Chapter 21: Dead Calm
The release date was gradually approaching.
Even with sales picking up, Izumi Chihiro still had no intention of holding a signing event.
People would definitely show up, but such an occasion would be too troublesome; if anyone at school found out and spread the word, it would be even more of a headache.
He still preferred his current quiet life.
On the day of the official release.
Readers who had been eagerly anticipating it were already waiting at their local light novel bookstores for the new release.
As soon as the owner put the works on display, they eagerly purchased them.
"Boss, I want the second volume of demon slayer!"
"Oh, Hirota, so you also… "
"I didn't expect to meet you here. It seems we're kindred spirits. I wish I had known sooner."
"It's fine, it's not too late… Ah, I've finally met someone like me! In class, I could never find anyone to chat with, so I could only discuss it with people in groups online."
"You have a group? Add me!"
In the bookstore, a chance encounter gave two classmates, who had barely spoken before, a common topic.
A beloved work and a book friend to chat with—two joys combined…
"Therefore, I, the Flame Pillar, have arrived!"
The cover of the second volume of demon slayer featured a young man with orange and red hair, thick black eyebrows, bright, piercing eyes, and a reassuring smile on his face. His hands were tightly gripping his nichirin blade, which was plunged into the ground.
To the left were several large characters—Infinite Train Arc.
After seeing this cover, both of them looked puzzled.
Where were Tanjiro and the others?
And where was my favorite Nezuko?
Why was an unfamiliar person on the cover? Why did he have such a grand presence?
Although they were puzzled, both still chose to buy it.
Their demands for illustrations were not high; as long as they were tolerable, it was fine. They were more concerned with the textual content, whether it could meet their expectations.
The final battle in the first volume truly ignited their long-dormant chuunibyou passion, and the protagonist's character development was also very appealing.
Whether it was Tanjiro or the pure and beautiful sibling bond between him and his sister, it all drew attention. In their hearts, it was far more attractive than those works that constantly skirted the edge.
Every type of work usually has a group of loyal fans, and their tolerance for their preferred genre is generally greater than for other categories.
This is true for fantasy harem works, and it is also true for passionate chuunibyou series; there is no difference.
If the story only went this far, it would be good.
After buying the second volume of demon slayer and taking it home, readers eagerly opened the first page, wanting to unravel the suspense left at the end of the first volume.
What kind of scene would unfold in the battle between the strongest Twelve Demon Moons and the Demon Slayer Corps' strongest rank, the Pillars?
But the result was somewhat unexpected.
… …
"Blood Demon Art: Thread Rotation!"
Lower Moon Five Rui clapped his hands together, and countless blood-red threads spread out in an arc from his hands, emanating an ominous aura. Then, with a push of his hands, the threads surged forward like a crimson tide.
The person before him, however, was as profound as the ocean, holding his nichirin blade, facing the approaching crisis with a calm heart.
"Water Breathing, Eleventh Form: Dead Calm."
Giyu Tomioka's eyes were indifferent.
In an instant, the wind calmed, and all things ceased.
The nichirin blade slowly lowered towards the ground.
And the surging blood-red threads had all been severed, unable even to touch him.
"Impossible!"
Lower Moon Five Rui was completely incredulous and wanted to attack again, but in the blink of an eye, Giyu Tomioka stepped forward, seemingly slow but fast, delivering an unremarkable slash.
Head severed, demon dead.
… …
"Huh? How did he just die? Isn't this a Twelve Demon Moon? The strongest twelve demons under Muzan, how could he die so easily… What's going on?"
"Damn it, when you fought Tanjiro before, I really thought you were strong, but you were instantly killed by a Pillar with one slash! Is that all?"
"Is the Water Pillar that strong? Are the Twelve Demon Moons really that useless? Or is there another reason?"
Upon reading this passage, readers had various reactions.
The expected power of the Twelve Demon Moons was not demonstrated; instead, the strength of the Pillars was highlighted.
Besides the Water Pillar showing off, the Insect Pillar also displayed her sword skills, gaining some popularity in the process.
"…Once you endure that suffering, your sins will be forgiven. Let's work hard together! It's okay! After all, you're a demon, so you won't die or suffer any lingering effects!"
"Don't joke around! Die, you stinky woman!"
The Insect Pillar, Kocho Shinobu, infuriated the Spider Demon Girl by toying with her. Just as the latter could no longer bear it and counterattacked, Kocho Shinobu immediately leaped into the air and delivered a single slash.
An instantaneous, fleeting shadow!
It was as if countless butterflies fluttered in her eyes as she flew past.
The Spider Demon Girl was entranced by the illusion created by the sword technique, completely unaware of the approaching danger. When she turned around, she saw the last butterfly flying towards her. She instinctively extended her finger, letting it land on her fingertip.
In the moment she regained consciousness, she had already been struck by several blades, and blood splattered!
However, to the Spider Demon Girl's surprise, her head was not severed…
She looked back and saw that the opponent was holding a strangely shaped nichirin blade.
This made her realize that the opponent's strength was insufficient to decapitate her, and her expression immediately brightened.
But then, everything suddenly went dark.
Hope was given, only to be followed by despair.
The poison made from wisteria flowers quickly caused her body to disintegrate.
Kocho Shinobu was still 'smugly' explaining by her side.
…
"Sister Kocho, so scary! But I love it so much!"
"A yandere with a dark side, that's what I like."
"The most charming are the most dangerous."
"Sorry, you've taken magic damage…"
Many people watched this scene with satisfaction.
Against such a bloodthirsty demon, it was certainly acceptable to use such a gratifying method.
This dark, mischievous personality also hit a certain 'moe' point for some.
Kocho Shinobu, as a character who had not appeared for long, quickly captured a loyal fanbase.
Loved it, loved it.
Subsequently, Izumi Chihiro slightly polished the plot where Tanjiro and Nezuko were taken away for judgment.
Although the subsequent plot development would make readers understand that they were all good people, they were only being difficult with the siblings because they had never seen a 'good demon' before.
However, readers often don't care about such things.
So he needed to reduce the level of frustration a bit, making the other Pillars' words more objective, so as not to cause an extreme reaction in some readers.
After getting past this part of the story, readers, standing from Tanjiro's perspective, still inevitably felt a sense of dislike towards the other Pillars, but this was all within a tolerable range.
Next, Tanjiro, deeply feeling his own lack of strength, once again entered a training arc and successfully learned 'Total Concentration: Constant' to prepare for the upcoming tough battles.
One-third of the story had passed, and at this point, the character on the cover, Kyojuro Rengoku, began to become the protagonist, with a segment describing him.
This allowed readers to gradually immerse themselves in Kyojuro Rengoku's perspective, and his bold and sunny personality quickly infected readers, burning away any slight dislike they had previously felt.
Just then, after receiving a mission message, the trio of Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu, along with Nezuko, arrived at the Infinity Train…
Reading up to this point, everyone was completely engrossed in the novel.
Next, was the real highlight!
First, the Demon Slayer Corps members encountered the Blood Demon Art of Enmu, the Lower Rank One, which plunged everyone into a dream.
Everyone's dreams were different, preventing the evil people cooperating with the demons from succeeding and destroying their dream cores.
Tanjiro, through the cruel method of suicide, was the first to escape from the dream, and thanks to Nezuko's Blood Demon Art ability, the others gradually woke up.
The strong-willed Tanjiro, having undergone the baptism of 'Total Concentration: Constant,' was much stronger than before and quickly defeated Enmu, the Lower Rank One, on the train's engine.
However, it did not die but merged with the Infinity Train.
They had no choice but to protect the civilians while looking for an opportunity to cut off the demon's head, and Kyojuro Rengoku created such an opportunity for them.
After investigation, they gradually determined that the train's engine had become the demon's neck, so as long as they cut off the engine, everyone could be saved.
But even so, this battle was still very arduous.
During the process, Tanjiro was almost confused between reality and dreams by the demon's illusionary abilities, nearly committing suicide for real, but fortunately, Inosuke's reminder saved him from death.
Ultimately, Tanjiro lived up to expectations, severing Enmu's head with a single 'Hinokami Kagura: Blue Heaven,' plunging the demon into an eternal nightmare from which it would never wake.
Defeating Enmu, the Lower Rank One, and saving all the civilians, the Demon Slayer Corps achieved victory.
Kyojuro Rengoku also provided breathing technique guidance to the severely wounded Tanjiro…
It seemed like a perfect ending.
"If only the story ended here."
Some faster readers had already finished the second volume of "demon slayer" and flipped back, sighing with emotion.