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---
"So, it's only the two of you on this mission? Headquarters didn't send anyone else?" Fukada asked cautiously.
"I'm not completely sure," Noe replied. "As far as we know, it's just the two of us."
Fukada silently nodded.
Although he was somewhat disappointed, there was nothing more he could say. Besides, the white-haired young man beside Noe gave off the unmistakable aura of someone capable.
"Are all the hot spring inns closed at night now?" Cold Cry asked.
"Yes."
Fukada swallowed nervously.
"So many people have disappeared without a trace. Who would dare keep their inn open at night? Even if they did, no travelers would stay there. Ever since the disappearances began, tourists have stopped coming to Qingshui Town."
Even while sitting safely inside his own home, fear was still evident in his voice.
"Not only have travelers stopped visiting, but even the innkeepers refuse to spend the night in their own establishments. One female owner insisted there was nothing supernatural happening and stayed overnight at her inn."
"The next morning..."
"She had disappeared as well."
"Was she eaten by a demon?" Noe asked curiously. She had been quietly listening all evening, but now that she had finished her sweets and fruit, she finally spoke.
"We don't know," Fukada replied with a bitter smile. "We can't even confirm that a demon is truly responsible."
Cold Cry remained silent for a moment before speaking.
"Tomorrow, find the largest and most luxurious hot spring inn in town."
"We'll spend tomorrow night there."
"Reserve the entire inn."
"No one is allowed inside except the three of us."
"The hot spring?" Fukada and Noe exclaimed at almost the same time.
Their reactions, however, couldn't have been more different.
Fukada's face instantly turned pale with fear.
Noe's cheeks flushed slightly, her expression revealing both excitement and embarrassment.
Cold Cry calmly explained,
"Every disappearance shares two things in common."
"They all happen at night."
"And they all happen at a hot spring inn."
"If we want to uncover what's behind this, we have to become the bait."
He glanced at Fukada.
"If you're afraid, Noe and I can go alone."
Realizing that his fear had been seen through, Fukada smiled awkwardly.
"N-No... I'll take you there."
"I know Qingshui Town better than anyone."
Cold Cry nodded.
"It's getting late."
"We'll discuss the rest tomorrow."
"Please show us to our rooms."
"Of course."
Fukada led them upstairs and arranged two neighboring guest rooms for them.
---
The following morning, after breakfast, Fukada left alone and reported the situation to the town authorities.
Upon hearing that members of the Demon Slayer Corps had arrived to investigate the disappearances, the officials were overjoyed.
They immediately accompanied Fukada to visit the owner of the largest and most luxurious hot spring inn in Qingshui Town.
The owner was a middle-aged man in his forties.
For many years, he had built his fortune through the hot spring business.
Only six months earlier, he had invested an enormous sum renovating the inn into a luxurious establishment.
No one had expected the disappearances to begin shortly afterward.
When the first victim vanished, the authorities thoroughly searched the inn several times.
They found neither the missing person nor any useful clues.
At first, the owner even suspected that the victim's family had fabricated the disappearance to extort money from him.
However, their grief appeared genuine.
Furthermore, the staff confirmed that the woman had never left the bathhouse.
Even her clothes remained untouched in the changing room.
Unable to solve the case and facing relentless pressure from both the authorities and the victim's family, the owner ultimately paid a large settlement in hopes of preserving the inn's reputation.
He believed the nightmare had finally ended.
Less than a month later...
Another young woman disappeared under nearly identical circumstances while bathing at the inn after dark.
One disappearance could perhaps be dismissed as coincidence.
Two could not.
The inn was immediately shut down.
The owner became the primary suspect.
Since he had personally overseen the construction and renovation of the building, investigators believed that only he could have hidden two living people without leaving any trace.
Two young women.
One middle-aged innkeeper.
Naturally, countless rumors spread throughout the town.
The authorities repeatedly questioned him.
The townspeople condemned him.
No matter how much he defended himself, many looked at him as though he were a criminal.
Even members of his own family began to suspect him.
Only after another woman disappeared at the same inn did public opinion finally begin to shift.
Over the following months, more than a dozen women and children disappeared while bathing at various hot spring inns after nightfall.
Fear gradually spread throughout Qingshui Town.
Rumors about cursed hot springs and disappearing guests spread across the region.
The once-thriving resort town quickly became deserted.
---
Fukada explained everything honestly.
The innkeeper quietly listened.
When he heard that Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen intended to use his inn as bait to lure out the culprit, hope briefly returned to his eyes.
Unfortunately, it faded just as quickly.
The previous disappearances had nearly destroyed both his livelihood and his spirit.
Even so, he did not refuse.
"You may use the inn however you like."
His voice was filled with exhaustion.
"But if someone disappears again..."
"...don't blame me."
It was obvious that he still hadn't forgotten the treatment he had received from both the authorities and the townspeople.
---
Cold Cry spent the remainder of the morning in his room.
He quietly polished his Nichirin Sword using the cloth he always carried with him.
That afternoon, he and Noe walked through the streets of Qingshui Town.
It was difficult to imagine that this had once been a bustling hot spring resort.
Even in broad daylight, very few people could be seen.
The townspeople, who should have been welcoming to travelers, instead hurried past them with lowered heads, avoiding them as though they carried misfortune.
The two searched the outskirts of town, hoping to discover some trace of demonic activity.
They found nothing.
As evening approached, they returned to Fukada's residence.
He informed them that everything had been arranged.
The largest hot spring inn had been reserved exclusively for them that night.
After dinner and a short rest, darkness finally settled over Qingshui Town.
The three gathered the items they would need before following Fukada toward the inn.
Located near the entrance to town, the luxurious establishment had once been the pride of Qingshui Town.
Now it stood eerily silent.
Fukada led them through the empty lobby and into the bathhouse at the rear of the property.
The outdoor hot springs were divided into separate baths for men and women, separated by a tall bamboo fence.
According to the Kakushi's investigation, most of the victims had been young women and children.
If the demon truly intended to strike again, Noe was the most likely target.
Cold Cry wasn't particularly worried.
His perception of temperature was more than sufficient to cover the entire bathhouse.
Even so, before they separated, he looked at Noe and calmly reminded her,
"Stay alert."
Noe nodded seriously.
"I will."
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