Demon Slayer: I am a Demon

Hiroshi Furukawa left his companions behind to continue searching for the demon's trail, choosing instead to head to Mount Sagiri alone.

Mt. Sagiri is not very high, but some parts are quite steep. In addition, it is shrouded in clouds and mist all year round, making it difficult for ordinary people to climb Mt. Sagiri. However, it was not too difficult for Hiroshi Furukawa.

After a long trek, we soon arrived at a relatively gentle slope halfway up the mountain, where a few simple houses came into view.

Without any hesitation, Hiroshi Furukawa immediately stepped forward, but the surrounding doors were tightly closed, and he did not find any trace of Lord Urokodaki, which made Hiroshi Furukawa feel somewhat disappointed.

"What is this gentleman looking for?"

A light, ethereal, and pleasant voice suddenly came from behind him, startling Hiroshi Furukawa. He turned around abruptly and discovered that a girl had appeared behind him at some point.

The girl had medium-length black hair, wore a short kimono with plum blossom patterns, and a smiling fox mask with blue flower patterns. Although her face could not be seen because of the mask, one could imagine what kind of girl was behind the mask just by listening to her voice.

"I'm here to see Lord Urokodaki."

Hiroshi Furukawa's expression also turned solemn.

"Oh, so you're looking for a master!"

The girl nodded, her beautiful eyes beneath the fox mask showing a hint of confusion. 'Hiroshi Furukawa': "What brings you to see Master?"

Hiroshi Furukawa hesitated for a moment, then, remembering that the other party was a disciple of Lord Urokodaki, replied, "There are some things I need Lord Urokodaki's help with; they concern matters related to demons."

The girl looked at Hiroshi Furukawa, especially at his Demon Slayer Corps uniform, before nodding gently: "Wait a moment, I'll go ask my master."

"it is good."

Hiroshi Furukawa smiled easily, and was about to thank him when he realized that the person in front of him had disappeared without him noticing, leaving only a gust of wind behind.

"That's fast."

Hiroshi Furukawa was somewhat shocked. Wasn't it said that Lord Urokodaki wasn't doing well as a trainer? In fact, not a single disciple had passed Fujikasayama's test yet.

Why does this disciple seem so powerful?

I feel like even as a formal swordsman, I'm not as fast as my opponent. Could it be that he's practicing the "Breathing of the Wind" technique? But that doesn't make sense either. Lord Urokodaki practices the "Breathing of Water." How could he teach the "Breathing of the Wind" technique?

…………

The girl wearing a smiling fox mask nimbly leaped through the jungle like a graceful bird, and soon she reached the top of Mount Sagiri.

At this moment, an old man wearing a celestial dog mask sat alone on a blue stone atop the mountain, his back view appearing very lonely, like an old tree about to wither and die...

The girl landed silently.

Watching her master's retreating figure, the girl behind the mask bit her lip slightly. A few days ago, after her master received the letter brought by the 'Crow', he had been sitting on this mountaintop.

"Even my junior brother failed?"

The girl's eyes darkened slightly, and she was very unwilling to believe the result. Except for speed, her junior brother Sabito was better than her in almost every other aspect. She was unwilling to believe that her junior brother would die in "Mount Fujikasa".

But given her master's current state and Sabito's continued absence from Mount Sagiri, she had no choice but to face reality, no matter how unwilling she was to believe it.

The girl lowered her head and clenched her teeth. She thought of her master, whom she regarded as a father, who had been training new recruits for the Demon Slayer Corps all these years, watching his disciples set off confidently towards Mount Fujikasane year after year.

Every year, the master craftsman would make a custom-made warding-off-misfortune mask for each of them.

We are full of confidence every year.

But... in the end, what awaited us was...

Instead, they were simple letters delivered by the 'Crow', along with familiar names on the letters, and... senior and junior brothers who could never return.

At that moment, Makomo felt a tightness in her chest.

"Makomo, what brings you here?"

A slightly hoarse voice came from beside me.

Wearing a tengu mask, Urokodaki Sakonji appeared in front of the girl at some unknown time.

"A swordsman from the Demon Slayer Corps has come to pay his respects to his master."

Makomo lowered her head and said in a very low voice, "Moreover, Master hasn't eaten for two days since receiving the letter. If this continues, his body won't be able to take it."

Urokodaki Sakonji remained silent for a moment. He opened his mouth, wanting to tell Makomo about the outcome of Sabito's trip to "Fujisakuyama," but... in the end, he didn't have the courage to speak.

"Know."

He spoke in a low voice, walking down the mountain, a hint of doubt in his voice: "Why would a Demon Slayer Corps swordsman personally visit an old man like me?"

"It seems to be about evil spirits."

"It's a ghost again!"

Urokodaki Sakonji sighed slightly. Every year, countless swordsmen perish in the mouths of demons in order to exterminate them, but the number of demons has never decreased.

He spent his life hunting ghosts, until he was very old, when he finally had to stop and went into seclusion in "Kyomo Mountain".

He had intended to continue cultivating fresh blood for the Demon Slayer Corps as a "trainer," but he never imagined that he truly lacked the talent of a "trainer." He personally sent one disciple after another down a path of no return, and even failed the most basic "Fujikata Mountain" test.

Why are your own disciples so outstanding?

Why, why?

…………

Soon, Urokodaki Sakonji and Makomo arrived at the mountainside.

Upon seeing the old man's dog mask, Hiroshi Furukawa, who was waiting, immediately stepped forward respectfully to greet him: "Greetings, Lord Urokodaki."

"Um."

Urokodaki Sakonji nodded slightly, his attitude gentle, though his voice was somewhat hoarse from recent grief: "Is there something you need?"

Without hesitation, Hiroshi Furukawa immediately recounted the story.

"This is quite a peculiar ghost."

After listening to "Uroko no Sakonji", I felt somewhat moved.

However, I don't really care.

Because these ghosts had different experiences as humans, they all had various personalities. What seemed strange to ordinary disciples was not so special to these old people.

"However, since I'm near 'Mount Sagiri,' it's just a side effect..."

Urokodaki Sakonji smiled and was about to agree. His nose was very sensitive to the scent of demons, so finding the demon shouldn't be too difficult.

Upon hearing this, Hiroshi Furukawa breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Lord Urokodaki helped, with his ability to find ghosts, that ghost wouldn't be able to escape.

However, before Urokodaki Sakonji could finish speaking, Kasugai crows were already flapping their wings and flying towards them from afar.

Urokodaki Sakonji took the Kasugai (莹特) and read the letter it contained.

Suddenly, Urokodaki Sakonji's face turned serious, and his hand even instinctively gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist.

Makomo, who had been following behind her master, couldn't help but tilt her head and look at him. It had been a long time since she had seen her master so apprehensive.

Hiroshi Furukawa looked at Sakonji Urokodaki with some confusion, wondering what had happened to make Lord Urokodaki so serious.

"I'm afraid I can't help you this time; you'll have to rely on yourselves."

Sakonji Urokodaki shook his head at Hiroshi Furukawa.

"No...it's okay, adults' matters are more important."

"Hiroshi Furukawa" hurriedly said, though he was somewhat disappointed, he knew that Lord Urokodaki had more important matters to attend to, so he had no choice but to give up.

After Hiroshi Furukawa left, the girl wearing the fox mask tilted her head and looked at her master: "What is it that has made you so alarmed, Master?"

Urokodaki Sakonji glanced at Makomo, then looked up at the sky, his hand unconsciously resting on the hilt of his sword. A chilling killing intent emanated from his slightly aged body.

"That... ghost... has appeared."

………………

PS: There is a lot of disagreement about the order of Makomo and Sabito's deaths. I personally tend to think that Sabito died before Makomo. This is mainly because there was a scene when Makomo was being dismembered by the Hand Demon, in which the Hand Demon killed people, and Sabito was in the scene. Of course, it could also be other disciples, or there are other theories.

However, this book was written by the author, so we'll follow the author's timeline qaq~.~. Therefore, please stick to the book's established timeline.