Bang!
In a remote cave, Ren Takahashi was thrown to the ground by the demon, who then lifted his legs.
Two cracks.
His knees were shattered, and Ren woke up with an expression of pain etched across his face.
Two more cracks.
His arms were also broken by the demon.
He was already used to it. Every day, the demon broke his knees to stop him from escaping during the day.
Ren wore a fierce expression, his eyes filled with hatred as he stared at the demon now resting with its eyes closed.
"This damn demon brought me to a secluded place to hide. He treats me like an endless meal that never runs out. Damn it…"
"If it stops attacking humans, how is the Demon Slayer Corps going to find it?"
"How is a crow supposed to find it, deep in the mountains like this?"
"Is there really no hope of escape?"
Ren looked out toward the increasingly dense forest outside the cave, anxiety gnawing at him.
"I have to find a way to escape as soon as possible."
Realizing he couldn't fully rely on the Demon Slayer Corps, Ren started wracking his brain for a plan.
Sunlight illuminated the entrance to the cave, and the demon, irritated, crawled to the back.
"Damn it… why can I only recover when I sleep?"
Ren didn't know exactly how long the demon slept, and he didn't dare to fall asleep himself. What if he slept longer than the demon? If he woke up at night, there would be no escape. Besides, the pain wouldn't let him sleep.
"This cave is the easiest one to escape from, compared to the others we've stayed in."
"Before, he always blocked the entrance with a giant rock before sunrise. Maybe today he didn't have time, that's why I can see sunlight again."
"But… how do I get out of this?"
All of Ren's limbs were useless, and the pain gnawed endlessly at his nerves.
Even if he managed to crawl out of the cave without making noise, where could he go?
Besides, demons have far sharper senses than humans. If he made even the slightest move, he could be discovered.
The sun was right there, but Ren couldn't figure out a safe way to reach it.
"Doesn't matter. First, I have to get out of the cave."
Clenching his teeth, Ren turned and lay face down. He didn't move again. He stayed still, listening carefully for any sound behind him.
After a long while, hearing no reaction, he let out a breath of relief.
"I can't relax. I have to get out to the sun—only there will I be safe… for now."
With his eyes fixed on the light outside, Ren began to push himself forward with his chin, dragging his body like a caterpillar.
Every movement was torture, but for freedom, for escape from the demon, he kept going with determination.
The cave wasn't deep—only about ten steps long—something a normal person could cross in seconds.
But for Ren, it was like crossing from hell into heaven.
Every few feet, he would stop and listen. If there was no reaction, he continued.
"At this pace, I won't make it before nightfall."
"I have to take the risk!"
He turned to his side, facing the exit.
From there, he could see the demon still sleeping in the back.
"Could it be that it ate too much these past few days? Is it absorbing energy and that's why it's sleeping so deeply?"
"Otherwise, it doesn't make sense. Not long ago, it reacted to the slightest movement."
A spark of hope lit up in his chest. Maybe this was his chance.
With a little excitement, the pain even felt more bearable. Ren rolled toward the entrance with more strength.
"Closer… closer!"
As he moved, he kept watching the demon. Seeing it motionless, his courage grew and he rolled faster.
"I did it. I escaped!"
Now outside, Ren looked back. The demon was still asleep.
He took a deep breath, looked up at the blue sky and clouds, and finally, a smile returned to his face.
Only God knew how a 26-year-old office worker like him had survived this long. If he couldn't die, he'd be dead by now.
He rested a bit and then looked at the demon again.
It wasn't time to relax yet.
He crawled to the edge of the platform and looked down.
"Am I in a cave halfway up the mountain?"
"Down there seems to be the forest from last night."
The mountain wasn't that tall, but he couldn't see beyond the trees.
"I don't know if there's a village past the forest…"
"Doesn't matter, I have to get down first."
He couldn't think about anything but getting as far away from the demon as possible.
Gathering all his courage, Ren threw himself down the mountain, rolling.
The sound of his body hitting the ground scared off the birds and also caught the attention of a young man, Saburo Kojima, who was gathering herbs in the forest.
—"What was that noise?"
—"Sounds like something rolling down the mountain…"
With a basket on his back, Saburo watched carefully.
—"Is that… a person?"
He swallowed hard, and though he hesitated for a moment, he bravely walked toward the figure lying at the foot of the mountain.
—"Da… Das… Ke… Tae…!"
Ren Takahashi, covered in wounds, looked up. Seeing someone approach, a spark of hope ignited inside him. And with what little Japanese he remembered from anime, he shouted over and over the only phrase he knew:
—"Help me!"
He just wanted to get away from the demon. Even if this man turned out to be bad, it didn't matter. The worst that could happen was… that he'd be killed and robbed.
Killed?
That was unlikely.
Robbed?
He had nothing but rags barely covering his body. What could they steal?
So there were only two options: either the man would help him… or leave him to die.
If he was a good person, he'd help.
And if not… well, at least he had tried to escape.
—"Hey! Are you okay?"
—"Da… Das… K…"
—"Hey!"
Ren understood what he was saying, but couldn't remember any other words. He just kept repeating "help me."
But before he could say anything else—
—he lost consciousness.