The situation developing fortunately didn’t begin to escate as badly as Yumi feared it might with the way that the vilgers were looking. She reized the look in their eyes well enough. They had boldness and bravery that came g before. Though she k was empty. Any of the fidend assurance came born from their certainty that Yumi would a their i.

  She still didn’t uand what was going on. Yumi stepped between the vilgers and the boy wanting some answers. Everyone was keepis from her.

  “Master Yumi? You’re proteg the demon?” one of them said in shock.

  “I want some answers! I found this boy lost in the forest.”

  The young man threw out a hand to point at the boy. “He’s a demon! You found him in the forest is proof enough!”

  ‘Are they that paranoid? Do they believe everything in the forest is a demon? Is this what’s bee of them living in this state?’ Yumi tried to get a read on the vilgers in a futile attempt to seheir emotions. She wao know what they believed, but all she got was surface level feelings from their faces. It all seemed straightforward to her. They were scared. But she knew she couldn’t trust her eyes. It wasn’t her strength, she knew. ‘What am I supposed to do? He’s just a boy. I ’t kill him because they’re paranoid. Though I fear if I do nothing, the vilgers might do it instead…’

  A voice from the back of the small crowd broke through. It began to divide the vilgers as they khe voice well. Yumi did too. “What’s going on here?” barked the elder.

  Turning around, the young man faced him speaking for everyone. “It’s a demon, elder! They’re using their usual tricks!”

  “You know what I’ve said about what to do, Osamu.” He turo look around at all of the gathered vilgers, which amouo about half of the popuce from what Yumi had estimated. “I’ve given all of you orders. Just because Master Yumi is present shouldn’t ge my orders.”

  Yumi watched as the fight started to disappear from some of the vilgers. She was still left in the dark on what was happening. But she tilted her head back at the boy. ‘He is a human, right?’ The way the elder acted made her doubt her eyes. ‘The leader I killed looked more human than demon, maybe this is the same?’

  She approached the elder, who had a better head on his shoulders than the rest. A few answers would hopefully clear things up. “You seem to uand what’s happening. I found this boy lost and everyoreating him like a demon.”

  “That’s because he likely is one.”

  “But you’re not certain? Why do you believe him to be a demon?”

  “A child that age lost? He’s not from our vilge and there is no other vilge nearby for more than a three day walk. It’s uhat he is who he cims.”

  Gng back at the boy, there was no ge. He tio look scared and frightened from all of the accusations. ‘I’m going to need more answers. They seem to have a history with demons that I’m not aware of yet. The elder has orders on how to deal with them. I wonder what they are…’ She looked back at the elder still trying to sort things out in her mind. ‘How do I know for certain? I’m not killing the boy on the likelihood he’s a demon, while there’s still a ce he could be a human.’

  “And what would you have me do?” She already guessed what the elder was going to say. It only made sense. But she still didn’t know if she could follow through.

  “Kill the demon!” shouted Osamu, finding his voice more, but not before the elder gred at him for speaking out of turn.

  A strange voice that Yumi didn’t reize came from behind her. “So you’re the Demon Huhat killed Tomaromaru.”

  It sent a cold chill down her back that a demon was so close to her. She hadn’t felt anything like with the other demons. This boy wasn’t like the others. “So they’re right. You’re a demon.” The boy ughed in agreement that her foolishness allowed him so close.

  Yumi whipped around with her hand moving swiftly, geing a white arc of energy that beheaded the child without a sed thought. ‘There’s still much I o learn about these demons…’

  The ughing tinued even with the head lifted from its shoulders. Yumi stared down in surprise at the boy’s face carrying a wicked expression. “You’ve been marked, Demon Hunter. Never shall you know peace while you still draw breath.” The demon tio ugh maniacally at Yumi until it finally expired.

  Chapter 397 – Mark of the Demon

  Casting the body back towards the forest with her powers, Yumi turned back to face the vilgers. Who were probably pleased that she did end up killing the demon for them. “You’re safe—“

  “What did you do?!” yelled the elder, to her surprise.

  As he leaned in, she backed a step away, not certain why he was so angry with her for killing a demon. “I killed a demon. Why’s that an issue? I’ve killed plenty for you already, what’s one more?” She couldn’t uand why he was getting even more angered about it.

  Behind him the vilgers murmured and whispered the praise of Yumi for sying the demon. Uhe elder, they were on her side. But he quickly turned around and faced those that remained. “Leave. Return to your homes,” he anded with a sudden presence of authority that couldn’t be questioned.

  None of the vilgers questiohe elder further. They backed away slowly beginning to disperse. Yumi got the feeling that it was a rare sight for the old man to get so angry. Many seemed shocked to see the rea. They didn’t fully know how to deal with it other than just leaving as ordered.

  Yumi stayed because she wanted answers. Though it seemed that the elder wasn’t finished with her either. Ohe entrance of the vilge emptied out, he took a deep breath to calm his nerves. It took a few to get him back to normal levels, but he started to look like his usual self soon.

  Ready to front her, he faced her dire, still empowered by the presehat fueled his anger. “Five my outburst. That was uncalled for before yourself.”

  “I’m not worried about that. I want answers.”

  He o her in agreement. “Right, I fet as you have said, that you’re less knowledgeable about demons than you are about killing them.”

  “So yoing to finally expin what all this was about?”

  “Yes,” he spoke with his calm fully restored. Even the presence had faded away. He started walking back up to his hut. “Our vilge is unique pared to others in that we have a close proximity to demons. Ohey moved into the forest, we had to find a way to live without ing their wrath.”

  “But you’ve had me kill one for proof of my skill.”

  “That’s right. Our lives aren’t aleaceful, despite the retionship we have with them. When the forest grows thick with demons we’re subject to their terror and violenbsp; That moment had been buildily. Thanks to your efforts, the more violent blood thirsty demons have been culled.”

  She took ara step forward to get a little ahead of his pabsp; “Are you saying there are peaceful demons?”

  “Peaceful might be a little hopeful. But there are many that have no i in us.”

  Yumi had a little trouble believing that from those that she had already faced. They all had a superiority about them and looked upon humans as inferior. She had yet to find ohat didn’t wish to kill her. ‘Aren’t demons supposed to be evil and hate humans? Isn’t that the way they are?’

  He paused as they rouhe road that led up to his hut. Looking back at the forest above the vilge, he started to fall away from reality. “There are many different sorts of demons. It’s something we’ve learned living so close. And they enjoy testing themselves against us.”

  “Testing? You’re not talking about fighting.”

  “No.”

  The world that surrounded her tio beore plex. It was something that she already noted. Yet it still surprised her every time that she learned something new. There was always something else for her to learn. A, she wohe purpose of all of it. ‘I’m inside my mind right now. What does any of this have to do with what’s happening? Am I just dreaming to pass the time? This ’t be what I’m actually like subsciously…’

  It was a fusing world with strange rules. Demons that she could kill and ohat she apparently should not. How was she supposed to keep track of it all? She wasn’t even going to be staying in the world for long. It was all going to be left behind. ‘Should I even care really? Why am I b so much for a false world?’ She kept ing back to the opee that she never fully closed. If this was something that she actually wished to follow. She only went along with any of it because it was easier for their survival. Though she questioned if it was even worth it, if she was to survive with all of the unnecessary plexity.

  Despite any of that though, she still cked the answers. He hadn’t gotten to them. And she o uand what was going on. “So what is it?”

  “Demons have powers, not uhose that hunt them. And they like to funt that power before others. They be surprisingly childish about it.”

  ‘He’s still not getting to the point.’ Yumi didn’t like how ihat he suddenly got with his expnation. She wanted answers and not a history lesson on demons. If she was just supposed to kill them, it was unnecessary. “So?”

  “Demons don’t view us humans very highly. Even those that don’t care about us, still view us as nothing more than animals.”

  “Where is this going?”

  “As humans, we like to py games and tricks on animals for sport. We find amusement in it. Ahink that the animals like it as well. Though because animals are different from us, we never really know.”

  “Are you saying that demons treat you like pets ig a stick?”

  “Something like that. In particur for us, they like to practice their illusion powers on us pretending to be human. They wihey get one of us to believe that they are human and try to help them. And then they leave. It’s just a game to them.”

  “That was a game? That boy was a demon pying a game?”

  The elder turo face Yumi. His face turned severe as he spoke. “No, in your case I think that was a messenger and warning.”

  “Then why did you not wao kill the demon?”

  “I mostly am trying to keep my people sane. While I wele your presend am grateful for your achievements. A Hunter in our parts is rare already and ohat survived as long as you more so. It’s emboldened my people to front demons, despite being no Huo keep my vilge safe, it’s our w not to aowledge any demon that steps into our vilge. Pretend that they do and we keep our peace.”

  “You lost that the moment you asked for my help.”