

[So, I won't be in town, but this scroll contains something that can protect you. If you encounter danger, open it, and I will rush over from outside the town with all my might. You just need to hold on until I arrive, and you'll be safe.]

According to the plan, if the person was too strong, the opponent wouldn't show themselves. The demon didn't even dare to face Kinoe-ranked Demon Slayer Corps members, proving it was definitely weaker than Kinoe-ranked slayers. However, if the bait was too weak, they might perish before reinforcements could arrive.

So, they chose a middle ground: Hinoe-ranked members as bait. Heiji, being bold and young, had accepted this mission. On one hand, having just joined, he was at that fearless age, much like Tanjiro and the others.

On the other hand, they also hoped to latch onto a powerful figure and receive guidance from Uchiha Nagi, the newly promoted Hashira. There were internal rumors within the Demon Slayer Corps that Uchiha Nagi might take the Flame Hashira's place.

The previous Flame Hashira had suffered severe internal injuries from his battle with Upper Moon Three and would be unable to return to the battlefield for several years. Uchiha Nagi, newly promoted and without a designated Hashira title yet, was a Hashira-level powerhouse who also knew Flame Breathing. With Rengoku-san's recommendation, Uchiha Nagi might become the new Flame Hashira.

Most cultivators in the Demon Slayer Corps were like school teachers, one person training dozens. Only a few with exceptional talent, recognized by retired Hashira, would be taken on as personal disciples, receiving one-on-one training.

For example, Tanjiro was trained by the retired Water Hashira for two years, while Zenitsu and his senior were trained by the retired Thunder Hashira for several years.

If they could receive his guidance, then…

Heiji's talent wasn't bad either; he had reached Hinoe rank in two years.

However, when the moment truly arrived, he felt a little scared. Previously, there had always been Kinoe-ranked members or a Hashira leading the team. Now, he was alone.

Moreover, the demons he had slain before were all relatively weak. Now, he was facing an unknown enemy.

Heiji patrolled for several hours throughout the night but found nothing. Finally, he grew hungry.

"Maybe… the opponent ran away?" Heiji looked up at the crow in the sky. It was his personal Kasugai Crow, simultaneously observing the surroundings for enemies.

"Hahaha, maybe he's scared of me, the great Ono!" Ono chuckled happily.

After all, so far, no flying demons had ever been discovered. So, as long as the crows flew high enough, they were generally safe. The night was the crow's best cover.

Heiji looked at the sky. The first rays of dawn were spreading across the land. The surroundings were becoming visible to the naked eye, no longer so dark. He let out a sigh of relief. Having walked all night, his stomach was empty. He glanced around and saw that a noodle shop owner had just opened his doors.

"Ah, you're early, customers! Please, come in, come in! Oh my, I didn't expect customers this early. Please wait a moment, I'm still kneading the dough," the owner, a bald man in his fifties, said. He looked very kind and benevolent.

"Ah, yes. I haven't slept all night, I'm exhausted. Boss, give me a bowl of chashu ramen," Heiji yawned. After a sleepless night, the tension finally eased, and he immediately felt sleepy.

"Boss, get me a bowl too, with extra meat!" Ono called out.

"Alright, please wait a moment, customers—" The owner skillfully began to knead the dough and prepare the soup. Before long, the rich aroma of the broth wafted over.

Heiji noticed that the owner was wearing a string of Buddhist prayer beads around his neck, which swayed up and down as he kneaded the dough.

"Boss, did you get your prayer beads from the temple?" Heiji asked curiously.

"Yes, it hasn't been very peaceful at night lately, so I got a string of prayer beads for protection," the owner said, touching the beads on his chest, a kind expression on his face.

Soon, a steaming, fragrant bowl of chashu ramen was served and placed in front of Heiji. At this moment, however, Heiji noticed that the prayer beads on the owner's chest weren't new. Instead, they had a polished look from many years of wear, and there were even some dark, blackish marks within the beads.

"Boss, didn't you say you just got your prayer beads from the temple recently? Why do they look like they've been used for a long time?" Heiji asked, puzzled.

"Ah, yes, it's a long story—" The bald owner wiped his sweat, smiled, and sat down to chat with Heiji.

"These prayer beads… when I was young, I was often sick. My parents went to the temple to pray for my safety. And indeed, thanks to them, I never got sick again."

The bald, portly owner looked at the sun shining outside, his face radiating a warmth similar to the sunlight.

"The master at the temple taught me from a young age to do good deeds and accumulate virtue. I've always been grateful to them for curing my illness and giving me these prayer beads to protect my health. Because every time I got sick, I would see things in my dreams."

"Hm? See things in your dreams?" Ono asked curiously, listening to the owner's story while eating his ramen.

"Yes, I saw some disasters in my dreams, and then they would soon appear in reality. Amazing, right? Unfortunately, after my parents found out about this ability, they forbade me from telling anyone," the owner sighed.

"Why?" Heiji asked, chewing on his chashu.

"Because those who died in the disasters in my dreams would also die the same way in reality. My parents were afraid I'd be treated as an outcast, burned by the villagers, so they made me keep quiet. Until one day, I had another dream."

"What dream?"

"I dreamed that people from out of town came to our village to buy grain at a high price. Because the price was several times higher, everyone sold all their grain. Since the grain in the fields would ripen in a few days, the farmers thought it was a windfall. However, in the days leading up to the harvest, heavy rain poured down, and all the grain was destroyed. As a result, after the great flood, there was a plague, and with no food, the people in the town starved or died of illness. Fewer than one in a hundred survived. When I woke up, I told my parents. Our family harvested all the unripe grain in advance. Many villagers laughed at us for being foolish. My parents firmly believed in my dream, but they were hesitant about whether to tell the villagers because this dream of mine was truly terrifying. But at that moment, I looked at the prayer beads on my chest and remembered what the master had told me, to do more good deeds and accumulate virtue. So, I ignored my parents' objections and ran out to tell all the villagers about the dream, urging them to quickly harvest the unripe grain and escape this disaster—"

"Boss, what happened then?" Unconsciously, Heiji had become engrossed in the owner's story, not even realizing he had finished the noodles in his bowl.