"I've heard recent rumors about residents going missing at a nearby lake," Kocho explained. "Could the demon possibly be there?"
Tanjiro's brows furrowed, and the clicked his tongue while thinking. "Possibly," he answered at last. "Kanroji-san, what do you think?"

Mitsuri squeaked in surprise for a moment, then regained her posture — which was still very squeamish — looking as if she were thinking for a moment.
"I say that it's the most likely option we have," she replied at last. "I mean, if we don't look, why may miss the demon entirely."

"Is everyone up for that?" Shinobu questioned, looking over the lesser-ranked slayers.
Tanjiro nodded determinedly, Inosuke was practically jumping to leave, whereas Agamatsu was more hesitant.

"Well, then," Kocho announced, grabbing the hilt of her blade. "Let's go, then."

Tomioka was currently lingering at the bottom of the water, resting on a rock. A few bones floated up to the surface; slow, but certainly on their way.

He let out a sigh, bubbles erupting from his mouth, gleefully making their way to the midnight sky above.

He had found a crevice to hideout in during the day. It was to the very side of the lake, far away from the well, making it harder for him to be spotted. Occasionally, if luck was on his side, the shade would be positioned perfectly, allowing him to drown and feast on a few younger children.

Giyu hated to admit that he had a small guilty feeling whenever he ate younger children, but he always shoved that feeling to the bottom of his gut, hoping to bury it there and keep it away for good.

A demon cannot have such thoughts, he'd remind himself. It's simply taboo.

Now, late at night, he'd begun to see a few...
Flaws in his feasting plans.

Nobody ever visited the well at night, and on the occasion somebody did, it was usually an elder. Their flesh was always slightly dry, kind of like really old jerky.
They also just tasted dusty somehow — Tomioka was yet to figure out why — and ultimately tasted horrendous.

So, it was just Giyu's luck when someone visited the well.

His eyes widened, and he darted under the bridge to the well.
His prey seemed to be a young couple, laughing and flirting.

He slowly rose his head out of the water, listening to the two girls talk.

"Stop!~" the taller girl whined, blushing. "It's embarrassing~"
The shorter girl giggled, pulling the other closer to her. "Come on, Rei! I LOVEEE that about you! Let me talk about it!"

The taller girl stammered and muttered, making the shorter girl chuckle.
They joined their lips together, smiling into the kiss.

Tomioka saw little to no same-sex couples, and he had to admit that they were just as cute as the heterosexual ones. Possibly even cuter!

Giyu shook his head, focusing again on his task; Food.

He went back under the water, using the girls' shadows to guide him beneath them.
Eventually, the girls stopped. They chatted and made playful remarks, filling their bucket with water.

Tomioka slithered out of the water, slowly climbing the walls around the well.
Their laughter could be heard in the background, but all Tomioka could focus on was where he'd hide the bodies until he was hungry again.

He pushed himself flat on the wall, stalking up on the young couple.
It was a game of cat and mouse to him...

Food, or starvation.

Power, or weakness.

And weakness could not be tolerated.

He leaped from the wall, pinning the taller girl.
The other screamed, raw terror in her voice.

The girl thrashed in his arms, retaliating.
He shoved her head into the floor, making her body go limb.

She wasn't dead...
Yet.

Giyu stood up, the moonlight illuminating his demonic presentation to the other girl.
Her eyes widened with fear, and she stumbled back, dropping the water bucket.

Tomioka approached the girl, and was about to pounce when—

"Giyu-san..?"