I'm not Muzan Kibutsuji!

Chapter 4: Demons, Meetings, and Muzan

Masaru had only just gotten home when Yurei greeted him. The old man had pulled Masaru into his arms, and he couldn't help but feel pure happiness. This man gave him everything... and then he was swiftly kicked by the wind, since he had taken two days longer than usual and ended up worrying his master.

Yurei made a huge meal for the two of them, celebrating Masaru's survival. He had never seen so much food in his life, and he felt infinitely grateful for His Master's kindness. The two of them had a lovely dinner, and Yurei told Masaru stories from his time as a young slayer, from his own final selection to his encounters with Muzan, to his retirement. Masaru listened with fascination as the sun set and the moon rose, eventually heading to bed, falling sleep dreaming of his own adventures.

He knew the dangers of becoming a demon slayer, but Masaru knew that he would never be able to watch idly as people were killed and devoured by demons. As the week passed, Masaru grew more and more nervous leaving his master behind. The man had given him a home, happiness, and something he didn't think he'd ever have—A family.

One week after Masaru returned, a swordsmith knocked on His master's door and gave him his nichirin sword. The woman looked on eagerly as Masaru took the sword from him, the Blade turning a mint green, seeming to both fascinate and disappoint the lady. Under her breath, the swordsmith sighed, muttering something about "red swords" and "nothing interesting happening", though when the smith caught sight of his eyes, she quickly turned around and left.

A few minutes later, a strange talking crow appeared at the door, asking for Masaru. Masaru felt tears prickle at his eyes, before sighing, hugging Yurei and grabbing his hat, setting off with the crow. Speaking of which, the crow introduced herself as "Viridian, but call me Viri, Human." The duo set off for a town about 5 miles west of Yurei's House, where several children had gone missing, and were often found half-dead, with their eyes missing.

Masaru reached the town with the sun high in the sky, a little earlier then he was planning to get there. He tipped his hat to the guard, before entering the small village and asked around about the missing children. An elderly woman pointed him towards a house near the edge of the village, claiming that a young girl had survived, though she was permanently blind.

Masaru knocked on the door, which opened to reveal a hesitant woman with dark hair and striking blue eyes. He explained the situation to the woman, who eventually let him in, going to a small kitchen area to prepare lunch for him, though he insisted that he would be fine without such a thing. As the woman prepared the food, Masaru found a little hand gripping on his leg. A girl, no older than 6 stood before him, a blindfold hiding her eyes, which he assumed were gone. The little girl clung to him like glue, knocking his hat onto the floor while squeezing him so tightly he could barely breath.

The woman sat down with a homemade meal and introduced her daughter. "This is Iris, my only daughter. A month ago, she disappeared without a trace, only to be found with her eyes.. gone, bleeding out, only a day later. Luckily, Iris was found by a doctor who kept her alive..", the woman teared up at the thought of that night, seemingly not able to describe more.

The little girl detached from her mom, walking over to Masaru. She whispered in his ear. "Mister, it was an old man who said to go with him, but then I felt dizzy, and when I woke up I couldn't see anymore." Iris went back over to her crying woman, and hugged her tightly. The woman's tears slowed, and when looked up, straight into Masaru's eyes, he felt frozen. "Leave." The woman didn't spare him a second glance,

Shaking as she pulled her daughter closer. Masaru grabbed his hat and left quickly, not wanting to scare the woman further.

Masaru wandered around the town as the sun set, waiting for the demon to arrive. He thought back to the fear the woman seemed to exude once she saw his eyes, and wondered if the demon would feel the same. As he was walking around, he suddenly felt a change in the winds. His master had taught him the technique, a side skill of wind breathing, which allowed the user to notice small changes in the air temperature, moisture, and also when something had quickly reacted.