Chapter 309

A hidden member of the team noticed something was wrong and immediately rushed to the Lord's residence to report the matter.

Shinobu Kocho looked at the few people before her, gripped the hilt of her Nichirin Blade at her waist, and said in a slightly cold voice: "Mr. Luo En is a guest I invited back. If you have any objections, you can come to me about them, rather than rudely blocking a guest at the door like this."

"Young Lady Kocho seems really angry, but she looks pretty cute when she's angry~"

Mitsuri Kanroji thought to herself as she watched Shinobu Kocho.

However, her gaze lingered more on the tall young man beside Shinobu Kocho, whose height rivaled Obanai Iguro's and whose figure was well-proportioned and slender.

"He's really... unexpectedly handsome."

Mitsuri Kanroji's cheeks flushed, and her eyes shimmered with springtime warmth.

"Shinobu."

Obanai Iguro looked at Shinobu Kocho and spoke: "We don't want to do this either, but the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters has, since ancient times, gathered and welcomed only those who share the goal of slaying demons, who are like-minded, who trust one another, who know each other's backgrounds clearly, and who can completely entrust their backs to each other."

He looked at the young man beside Shinobu Kocho — black hair tied in a high ponytail, dressed all in black, with a silver-blue wine gourd hanging at his waist — and said with eyes as sharp as a snake's: "Not some mysterious fellow with a hidden origin, unknown strength, and unclear purpose."

Kyojuro Rengoku, leaning on his Nichirin Blade, nodded and said in a hearty tone: "Well said! At the very least, you have to earn our trust."

"That's right, so..."

Tengen Uzui stared at Luo En, narrowed his eyes, and said: "Could you first explain your background? And what's the deal with that monstrous strength of yours, even more monstrous than a demon's?"

Obanai Iguro pressed his palms together, his expression sorrowful: "Poor soul, no matter what happened in your past, I will listen to you carefully."

Looking ahead at the Flame Hashira, Stone Hashira, Sound Hashira, and Snake Hashira, who had reached a consensus and were each releasing their auras to press toward this side.

Shinobu Kocho couldn't help but glance at Luo En beside her.

From the moment he threw that punch until now, he had not said a single word, simply listening quietly to their words, watching them with a calm expression.

Shinobu Kocho looked at his expression and called out worriedly: "Mr. Luo En..."

"Mm."

"Are you... angry?"

"I'm not angry."

Luo En, standing with his hands behind his back, looked at Rengoku and the others ahead, a smile appearing on his face.

"I just find it very interesting."

"Very interesting?"

Shinobu Kocho was a little puzzled.

What was interesting about it?

"Mm, very interesting. Let me give you an analogy and you'll understand."

Luo En said, looking at the Hashira-level swordsmen ahead with a playful smile: "An anthill is about to collapse, and the ants are throwing their bodies into rebuilding the nest. A kind-hearted human sees this and wants to help repair it. But as he approaches, a few ants in the colony who think themselves strong raise their tiny antennae, step in front of the human to block him, and bare their fangs at him, demanding to know his origin and purpose. Isn't this scene very vivid?"

Shinobu Kocho was stunned.

The expressions of Rengoku and the others also changed upon hearing this.

Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui's figure flashed, he gripped the twin blades on his back, appeared before Luo En, and stared at him coldly: "Take back what you just said!"

Luo En smiled faintly: "Has the pride of a weak ant been stung?"

Tengen Uzui's eyes narrowed, and the twin blades in his hands transformed into two cold streaks of light as they slashed down toward him.

Sound Breathing, First Form!

Boom!

The specially-made explosives Tengen Uzui carried with him exploded with a bang around Luo En as his Nichirin Blade struck.

Shinobu Kocho had flashed aside a step earlier, evading the blast's range.

She stared with shock and anger at the area shrouded in the dust of the explosion.

"Mr. Luo En!"

Tengen Uzui, gripping his twin blades, looked ahead and sneered: "Can't even dodge this strike? Looks like you're just a muscle-bound fool. With this level of ability, you dare look down on the Demon Slayer Corps? Who gave you that confidence?"

Just at this moment.

A hand reached out from the thick smoke and dust kicked up by the explosion.

By the time Tengen Uzui reacted.

He had already been grabbed by the neck by that astonishingly fast hand and lifted into the air.

"What!?"

Tengen Uzui's face turned pale with terror.

The smoke and dust cleared.

Luo En, spotlessly clean, appeared before everyone's eyes.

He held Tengen's neck with one hand, easily lifting the tall, burly man into the air.

Under everyone's stunned gazes, Luo En raised his eyes to look at the red-faced Tengen Uzui in his hand and said with a playful smile: "Can't dodge? I just couldn't be bothered to dodge. An attack this weak can't even singe my clothes — why would I need to evade it?"

19 — Is this person... a monster?

Sanemi Shinazugawa, who had been sent flying by Luo En's punch, had just returned to this area and saw such a scene.

Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately drew his blade and slashed at Luo En.

That earlier hit was because he had been careless. If he fought seriously, that guy absolutely couldn't have repelled him so easily.

After all... he was one of the nine strongest swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps — Wind Hashira Sanemi Shinazugawa!

Sanemi Shinazugawa, his eyes bloodshot, charged at Luo En at high speed, cyan rotating wind blades coiling around his body and his cyan blade.

Wind Breathing, First Form.

Dust Whirlwind, Slashing Strike!

Kyojuro Rengoku and Obanai Iguro also, at the very moment he struck, simultaneously launched their attacks on Luo En.

Three Hashira-level swordsmen attacked Luo En together from three directions!

Butterfly Shinobu was just about to do something.

Luo En stepped forward calmly.

The ground jolted violently.

From beneath his feet, the ground within a radius of over ten meters sank sharply downward, cracking outward in layer upon layer!

A powerful shockwave spread outward.

The three Pillar swordsmen, before even drawing near, were blown away.

"W-what?!"

The three were struck with horror.

Especially Munenori Ubuyashiki, who cried out in utter disbelief: "How is this possible?!"

The Stone Pillar, Higurashi Gyomei, who had not moved, clasped his hands together, his expression grave.

Butterfly Shinobu stared at Luo En, her face filled with awe.

Had I not seen the full extent of his power before?

Is this his true strength?!

The Love Pillar, Mitsuri Kanroji, gazed at the ground within the ten-meter radius, now completely collapsed and shattered, her eyes wide with shock, hands covering her mouth in disbelief:

"No way…"

Shinko Uzui, who had been staring blankly in the distance, turned his head toward them, and upon seeing the scene, paused in slight astonishment.

The other Demon Slayer Corps comrades and Hidden members far away were utterly stunned, their expressions frozen as they stared at the tall, slender black-clad figure.

One Hidden member could not help but swallow hard, sweat beading on his forehead as he stared at Luo En:

"That man… is he even human?!"

A gentle voice sounded nearby: "What… happened here?"

Everyone turned to look.

When they saw Ubuyashiki Yoriichi, his face half-scarred, blind-eyed, standing beside a Hidden member.

Everyone's hearts leapt in shock.

"My lord!"

Including Shinko Uzui and Butterfly Shinobu, all the Pillar swordsmen present, along with the Demon Slayer Corps comrades and Hidden members at a distance, knelt halfway to show respect.

Luo En stared at him.

This is the Demon Slayer Corps' lord, Ubuyashiki Yoriichi…

As if sensing his gaze.

Ubuyashiki Yoriichi turned his head toward this direction.