"Shinobu Kocho?!"
Giyu Tomioka could not help but feel a hint of surprise at Shinobu Kocho's appearance, while simultaneously breathing a sigh of relief in his heart.
He immediately shouted loudly at her, "Miss Kocho, the man holding the iron chains is very likely the Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji. Please be careful!"
Having another Hashira-level combatant was undoubtedly a good thing for him. As long as Shinobu could stall the man, he could go all out against the demon before him. Then, he could finish off this demon as quickly as possible. By combining the strength of two Hashira, they might actually have a chance to eliminate the source of all demons right here.
"Oh my? Really? The Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji?" Shinobu Kocho was genuinely surprised by Giyu's words.
She cast a suspicious and scrutinizing gaze at Su Yan standing not too far away. She noticed that aside from being a bit better-looking than most, he appeared completely ordinary. Could someone like this really be the legendary Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji?
Shinobu drew the Nichirin Sword from her waist, twirled it in a flashy flourish, and directly asked Su Yan, "Say, Mr. Demon, is what the Water Hashira said true? Are you really the legendary Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji?"
"The Demon Slayer Corps' Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho?" Su Yan did not answer her question, instead uttering her name in surprise.
If Giyu Tomioka was only slightly surprised by Shinobu's arrival, then Su Yan was absolutely astonished.
Su Yan admitted that he had indeed planned to wait at the Kamado house for the Demon Slayer Corps to show up. After all, in the anime's plot, on the very first day Nezuko turned into a demon, the siblings encountered Giyu Tomioka passing by. They managed to completely move him with their deep sibling bond, leading him to not only spare them but also recommend Tanjiro to his own master, making him his junior disciple. Later on, Giyu and his master even staked their lives to guarantee Nezuko's harmlessness.
Therefore, he wasn't surprised by Giyu Tomioka's appearance; he had even sensed his presence before the man showed himself.
But what was the deal with Shinobu Kocho? Shouldn't she make her appearance two years later, after the Demon Slayer Corps' Final Selection? Was this another butterfly effect caused by his presence?
At that moment, Su Yan suddenly thought of the vicious demon that had attacked the Kamado family tonight. That made sense. If it had been Muzan, given his cowardly and cautious nature, even if he wanted to turn someone into a demon, he wouldn't have made such a huge commotion. He would have acted discreetly to avoid accidentally exposing his whereabouts to the Demon Slayer Corps.
However, a guy who had just been turned into a demon by Muzan was a different story. After all, when ordinary people suddenly gain power, arrogance is a common side effect. A newly turned demon naturally wouldn't be as cautious as Muzan. In that case, it wasn't surprising that they had attracted the attention of the Demon Slayer Corps. He just hadn't expected the one to arrive to be Shinobu Kocho.
"Oh my, oh my, I didn't expect Mr. Demon to have actually heard of my name." As she spoke, Shinobu's tone slowly shifted from its initial lightheartedness to something much more serious. "Should I feel honored by that?"
"But, why didn't Mr. Demon answer my question just now?"
"Or could it be..."
"Is Mr. Demon silently admitting to it?"
Ever since the conversation started, Tanjiro had been completely baffled. Although the two Demon Slayers suspected Su Yan of being some Demon King named Muzan Kibutsuji, Tanjiro didn't believe their claims at all. He just didn't understand why Su Yan wasn't speaking up to refute them, instead letting them assume whatever they wanted. Tanjiro felt he needed to step forward and explain things clearly.
"Tanjiro!" Su Yan shot Tanjiro a look, stopping him in his tracks.
Originally, he had planned to wait until Busujima Saeko finished fighting Giyu Tomioka before testing the power of Sun Breathing against him himself. But since another Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps had arrived, it worked out perfectly. They could each take an opponent and practice the Sun Breathing they had just learned. Secondly, Su Yan was also quite interested in the Insect Hashira standing before him.
Following Saeko's example, he manifested a white oak wooden sword in his hand. Looking at Shinobu in the distance, he said, "Miss Kocho, before we fight, may I ask you a question?"
"Eh? You actually want to ask me a question?" A look of astonishment flashed across Shinobu's face. For a moment, she wasn't in a rush to attack, instead replying to Su Yan, "You may. As for whether I'll answer your question..."
"That's hard to say."
"So, what does Mr. Demon want to ask? Do you want to ask how I plan to kill you later?"
"Don't worry, I will be very, very gentle as I inject poison into your heart, allowing Mr. Demon to die without any pain."
"How about it? Doesn't that make Mr. Demon very happy?"
Saying the most terrifying things in the gentlest tone possible. Shinobu Kocho truly was a frightening woman.
Seeing this, Su Yan no longer hesitated. He directly asked Shinobu a question that he had been curious about, even if it was a bit presumptuous. "Miss Kocho, may I ask if your older sister, Kanae Kocho, is still alive?"
"Heh!" Shinobu sneered upon hearing this.
Although her gentle face seemed unchanged, the bulging veins on her forehead undoubtedly revealed the intense anger in her heart.
This guy! This bastard!!
How dare he mention her sister's name in front of her?
How dare he?!!
Did a mere man-eating demon deserve to speak her sister's name?
Aside from the day her sister Kanae Kocho died, Shinobu had never felt as furious as she did today. Even the smiling facade she constantly maintained to imitate her sister almost slipped.
Shinobu tightened her grip on her Nichirin Sword and said sharply, "You really have some nerve, Mr. Demon!!"
Seeing Shinobu's reaction, Su Yan didn't even need her to answer. It was glaringly obvious without her even saying a word. It seemed his transmigration timing was indeed a bit late. Shinobu's older sister, the former Flower Hashira Kanae Kocho, was truly already dead.
What a pity.
However, Su Yan recalled the anime plot of Demon Slayer. Thinking about the secret regarding the breathing styles he had discovered, in that case... Perhaps there wouldn't be a lack of opportunities in the future...
"Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to poke your sore spot." Then, Su Yan looked at Shinobu again and said with a completely serious expression, "So, can we call a truce?"
"A truce?" Shinobu suppressed her rage and said coldly, "Go to hell!!!"
With that, Shinobu's entire body seemed to transform into a butterfly as she glided down from the tree trunk. The tip of the Nichirin Sword in her hand thrust straight toward Su Yan without holding back in the slightest. Fueled by her anger, she even faintly exhibited a speed a notch faster than usual.
"Insect Breathing, Dance of the Dragonfly: Compound Eye Hexagon!"
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]