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[ 30+ Advance chapter in Patreon]
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Late at night…
"Hurry! Come on, faster!"
I was running through the forest. Rocks and roots made it tricky, but narrow paths allowed me to move freely.
Two figures were behind me, one clearly struggling. The stronger one supported him while keeping pace.
"Hey, slow down, you bastard!"
Of course, it was Shinazugawa Sanemi and his younger brother, Genya. Why were they chasing me?
It all started a month ago. That day, after waking up, they asked me what the Demon Slayer Corps and demons were. I told them the truth—demons were humans who had transformed, though why they changed… I didn't know.
I explained about the Corps too. They hunt demons using special breathing techniques to enhance their strength, and their weapon—the Nichirin Blade—is the only thing capable of killing a demon. Normal weapons barely scratch them because demons heal too quickly.
I told them the weak spot: the neck. A clean cut with a Nichirin Blade destroys a demon completely. Just cutting anywhere else won't work, because the blade suppresses regeneration for only a short time. That's the only chance to finish a demon off.
Some demons—Upper Ranks—break the rules entirely. (You can read about them in the manga.)
I also explained the other way to kill demons: sunlight. Simple, effective—just survive until dawn if you can. Most can't.
After all this, they spent half a day thinking… and then asked me to teach them breathing.
Me? A ghost, the progenitor of demons? I know nothing of human breathing techniques! Chicken-feather breathing isn't going to help anyone kill demons. But I couldn't admit ignorance—so I taught them exercises. Not breathing techniques, just physical training.
…And here we are.
"Oh? Getting excited again?"
I teased them, grinning. "Who asked me to train you, huh? Who asked me, huh~?"
A roar of frustration echoed behind me through the forest.
Finally, I reached the finish line and waited. Ten kilometers later, they were still running, almost out of breath.
"Ugh… you… bastard… cough… bastard!" Sanemi spat out, full of hatred. Genya echoed him.
I handed them water from bottles hidden in their robes. "Drink. Slow your breathing. You never know if a demon will appear in these woods."
Sanemi drank, spat it out, and coughed violently. "Ahem! What did you put in this? It's so salty!"
I shook my bottle, smiling. "It's electrolyte water. You've been running so hard your sodium and potassium are all out of balance. Drink plain water now, and you'll cramp—or worse, collapse. Consider this a gift."
Sanemi narrowed his eyes, muttering but finally drank. Genya followed suit quietly.
I spread my hands. "You wouldn't understand. You're the reckless type—act first, think never. One day, that energy might turn you into legends."
Sanemi opened his mouth to retort but found nothing to say.
He flopped onto a rock, arms and legs spread, gulping the water from the bottle. Genya sat calmly, drinking slowly and keeping watch.
Watching them, I sighed. If these two have the same fire in battle, they'll need a few real fights to learn fear. Not this gentle training…
"Why train at night? Wouldn't daytime be better?" Sanemi asked quietly, still with his usual arrogance.
I smirked. "Demons are active at night. You'll be Demon Slayers soon—you must adapt to their schedule. Train at night, rest by day."
Sanemi didn't argue. He lay on a rock to recover; Genya spread out nearby.
But rest wasn't over. Push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups… repeat. No end in sight. This continued for nearly two months.
Later, at dinner…
"Hey, Muzan! Why aren't you eating?" Sanemi demanded, glaring at me. Genya quietly chewed watermelon but kept an eye on me too.
I slumped in the rocking chair. "I… don't feel like it. You eat first."
Sanemi groaned. "You think you're some kind of god or immortal? If you don't eat, you'll die eventually."
He pulled me to the table anyway. I reluctantly tried a piece of meat. Tasted like hard tree bark. Ugh. I set it down, rolled back in the chair, and sighed dramatically.
Shocked, Sanemi's expression turned from disbelief to contempt.
"How old are you? Acting like a child?"
"Body doesn't age, heart doesn't age. You wouldn't understand," I said, lying back.
"Eat fast. Training's next," I added, ignoring their glares.
Sanemi seethed but sat down, picking at an autumn cake. Genya followed obediently.
Where are the Demon Slayer Corps? Their crows are useless. I've stirred up too many demons here… if they don't arrive soon, I won't have time for Kanae Kocho's plan.
Just then, faint footsteps and rustling sounds reached me.
Speak of the devil… let's hope it's not a Hashira.
I guessed the Demon Slayer Corps would arrive any moment, and I already had a plan to escape.
I glanced at the two brothers, Fushigawa Sanemi and Fushigawa Genya, still eating.
How do I even explain this to them?
Sanemi noticed my gaze. He stopped chewing, turned to me, and snapped impatiently.
"What? You're staring? Hurry up, no time to waste!"
If this had been the first time I met him, I probably would have slapped him twice for that attitude. But after a month together, I knew him better. Sharp tongue, yes—but a soft heart underneath. He cared, even if he didn't always show it.
I held my chin, adopting a serious tone.
"I'm asking… if I become a demon, what would you do?"
The question stunned them. After a moment, Sanemi answered first, then Genya:
"Of course I'd kill you!"
"Catch him and take him to the Demon Slayer Corps."
I couldn't hide my disappointment.
"Ever thought of just letting me go?"
"How… possible?!"
Before Sanemi could finish, a figure lunged at me.
"Dance of the Bee Fangs—True Form!"
She moved incredibly fast, but I sidestepped and leaped five meters away. My head had narrowly avoided her attack—and the poison hidden in her blade.
I steadied myself and looked up. Moonlight streamed through the broken roof, revealing her face clearly.
Why does she look so much like Kocho Kanae?
Black hair, purple tips, sharp purple eyes, a mint-and-purple butterfly hairpin. Standard Demon Slayer uniform. But the buttons weren't gold. Not a Pillar.
"How… do you know my sister's name?" I murmured.
The girl leveled her blade at my forehead, her expression cold. A four-leaf guard, mint-green handle, white scabbard, a thin blade with a barb.
With a sword like that… she must be Shinobu Kocho. Her personality is… different from what I expected.
The sudden attack froze the two brothers still at the table. Sanemi instinctively stepped in front of Genya to protect him.
More Demon Slayers poured in—five or six more—all drawing their swords.
Sanemi looked at the girl younger than him. "Why is she attacking you?"
Shinobu frowned at the brothers. "Is it… human?"
I tilted my head at her confusion, then turned to Sanemi calmly.
"If I were a demon… would you kill me?"
Sanemi froze, shock flashing across his face. Confusion quickly turned to anger. He grabbed my sleeve, voice trembling:
"You… you're a demon?!"
Shinobu shouted sharply. "Step away! He's a demon!"
She raised her sword again, but Sanemi's presence beside me stopped her.
Tears welled up in Sanemi's eyes. "You… you liar! Why did you hide this from me?!"
I felt a pang in my chest. I leaned down, gently wiping his tears. My own voice sounded strange even to me.
"I never said I was human… and I never said I wasn't a demon."
Genya, standing beside him, had tears in his eyes too.
Seeing them like this filled me with guilt. I had imagined this scene, but living it was harder than I expected.
I hardened myself, freed my sleeve, and lightly pushed them aside.
Shinobu's voice rang out again. "You… didn't eat anyone?"
Before I could answer, Sanemi punched me in the face.
"You… liar!"
It didn't hurt—not physically—but the guilt cut deeper than any blow.
If I had handed them over to the Corps earlier, none of this would have happened.
I didn't answer. I stepped back, tossing a purple-patterned bag at Sanemi—it contained ten taels of gold.
"This… is for you."
He clutched it tightly, tears still in his eyes.
Shinobu attempted to strike again. I blocked with my Sun Wheel Sword, deflected her blade, and twisted behind her. Holding my fiery red blade against her throat, I spoke coldly:
"I'm in a bad mood. Try anything again, and I won't hesitate to kill you."
Shinobu froze, clearly intimidated. She had wanted to strike with the hidden blade in her shoe, but she no longer moved.
I turned to the brothers, still crying, and softened my voice.
"We'll see each other again… when there's a chance."
I contacted Mingnu, giving my location and requesting a teleport back to Infinite City.
As I left, I added lightly, "Miss Kocho, remember to pay for the roof damage~"
Shinobu paused. How does he know my name… and my sister's?
According to Sanemi, after we were gone, Shinobu took the brothers to the Corps headquarters. He clutched the purple-patterned bag, staring at the autumn pancakes delivered daily. He locked himself in his room for nearly a week, occasionally letting out quiet roars.