Chapter 295

Luo En walked through the town's night streets, sipping wine as he pondered.

"Has the plot not even begun yet?"

"Or has Tanjiro not joined the Demon Slayer Corps yet?"

"Hmm… never mind."

"I'll go explore somewhere else first."

…………

After he left this town.

Just before dawn broke.

Kyojuro Rengoku, one of the Nine Pillars, arrived here.

Inside a house.

The female team member, Liu Tian, who had suffered lighter injuries, was bandaging the wounds of the short-haired male team member, Shu Yi, and the tall, slender male team member.

She saw Kyojuro Rengoku and immediately smiled, calling out:

"Kyojuro Rengoku my lord."

The tall, slender male team member opened his eyes, saw Kyojuro Rengoku, and respectfully called out, "Kyojuro Rengoku, my lord."

The short-haired male team member remained unconscious.

Kyojuro Rengoku, clad in butterfly-patterned haori and holding a slender Nichirin blade, gazed at the three still-living figures before her, her heart easing slightly—but mostly filled with confusion.

"Wasn't it said that a Power Demon had appeared? Did you drive it off?"

The female team member shook her head: "No."

"That Power Demon is dead. Killed by a mysterious person."

The tall, slender male team member looked up at the ceiling and spoke, his eyes still filled with deep shock from what he had witnessed last night.

"A mysterious person?"

Kyojuro Rengoku grew even more puzzled.

As the female team member and the tall, slender male team member recounted everything that had happened last night.

Kyojuro Rengoku was utterly stunned.

"The ability to control ice."

"Unfathomable swordsmanship."

"Killed the Power Demon with a single strike."

Upon hearing the ability to control ice, the first thought that crossed Kyojuro Rengoku's mind was the demon who had killed her sister, Kanae: Upper Rank Two, Kokushibo.

But as the two continued their account.

Kyojuro Rengoku realized it was not him.

And if it had been Kokushibo, all three of them would never have survived—especially this young female team member…

According to their description of the mysterious person.

The mysterious person showed no demonic traits and could wield a Nichirin blade—he was very likely not a demon, but a human!

And a human possessing astonishing power, yet not a member of the Demon Slayer Corps!

As Kyojuro Rengoku thought of this, her beautiful violet eyes glimmered faintly.

"By the way, to repay him for saving our lives, he asked us a question."

The female team member told Kyojuro Rengoku.

"What question?"

"He asked if the Demon Slayer Corps had a member named Tanjiro."

Kyojuro Rengoku's eyes narrowed slightly.

"How did you answer?"

The female team member and the tall, slender male team member exchanged glances; the female team member replied to Kyojuro Rengoku: "We said no."

The tall, slender male team member nodded: "Probably not—I've never heard that name in the Demon Slayer Corps."

Kyojuro Rengoku shook her head: "No, there is one."

The female team member and the tall, slender male team member turned to look at Kyojuro Rengoku, expressions startled.

"Really?"

Kyojuro Rengoku nodded: "Yes. Among the five new members selected this year, there is a boy named exactly that."

"This year's selected members…"

The female team member and the tall, slender male team member looked at each other.

Kyojuro Rengoku tapped her chin, a flicker of thought in her eyes.

Why did that mysterious person want to know about the boy named Tanjiro?

Was there some connection between them?

And that mysterious person—

If he was human, how could he possess the power to control ice?

Kyojuro Rengoku lifted her head, a glint of insight flashing in her violet eyes.

Her intuition told her.

This was something worth investigating!

5, Asakusa, Tokyo Prefecture

Kyojuro Rengoku sent this intelligence back to the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters using the Corps' transmission crow, the Kairo.

Demon Slayer Corps headquarters.

The head of the Demon Slayer Corps, Ubuyashiki Kyojuro, whose face above the eyes was severely burned, felt a quiet surprise upon hearing the news delivered by Butterfly Shinobu.

"A mysterious human who can control ice and wields astonishing sword skills, killing an Ability Demon with a single strike?"

His wife, Ubuyashiki Amane, who tended to his daily needs, spoke as she placed a meal before him on the table.

"I've never heard of such a thing before."

Ubuyashiki Kyojuro nodded lightly: "Indeed… it's worth investigating."

He was intrigued.

Why would this mysterious person who killed an Ability Demon with one strike be inquiring about Tanjiro from Demon Slayer Corps teammates?

Did he know something?

After all, that boy is a Demon Slayer who carries a demon…

Soon.

A Himejima crow bearing the head's message found Butterfly Shinobu.

"Command from the Head! Command from the Head! Bug Pillar Butterfly Shinobu is ordered to investigate this matter—uncover the full origin and purpose of that person."

Then.

The Himejima crow also reported to Butterfly Shinobu the latest whereabouts of the regular member, Kamado Tanjiro.

Upon hearing this news,

Butterfly Shinobu immediately set out for that location.

………………

Meanwhile.

Luo En wandered from east to west, passing through several towns and villages, and soon grew tired of the traditional dishes and drinks in the small towns and hamlets.

Driven by a longing for novel cuisine,

Luo En arrived at Asakusa in Tokyo Prefecture, the most bustling city in present-day Nihon.

Compared to other places, it was far more prosperous—Western goods like Western clothing, electrical devices, and rail steam cars had become widespread on the streets.

Even at night, it was brightly lit, crowded with traffic and people streaming through the avenues.

In comparison, the people of other towns and villages seemed to still live as if a hundred years in the past.

That night,

Luo En found a brightly lit restaurant, sipping sake and eating freshly fried pork cutlet, his face filled with delight.

"Of course, meat is the best."

"Oh oh, customer, you really know your food,"

The burly owner laughed and placed a dish of sauce before Luo En.