Anime/Manga: Bankai Starting with Demon Slayer

Chapter 20 The Strange Disease of Eating Shadows

During the Taisho era, affected by the domestic and international economic crisis, the prosperity created by the past benefits of foreign wars had begun to decline.

Society began to stir with unrest, radical and ambitious individuals began to make their moves, and ordinary people were also affected by these upheavals, making their lives increasingly difficult.

The further northeast you go, the stronger this restless feeling becomes.

On the road, you can see families selling their children to cope with the ever-increasing rice prices, and you can also see propagandists shouting war slogans and advocating for the cabinet's plan to send troops to Siberia.

In short, a clamorous wind is gathering.

On this day, the bird passed through a desolate little town.

As industry developed in the Tohoku region, young people from the small town increasingly flocked to large cities such as Fukushima and Sendai.

The people who remain here today are either farmers who have lived here for generations or business people who run shops here; you rarely see any new faces.

So when the bird appeared in the town, most passersby looked on with curiosity, wondering why this handsome young man had come to this small village.

Especially at this time....

As soon as Feiniao entered the town, a strange feeling settled in her heart.

The atmosphere here is extremely oppressive, giving people a very bad feeling.

Although the shops on both sides of the road were open as usual, and pedestrians were walking around as usual, people would occasionally smile and nod at him kindly.

But everyone seemed to be shrouded in a layer of gray.

That was a shadow on spiritual pressure, reflecting the deep unease, anxiety, and fear in these people's hearts.

The bird didn't stop to ask questions; it simply moved forward silently, listening intently to the whispers in the alleys and observing the shifty eyes of everyone.

"...Yuji too? Sigh...another one..."

"How's your shadow?"

"I feel a bit bland today... I don't feel very good..."

"Koji died last night... It's so eerie..."

These fragmented sentences came together, causing the bird's nerves to twitch slightly.

Is this city experiencing strange events involving death and resurrection?

Could it be a ghost?

He subconsciously reached for the Nichirin Blade, but withdrew his hand before even touching the hilt.

...It has nothing to do with me.

The judgment of birds is very direct and simple.

He would do whatever the Demon Slayer Corps assigned him, whatever his teacher asked him to do, whatever Rika asked him to do... and even if you count Kenichi and Shinsuke's personal matters.

But he didn't want to get involved in any other troubles.

He didn't want to get involved in the town before official orders were issued, wondering if it was haunted and how dangerous it was.

As long as the ghost doesn't stand in his way.

My task is in Sendai; there's no need to complicate things.

Asuka gathered the black feathers that concealed the blade, searched for a general store to replenish her food and water, and planned to buy a map of the Tohoku region.

However, just as he was walking down the desolate street, his gaze fell upon a relatively quiet alley, and his eyes caught sight of a small shadowy figure huddled in a corner.

There were three or four children, the oldest being no more than eleven or twelve years old, and the youngest still needing to be carried.

They huddled in a corner piled with discarded wooden crates and miscellaneous items, their clothes ragged and their faces filthy.

Homeless children... Upon seeing their appearance, the bird stopped in its tracks.

It wasn't just because I saw my past self in them, but more importantly because they looked unwell.

It's like someone has drained all your blood, or the deathly stillness that comes with the moment of death.

But their eyes were bright, they huddled together for warmth, and the leader's voice was particularly loud.

This is not simply the grayish-white face caused by hunger, injury, or being beaten.

Asuka calmed herself and used her spiritual pressure to sense the surroundings of the homeless children... Sure enough!

The afternoon sun shines into the alley, casting clear reflections on the uneven ground. Whether it's wooden boxes, stone walls, or small trees by the wall, everything is a thick, inky black.

But the shadows of these children were like cheap ink stains soaked in water, with blurry edges and so pale they almost blended into the ground.

It was as if something was continuously devouring the colors of their shadows, thereby drawing their life force from those shadows.

It's a ghost!

Although the specific logic behind their actions is unclear, there is no doubt that these children have been marked by a ghost.

The bird fell silent, as if some force had kept it in place, quietly watching the few stray dogs huddled together for warmth.

He turned back and walked to a stall selling coarse grain cakes, where he sat down expressionlessly.

"Boss, how's business?"

The old man selling the cake was stunned for a moment. He looked at the strange young man and sighed with a smile on his face. "Hey, what's the matter? It's all the folks who are helping me. I'm here from out of town. Just buy some good things and leave. It's not peaceful here lately..."

His eyes gleamed as he handed Feiniao the flatbread and tea he had ordered.

"Hmm...what's wrong? I just heard something about shadows?" Asuka took a bite of her biscuit, asking casually, but the old man's expression changed. He quickly looked around and whispered, "..."

"Shh! Don't speak loudly! It's really eerie! Sigh... it's this shadow, I don't know how, it just fades away on its own! And when the shadow is completely gone, the person is dead! Like a dried-up corpse..."

"Hey buddy, stop asking around, it's not good news! Listen to me, let's get going!"

Feiniao nodded without asking any further questions.

He paid a little extra, indicating to the owner that he should buy some food for the children in the alley next door, and then left with his share.

He then made similar attempts at several different stalls, and the results were all sorts of strange things.

Some say it's a rumor, others say it's because Lord Tengu is angry, and still others remain silent and will simply drive him away.

However, recalling the conversations he overheard on the street, along with these fragmented pieces of information, he eventually pieced together a fairly accurate conclusion:

A strange disease is breaking out in this small town. The shadows of those afflicted become increasingly faint, and their physical health deteriorates as their shadows fade, until death.

The initial victims were half-dead Shi Ao, located in the east of the town. They were either poor women or lonely men, and their deaths were all the same - they looked as if they had been drained dry and became mummified corpses.

"That's strange. Aren't ghosts supposed to eat people? How can a ghost eat its own shadow?"

Asuka didn't understand, but respected the ghost's pica.

It's still daytime, so ghosts won't come out. To sort things out, he decided to find the original victim, [溡懊磕茄Y], and see if there were any clues.

After some somewhat difficult questioning, he finally found a small fenced courtyard that was almost completely overgrown with weeds.

The sunlight seemed to be stingy here; the low earthen houses were covered with thick dust, and cobwebs hung in the corners.

Half of the courtyard wall had collapsed, making it look like it hadn't been maintained for a long time.

This is the story of Shi Aomu.

Although it looked dilapidated, as a former homeless child who couldn't even afford shoes, Asuka had no right to comment on other people's circumstances and silently pushed open the creaking, broken door.

A strong, foul stench, a mixture of cheap alcohol and sweat, suddenly wafted out:

Broken wine bottles, scattered firewood, and unidentified filth were haphazardly spilled on the muddy ground.

A gaunt man with sunken eyes was curled up on a tattered straw mat under the eaves, clutching an empty wine bottle tightly in his hand.

His hair was greasy and matted, his clothes were tattered, and his bare arms were covered with bluish-purple bruises.

Judging from his appearance, he was clearly suffering from a severe and persistent hangover.

This is why the townspeople are unwilling to talk about Shi Aomu, his brother—Shi Ba.

Chapter 21 The Victim from Sendai

Although the weather was fine, the people all looked mentally unstable.

But surprisingly, he woke up almost the instant the bird stepped into the courtyard.

"Who! Still want to cause me trouble?! Get out!"

Reeking of alcohol, it roared in the direction of the birds.

However, when he saw Asuka's plain and youthful appearance, he was stunned for a moment, but still snapped back angrily, "What are you looking at! Trying to steal something? Get the hell out of here!"

Asuka glanced around expressionlessly and spoke indifferently.

"Steal what? The straw mat?"

"You bastard...."

Seeing that Shi Ba Wu Na Na, the bird didn't want to cause any more trouble, so it simply stated the purpose of its trip directly:

"I heard that the people living here are very curious, and I would like to know more about them."

"Big Brother..." Shi Ba Wu Na Ming was hit between the eyebrows by the word "Shi Ao" and involuntarily swayed.

But the next second, a volcanic eruption of anger erupted, turning the eyes of the 5-inch blades of the shiba into a deep red!

"None of your business! Do you have any right to interfere in my brother's affairs?! Get out! All of you, get out!"

As he continued cursing, whether he sobered up or became even more drunk, he charged headlong at the bird like a wild boar with its head throbbing!

Although he seemed reckless, Asuka could still tell from his movements and trajectory that this guy's shoulders were lowered, his center of gravity was pressed forward, and his steps were wild but not without method, so he must have been trained.

However, compared to Asuka, the flaws in its movements were still too great.

Just as Shiba was about to collide with the bird, he merely shifted his body slightly to the side, and simultaneously extended his right hand like lightning, directly seizing Shiba's raised right wrist as he stabbed.

The bird pressed down hard, pinching the metal rod. The bird then...

Before the tingling sensation could spread throughout his body, Asuka casually yanked him, sending him sprawling backward onto the ground in a pathetic manner.

"Bastard! I'll kill you!!"

Looking at the struggling, coughing bird, Shiba spoke again:

"Calm down. I'm not here to watch this joke. On the contrary, I'm here to help you find his killer."

"The murderer?!"

Whether it was the cold ground that cooled Shiba Yijing's mind a little, or it was Fei Niao's words that touched him.

He stopped struggling and cursing, and instead looked at the young man with suspicion and wariness, rubbing his wrist as he propped himself up...

"Let's go inside and talk..." After a long silence, he slowly began to speak.

After a period of time, Feiniao gradually pieced together the story of the first victim:

She is 37 years old and unmarried.

Originally a farmer in a small town, he was introduced to work in a dyeing factory under the Sendai Dyeing and Weaving Company. He is an honest and hardworking person. He has only one younger brother who is 11 years younger than him, and no other relatives.

Last month, Shi Ao's condition deteriorated significantly; he coughed frequently, and his phlegm even contained black streaks.

Later, Shi Ba 2 Pang 0 was injured by chemical fuels and toxic dust, but the factory did not care at all and instead fired him on the grounds that he could not work.

While taking care of her health, she and some assertive coworkers at the factory decided to unite and demand an explanation from the boss.

Unfortunately, a few days ago, I was filled with regret and frustration. I felt a pang of sadness and despair.

With his death, the Shadow Disease began to spread. The townspeople believed that the Shadow Disease was caused by the Shadow Disease. They dug up his grave and often came to his former residence to make noise.

Shiba14_ initially thought that Asuka was also that kind of person, which is why the conflict occurred.

"What are the specific characteristics of 'shadow disease'? Does the person die the moment the shadow disappears? Or are there other symptoms?"

"I can't really explain it... My feeling is that my older brother wasn't feeling well after he came back, then he developed a shadow disease, and his health deteriorated until he couldn't get out of bed at all... The next day, he was completely..."

She clutched her head in anguish as she thought about how her beloved older brother had died.

Their parents passed away early, leaving behind a legacy of hardship.

In order to give his younger brother a better life, the older brother went to work in Sendai dyeing and weaving. All the money he earned was used to pay for his younger brother's tuition at the Army Academy, hoping that he could make something of himself.

However, due to differences in their educational philosophies, Shi Ba was not only ostracized by his classmates but was also expelled from the school.

After returning to his hometown, he was often bullied by fellow villagers who were also military academy students. He couldn't even run a small business or farm properly, and eventually became a dissolute spendthrift who has remained in this state ever since.

But he felt genuinely guilty and heartbroken towards his elder brother. So when Asuka said that he regretted his actions, he wished he could find the murderer immediately and kill him as soon as possible!