Demonslayer Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Disciplinary and Reconnaissance Group

Within a blood-soaked room, there was a child of slight build that appeared to be alone.

His expression as he kneeled on the floor was one of amazement, as he surveyed the room that he had once called his home in disbelief with wide eyes.

From the wreckage, the reeking smell of blood a.s.sailed his nostrils like it was the knell of a death G.o.d, urging him to turn around and leave without delay. For him to flee towards the door and never return. His legs trembled violently, however, he saw blood flowing out from his father and mother's bedroom, a kind of abnormal blood of abnormal quant.i.ty, making him feel like it was sorcery. Sluggishly moving his legs, he walked away step by step like a robot.

His shoes were mired, glued by the many threads of dark-red blood pulling on them, producing a "Hsss, Hsss" sound. "Hsss……." From the rusty bedroom door, soul-sucking wails rang out. Soon afterwards…...

The boy saw another set of eyes, to him, an eternal and unforgettable scenery. 

"Thump……." The world turned black and white. These scene froze, crumbling like a withered leaf, following the wind and pa.s.sing on.

The palm of his hand tensed, Xu Yangyi awoke from dream realm he had encountered countless of times. He subconsciously clenched his fist, only feeling his sweat-covered palm. 

"Haa……" He picked up the mug in front of him and rocked it: "It's already been ten-somewhat years……"

He held the mug and calmly looked outside: "I always wish it to go back to being a dream……"

Pursing his lips for a sip, the tea was already ice-cold.

He was approximately twenty-one or twenty-two years of age. His brows were strong and course without any curve, appearing like two swords soaring upwards. His gaze was steady, and his eyes half-lidded. Not obese, but neither thin, he was nearly a meter and eighty-one centimeters in height. In the eyes of all who saw him, they could see faint bulging musculature beneath his police outfit.

In Sanshui City's office of major cases for the Disciplinary and Reconnaissance Group, it was rather typical to be in uniform. Especially, since he was the current sitting group leader. It happened to be August, and the evening heat slaked the floor, causing steam to rise from underground. It wouldn't be unwarranted to say that the office was a steamer basket.

The temperature was such that it was even more unbearable on the outside. Not a single person was still wearing the police uniform, and for the most part, were wearing short sleeves. He was the only one acting strictly according to the rules, so that even the b.u.t.ton on his neck was fastened tightly. It was strange, though, there wasn't even a single trace of sweat on his neck. And even more, he hadn't even shouted it was hot by any means.

It was as if he didn't have any feeling to coldness or heat.

The electric fan atop of head whirled and whirled, an ear-piercing sound offending his hearing. In his surroundings, in this moment, there were ten people near him wearing s.h.i.+rts, men and women using resource materials to fan themselves, seated in a circle together. Towards Xu Yangyi's sight, there was disdain, there was envy, and there were all kinds of negative emotions. There was only a single expression not present that should've been in the face of their group leader.

Respect. 

Sanshui City wasn't any sort of big city. Moreover, it wasn't related in the slightest to Fuyu County, administered by the second of the bottom hundred poorest counties. It if were not the city's grand Disciplinary and Reconnaissance Group, they wouldn't even merely have several high-output electric fans put in place. With such a hot temperature like this, they had been forwarded a special, great case today afternoon. Yet as the time for the meeting drew near, and all of them had gathered to discuss the matter, they soon discovered their group leader was sleeping!

"Group Leader, have you awakened?" A man around forty years of age looked coldly at Xu Yangyi sigh, his nostrils not concealing his snort in the slightest: "We've been waiting for half an hour. Is Group Leader going to hand out a directive or not?"

"I'm awake." Xu Yangyi turned his eyes, taking a pen in his hand and spinning it. He nodded towards the middle-aged man: "Vice Captain Chen, is something the matter?"

"Of course, something's the matter! You aren't listening!" A single sentence made Vice Captain Chen slam the top of the chair. The sound suddenly increased a few degrees in intensity and the folder of data in his hand was flung out, rustling.  "The major special murder case! The serial killings of twelve people! It's already been transferred to the Disciplinary and Observation Group for a whole week! But we haven't made a bit of progress! Captain Xu, we're all like one family, so I won't speak politely! How is this case to be handled? Who is going to handle it? How much strength do we need to handle it? We want a directive!"

He swiftly stood up and streaked the doc.u.ments in the air so that they were rustling in disarray in front of everyone present, whose expressions were possibly either stupefied or grimly smiling, and saying loudly: "We, of the Disciplinary and Observation Group, have over ten people that are present! All of us are waiting upon you, Captain Xu, to hand out a directive! We're going to inform the chief of this! We've been waiting on you for over half an hour, but you said fifteen minutes before! When this happened the first time, the killer carried out an unusual attack! And now, you're actually asking what's the matter!"

Xu Yangyi faintly swept his eyes over: "I remember I said it very clearly. This case, I shall personally accept myself."

"Poh!" A glob of phlegm landed on the side of the trash bin. A man approaching forty years of age cleared his throat: "My apologies, I had suddenly had a bit of an itch in my throat."

The smile on Xu Yangyi's face never once vanished: "You have a complaint?"

"Oh no, oh no…… The new captain's just taken up office, but in the two days he's taken up post, this is his first directive. How could I dare be unsatisfied……" A sneer hung at the corner of the man's mouth, hardly concealing his smile: "I only want Captain's order……"

"Puh!" His tone of voice didn't fall, and a pen nailed into the table beside him.

Penetrating through, the pen slightly trembled!

"The f.u.c.k!" Young police officer at the man's side nearly hopped up in fright. Was this still a pen? Was this still a f.u.c.king pen? Wasn't this truly a knife?

"It's fake, right……" A police officer around thirty years old looked at the pen in a daze, feeling the wild palpitations of his heart.

The table wasn't thick, and the wood was rather thin, but to hurl a pen into it, could this be achieved without formidable kung fu?

Was this still the most ordinary of f.u.c.king fountain pens!

He didn't know how many experts could achieve such a feat, but in any case, in the entirety of the reconnaissance squad, not a single person could accomplish this!

Everyone's eyelids jumped, looking at the pen blankly. They looked at Xu Yangyi in even more of a daze, who was sampling his cold tea in content. They suddenly felt the flesh of their entire bodies begin to ache unfathomably. 

"f.u.c.kin' A……" A young police officer swallowed the saliva in his mouth, whispering: "What strong qigong, huh. This is……"

"If I haven't remembered incorrectly, you're the Disciplinary and Observation Group's third-in-command Old Zhu?" Xu Yangyi raised his eyes and said casually.

"Yes……" Xu Yangyi's gaze appeared tranquil, yet Old Zhu felt like a blade would cut into his flesh several times in a flash. He calmed his mind and opened his mouth, yet he found his voice was somewhat unsteady.

"So it's like that……" Xu Yangyi gently caressed the cover of his tea cup, asking indifferently: "Is your throat not well?" 

"No…… Not at all…… It's not itchy……" Old Zhu clenched his teeth a few times, forcing a smile and sitting down.

Vice Captain Chen was rendered dumb for quite a while. It wasn't known when, but the doc.u.ments that were just rustling in his hand, fostering his might had already stopped rustling. The only thing that could be heard within the room was the whining of the electric fan. The calm was somewhat frightening.

"Captain Xu." For a long time, he braced himself to speak and opened his mouth: "...... This case, it's related to the benefits of our brothers."

"Ding Dong" The lid of the teacup gently made a sound as Captain Chen was still saying something, yet he ultimately closed his mouth involuntarily.

"Are you pressuring me?" Xu Yangyi thumbed the remnant specks on his teacup with the palm of his hand. He used his right hand to prop his head and looked at everyone, raising his brows that were like sharpened swords: "Yeah?"

In the room warmed with the summer heat, the sudden coldness somewhat scared them.

"Just this once." He tidied his police uniform and stood up, appearing as if the matter had never happened and pushed the door open and walked out.

"Hey…… Hey! Captain Xu! How should this case be handled! Are you going to give us an answer!"

"Wait." His voice echoed out from within.

Within the room was an atmosphere of silence.

Everyone, you can see me, and I can see you. Who would've expected that this young, somewhat-excessive captain, who was transferred in and hadn't displayed his might in the last two days, would erupt like whirlwind, making everyone not dare to speak further.

"Wait for f.u.c.king *&%^!" Vice Captain Chen slammed the table fiercely: "Speak plainly! The brothers are hoping for a big case to pop up! But, you want to f.u.c.king go accept it by yourself! Where are you going to place the brothers!"

His voice was furious, but it was oddly forced rather low. After all…… the fountain pen in the table was too striking.

"Vice Captain Chen, the h.e.l.l you scared for! He said it! But, we can't say it?!" Old Zhu stood up, as well: "Why! For the promotion to the group leader's position, Vice Captain Chen was the most promising to take on the post. Why was a case-declining brat without a hair on his upper lip made the group leader!"

In this day and age, working hard isn't as good as being born into status." A woman around thirty-one to thirty-two years of age snorted coldly in disdain towards the shut door: "Didn't I say it, what the h.e.l.l does he even know besides boot-licking?"

"That's it! What is he showing off in front of us for? Big f.u.c.king deal he's got strong qigong! Does he dare to go the Public Safety martial arts compet.i.tion? There are plenty of friggin' amazing people there! He's good as screwed!"

"f.u.c.k, he's just there for show in our deserted Sanshui City! Who does he think he is?"

"Hehe, maybe he got sent down and came to our ordinary neck of the woods to put on a show, that kid!"

Vice Captain Chen grit his teeth and drank some tea. The flavor of the tea was rather bitter, bitter that he wasn't able to say a single thing.

"He puts on his police uniform every single day; who is he pretending for to see?" A woman provoked as if she was was swatting a mosquito in front of her, furrowing her brows: "He wants the leader to come for an inspection, heh, so that others will be used immediately as a measuring pole once more…… Take a look at this b.u.t.ton; it's fastened so tightly. My clothes are longer than the others…… You guys, to say nothing of work, when have you learned the art of face? How do you imitate others, Captain Xu?"

A young police officer coldly snorted: "Besides acting like this, does he even know of the world? It's obvious that everyone knows Vice Captain Chen is the most qualified to be the captain. Who would've thought that the top would stick a guy in at the last second?"

"Although our Sanshui City is a poor and remote place, good or bad, it's our city. Over a dozen years, we've accepted no few amount of cases….." A police officer said meaningfully: "That's to say in the end, whoever has the strength is whoever is at the top. Vice Captain Chen has endured it for so long, it should be his turn."

"Hehe, I want to transfer a Detective Conan that I know, too. Is this considered nitpicking? 

"This is the police department's Disciplinary and Observation Group for Major Offences. In this kind of place, who doesn't have the f.u.c.king qualifications? Who doesn't have several big cases under their belt?"

"The last person to take up post, Captain Gong, got transferred. We rank according to seniority, and we count based on the foundation beneath our hands! But all of a sudden, a new captain comes transferring in! Who can accept this!

A paratrooper. In any industry, in any department, they were all things that made people absolutely abhor them.

Moreover, it didn't need to be said, this was that kind of young brat!*

With great difficulty, you would endure until you laid eyes on the position of director, but if suddenly, a leader's relative* would come stand on top of your head and s.h.i.+t on you; what would you feel?

Xu Yangyi, male, unmarried, age: 21, specialty: blank, academic background: blank, political affiliation: blank, university: blank…...

Would you dare to believe a resume with four to five blanks! 

Who here wasn't simmering in experience? Who hadn't climbed towards the top, step by step? Why were you dropped in?

Calling these things to mind, Vice Captain Chen's veins pulsated wildly. He inhaled deeply and snorted: We don't need to discuss that the person who has come is indeed f.u.c.king awesome. What the h.e.l.l has that f.u.c.king emotionless* brat come here to do? Once he sees a true crime scene, won't he just p.i.s.s his pants in fright?"

The top just doesn't get it, as well." Old Zhu smothered a cigarette out, spitting: "Yesterday, we jointly went to respond, but Chief Zheng was ambiguous about it and vague in his dismissal. It's like he doesn't know that a paratrooper's come to our public security bureau's major Disciplinary and Reconnaissance Group! A paratrooper that's even wet behind the ears* and that had never even seen a case! What kind of matter could this be considered!"

"Hehe……" Vice Captain Chen sneered and poured a mouthful of bitter tea down his throat, wiping his mouth: "Go to him, then, alright? I! Do! Not! Care!"

"Who f.u.c.king knows that leader's grandson! Son of a b.i.t.c.h! If he wants to speak, then let him f.u.c.king speak! I want to see who Chief Zheng is going to look for in the end!"

T/N: You see the word paratrooper in this chapter, and I was a little unsure of it's true meaning. From what I can guess, it's more along the lines of being placed in a position without any merit/experience. 

*三无: literally meaning three none. I used the word emotionless instead here, since the original chinese encompa.s.ses a much greater meaning, that being, one who is considered devoid of facial emotions, silent, and in general hard to predict what is going on in their mind.

*毛头小子: Literally haired brat/kid. Doesn't really make too much sense in english, but the haired portion gives image to an idea of youthfulness, more specifically, a young man with his hair let down. 

*Relative here is guess work. Author censors it out as x.x.x. Given the context of the situation, I feel it's proper to use this word. Maybe it has some negative connotations though like mistress or gigolo.

*I used wet behind the ears, but it's 一穷二白, meaning someone is lacking in some or all aspects (knowledge, culture, business, etc). I think wet behind the ears better describes the context in this situation