"Demons merging with those alien monsters?"
This piece of intelligence fell well within Li Ke's expectations. After all, given Muzan's naturally troublesome personality, it was completely impossible for him to just sit idly by. It was just a matter of how far the demon king had actually pushed his experiments.
If Muzan had truly engineered some catastrophic monstrosity...
Li Ke checked his energy point balance for a potential trip back to the Food Wars world, then nodded to himself.
Five hundred energy points. He felt absolutely zero pressure. He could effortlessly head back to a modern era, secure a massive stockpile of weapons and ammunition, and bring them back to wipe these demons off the face of the earth.
As for how he would legally acquire those weapons and ammo?
A law-abiding citizen like Li Ke naturally wouldn't rely on conventional, legal methods!
There were plenty of US military bases scattered across the globe; he could just randomly pick a few to raid!
Up until now, among all the monsters and enemies he had crossed paths with, there was truly nothing that couldn't be permanently solved by a concentrated wall of overwhelming firepower!
Even the endless zombie hordes of 7 Days to Die fell under that rule; the only real issue back then was a severe lack of manpower, nothing else.
When the time came, he could equip every member of the Demon Slayer Corps with an M16, back them up with rocket launchers, and call in rolling artillery barrages. He wouldn't have to waste a single second worrying about Muzan or whatever bizarre abominations the villain cooked up.
Just blow them all to kingdom come.
Of course, there was no practical need to resort to such extreme measures just yet. For the time being, his own raw combat strength was more than enough.
"Yes. Although the fused demons still fear the sun, they have become incredibly troublesome to deal with," Shinobu Kocho nodded, continuing her explanation. "In the past, a Lower Rank demon could easily be subdued by a single Hashira. But now, even if a common grunt demon merges with those entities, they become exceptionally stubborn and mutate into very bizarre forms. Still, we can discuss the finer details once we reach our headquarters."
Shinobu waved her hand to signal the subordinates behind her. The Corps members immediately rushed toward the burning structures, coordinating with the local law enforcement officers to begin a thorough sweep of the area.
Li Ke watched as the slayers pulled out glass vials radiating a heavy scent of wisteria flower extract. Although the local patrons of the entertainment district looked thoroughly annoyed, they all submissively filed out into the bright sunlight to undergo the mandatory inspection.
It was glaringly obvious that in times like these, sheer terror of the demons completely stripped the locals of any remaining dignity or desire to keep up appearances.
Li Ke followed Shinobu toward their base of operations.
The Demon Slayer Corps headquarters was exceptionally close, situated right at the absolute center of this port city. One look was all it took for Li Ke to realize it had been strategically placed there for rapid deployment.
However, its overall scale was surprisingly massive. The property even extended all the way down to the shoreline, incorporating its own private harbor, making the entire complex look absolutely colossal.
As they walked, Shinobu offered a brief explanation.
"This estate originally belonged to Lord Ashikaga. But ever since the demons and monsters began running amok, he graciously loaned the grounds to us to serve as our central base. A portion of the estate still functions as Lord Ashikaga's private residence, so if you don't have any pressing business, it is best not to wander down toward the beach."
Following her gaze, Li Ke spotted the characters reading Ashikaga Estate carved onto the massive main gate, along with patrols of conventional soldiers and samurai who didn't bear the wisteria flower insignia.
It was plainly obvious that this particular lord was absolutely terrified of demons.
Right at that moment, a head butler emerged from the grand entrance. Shinobu immediately turned her head back to look at the two of them.
"Please wait here for a moment."
Leaving them with those words, she quickly stepped forward to greet the man, and the two immediately began a hushed conversation.
Within moments, Shinobu walked away to accompany the butler, while a lower-ranking member of the Demon Slayer Corps stepped up to guide Li Ke and Mai Shiranui toward a separate waiting room.
Sitting inside the room, Li Ke appeared entirely relaxed and unbothered, while Mai's brow began to furrow with impatience.
Her annoyance stemmed from the fact that she hadn't brought her smartphone or any forms of entertainment with her. Li Ke, at the very least, still had his phone on him, allowing him to pass the time by reviewing English vocabulary flashcards.
She carefully surveyed the traditional architecture around them before turning her focus squarely back to Li Ke.
"So, what happened after I left? It feels like you've been through an awful lot since then."
She hadn't paid much attention to it during their earlier arguments, but now that she was stuck with nothing to do, her curiosity about his interdimensional travels had finally gotten the better of her.
"Eh, it's not really anything worth bragging about," Li Ke replied casually. "Mainly, I just ended up visiting some pretty fantastical worlds."
He was also feeling thoroughly bored, and since he despised studying anyway, he gladly welcomed the chance to chat with her.
Li Ke began detailing his travels, describing the mystical bending arts of Toph's world and the vast, endless oceans of the One Piece universe.
Naturally, he strategically omitted all the intimate details regarding his various escapades with the local girls.
He even casually brought up the fact that he now possessed the ability to resurrect the dead.
"What an absolutely unbelievable power..." Mai murmured, a look of deep suspicion crossing her face. "But knowing a guy like you, you definitely used that resurrection promise to pull some kind of indecent stunt on that girl named Nami, didn't you? Otherwise, someone as—"
Mai stumbled over her words, completely at a loss for how to properly define him. To call Li Ke a complete bastard felt wrong, given that his ability to cross dimensions actually required massive amounts of energy. But to call him a good guy felt equally inaccurate, considering the man always had a bizarre talent for twisting a heroic deed into something that left everyone completely speechless.
Wrestling with her complicated thoughts, Mai finally stumbled upon the absolute perfect description for him.
"—A complete scoundrel like you definitely won't ever win a girl's true affection."
Before Li Ke could open his mouth to counter, she quickly pressed on.
"And knowing you, you absolutely used that victory over Sir Crocodile to pull something unprincipled with Princess Vivi too!"
Mai sounded entirely convinced of her theory.
"I mean, I had no family ties or obligations to them," Li Ke replied, shrugging his shoulders with an air of mild annoyance. "If they wanted to gain something monumental from me, they naturally had to offer something of equal value in return. I didn't care about their treasure, and I had no use for their local powers. Naturally, that left their bodies. Besides, it was their own conscious choice; nobody forced them to take my deal."
He scoffed softly, shifting his posture.
"And after I went through all that trouble describing the tactical brilliance of my fight against Sir Crocodile, this is the only part you care about?"
Mai let out a sharp, cold snort.
"That's exactly why you're a scoundrel, a total lowlife. Let's not forget I'm one of your victims too! Of course I'm going to focus on that!"
Staring at her as she crossed her arms over her chest and scoffed, Li Ke's hands began to itch with the sudden urge to teach her a lesson.
"Keep pushing your luck. Do you want me to pin you to the floor right now, resurrect your grandfather, and make him watch exactly how I handle a stubborn kunoichi?!"
"Ha? You think you have what it takes?"
Mai sneered right back, even going so far as to stick her tongue out and make a childish face at him.
"Try catching me first!"
If there was one thing Li Ke could absolutely never tolerate, it was being openly doubted. In the very next split second, his figure blurred, executing a high-speed dash that put him right in her face. Mai's eyes widened to dinner plates in pure shock.
Yet, as a seasoned tournament fighter, Mai wasn't a complete pushover. Reacting on pure instinct, she planted her palm on the tatami to pivot her entire body, driving a sharp upward kick straight toward his chin to force him to change angles, intending to break his spatial rhythm and escape his attack radius.
Regrettably for her, her current execution speed was far too slow compared to Li Ke's raw velocity!
Her counter-technique was technically flawless—she successfully delayed him for a microsecond and briefly opened up some distance—but Li Ke's reflexes and acceleration were on an entirely different level.
Before she could complete her retreat, Mai watched in sheer horror as Li Ke smoothly bypassed her guard, grabbed both of her wrists, and pinned her flat against the wooden floorboards!
"What was that you were saying just now?"
Li Ke asked, smoothly straddling her waist. He pinned her legs firmly beneath his own weight to neutralize any sudden, desperate attempts at a low blow, looking down at the thoroughly panicked martial artist beneath him.
He found the position remarkably comfortable. Mai was soft and exceptionally curvaceous, and being pressed so closely against her caused a sudden surge of heat to flare up within him, her feminine figure pressing firmly against his lower abdomen.
The scent radiating from her was incredibly intoxicating—not the artificial fragrance of perfume, but a natural, sweet pheromone. Simply breathing it in while looking down at her like this made a primal urge stir inside him, tempting him to completely give in to his desires.
Yet, Mai refused to concede defeat. She glared up at him with fierce, venomous eyes, her expression twisted in pure annoyance.
But Li Ke could see right through her. Mai desperately wanted to escape this compromising position, but for some reason, she was stubbornly forcing herself to act tough in front of him.
"Ha! You only caught me because it was a sneak attack! And I don't believe for a second that you actually have the power to bring my grandfather back!"
Mai fired back stubbornly. However, the moment the word "grandfather" left her lips, the fiery light in her eyes dimmed instantly, plunging her right back into the same suffocating depression Li Ke had witnessed earlier.
Even though the intense physical contact pressed against her belly was making her heart race with a mix of panic and anxiety, Li Ke's words had inevitably forced her to remember her late grandfather, Hanzo Shiranui.
Her grandfather had been a man of immense strength and wisdom; the entire modern transition of the Shiranui clan had started with his vision. Regrettably, he had been brutally targeted and murdered due to the betrayal of a trusted friend.
He had placed all his hopes and dreams squarely on her and Andy, but now...
Her current martial arts strength was far too weak to even dream of avenging him. Andy had abandoned her, her deep-seated vendetta remained unfulfilled, and the sacred inheritance of the Shiranui-ryu was fading into obscurity. She had achieved absolutely nothing.
As these crushing thoughts flooded her mind, the brief spark of spirit she had managed to muster completely evaporated, leaving her feeling utterly unworthy of facing her grandfather's memory.
Li Ke, however, wasn't focusing on her lineage. He was simply marveling at whatever logic Andy possessed—wondering how any sane man could ignore the advances of such an absolute goddess without immediately claiming her. Sensing her genuine distress, he released his grip on her wrists and offered a gentle explanation.
"To be completely honest, that's something I genuinely cannot do right now. We aren't in your home universe, so I have no way of resurrecting your grandfather here. Besides, even if I could, you wouldn't want his soul stranded in a volatile reality like this, would you? The ninjas of this era are still trapped in a brutal, blood-soaked cycle of killing."
Li Ke stood up, stepping off the tatami. Holding her down like that had been incredibly addictive; her body was wonderfully soft and possessed a unique, magnetic allure that had his baseline desires fully aroused in just those few moments. But seeing how genuinely heartbroken Mai was, he couldn't bring himself to actually force himself on her while she was weeping over her family.
"So you really have the power to bring people back to life?"
Mai stared up at him, momentarily frozen. She didn't even bother to fix her disheveled clothes, her focus entirely locked on his face.
"Yeah. It's just that your grandfather isn't in this universe, so I can't prove it to you right now," Li Ke nodded.
"But the power of resurrection is definitely something I possess. Tell you what, next time we run into someone who just lost a loved one, I'll demonstrate it right in front of you."
"Huh?"
Mai was still deeply skeptical. After all, even though their journeys across different dimensions had shown them plenty of fantastical things, the boundary between life and death wasn't something easily overcome in any story. She found it incredibly hard to believe.
Right at that moment, the sliding door to their waiting room creaked open, and Shinobu Kocho stepped inside.
"Are you two sharing mythologies and fairy tales?"
Shinobu looked at them with her characteristic gentle smile. From her perspective, the dynamic between Li Ke and Mai seemed incredibly close, almost to the point of intimacy.
Given the situation, she felt naturally inclined to build a stronger rapport with them. After all, Li Ke was clearly on track to becoming her future colleague and a comrade-in-arms, making it essential to establish a good relationship from the start.
"We were actually talking about my ability to resurrect the dead," Li Ke replied with a perfectly straight face. "I possess a technique that can briefly bring someone back to life. There are quite a few restrictions to it, but she refuses to believe me."
He delivered the statement with absolute earnestness. He had fully intended to share this information with the Corps anyway, so now that Shinobu had arrived alone, he saw no reason to keep it under wraps.
"Ah... I see..."
Shinobu blinked in surprise, staring at Li Ke. She hadn't expected him to be such a playful joker, and for a second, she was completely at a loss for words.
But as Li Ke watched her face settle into an awkward yet polite smile, he cut straight to the chase.
"Speaking of which, Shinobu, as a veteran member of the Demon Slayer Corps, you must have lost someone deeply important to you, right? How about I let you see them one more time?"
Shinobu's expression went ice-cold instantly. Yet, remembering that Li Ke was a powerful asset seeking to join their ranks, she forced her voice to remain steady.
"Indeed. My parents and my older sister... they all perished at the hands of demons."
Since he was a prospective recruit, she reasoned there was no harm in sharing her past, hoping it might solidify his resolve to hunt down their mutual enemies. Under any other circumstances, she would have completely ignored the query.
"I see. In that case, let's bring back your sister."
Li Ke glanced at the patches of sunlight filtering into the room and raised his hand.
Shinobu completely blanked. "Huh?"
The moment the syllable left her lips, a brilliant golden radiance erupted from Li Ke's palm. In the next breath, a physical figure materialized right in front of her.
That smiling, surprised face and those painfully familiar features left Shinobu entirely paralyzed with shock. Grabbing the equally stunned Mai Shiranui by the hand, Li Ke casually walked past the petrified Hashira and headed toward the door.
"I'll leave you to your sisterly reunion, Miss Shinobu."
With that, Li Ke stepped out into the courtyard. When Shinobu reflexively turned her head, she saw him standing out in the bright open air, flashing a grin and giving her a casual wave.
The hollow, lifeless look in her eyes vanished, instantly replaced by a flood of raw emotion.
But more importantly—
"Are you... are you really my sister?"
Shinobu gripped the hilt of her Nichirin blade, staring intently at the equally bewildered Kanae Kocho.
Li Ke didn't care to stick around. People always needed time to talk, clear up confusion, and fully process that a deceased loved one had actually returned. Knowing the cautious nature of the Demon Slayer Corps, they would probably drag Kanae out into the sunlight first just to be absolutely certain she wasn't a demon trick.
For Li Ke and Mai, however, the conversation had shifted to an entirely different gear.
"Y-You... you can actually bring people back from the dead?!"
Mai stared at him in utter disbelief. Seeing a living, breathing person appear out of thin air just now had genuinely shocked her to her core, sparking an overwhelming curiosity.
"Yeah. Why would I lie about that?"
Li Ke calmly pulled out a piece of jerky and took a bite. Mai looked incredibly cute when she was caught off guard like this, so he was thoroughly enjoying her reaction.
"No, I just..."
She simply couldn't wrap her mind around it. Staring at him, she couldn't help but wonder if bringing her own grandfather back would mean she wouldn't have to shoulder this crushing burden all by herself. Unable to resist, she pressed for details.
"What are the limitations on this resurrection power?"
She was deeply intrigued, a faint spark of desperate hope stirring in her chest.
"Well, there are a few. My resources for bringing people back are limited, so the standard revival only lasts up to ten years. Extending it beyond that isn't impossible, but as you know, the way I accumulate my power and energy is pretty unconventional."
Li Ke spread his hands wide. Mai stiffened as she processed the words.
"Ten years..."
If it was ten years...
Mai felt a sudden tightness constrict her chest. Then, a sudden, alarming realization clicked in her mind.
"Is that... is that how you got those other girls to follow you?" she asked, the words feeling incredibly heavy on her tongue.
"Yeah, exactly. What else would I want from them? Like I told you before, I have absolutely no use for gold, silver, or material wealth. What else is left for them to offer me?"
Li Ke's blunt response left Mai entirely speechless. Energy was the only currency Li Ke ever cared about. For the women who desperately sought his help, there was only one thing they could realistically bring to the trading table.
"But if you really want to bring your grandfather back, it's not actually that difficult," Li Ke said, turning his gaze toward her. "I can take that 7 Days to Die world energy residing inside you and convert it directly into lifespans. I'll just charge you a ten-year processing fee, and you won't have to sleep with me at all."
He laid out the terms plainly. If Mai truly desired to resurrect Hanzo Shiranui, this transaction was all it would take.
Hearing that she could bring her grandfather back without having to yield her body to Li Ke, Mai's spirit instantly rebounded. Her eyes lit up with renewed life, knowing her purity would remain entirely intact.
As for surrendering ten years of potential life energy to Li Ke, she couldn't care less. He obviously needed some form of compensation to process the conversion, and this was an entirely exclusive, one-of-a-kind trade anyway.
"Deal!"
She agreed on the spot, looking at him with urgent anticipation.
"Do we start right now?"
Li Ke nodded and extended his open palm toward her. Then... he froze.
A sudden, awkward realization hit him hard.
He didn't actually know how to extract the system energy yet. He had originally planned to experiment with the extraction process on Nico Robin back in One Piece, but Robin had refused the trade, needing that residual wasteland power to defend herself in her own world. Since he had never actually performed the extraction, how was he supposed to figure out the mechanics now? Should he try to convince Mai to sleep with him as a baseline test first?
But if they did it and the extraction still failed, what then? She would absolutely brand him a predatory liar and hunt him down to the ends of the earth.
"There's no rush. Let's wait until we visit your home universe later," Li Ke said, smoothly retracting his hand.
Despite his quick recovery, the brief wave of guilt filtering through his expression didn't escape Mai's notice. She narrowed her eyes at him, her martial artist intuition screaming that something incredibly shady was going on beneath the surface.
Before she could press him for answers, the sliding door burst open. Shinobu Kocho cut their conversation short for a second time, charging into the courtyard like a whirlwind before dropping directly to her knees right in front of Li Ke.
"Mr. Li Ke! Please, I beg of you—permanently resurrect my older sister! I am willing to pay absolutely any price you demand!"
Shinobu stared up at him, baring her deepest, most desperate desire without a shred of hesitation.
"Li Ke..."
Mai looked at the scene, her mouth parting slightly, but the words died in her throat.
She knew she had no right to judge him. Li Ke had already explained the fundamental mechanics of his resurrection ability; he was essentially burning through his own conceptual lifespan resources to tether a deceased soul back to the living world. A monumental favor like that could never be measured by mere gold or worldly riches.
Yet, watching another girl willingly step right into Li Ke's transactional snare just to save her family left her feeling entirely conflicted.
A chaotic mess of emotions swirled in her chest: annoyance, understanding, helplessness, and anger.
She was annoyed that Li Ke was exploiting a desperate situation, yet she understood that he was entirely entitled to a fair reward. She felt helpless because she couldn't stop it, and she was angry—
Angry that Li Ke was such a shameless pervert.
Wait... why am I the one getting angry?
Mai stood there, completely lost in her own confusion.