Chương 40: Chapter 40: Captured
Following the direction of the screams from the previous night, Hatsune and Nae tracked the traces left by Kimura and his group, arriving at the site of last night's ambush.
The ground was littered with corpses, the scene horrific and heart-wrenching. The thick scent of blood was still overwhelming even after a night had passed.
Nae clung to Hatsune's sleeve, closely following him, feeling chills down her spine.
Broken and incomplete bodies, heads swaying in the wind, entrails dragged across the ground, and pools of blood made the large clearing look like a gruesome battlefield.
Nae could no longer hold it in, letting go of Hatsune's sleeve, she ran quickly to a clean tree and vomited while leaning against the trunk.
Hatsune walked straight to the center of the battlefield, which should also be the center of Kimura's group.
He deduced this was the center because the corpses were most densely packed here, and more than a dozen backpacks of varying sizes were piled up, seemingly left behind in a hasty retreat.
Hatsune checked each backpack, choosing the three largest ones and filling them with food, water, and any useful medicines from the other packs. He then slung the three backpacks over his shoulders and headed towards their destination.
Nae, feeling nauseous and weak, saw Hatsune leaving without a word and hurriedly caught up to him.
Not long after they left, several groups of people emerged from the woods, scavenging whatever food and supplies they could find, likely hiding in some corner before coming out.
Back at their destination, Hatsune placed the three backpacks on the stone platform, took out some food from one of them, and started eating.
Nae, dragging her weakened body, carefully sat down at the spot where she had chatted with Yuka the previous night. Having vomited everything she ate, she felt a chill run through her body.
Seeing Hatsune eat heartily, she wanted to eat too, but recalling the earlier scene made her stomach churn, forcing her to dry heave a few times to feel better.
Nae couldn't help but feel regretful, thinking if she had known Hatsune was just scavenging, she wouldn't have gone with him. Then again, she wouldn't have known how horrific the scene would be.
For someone who values food as life, wanting to eat but being unable to is truly painful!
Nae only drank a little water during the day and only ate a bit of food in the evening.
The two of them, relying on the three large bags of food, enjoyed their time under the starry sky. It felt like they were on a leisurely trip rather than participating in an exam.
Occasionally, a scream would break the night, but it was far less intense than the first night.
Sometimes they would encounter a demon wandering out, but they would usually be decapitated by Hatsune in one swift move.
The leaping demon never appeared again, nor did the six-legged spider demon or the three-headed demon with six arms that Yuka mentioned, though they might have been elsewhere.
In short, the past few days had been peaceful. During their free time, they would discuss their understanding of the breathing techniques.
As time went on, the screams at night became fewer, and Mount Fujikasane seemed to have calmed down, until the seventh day, the last evening.
Before night fell, an unusual atmosphere pervaded the air, mirroring the oppressive, stifling, and eerie feeling of the first day of the exam.
The weather was also the same as the first night, with a full moon hanging in the sky, lighting up the entire Mount Fujikasane as if it were daytime.
"Hey, Hatsune, where do you plan to go after we descend the mountain tomorrow?"
"None of your business."
"How can you say it's none of my business? We've been through life and death together."
"You went through life and death, not me."
"You're so cold. Talking to you is like walking on thin ice in winter."
"Mm, that's a fitting metaphor."
Nae tilted her head, smiling, already looking forward to leaving Mount Fujikasane and becoming an official member of the Demon Slayer Corps.
"I'll go see my sister first. I wonder if she'll scold me. Then… hey, Hatsune, where do you live? I'll come find you."
"No need. It's best if we don't see each other again."
"Humph, what are you saying? That's so hurtful. I thought of you as my best friend." Nae pouted, lightly patting Hatsune's arm. It was more of a caress than a pat.
"Thank you, but my family is very poor. Please don't add to our troubles."
"You're making fun of me again."
As they talked, clear footsteps came from the woods below the stone platform.
Nae immediately stopped joking, her right hand on her sword hilt, thinking it was another reckless demon. Seeing so many demons these days, she no longer reacted with panic.
Two figures emerged from the woods.
"Yuka, Akino? You… weren't you…"
Seeing their faces, Nae was too shocked to speak, then she quickly ran down the platform, grabbing Yuka's hand, jumping for joy.
"You weren't you supposed to go down the mountain? How…"
Yuka glanced at Akino beside her. "We couldn't stand going back just like that. Our families were killed by demons. If we went back now, we'd never forgive ourselves."
Hearing this, Nae's face turned sorrowful. "I'm sorry, I… I didn't know…"
"It's okay, it's been a long time. I've moved on."
Yuka looked up at Hatsune. "We didn't plan to find you, but we missed you too much. Thinking the last night would be safe…"
"If we had known, we would have…" Nae couldn't finish the sentence, feeling she had no right to decide back then.
"What about then?"
Seeing Nae's troubled face, Yuka knew she couldn't have made that decision. She smiled and said, "Forget about it. Let's find a place to chat. I have so much to tell you. You won't chase us away tonight, will you?"
"Of course not! I'd fight anyone who tries." Nae shot a fierce glare at Hatsune, the last sentence clearly meant for him.
Nae and Yuka, like long-lost sisters, held hands and sat on the stone platform, where they first met and talked all night.
Hatsune smirked inwardly, thinking they might regret this later.
Not long after, they got up and walked into the woods behind.
Worried, Akino asked where they were going.
Nae shot him a look, saying even going to the bathroom required asking.
Embarrassed, Akino hung his head and sat back down.
Shortly after Nae and Yuka entered the woods, a girl's scream pierced the night. Nae stumbled out, tears in her eyes, looking at Hatsune in panic.
"Yuka's been taken! Hatsune, please… please save her!"
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