Chapter 292

"I never expected to end up in this world, the origin of Sun Breathing. Is this fate?"

Luo En raised his wine cup, a smile curling at the corner of his lips.

"Interesting."

After finishing the wine.

Luo En set down the money and strode out of the tavern.

"Come again, take care."

The female shopkeeper gazed at the young customer's retreating back, a flicker of curiosity in her eyes.

"That young customer… is he from overseas?"

……

"The world of Demon Slayer, huh… the combat power isn't that high, though."

Luo En, with an inexhaustible gourd hanging at his waist, strolled leisurely down the street, recalling the worldview of the Demon Slayer world in his mind.

The Taisho era, a Japan gradually Westernizing.

In this era, humans and demons coexisted.

Legends of 'demons,' man-eating creatures, existed in the world, but the existence of 'demons' was not known to the public at large, appearing only sporadically in old folk's tales.

The progenitor of demons, Kibutsuji Muzan, used his blood to create demons.

Demons fed on humans, and in a state of hunger would lose their rationality and turn violent.

A demon's ability was positively correlated with how much of Kibutsuji Muzan's blood it received; at the same time, the more people it ate, the stronger it became.

A demon strong enough could comprehend the supernatural ability "Blood Demon Art." Demons possessed powerful physical bodies and were unafraid of ordinary harm—even being separated from head and body, they could survive—but exposure to sunlight would reduce them to ash.

The twelve strongest demons would become Kibutsuji Muzan's subordinates, known as the Twelve Kizuki, divided by strength into Upper Moons and Lower Moons.

Standing opposed to the demons.

Was the martial organization that existed across generations to hunt demons, the "Demon Slayer Corps," whose members were called "demon slayers."

It was divided into demon slayers who carried out the task of exterminating demons, and the "Kakushi" who handled the aftermath. Below the Corps leader were the nine strongest swordsmen, called the "Hashira."

They cultivated Breathing techniques and matching swordsmanship to grow stronger, and used specially forged Nichirin Blades—imbued with the essence of the sun—to slay demons that feared the power of the sun…

Luo En thought this far, glanced at the Japanese-style buildings around him, and mused inwardly.

"Now I can confirm it—this shouldn't be the era of Yoriichi Tsugikuni."

"What time is it in this world now? Has the Demon Slayer plot already begun, or has it not yet started?"

Luo En's face showed contemplation.

"I still need to find out."

Suddenly.

As if sensing something, he turned his head to look toward the north of the city.

"This aura is…"

After using the Observation Haki 'Kage,' with its vast coverage, to see a scene several thousand meters away.

The corner of Luo En's mouth lifted slightly.

The Demon Slayer Corps, huh…

…………

North of the city, inside a residence.

Several members of the Demon Slayer Corps in their uniforms were conducting an inspection.

"There's the presence of a demon."

"It should be right—the demon we've been pursuing."

"Is it really okay not to inform those my lord?"

A female member said worriedly.

"It's fine. Haven't we fought it before? It's simply no match for us."

A short-haired male member said, full of confidence.

"But…"

That female member was still a little worried.

A somewhat older, tall and thin male member beside her patted her shoulder:

"Yanagida, I know what you're worried about. That demon has eaten so many people, its strength must have increased. This mission still carries danger, but as members of the Demon Slayer Corps, sometimes we have to try facing danger. We can't rely on those my lord for everything, can we? We have to grow stronger ourselves."

"Besides, Lady Shinobu Kocho is surveying the situation on that mountain not far away. If anything happens, she can rush over quickly. Don't worry."

Hearing his words, the female member's expression gradually became resolute.

"I understand. Let's—the three of us—completely destroy that demon!"

"Mm."

The tall, thin male member smiled and nodded.

"Speaking of which."

The short-haired male member, with a Nichirin Blade at his waist, folded his arms and looked out the window: "What on earth happened on that mountain? It actually got Lady Shinobu Kocho, one of the Nine Hashira, to mobilize."

"Could it be that one of the Twelve Kizuki has appeared?"

The female member couldn't help saying.

The tall, thin male member shook his head: "If a member of the Twelve Kizuki had appeared, the commotion couldn't possibly be this small. Something else must have happened on that mountain. In any case, it has nothing to do with us—let's focus on dealing with the demon in front of us first."

"Understood!"

…………

In that snow-covered solitary mountain forest.

Black hair, purple irises, purple tips, hair reaching her collarbones, wearing the Demon Slayer Corps uniform beneath a butterfly-patterned haori, holding a slender Nichirin Blade—Shinobu Kocho stood before a massive trench a hundred meters long and over ten meters deep, her cool, delicate face no longer bearing its usual gentle smile, but filled with solemnity.

"What on earth… is going on?"

"Could it be caused by some kind of Blood Demon Art?"

The thought surfacing in Shinobu's mind was almost unimaginable.

But…

How could there possibly be a Blood Demon Art with such tremendous power?!

3, how do you want to die? (Two-in-one)

After night fell.

The moon hid, the stars were sparse.

The entire small town was shrouded in darkness.

Because of what had recently happened in the town, very few people dared to linger on the streets, each hurrying home early; the streets were nearly devoid of human figures, lending an unsettling, eerie atmosphere.

In an alley on the south side of the city.

A humanoid creature emerged from a dark corner of the town—its legs short and stubby, while its arms were extremely long and slender, its hands gripping short-handled scythes connected by chains; its emerald-green slit pupils were filled with cruelty and greed.

It gazed at a household with lit lamps in the distance, licked its tongue, and revealed a mouthful of sharp teeth dripping with viscous saliva, looking utterly horrifying and terrifying.

At the same moment it appeared.

The three Demon Slayer Corps teammates on the rooftop of the building at the very center of the town also immediately noticed.

"It appeared."

"On the south side of the city."

"Proceed according to plan."

"Understood!"

The two men and one woman exchanged glances, nodded firmly with determined gazes, then tapped their feet and, light and swift, hurried across the rooftops toward the south side of the city.

By the time they arrived.

In the courtyard of a household, the male head of the house had collapsed against a shattered wall corner, blood streaming from his head, his life or death unknown; the female head of the house lay beneath the eaves, apparently having fainted; and the evolving, advancing demon had seized a boy and was about to leave.

The short-haired male team member, seeing this scene, was instantly enraged.

"Let him go!"

He drew the Nichirin Blade at his waist, tapped his foot, and lunged at the demon.

"Shuichi, wait!"

The tall, thin male team member was too late to stop him; after warning the female team member beside him, "Yanagida, watch for support," he also immediately drew his Nichirin Blade and charged forward.

The team member named Shuichi was a user of Flame Breathing; at this moment, gripping with both hands his Nichirin Blade that emitted a faint fiery glow, he swept a crescent arc through the night air, launching a wide, powerful slash toward the scythe-wielding demon's face.