"I demand to see my lawyer!" Giichi huffed from his uncomfortable wooden seat, bound to the back of an iron wagon and he was understandably irritated.
One officer who looked to be younger than the rest marched beside the caged wagon, he regarded the old man with a vile glare.
"Demons don't get to have lawyers." he spat before looking away in disgust.
"What? I'm not a demon! What would even give you that idea!?" the man raised his bound hands in exasperation.
"So, you're telling me humans can just go around regenerating their limbs?" The young police officer didn't turn as he responded.
"We have the documents filed by your physician." An older officer said from the other side of the moving cage, "A freak workplace accident, bad enough for a surgical dismemberment of your upper femur."
Giichi's face then changed from one of infuriation to clarity, "... H-hey, just listen to me now..." he shakingly began, "What happened with my legs was simply a miracle, my family prayed for me. I am not a demon...!"
"We'll see what the people have to say."
The old man reflected on the young officer's words as he collapsed back onto his uncomfortable seat. He realised his case would be a hard one to plead, especially against such a superstitious community.
-----|
Townsfolk gathered around a tall wooden platform improvised in the middle of the square. Under the glare of the afternoon sun, they mumbled among themself as they looked upon a man whose neck was tied to a wooden beam.
His hands were bound and he wobbled slightly, red bruises on his knuckles and arms were visible. Half a dozen police officers stood guard on the platform with their rifles at the ready.
"This demon has lived among us for over fifty years, posing as a humble old man while he feasts on human flesh in secret." A ranking officer marched across a platform, and behind him, Giichi stood wavering with his neck tied around a rope.
Sentenced without trial due to overwhelming public favour for his immediate execution, the old man appeared frightened and disheartened, his frown and wrinkled lips told he hadn't the capacity for spite or anger anymore.
The ranking officer cracked a smile, "This paper documents your crippling workplace injury."
"The nature of this injury, which was penned and provided to us by Doctor Sadao, was such that this man's legs had to be removed at his thighs." The officer spared a glance behind him, "But as you can see, he is standing."
Unable to look Giichi in the eyes, Doctor Sadao hung his head as he stood beside the executioner. The lever to the trapdoor under the bound old man was just an arm's reach away.
"How he has evaded our sights for this long is a mystery, but demons are a reclusive bunch. We barely know anything about them, save that they need human flesh to survive." The officer turned on his heel and marched up to the old Giichi.
He spoke just loud enough for the townspeople to hear, "How many people have you consumed in your life, foul creature? Are you responsible for all the unsolved murders and missing person cases that have befallen this humble town?"
Jeers could be heard from below as the crowd grew angry. Giichi said nothing, he simply grunted.
"You have nothing to say for yourself? So be it, I shall enjoy watching you dangle," he said with a chilling whisper.
The executioner came up behind him and tapped on his shoulder, "Demizu-sama, the crowd calls for his blood, we should move this along and be done with it."
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GHOST RIDER X DEMON SLAYER: Book 1: Imps and Prayers
FanfictionA boy who sold his soul in exchange for his father's life, cursed by the devil to exact his will and vengeance upon the world. Slowburn. Set roughly two to three years before the events of the first episode of Demon Slayer. - Cover Art courtesy of J...
