[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-this-pillar-in-demon-slayer-is-extremely-strong-":3,"chapter-this-pillar-in-demon-slayer-is-extremely-strong--this-pillar-in-demon-slayer-is-extremely-strong--chapter-16":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","This Pillar in Demon Slayer Is Extremely Strong but Overly Cautious",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2335942,4566,"Chapter 16: Zero","this-pillar-in-demon-slayer-is-extremely-strong--chapter-16",16,"\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A demon about to feed was slammed to the ground by Zero’s mechanical left hand, its skull crushed into the earth with a crisp snap, blood spurting out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re really bold! Even daring to hunt me! Do you have no fear or no sense?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the demon whose head had been crushed beneath his mechanical left hand, Zero cast a look of disdain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After leaving Yunxue Mountain, he rode his motorcycle back to his jurisdiction—it was already night. He retracted the motorcycle into his nanospace and prepared to patrol when he felt something watching him from behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He feigned ignorance and lured it into a quiet corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demon, thinking Zero was cornered, attacked from behind—but Zero merely turned, seized its head, and slammed it into the ground with brutal force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the demon slowly regenerate, Zero made no move to stop it. He stood by, arms crossed, silently observing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The regenerated demon rose, glaring hatefully at Zero. “You damned human! How dare you treat me like this?! I’ll devour you piece by piece!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zero: “Is that your last words?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He flashed instantly before the demon, crushing its head into the ground again—this time bursting like a watermelon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he stomped repeatedly on the demon’s body with his half-metallic high boots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re bold!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re strong!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Try being fierce again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How dare you threaten me?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go look in a mirror!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look at what you really are!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look at how ugly you are!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With each word, he stomped once. Finally, he pulled out one form of the [Dark Alloy Four Styles] from his nanospace and sliced the demon into pieces, reducing it to ash…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Phew～On to patrol!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After eliminating the demon, he walked straight ahead along the road, binding every demon he encountered, beating them senseless, then severing their necks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For demons hiding, he activated his [Analytical Glasses]’ infrared scan to locate them, knocked them out, dragged them by the leg into a small grove, and tied them to trees…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time passed swiftly—half a month had gone by.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During these half months, he continuously purged demons within his jurisdiction. His Hakuwa Snow remained quietly perched on a tree, resting. Reports to the Demon Slayer Corps grew fewer—there was no longer any need.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its master was either eliminating demons or on the way to eliminate them: yesterday, a village to the east; the day before, a village to the west…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when the Demon Slayer Corps dispatched missions, they were already completed before the orders arrived. Only the Hidden Division needed to come for cleanup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From daily reports, to every three days, to now—no reports at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So it decided: lie flat!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, Zero sat atop a tree trunk, right leg crossed over his left, swinging gently, holding a notebook and pen as if recording something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath him, tied to the tree, was a newly captured demon—still unconscious from the beating…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm… I wonder how Muzan turns people into demons?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After much thought, he reached a conclusion: blood!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If Muzan’s blood turns people into demons, then does more blood mean greater strength?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He recalled the Upper Rank Two, Douma, whom he’d encountered while rescuing Kanao. Though weaker than the beasts of the starry void, he was still immensely powerful in this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Twelve Ketsu… Upper Ranks… Lower Ranks… How exactly are their strengths ranked?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to a fresh page in his notebook and wrote: [Muzan Kibutsuji]. Below the name, he drew a line and wrote: [Subordinates: Twelve Ketsu].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Upper Rank demons… Lower Rank demons… Twelve… Does that mean twelve Upper Ranks and twelve Lower Ranks?… No, no! I must’ve missed something…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, Zero remembered the two Lower Rank demons he’d encountered upon arriving in this world: Lower Rank Three—Byōyō, Lower Rank Four—Reiji.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few days later, he encountered Upper Rank Two. Zero made another guess: The Twelve Ketsu must be divided into six Upper Ranks and six Lower Ranks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He drew six lines beneath [Twelve Ketsu], writing beneath each: Upper One, Upper Two, Upper Three, Upper Four, Upper Five, Upper Six.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After thinking, he wrote beneath each corresponding [Upper] label, spaced apart: Lower One, Lower Two, Lower Three, Lower Four, Lower Five, Lower Six.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The two Lower Rank demons I met had only two characters in their eyes—e.g., Lower Three showed only [Lower Three]. But Upper Rank Two had [Upper] carved in his left eye and [Two] in his right… What does that signify?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Or perhaps… if Muzan’s blood turns people into demons, then how much of his blood do the Twelve Ketsu contain? Wait—if that’s true, then the Twelve Ketsu themselves must also have the power to turn humans into demons?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He realized something: if Muzan could turn humans into demons with just his blood, then the Twelve Ketsu, carrying vast quantities of his blood, must possess the same ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By this logic, the Twelve Ketsu could also turn humans into demons!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If my guess is right, then the Lower Ranks are the starting point—the first step for ordinary demons to become part of the Twelve Ketsu!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If so, then among the Lower Ranks, Lower Six is weakest, Lower One strongest. The same applies to the Upper Ranks: Upper Six weakest, Upper One strongest!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And more than that—the Lower Ranks and Upper Ranks can’t even be compared!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From his battles with Lower and Upper Rank demons, the gap was beyond measure—a chasm impossible to cross.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And given Muzan’s nature, he’d never tolerate subordinates stronger than himself—he must’ve done something. Like… a curse in the blood, like what happened to Ubuyashiki?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sigh… troublesome. Well, I’ll collect blood from an Upper or Lower Rank demon someday and analyze it…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he was about to return his notebook and pen to his nanospace, the bound demon woke up, realized he was tied up, and screamed!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah! Damn it! Who are you?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shut up! What are you yelling for?!” Zero leapt down from the tree trunk, strode to the demon, and slapped him hard across the face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slap!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demon stared blankly at Zero, dazed—what just happened?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You damned human! I’ll eat you alive…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slap!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as the demon finished speaking, Zero slapped him again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re so noisy! Why not just wait quietly to be burned by the sun? Must you scream like this?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demon, slapped on both cheeks, grew angrier, opened his mouth to scream—before Zero punched him in the mouth. Teeth flew out; some were swallowed by the demon himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Seriously, can’t you just be quiet?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demon, missing several teeth, glared hatefully at Zero.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zero met that gaze and delivered two more punches—turning his eyes into massive black bruises.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, the demon couldn’t take it anymore and screamed: “Muzan-sama!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom! Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two grotesque arms burst from the demon’s body. Zero, startled, quickly retreated a step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One grotesque arm gripped the demon’s head, the other clamped its torso—then, in an instant, the body exploded into ash, vanishing into the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Zero fell into thought. When the demon shouted Muzan’s name, he died. Do all demons meet the same fate?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My guess was right—Muzan cursed his own blood. Anyone who speaks his name dies. But… the Twelve Ketsu shouldn’t be affected, right? They’re his direct subordinates!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I suspect this curse targets only low-level demons.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wrote in his notebook: [Ordinary demons die if they utter “Muzan Kibutsuji”]. Then he returned the notebook and pen to his nanospace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sigh… well, dawn’s coming. I’ll return to the Demon Slayer Corps and study this later. Snow, let’s go!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hakuwa Snow, resting on the tree, flew down and landed on Zero’s shoulder. They departed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walking along, they reached a fork in the road. Zero suddenly realized a serious problem—he remembered clearly: there had been no fork when he came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned to Snow on his shoulder. “Snow, I’m sure there was no fork when we came this way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snow replied: “Master, you went the wrong way. You need to turn back—then you’ll reach the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh…” Zero remembered—he’d walked straight through his jurisdiction for half a month, clearing demons. To return, he simply needed to retrace his path…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, my mistake. I’ll head back. On the way, I’ll check for any demons I missed and clean them up again. Might as well—it’s a long walk back anyway, about half a month. Perfect timing—I’ll help the lord with his second treatment.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Zero turned around and walked straight back. He had no intention of riding his motorcycle—too fast, and he’d miss demons still active.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, the hunting hour began again. The demons never expected Zero would return—before they could hide, he found them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when they hid well, they couldn’t fathom how this demon hunter pinpointed their exact locations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then came the choice: behead immediately, or be sliced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who dared resist were beaten until their faces were swollen, limbs broken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each time, before death, they lost vast amounts of blood—feeling hollowed out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That alone was bad enough. Worse still: even in daylight, this demon hunter hunted for their hiding spots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He fired a single shot—paralyzing them, causing them to foam at the mouth, convulse uncontrollably—then dragged them by the leg into open sunlight, leaving them to bake to death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, within Zero’s jurisdiction, it was safe for humans—but a death trap for demons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hakuwa Snow no longer saw the need to return for missions. Every time one arrived, the offending demons were already reduced to ash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Except when Ubuyashiki called a meeting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zero’s residence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Yue sat moodily in the renovated room, chin propped on her hands, legs crossed on a large cushion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the big cushion, her small frame sat still, like a figurine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stupid master, mean master! It’s been over half a month—why hasn’t he come back yet?! I’m furious! Stupid master, mean master!! Hmph!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh? What’s wrong, Xiao Yue? Who made you angry?” Kanao appeared behind her, knelt down, and gently lifted Xiao Yue into her arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For over half a month, Kanao had occasionally visited Zero’s residence after completing missions, sometimes bringing Kanao along—claiming she came to check in, though only she knew what she truly felt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Butterfly Kanae and Butterfly Shinobu first saw the interior of Zero’s mansion, they were both awed—its ancient, elegant design was pleasing to the eye, and a unique fragrance lingered in the air, bringing calm and delight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xiao Yue, tell me—who made you angry? I’ll settle it for you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s Kanae-chan~ No, it’s just that my master still hasn’t come back… I’m a little sad…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Saying this, Xiao Yue puffed out her cheeks in a huff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hehe~ Alright, alright, Xiao Yue—Zero’s just on a mission; he’ll be back soon. Don’t be upset, okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kanae-chan… do you… like my master? You’re defending him so much!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Butterfly Kanae’s cheeks flushed involuntarily; she stammered in panic: “N-no… it’s not like that… Xiao Yue… you… you… don’t say such things!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she spoke, Butterfly Kanae grew flustered, avoiding Xiao Yue’s gaze, quickly turning her face away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Xiao Yue’s tone turned teasing: “Ohhh~ So that’s how it is~ Hehe~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I-I have something to do—I’m leaving now…” Butterfly Kanae gently placed Xiao Yue on the cushion, covered her face, and fled in embarrassment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pfft—just say it if you like him! Why hide it? Only that big wooden stick of a master wouldn’t understand!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, her gaze drifted again to the door: “Hmph! Stupid master—if you don’t come back soon, I’ll tell Kanae-chan every embarrassing thing you’ve ever done!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zero, on his way back, suddenly sneezed for no reason, feeling a chill run down his spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Achoo! Weird… who’s talking about me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After pondering it, he found no answer, so he simply kept walking…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the blink of an eye, another half-month passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the night sky, Zero was slowly chasing a demon that was fleeing ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demon was exhausting itself to escape, glancing back repeatedly—seeing the demon hunter still pursuing, it forced itself to summon every last ounce of strength and keep running.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason, of course, was that the demon had been about to attack two children on their way home—until Zero spotted it, scaring it into flight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, the fleeing demon stopped—it had reached a cliff, leaving no path forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Little demon, you sure can run, huh? Hehe…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demon turned around and saw those crimson eyes glowing with eerie red light, slowly approaching—its entire body trembled uncontrollably at the sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zero stopped three or four meters from the demon, drew the [Dark Alloy Paralysis Gun] strapped to his thigh, and aimed it at the demon: “Two choices: die by my hand… or…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could finish, the demon spun and leapt off the cliff, shattering into pieces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zero’s lips twitched slightly. He thought: Am I really that terrifying?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be safe, Zero activated his [Light Energy Flyer], mounted it on his back, and flew down the cliff to check the scene—just in case the demon revived and continued harming others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the demon’s dead, good. If not, I’ll give it a few more shots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>",2177,"2026-06-20T21:22:22.338Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","1692120fffa3b777ad3ce831e1f64c52f1e6a96a4c80c72740df2abaa63187c3","this-pillar-in-demon-slayer-is-extremely-strong--chapter-17","this-pillar-in-demon-slayer-is-extremely-strong--chapter-15",128,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthis-pillar-in-demon-slayer-is-extremely-strong--cover.jpg"]