~# Keep the chapters coming — Support with Power Stones!
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As you guys requested, I'm officially lowering the bonus chapter requirement from 300PS to 200PS!
On top of that, I'm adding a small milestone event:
500PS : 1 Bonus
1000PS : 2 Bonus
2000PS : 3 Bonus
Thank you for your support :)
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Nightfall
Demons only operated after dark, so Kaidō had spent the day resting at an inn, conserving his energy for the coming fight.
"Everything's ready. Time to find out which unlucky bastard is causing trouble." He slipped out the window under cover of darkness and headed toward the disappearance sites.
The tea shop owner had mentioned a small forest just outside town. Kaidō entered the tree line and began searching for clues.
After an extensive search turned up nothing useful, he was about to give up when a strange smell caught his attention.
"What's that odor?" He sniffed the air. "Weird... smells like rot mixed with something else. Wait—"
His instincts screamed a warning. He leapt backward just as several leaf-shaped projectiles—like shuriken—embedded themselves where he'd been standing. They looked coated with poison.
"Well, well! Someone actually dodged that. You've got quick reflexes!" A figure emerged from the shadows.
Moonlight illuminated his features—three X-shaped marks on his cheeks and forehead, pointed ears with earrings, and the kanji for Lower Three carved into his left eye.
"Twelve Kizuki, Lower Rank Three—Wakuraba."
"Oh? Someone actually recognizes me! Judging by your appearance, you're with the Demon Slayer Corps, right? But you can't be anyone important. As long as you're not a Hashira, you'll make a fine meal! Demon Slayers taste delicious, you know. Hahahaha!"
Wakuraba's eyes gleamed with murderous intent. "Once I eat you, I'll become even stronger."
"Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?"
Kaidō lowered his fox mask over his face and, right in front of Wakuraba, pulled his greatsword from thin air via the system inventory.
Wakuraba's eyes widened. 'Did he just pull that sword from nowhere? Is he a demon too? No—he doesn't smell like one. He doesn't have that person's scent.'
"I don't care what trick that was. As long as you're not a Hashira, you don't scare me!"
"Blood Demon Art: Decaying Leaves!"
Withered leaves materialized around Kaidō, accompanied by an overwhelming stench of rot. Anything the leaves touched began to blacken and decay.
While Kaidō was distracted by the swirling leaves, Wakuraba closed the distance in an instant, throwing a punch aimed directly at his skull.
"Dragon Breathing, First Form: Dragon's Breath."
CLANG!
Kaidō's greatsword intercepted Wakuraba's fist with a metallic crash. He immediately pushed the demon back, creating distance.
"I see. So your Blood Demon Art creates poisoned leaves that infect people on contact. If I'm right, they also have a paralytic effect. That's what happened to the missing people—they touched the leaves, got paralyzed, couldn't scream for help. By the time anyone found them, all that remained was leaves and blood."
[Ding! Quest Complete.]
[Quest 1: Investigate the Cause of Missing Persons.]
[Rewards: Hyper-Awareness, Interdimensional Energy +3%]
[Current Interdimensional Energy: 33%]
[Hyper-Awareness fusion initiated... Fusion complete!]
The system notification chimed in his mind. One quest down, one to go. The Hyper-Awareness ability integrated instantly, sharpening his perception to supernatural levels. Every shift in the air, every tremor in the ground—nothing would escape his notice now.
"Heh. So you figured it out. Doesn't matter—you're still going to die. I'm one of the Twelve Kizuki!"
"Blood Demon Art: Maple Shower!"
A barrage of maple leaves shot toward Kaidō like razor-sharp throwing stars, piercing through everything in their path.
"Dragon Breathing, Fourth Form: Coiling Dragon."
Kaidō planted his greatsword in the ground. A translucent barrier formed around him, deflecting the leaf storm.
Then: "Dragon Breathing, Ninth Form: Cyclone Pierce!"
Blade and body spiraled forward in a high-speed drilling motion, boring straight toward Wakuraba.
"Shit! Blood Demon Art: Wither!"
Wakuraba unleashed a technique that caused all surrounding plant life to decay and die, hoping to drain Kaidō's vitality and immobilize him.
But Cyclone Pierce—enhanced by Dragon's Breath—was too fast and too powerful. The spinning assault punched clean through Wakuraba's torso, emerging from the other side.
"AHHH!" The demon screamed, looking down in shock at the massive hole in his chest. Even his regeneration had slowed dramatically.
"Damn you, Demon Slayer! Damn you! Blood Demon Art: Stealth!"
Wakuraba's form vanished as if he'd never existed.
'Shuriken-style attacks and stealth techniques... He was probably a shinobi before becoming a demon. Like Tengen.' Kaidō didn't lower his guard, gripping his sword tightly.
Using his newly acquired Hyper-Awareness, he extended his senses outward, reading every disturbance in the environment.
"Found you."
Wait—something's off. No heartbeat. Even demons have heartbeats. This must be a decoy!
"Hehehe... keep searching, you bastard. Once you let your guard down, I'll strike. Then I'll torture you slowly while you watch me eat you piece by piece!" Wakuraba's thoughts were venomous.
"There you are! Hiding in the tree!"
When Wakuraba had activated Stealth, he'd simultaneously created a Body Double and concealed his true self in the branches above, waiting to ambush Kaidō.
"Huh? Where'd he go? When did he disappear??" Panic set in. Kaidō had vanished in an instant. A primal sense of danger made Wakuraba scan his surroundings frantically.
"Dragon Breathing, Second Form: Dragon Claw!"
Kaidō's form materialized above the tree, blade descending in a devastating vertical slash.
"When did you—"
SCHLICK.
Wakuraba's body split in half. As he fell from the tree, a blood collection device embedded itself in his flesh—Kaidō had tossed it mid-strike.
He'd forgotten to collect Kamanue's blood last time. No way was he making that mistake again—he'd promised Tamayo.
Kaidō walked over to the bisected demon and extracted the collection device. "Hide-and-seek's over."
"You bastard... why won't I heal?? HEAL, DAMN IT! What did you do to me, you cursed Demon Slayer??" Wakuraba's severed halves writhed on the ground, screaming in impotent rage.
"You're noisy. Dragon Breathing, Fifth Form: Violent Tempest!"
A hundred blade projections shredded Wakuraba into paste. Kaidō didn't stop until the demon was nothing but scattered ash.
[Ding! Quest Complete.]
[Quest 2: Eliminate Lower Rank Three—Wakuraba.]
[Rewards: Dragon Breathing Final Form, Enhanced Longevity Pills x12, Interdimensional Energy +7%]
[Current Interdimensional Energy: 40%]
"The Final Form... with this, I can hold my own against even Upper Ranks. But I can't slack on training—mastering these techniques is still on me."
"And the Longevity Pills! These can counteract the mark's side effects. They should work on Master Ubuyashiki's curse too—can't eliminate it completely, but at least delay the progression."
His thoughts turned to the energy total. "But what I really care about? Forty percent Interdimensional Energy. I'm almost halfway home!"
"Meow~"
A cat appeared—Chachamaru, Yushiro's demon feline. Kaidō placed the blood collection device in the box on the cat's back and scratched behind its ears. "Thanks for the help, Chachamaru."
The cat purred, enjoyed the attention for a moment, then vanished with a soft "meow."
"Mission complete. Time to head back to the inn. Kuroha, where did you— Oh, right. That bird definitely flew straight to Headquarters to broadcast the news. Again."
Kaidō sighed in resignation. Whatever. Not a big deal.
"Since I'm already out here, might as well enjoy my patrol zone for a while. Clear out some low-level demons, get some practice in. Hehehehe! Wonder which poor bastard demon I'll run into next?"
Something dark and mildly sadistic had awakened in Kaidō's personality.
He returned to the inn, leaving the cleanup to the Kakushi.
...
The Next Day—Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters
"CAW CAW! Dragon Hashira Ryūjin Kaidō has slain Lower Rank Three! Dragon Hashira eliminated Lower Rank Three! CAW CAW!" Kuroha circled Headquarters, broadcasting at maximum volume.
"Mm! Young Kaidō defeated another Lower Rank! Splendid!" Rengoku's approval boomed across the training grounds.
Tengen, currently soaking in a hot spring with his three wives, grinned. "What a flamboyant guy! Another Lower Rank down. That's two this month. Truly flamboyant!"
Gyomei paused his training. "Namu Amida Butsu. Kaidō, you continue to grow stronger." Tears streamed down his face as he resumed his meditation.
"Tch. Just a Lower Rank. I won't lose to you!" Sanemi grabbed his sword and stormed toward his patrol zone.
Ubuyashiki Estate
Hearing Kuroha's announcement, Kagaya smiled. "My beloved child grows stronger still. How wonderful. One day, he'll surpass us all."
...
...
...
One Month Later—Just Before Dawn
SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!
"Talk! Come on, say something!"
"I'm asking you a question! Answer me! Are you going to talk or not??"
SLAP!
"SPEAK! I'm waiting! WILL YOU TALK OR NOT??"
"TALK ABOUT WHAT?? YOU HAVEN'T EVEN ASKED ME ANYTHING! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHAT TO SAY?? You're not even human—what kind of Demon Slayer tortures demons like this?? SOB... Being a demon is hard enough without you!"
A demon tied to a tree was crying hysterically, utterly miserable.
He'd just been trying to find food. Spotted a lone child walking home and was about to grab a meal when this lunatic appeared out of nowhere, dragged him into the forest, and knocked him unconscious.
When he woke up, he was bound to a tree getting repeatedly slapped across the face. When the slapping got boring, his captor switched to a stick. And the whole time, he kept demanding answers without asking any questions.
"Oh, right. What was I going to ask again? Eh, forget it. You made me lose my train of thought anyway. I'll just beat you up instead!" Kaidō resumed the face-slapping with renewed enthusiasm. When his hand got tired, he grabbed a branch.
"Sob sob sob... this is so humiliating..."
Dawn broke.
Sunlight—a demon's natural enemy—began creeping across the forest floor. The bound demon saw it like a beacon of salvation. Summoning his last reserves of strength, he snapped the ropes and threw himself into the light.
"I'M FREE! Do you know what I've been through for the past five hours?? FIVE HOURS! You're inhuman! I just wanted a snack! I'd rather starve! I'd rather burn in the sun than endure another second of your torture!"
The demon stood in direct sunlight, letting it consume him. His final expression was one of relief.
Kaidō's eye twitched. "Why does that line remind me of those old Blue Moon commercials?"
The [Demon Slayer System], which had been watching all night, felt compelled to ask: [Host, are you... okay?]
"I'm fine! I was just practicing my interrogation techniques. How was I supposed to know these demons would be so fragile?"
[That wasn't interrogation. That was psychological warfare. A human would've had a mental breakdown.]
"Huh. Good point. Whatever—I've been out here a month already. Time to head back to Headquarters. Kuroha, let's go! Back to the inn. We're leaving tomorrow."
Kuroha, perched on a branch, glided down to Kaidō's shoulder.
Over the past month, the crow had watched his master capture demon after demon. Twenty-three in total. At first, Kuroha thought Kaidō was interrogating them about Muzan's location.
Turns out, nope. Just "practice."
He'd tied them to trees in increasingly creative positions—upright, suspended, inverted, you name it. Every captured demon spent an entire night getting "practiced on" before either begging for a merciful death or, like today's victim, choosing suicide by sunlight.
Kuroha had long since stopped being surprised. He'd accepted his fate. As long as his master fed him well and gave him head scratches, life was good.
...
"Mmm, that was a good sleep!" Kaidō stretched and glanced out the window. "Wait, did I sleep a whole day? Whatever. Grab some food, then travel through the night back to Headquarters."
He checked out, bought rice balls from a street vendor, and set off.
Walking down a quiet path, he spotted a demon skulking in the shadows, acting extremely paranoid.
Kaidō's face split into an innocent, angelic smile. "Well, well... another practice dummy. This'll be fun. Hehehe!"
The system watched that smile and thought: [Another poor soul about to experience hell.]
Kuroha simply perched on a tree branch, resigned to spectating.
The demon felt a chill run down his spine, like someone was staring at him.
He'd heard stories this past month—stories about a terrifying Demon Slayer who captured demons and tortured them beyond death. Supposedly a Hashira. He hadn't believed it at first, until he saw one of his fellow demons get caught and literally beg to die.
After that, he'd hidden. But tonight, hunger had finally driven him out. Surely that hunter was gone by now, right?
The feeling of being watched intensified. He slowly turned around. Nothing there.
"Phew. Just my imagination. I'm too paranoid. Gotta find food and hide again."
When he turned back around, there was someone standing directly in front of him.
At first, he thought it was just a human. Then he recognized the hunter.
His legs gave out. He collapsed, screaming: "DEMON! MOMMY, HELP ME!"
...
Later, tied upside-down to a tree: "Please, I'm begging you! Let me go! I'll never hurt humans again! I'll never eat people! Please, have mercy—I'm old! AHHHHH!"
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~# 15 Advanced Chapters Available on my Patreon!
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(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)
~# Every 200 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter!
~# Add to Library!