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Chapter 10 - "A Demon's Arrival"

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"Uwoooohhh!"

"He won! The charcoal seller won again!"

"Another big victory for our demon-hunting heroes!"

"At this rate, even taking down the Demon King next time doesn't feel like a dream!"

"Tanjiro, or even that crazy boar guy—their swordsmanship is just too strong, too stylish!"

"Don't forget the loudmouth kid with Thunder Breathing! He looks unreliable most of the time, but once he's asleep he's like a whole different person!"

"The strongest, though, still has to be that bold Flame Hashira. He didn't even fight much, but you can tell how powerful he really is."

"Tanjiro's kindness is unreal. Even to someone who stabbed him, he holds no grudge at all!"

"Yeah. He's merciless against man-eating demons, but toward people… it's like his heart has no limits. He's basically a saint."

Across countless worlds, cheers and heated discussions erupted.

Fate World

"Wow! Tanjiro is so cool! Heroes are so cool!"

A red-haired boy shouted with excitement.

"Hey, Kiritsugu! When I grow up, I'm gonna be like Tanjiro. Like you. I want to become a hero of justice!"

Emiya Shirou's voice was firm.

"Hero of justice, huh…"

Emiya Kiritsugu let out a bitter laugh. His eyes were empty, completely devoid of light.

"That path… is covered in thorns. Even if you grit your teeth and keep walking, all that's waiting at the end is emptiness and despair."

A Certain Magical Index WorldGeneral Hospital

"Tanjiro-kun is sooo kind! So handsome~!"

The spiky-haired Last Order's eyes sparkled with admiration.

"Tch."

On the hospital bed, a white-haired boy scoffed.

"That disgusting fake kindness makes me sick. On a battlefield that's basically hell, and he still acts that naïve? That kind of softheartedness is gonna get him killed one day."

Accelerator's face twisted with annoyance.

Ever since he'd met a certain spiky-haired boy, he hated these kinds of self-sacrificing protagonists more than anything.

Inuyasha World

"Lord Sesshomaru! Tanjiro's such a good kid. If we ever run into him, let's help them, okay?"

The little girl, Rin, spoke with innocent cheer.

"Pointless. Why would I bother helping humans?"

The elegant demon lord with silver hair down to his waist didn't even flinch.

"Eh? But why not?"

Saekano World

"Whew, they really pulled through again! This is classic shounen manga stuff!"

A middle school boy said with shining eyes.

"Hehh, so even you're into this kind of thing, Aki-kun?"

Utaha Kasumigaoka, the beautiful upperclassman with long black hair, crossed her arms and legs, her black tights drawing all the attention in the room.

"I've read a bit here and there. The story follows Tanjiro like he's the protagonist—he faces danger, struggles, but always manages to overcome it in the end."

Aki Tomoya explained seriously.

"But… as far as shounen endings go, don't you think this one feels… a little unsatisfying?"

Eriri, the blonde ojou-sama, raised a brow.

"Exactly! I was thinking the same thing."

Eromanga-sensei World

Three light novel authors were gathered together.

"If it ends like this, then Rengoku's appearance feels kind of wasted."

Izumi Masamune analyzed.

"I agree. As one of the Nine Hashira, the Flame Hashira Rengoku should've had a bigger role. His first appearance was way too underwhelming."

Yamada Elf added.

"If it were up to me, Rengoku should've been the main force in this battle."

Muramasa Senju nodded firmly.

"But… that's not a novel. That's a real world, one where demons actually exist."

A quiet voice came through the mic.

"Pfft—haha, true. Sagiri's right. Real life isn't a story. Hunting demons is like dancing on the edge of a blade. Sending a Hashira along just as insurance makes perfect sense."

Masamune agreed.

"At the very least, Tanjiro and the others grew stronger in this fight. And that's what really…"

His words cut off.

"It's here!!"

"The real crisis has appeared!!"

Demon Slayer WorldDemon Slayer Corps Headquarters

"Uwooooohhh!"

"Hurrah! Hurrah!"

"We did it! We won!"

The trio—Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu—cheered and hugged each other in excitement.

"You were amazing, Tanjiro!"

The Love Hashira, Mitsuri Kanroji, praised him without holding back.

"Honestly, though… what were you doing, Rengoku? That wasn't flashy at all."

Uzui Tengen gave the Flame Hashira a strange look.

At first, when they saw Rengoku board the Mugen Train, everyone thought it would be his stage to shine.

But in the end…

His performance left much to be desired.

He got caught in the enemy's tricks, needed his juniors to bail him out, and barely contributed by the time it was all over.

"I've got no excuse. I'm a Hashira, yet I still had to rely on the kids. If there was a crack in the ground right now, I'd gladly crawl in."

Rengoku admitted openly, laughing at himself.

"Don't be so harsh on yourself, Rengoku. You did plenty. Over two hundred passengers made it through without a single casualty—that was thanks to you."

Kagaya Ubuyashiki encouraged him gently.

"Lord—"

"No!"

The Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa, suddenly shouted, shattering the cheerful mood.

"It's not over! The battle on the Mugen Train isn't over yet!"

Uzui's eyes widened.

"That's… an Upper Moon!!"

"Upper Rank… Three!!"

"An Upper Moon demon has appeared!!"

Shhhh—

Not just the Demon Slayer Corps, but the cheers of countless worlds froze all at once.

"..."

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