Chapter 8: The Shrinking Device. Zero

Snake Breathing. Second Form. Narrow Head Poison Fangs!

Ie Muzan instantly circled behind Zero, thrusting his snake-shaped double-edged blade straight at Zero’s back.

Seeing this, Zero immediately drew the Second Style from his sheath, held it behind him with the blade downward to block the attack, then swiftly spun around and swung the First Style in a counterstrike.

Ie Muzan quickly stepped back to evade the move; due to Zero’s speed, the collar of his robe was sliced open.

Seeing this, Ie Muzan remained calm, lunged forward again with his cunning angle, feinting a direct strike at Zero’s body.

But the apparent body attack was merely a deception—he used his snake-shaped blade to strike Zero’s wrist from another angle, aiming to disarm him and gain a superior position.

Zero saw through it all—after centuries of combat, he knew exactly what Ie Muzan intended, so he deliberately left an opening, pretending to be struck and dropping his weapon just as the blade neared his wrist.

Seeing this, Ie Muzan refused to miss the opportunity and continued swinging his snake blade in attack.

But reality differed from Ie Muzan’s expectations: as the weapon neared the ground, Zero blocked the snake blade with the First Style using his mechanical left hand, then spun with a single-handed kick aimed at Ie Muzan while catching the Second Style with his other hand.

Only then did Ie Muzan realize he’d been tricked—he instantly raised his snake blade to block, and Zero’s half-metallic boot collided with it with a sharp clang.

The force of the kick forced Ie Muzan to retreat a small distance backward.

Zero immediately rose and charged forward, swinging both the First and Second Styles in rapid succession toward Ie Muzan.

Snake Breathing. First Form. Serpentine Twist!

As Zero’s attack neared, Ie Muzan spun counterclockwise and slashed, releasing a curved strike meant to push Zero back.

But Zero raised the First Style vertically on his mechanical left arm to block it, while his right hand swung the Second Style downward in a diagonal cut—though since this was a sparring match, he used the blade’s back to win without injuring his opponent.

Snake Breathing. Third Form. Coiling Nest!

Seeing his attack blocked, Ie Muzan shifted from defense to offense and lunged straight at Zero.

After lunging, he swept his blade in serpentine arcs around Zero, creating multiple overlapping cutting trajectories like a coiling giant serpent, as if ready to crush Zero at its center.

As Zero felt himself surrounded by the giant serpent’s coils, he leapt upward.

As he descended, his mechanical left arm held the First Style horizontally before him, while his right hand gripped the Second Style’s hilt horizontally to his right.

Using his flexibility, he twisted his body in a spin, breaking free from the serpent’s constricting attack.

Ie Muzan prepared to charge again, only to find Zero had vanished from his sight.

“You’ve lost.”

Zero had appeared behind Ie Muzan without warning, the flat of the Second Style resting on his shoulder.

Ie Muzan didn’t understand how Zero had gotten behind him, but he had lost—he said nothing, merely sheathed his snake blade and returned to his group.

Zero also returned the First and Second Styles to their sheaths and turned to face the others, saying nothing.

Ubuyashiki Kyojuro, who had observed everything, spoke: “Can we now recognize Zero as a Pillar?”

“Amitabha, I accept him!”

“Mm, I have no objections!”

“Ara, I’ve always believed Zero could do it!”

“How splendid! Since you all accept him splendidly, then I accept him splendidly too!”

“I leave all decisions to the Lord!”

“I don’t care!”

“Tch, since the Lord has spoken, I have nothing more to say!”

Tomioka Giyu, though silent, nodded in agreement.

“In that case, Zero, what do you think?” Ubuyashiki Kyojuro asked, turning to Zero.

“I’m fine with anything.”

“Then, Zero, have you chosen your title?”

“Then use my name—Code: Zero, Zero Pillar.”

“Very well. Henceforth, Zero is the ninth Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps—the Zero Pillar! Now, let us prepare for the Pillar Meeting.”

“Zero, you don’t need to attend this Pillar Meeting—rest well. Afterward, Kanae will take you to Butterfly House for temporary lodging; I’ve already arranged your quarters with the other children.”

Zero: “Thank you!”

……

Ubuyashiki Kyojuro and the other eight Pillars entered the inner chamber to hold the Pillar Meeting, while Kozue was taken away by Mitsuri Kanroji, who clearly adored her.

She couldn’t resist teasing her, constantly pouting and begging Zero to let her play with Kozue; reluctantly, Zero agreed.

Zero himself rested alone in the courtyard cottage, reviewing his nanospace to see what other useful items he had.

“What’s this?” Zero pulled out a disc-like object and examined it with his analysis glasses.

[Miniaturizer]

[Function: Can shrink most objects—even people—down to a fraction of their size. The shrunken item or person will return to normal after ten hours.]

[Note: This item was crafted by Zero himself!]

“Huh… When did I even make this thing? I don’t remember…”

He looked left and right, utterly unable to recall creating it, so he pressed a button on the disc’s surface.

Shhh!

A flash of light passed—but nothing happened.

“What? Looks like another failed invention… Wait—why does my voice sound like this?!”

Zero realized his voice had become high-pitched and childlike.

“...Never mind, I’ll put it away.” Zero returned the miniaturizer to his nanospace, stood up to stretch—and tripped over the tatami mat.

“Ow! Ouch! What the—?!”

He looked down and saw his clothes now seemed oversized—no, his body had shrunk.

“Aaaahhhhh!!!”

Zero regretted testing the [Miniaturizer]—the flash had shrunk him, but why hadn’t his clothes shrunk too?

“Lord Zero, what… happened…?”

Ubuyashiki Amane, hearing Zero’s cry from the adjacent room, rushed over—only to find a child under one meter tall sitting on the tatami.

She had been instructed by Ubuyashiki Kyojuro to wait nearby in case Zero needed assistance.

She never expected to see this.

“Whose child is this?” Amane wondered, yet approached anyway.

“He looks exactly like Lord Zero…”

“I am Zero!”

Amane: (●_●)

Amane’s eyes widened—Zero’s childlike voice sounded utterly unbelievable. She couldn’t fathom why he’d shrunk.

Still, as a mother, she couldn’t help but reach out and gently stroke his head.

“Lady Amane, you’re not seriously treating me like a child, are you?”

“Sorry!” she said—but didn’t stop stroking.

Zero felt relieved Kozue wasn’t here—otherwise, she’d have mocked him for centuries.

“Mother, what’s going on?”

Ubuyashiki Hina and Ubuyashiki Nika, hearing the noise from another room, rushed over—only to see their mother gently caressing a white-haired child.

The two sisters leaned in, eyes sparkling, and asked: “Mother, when did you and Father have another little sister?”

Zero felt these three women were different from how he’d seen them before—but he couldn’t quite say how.

Perhaps it was because children only reveal their true selves when alone with their parents.

“He’s Lord Zero—but we don’t know why he’s like this.”

The sisters reacted exactly as Amane had—wide-eyed, utterly baffled, mirroring her expression perfectly.

“Ugh, never mind—can you keep this secret? I’ll return to normal by tonight!”

“Yes, Lord Zero.” x3

Zero sighed—he’d lived for millennia, yet this was his first truly embarrassing moment in this “Demon Slayer World.”

He felt he’d used up all his lifetime’s worth of embarrassment—if Lorelei or his comrades from the timeline found out, he’d rather stay asleep forever.

He tried to stand up—then tripped again.

“Lord Zero, be careful!” Amane rushed to catch him; perhaps due to her experience raising five children, she instinctively picked him up and held him close.

In that moment, Zero felt warmth—he hadn’t experienced such tenderness in ages.

“So warm… Is this maternal love?… No! I’m not a child! I’m an adult! I could be their great-great-great-grandfather!”

He immediately wriggled free, turning his face away, cheeks flushed red, unable to meet her gaze.

“Lord Zero, please stay in this room and don’t wander off!”

Zero: “...”

“I’m not a child! Why does everyone keep treating me like one?!” Zero mentally groaned.

His appearance made it impossible to believe he was a millennia-old human—even if he said so, no one would believe him.

“How long will the Pillar Meeting last?”

“It’ll likely continue until evening.”

“Phew—good. That’s enough time—I’ll return to normal by then!”

Thus, Zero stayed put in the room, while Amane and her two daughters sat with him—simply because they feared he’d wander off.

During this time, Amane and her daughters took turns watching over Zero and went to eat; they’d prepared a meal for him, but he declined, saying he wasn’t hungry.

Zero: (?_?) These little brats really think I’m a child…

……

Inside the Ubuyashiki residence, the Pillar Meeting.

“My lord, you said there were two matters concerning Zero. What’s the other one?” Shinobu Kocho asked.

“The second matter concerning Zero is tied to my curse—he lifted it for me.”

“What?! He actually managed to do that?!”

Shinobu Kocho cried out in shock. If anyone else had said this, he wouldn’t have believed it—but this came from the lord himself.

Moreover, the disfigured areas on his body caused by the curse had already receded significantly, so he had no choice but to accept it.

“Though the process has been slow, he told me that if I just hold on for two more months, the curse will be fully lifted. Then, I’ll be able to do even more for the Demon Slayer Corps’ children.”

“Amitabha, I never imagined he could accomplish such a thing—I fully accept him now! And I wish my lord a swift recovery!”

Ubuyashiki Kyojuro: “Thank you, Gyomei.”

“Mm, excellent! Thank you, Zero! Hahaha!”

“What a splendid fellow! Hahaha! Though compared to my own splendor, he still falls a little short!”

The others all nodded in agreement.

……

Night.

Zero watched as time slipped away—over eight hours had passed.

“Just over an hour left until I return to my normal size! I wish the Pillar Meeting would last longer—if those little girls saw me like this, they’d probably laugh at me… maybe…” Zero thought.

But as if fate mocked him, soon the door opened and Kanao Tsuyuri’s voice called out: “Lady Tsumu, I’ve come to take Zero to the Butterfly House. May I ask where he…?”

Kanao Tsuyuri opened the door and saw Lady Ubuyashiki Tsumu seated nearby, along with a white-haired child.

“Oh my, Lady Tsumu, who is this?”

“This is Lord Zero. I don’t know why he’s become like this.”

Kanao Tsuyuri stepped forward, examined him closely, and confirmed it was indeed Zero—those red eyes, white hair, mechanical left arm, and aura were unmistakably his.

“Oh my, so adorable!” Kanao Tsuyuri’s eyes sparkled as she scooped Zero up and rubbed her face against his repeatedly.

“Hey hey hey, calm down! Calm down, Kanao! I’m not a child, you know!” Zero struggled, but his body was shrunken, his strength diminished—he couldn’t move a muscle.

“So adorable! Lady Tsumu, then I’ll take Zero to the Butterfly House to rest.”

“Yes, Flower Pillar!”

“Little Zero-kun, come home with big sister!” Kanao Tsuyuri carried Zero out of the Ubuyashiki courtyard cottage toward the Butterfly House.

“Hey hey hey, I’m not a child! And what’s with ‘Little Zero-kun’?! I’m male, not female, and definitely not a kid!”

After futile struggles, the shrunken Zero was carried straight back to the Butterfly House.

“Little Zero-kun? Little Zero-kun? Cute little one, bring him home? Fluttering butterflies dance and fly?”

Zero: …

Arrived at the Butterfly House.

Shinobu saw her sister return and stepped out to greet her—only to see Kanao Tsuyuri holding a child.

Instantly, Shinobu’s eyes widened in panic. Seeing no one around, she pulled Kanao Tsuyuri inside and shut the door.

“Oh my, little sister, what’s wrong?”

“Sister, when did you have a child? Why didn’t I know? If the Demon Slayer Corps finds out, what will they think? And why does this child look so familiar?”

Shinobu stared at the shrunken Zero, growing more and more certain. “Sister, this isn’t your child with Zero, is it?! When did you even meet him and have a child?! No no, we only met Zero recently—did you know him long before? Why didn’t you tell me?!”

Shinobu had so many questions, and her words grew increasingly absurd, leaving Kanao Tsuyuri with a pounding head.

“Little sister, listen to me—this isn’t my child with Zero. No, no, it’s not Zero’s child at all… Ugh, just calm down and let me explain properly!”

Kanao Tsuyuri, equally flustered, first calmed Shinobu down, then reorganized her thoughts to explain clearly.

After a while, Shinobu calmed—but her eyes never left Kanao Tsuyuri.

“Little sister, this child is Zero. He somehow shrunk himself, that’s why he looks like this.”

“Shrunk?” Shinobu stared at Zero, still cradled in Kanao Tsuyuri’s arms, her eyes filled with disbelief.

“What are you staring at? Never seen a boy before?!”

“Pfft~ Hahaha! Zero, I never thought you’d end up like this! Hahaha!” Shinobu doubled over laughing, tears streaming from her eyes.

She reached out and pinched Zero’s cheeks. “Come on, let big sister take a good look!”

“I’m not a child! Your combined ages are less than one-thousandth of mine!”

Neither Kanao Tsuyuri nor Shinobu believed Zero’s age claim. They kept teasing him, even applying makeup to his face.

“Hmph, you two sisters wait. Less than an hour left—I’ll show you what happens when I return to normal! Especially you, Shinobu!”

“Oh? I’m eagerly awaiting how you’ll punish me, Liiiiittle Zero-kun~”

Zero: (ー`′ー)

As the sisters laughed and chattered, another woman’s voice called from the doorway: “Kanao-chan, Shinobu-chan, I’ve come to find you~”

Opening the door, she saw the sisters fussing over a white-haired child. “Wow! Whose child is this? So cute! Let big sister hold him!”

She rushed forward and snatched Zero into her arms. “So adorable! So adorable!”

“Let go of me! I can’t breathe!” Zero struggled, crushed against Muzan’s chest.

Xiao Yue, hovering midair, sensed something familiar about the child. She looked closer—and recognized him.

“Huh? Xiao Yue-chan, is this your brother Zero?” Muzan asked.

“Yes, Master… I know his scent better than anyone!”

Zero stared lifelessly at the four women in the room, feeling he had lost all dignity in a thousand years.

Zero: Fine. Wait until I return to normal—I’ll teach you all a lesson!

Thus, Zero was dressed and redressed by the three women—first as a cute little boy, then as a little girl—while Xiao Yue stood aside, grinning like a doting aunt.

“Hehe, is Master’s spring finally arriving? Hehe~” Xiao Yue thought.

……