Tengen couldn't help but recall many legends—stories where gods descended to the mortal world.
And so, staring at Ryuji, he asked reflexively:
"Ryuji… are you perhaps… Kagutsuchi-no-Kami?"
Kagutsuchi-no-Kami—the Japanese god of fire who burned Izanami his mother the moment he was born. Of course, in some ninja tales, this was merely a fire-based ocular jutsu. Ryuji didn't know too much about that.
"How could I be a god?"
Ryuji shot that idea down immediately, almost amused.
If anyone said he was a god, it would be far too exaggerated. He was simply someone who got lucky.
If it hadn't been for Dragonfire, he would've been wiped out just like Tengen.
Just thinking about that reminded Ryuji of the hellish experience given to him by the Alexstrasza....
No matter how hard he tried to endure, he couldn't last more than a few dozen seconds under her assault.
And worst of all—she would smile with a motherly expression while "comforting" him with humiliating words:
"It's good even if it's small.",
"At least you're… delicate."
"You're doing your best."
"It's not your fault you only lasted seconds—mommy just made you feel too good…"
Sure, the process was physically satisfying, but spiritually it was torment. It utterly crushed his confidence.
That was when he made a vow:
One day—he would get revenge on the Red Dragon Queen (Alexstrasza).
Until then, he couldn't call himself a man.
As that thought took hold, the excitement of having defeated a powerful enemy faded. It was replaced by a deep, somber weight in his heart.
"I just had some… unique experiences. And got special abilities because of them.But in return, I also lost many things. If I could choose… I'd rather not remember how I obtained this power."
Ryuji meant every word.
Sure, his powers had saved him countless times. He had become something truly extraordinary. In the world of Demon Slayer, he now stood above nearly everyone.
But even so—If given the chance, he would prefer never to recall the price he paid.
"You must have… quite a tragic past."
Tengen couldn't help but sigh.
Ryuji was clearly a man of many stories. At that moment, even his posture seemed nobler, more dazzlingly handsome.
"Alright, let's get Rengoku back. It looks like this area's safe now."
Ryuji pointed to the unconscious Rengoku on the ground.
Perhaps because Tengen had at least shouted during the battle—technically helping a bit—his recovery had been faster than Rengoku's.
Tengen was pale, but he could still move. Rengoku, on the other hand, was clinging to life.
But as they approached, they saw something that made them both silent.
Even in his unconscious state, Rengoku's lips were still trembling.
As a trained ninja, Tengen could read lips. And what he saw chilled him:
"He's saying… 'Run… you must run…'"
Tengen's eyes turned toward the place where the other Demon Slayer Corps members once stood. When he had awakened earlier, they were all gone. There was nothing left but flames.
Their fates were obvious.
Tears streamed from the corners of Rengoku's eyes. His fists clenched tightly in pain and grief.
Ryuji let out a soft sigh.
Just yesterday, those people were still alive. And now…
Now only Rengoku remained.
He didn't know what Rengoku had been through. But it must've been so devastating, so soul-crushing, that even now he wept for it.
"At least… they no longer have to fear hurting the ones they wanted to protect."
Ryuji's voice was low.
Tengen nodded solemnly.
"They'd be happy to hear that."
Using whatever materials they had, they constructed a simple stretcher. Mostly using Ryuji's katanas and Tengen's haori.
Together, they lifted Rengoku and began the walk back.
Interestingly, the flames Ryuji had unleashed had died down just in time—Even forming a path for them to follow.
All the strange animals, plants, and insects along the way had been reduced to ash. It was as if something had intentionally cleared the way for their retreat.
Even after leaving the scorched area, they saw nothing strange or unnatural—No bizarre beasts, no twisted flora, which made both of them feel relieved.
As they traveled, they encountered reinforcements from the Demon Slayer Corps.Everyone was relieved to see that the Hashiras had survived.
With their help, Ryuji no longer needed to carry the stretcher— And a horse was offered for him to ride.
The return journey went smoothly—almost too smoothly.
The oppressive air that once choked the region was completely gone.
In fact, the land felt cleaner—more energized.
Ryuji even felt like his talent had somehow improved just by being here. Of course, the "genius" state he had been in earlier… was no longer active.
It had vanished as suddenly as it came.
One moment, he was recalling every childhood memory, every forgotten formula—And the next, it was just gone.
But even so, it had given him enough time to fully grasp everything he'd once learned.
Maybe not perfect mastery, but close enough.
"So that's what Thunderflame is…Huh. It's… kinda different from what Azula described."
Yes—thanks to that burst of clarity, he had not only remembered every math problem and classic poem…He had also mastered Thunderflame, and a few of Water Bending techniques.
Most of the Water Bending stuff was healing spells and moisture control. Only Hydrotherapy stood out as truly useful.
As for ice techniques, it was really just an extension of controlling water—refining the techniques to manipulate ice more precisely. Strictly speaking, it couldn't even be considered true ice manipulation; it was still fundamentally part of water magic.
Electric sparks danced continuously at Ryuji's fingertips. Watching them crackle, he felt a strange mix of curiosity and unease.
Azula had left behind a scroll of secret techniques for him. The methods it described were sound—the principles were correct. But…
The parts that spoke of channeling lightning through greed, rage, and a wild, uncontrollable will?
Back when he had entered that temporary genius state, he realized something stark:
That was complete nonsense.
Infusing those emotions—greed, rage, and violent will—into lightning and fire did greatly amplify their power. But it also made them uncontrollable.
If it was just about destruction, fine. But in a real fight, it left you wide open.
Sure, the destructive power was incredible. But the openings were even bigger.
It might work for bullying weaklings, but against someone who is also proficient lightning as he is-
You'd die a terrible death.
Because when you cast lightning with hatred and fury, you couldn't control it!
Sure, those emotions would boost your power—but they'd inevitably weaken your control. That was unavoidable. And under such conditions, if your opponent could use lightning manipulation, they could redirect your attack right back at you. With lightning's speed, Azula wouldn't even have time to react before her own bolt cooked her alive.
That's also why Ryuji had learned Water Manipulation.
Water techniques were all about guidance—and with his logical, structured way of thinking, it wasn't hard for him to grasp that principle.
But something so basic, Azula had completely ignored… and even handed him such a flawed technique with full confidence. How could he not be suspicious?
"Did she mess up the training herself?
Or am I just too good?
Or… is she still trying to screw me over on purpose? But this is not right..."
Ryuji mulled over Azula's past behavior. Sure, she was nuts—but she also genuinely pursued power and influence. She didn't really have a reason to sabotage him. But given her mental state, he couldn't be 100% sure either.
"Next time I visit Toph, I'll bring her along to go settle things with Azula."
Shaking off the complicated thoughts, he turned his gaze back to the road ahead.
And then he saw her—Shinobu, standing by the city gates.
She wore a soft, contented smile, watching him like she'd been waiting forever. Beside her stood a pouting Mai, clearly in a bad mood.
Ryuji didn't even need to guess why. He knew full well: Mai was frustrated because she hadn't gotten a chance to fight.
So naturally, he ignored her and smiled, raising his hand in a cheerful wave toward Shinobu.
But then—
"So this is the Ryuji you mentioned, Shinobu? He really looks handsome!"
A busty pink-haired girl suddenly rushed out from behind Shinobu and wrapped her arms around her smaller frame. Ryuji's eyes were immediately drawn to her extremely big assets, while Shinobu's expression darkened in an instant.
Yes—Shinobu had been planning to introduce Ryuji to a few potential candidates for his "harem."
But… this girl wasn't supposed to be one of them.
Why?
Because this girl was also a member of the Demon Slayer Corps—just like Shinobu herself.And none of them knew when they'd die.
Second: Obanai Iguro had quietly admired this girl for a long time. Neither of them had really figured out their feelings yet—Obanai especially couldn't explain why he always watched her from afar.
He was just… that kind of shy guy.
But Ryuji?
Oh, Ryuji was not that kind of guy.
"Oh? Shinobu? Is this your friend? She's absolutely adorable—and very beautiful too."
Before Shinobu could even react, Ryuji had suddenly appeared by her side. He reached out and took her hand gently, his expression filled with warmth and concern.
The busty pink-haired girl lit up with pure joy.
"Really?! You really think I'm pretty and cute?!"
Mitsuri Kanroji (Image Here)
Her face shone with delight.
Mai gave Ryuji a look that screamed "You damn perv," while Shinobu watched the girl's joyous reaction—and internally screamed:
Run, Mitsuri!!
Run for your life!
HE'LL GET YOU PREGNANT!!
~~~~~~~~~~
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