The mother and son inside the house stared blankly at the scene, completely failing to understand what had just happened.
Hansen, meanwhile, gained a certain understanding of the composition of creatures like demons.
"Using the Demon King's blood as the core, as long as the curse mark in the blood is not lifted, they will be controlled and unable to mention the opponent's name. What a shoddy method of control."
He shook his head. The 'Blood Demon Art' formed by such inferior methods was too dirty for him to even bother copying; he had absolutely no interest in it.
Therefore, Hansen turned around, preparing to leave.
Just then, he heard hurried footsteps and commotion coming from the woods.
"Wait! I smell a demon! It's right up ahead!" A clear and anxious voice of a young man rang out.
Immediately following was another crying scream: "Ah ah ah! The smell of a demon?! No! I don't want to die! Tanjiro, save me! We're going to be eaten together!"
There was also a rough roar: "Charge! Charge! Little ones, follow me!"
Three figures rushed out of the woods.
Leading the charge was a red-haired young man with a scar on his forehead and Sun Wheel earrings, carrying a wooden box on his back, his expression resolute.
In the middle was a miserable-looking blonde young man, appearing extremely timid and pitiful.
The last one was wearing a ferocious boar mask, holding two serrated Nichirin Blades, his body heavily muscled and radiating primal wildness.
Hansen stopped and watched them with interest.
His gaze penetrated the wooden box, seeing a young girl inside, asleep, with a bamboo muzzle in her mouth.
"So the main crew is here. Let me take a look..."
Hansen's Eye of Oracle instantly activated, and the world before him transformed into countless streams of information.
Nezuko's physical condition, the rudimentary form of Kamado Tanjiro's unique Breathing Style, the untapped potential of Agatsuma Zenitsu, Hashibira Inosuke's self-taught 'Beast Breathing'... everything was crystal clear.
"Relying on sleep to recover stamina, replacing the craving for human blood... changing her demonic instincts through sheer willpower. She's truly a remarkable young girl."
Just as he was observing the group, the leading red-haired young man—Kamado Tanjiro—suddenly stopped.
He looked at Hansen warily, sniffing hard like a puppy.
The next second, his expression instantly became one of confusion and solemnity.
This person... he didn't have the sickening stench of a demon.
But... he definitely didn't smell like a human either!
It was an indescribable scent, one that Tanjiro couldn't describe even with his wildest imagination.
The scent seemed not to come from a single individual, but rather... the sky, the earth, the ocean, the stars, the universe... everything melted together and condensed into the person standing before him.
The scent was vast, ancient, and divine. Merely smelling it caused an impulse deep within Tanjiro's soul to kneel and worship.
"Excuse me... are you..."
Tanjiro tightened his grip on the Nichirin Blade at his waist and asked, his voice a little strained.
His voice was filled with nervousness and uncertainty.
The feeling this man gave him was too strange.
He was neither human nor demon, but more like a... nameless natural phenomenon.
"Me?" Hansen smiled. "Just a traveler passing by."
"A traveler?"
This answer made Tanjiro even more confused.
Who would be traveling in a demon-infested forest in the middle of the night?
"Hey! Tanjiro! Why are you wasting time talking to him!"
Agatsuma Zenitsu, who was standing nearby, had already hidden behind Tanjiro in fear, pointing at Hansen, his voice trembling like chaff.
"This person's sound... it's terrifying! I can't hear anything! It's like a black hole! If we get close to him, we'll be sucked in! Let's run!"
"Shut up, you coward!"
Hashibira Inosuke, wearing the boar mask, had a completely different reaction. He excitedly pointed his dual blades at Hansen, taking an offensive stance: "I can feel it! This guy is strong!"
"Come fight me! I am Hashibira Inosuke, King of the Mountains!"
"Inosuke! Zenitsu! Both of you be quiet!" Tanjiro scolded them, rubbing his aching head, then turned back to Hansen and bowed deeply. "I sincerely apologize, my companions have caused you trouble."
"We are members of the Demon Slayer Corps, currently hunting a vicious demon. The demon that was here just now..."
As he spoke, he searched the air for the lingering scent of the demon, only to find that the smell had completely vanished, leaving behind only a faint hint of blood.
"Oh, you mean that ugly guy." Hansen pointed to the barely visible bloodstain on the ground. "I already made it shut up."
"Made it... shut up?" Tanjiro was stunned.
"Yes." Hansen said lightly. "Something like... this?"
As he spoke, he snapped his fingers softly toward a large tree nearby.
There were no earth-shattering sound or light effects, but the massive tree, thick enough for two people to hug, silently began turning into the finest dust from the middle up, scattering down with a rustle.
"..."
Tanjiro's eyes instantly widened like brass bells.
"Ah ah ah ah ah!" Agatsuma Zenitsu's scream pierced the night sky. He was already rolling his eyes and foaming at the mouth, clearly about to faint.
"So... so amazing!" Beneath Inosuke's boar mask came the sound of excited, trembling breaths. "What kind of move is that! That was great! Do it again!"
Tanjiro was completely frozen.
He stared intently at the vanished tree, then looked at Hansen's long, clean hand.
What just happened?
He didn't see it clearly at all!
No sword was used, no fluctuation of a Breathing Style—just a snap of the fingers, and a massive tree... was gone?
Is that something a human can do?
Even the strongest "Pillars" in the Demon Slayer Corps absolutely couldn't do something like that!
"The Demon Slayer Corps... that's an organization dedicated to killing demons, right?" Hansen asked casually, as if ignoring their exaggerated reactions. "Who is the strongest person among you?"
"The... the strongest people... are the 'Pillars'..." Tanjiro answered subconsciously, his mind still blank.
"Pillars?" Hansen raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound like a very impressive title. Are they capable of killing all demons? Including your Demon King, the one named... Muzan Kibutsuji?"
"Muzan!"
Hearing that name, Tanjiro's body trembled violently, and a deep, bone-deep hatred erupted from his eyes.
"You... you know Muzan?!"
"Yes, I suppose I do." Hansen nodded, his expression calm. "I came here mainly to find him. He possesses something I want."
Find Muzan?
Tanjiro's heart pounded wildly.
This man in front of him—his goal was actually Muzan Kibutsuji!
Was he friend or foe?
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