2504 Words!
<><><><><><><><>
"Tell me how to stop Lady Tamayo from sacrificing herself to destroy Muzan!"
Kaidō's expression remained carefully neutral. "There are certain things I can't reveal—not because I won't, but because speaking them aloud might trigger consequences I can't predict or control."
He leaned forward, his golden eyes meeting Yushiro's with unwavering intensity.
"But I can promise you this: I'll find a way to help Lady Tamayo get her revenge without sacrificing herself. However, I'll need your cooperation—your silence, specifically. If we mishandle this and create an irreversible chain of events, it won't just be Lady Tamayo who dies. You'll go down with her."
"Then tell me what I need to do!" Yushiro's voice cracked with desperation. "I'll do anything—ANYTHING—as long as she survives."
"Listen carefully." Kaidō's tone shifted, becoming almost hypnotic in its certainty. "If you're willing to trust me, then what I'm asking is simple. Pretend this conversation never happened. Continue your daily routine exactly as before. Don't question Lady Tamayo. Don't try to stop her research."
His voice dropped lower, each word deliberate.
"Her research must be completed if we want to save her life. Your job is to wait. When the time comes, I'll contact you and tell you exactly what to do. But until then—and I cannot stress this enough—you must act as if nothing has changed. Business as usual. No deviations."
Yushiro's brow furrowed. "That's it? Just... keep living normally?"
"That's it. That's all you can do."
"And you're certain this will work?"
"I'm certain it's the only path forward," Kaidō replied, which wasn't quite the same thing but would have to suffice.
Yushiro studied him for a long moment, searching for deception and finding only resolve. "Fine. I'll trust you—for now. But if you're lying to me, if anything happens to Lady Tamayo because I stood by and did nothing—"
"It won't come to that."
'I know how the story unfolds,' Kaidō thought. 'And even if something changes, I have the system as a failsafe. The real question is whether my interventions will trigger a butterfly effect that spirals beyond my control.'
...
"Finally. About damn time."
Kaidō stood at the base of Mount Sagiri, craning his neck to take in the mist-shrouded peaks. Thick clouds of fog rolled down the mountainside like ghostly waterfalls, obscuring everything beyond a few dozen feet.
"At night, this place must be a nightmare to navigate," he muttered. "The fog probably gets so thick you can barely breathe."
After more than two weeks of travel, he'd finally reached his destination.
"Alright. Time to meet Sakonji Urokodaki and prepare for the Final Selection." He started up the mountain path, his boots crunching against loose gravel.
Several hours of hiking later, Kaidō arrived at a modest wooden dwelling nestled among the trees. The house radiated a quiet, lived-in dignity—humble yet purposeful.
He approached the entrance and knocked firmly. "Hello? Is Sakonji Urokodaki home?"
Slide.
The door opened to reveal a man wearing a crimson tengu mask, his presence radiating the quiet authority of a master swordsman long past his prime but no less dangerous for it.
'So this is the former Water Hashira,' Kaidō thought, impressed despite himself.
'I've only seen him in the manga, but in person his aura is overwhelming. This is what decades of survival look like.'
"My name is Ryūjin Kaidō," Kaidō said aloud. "I'd like to participate in the Final Selection and join the Demon Slayer Corps."
Urokodaki regarded the young man before him with undisguised curiosity. The white hair accented with crimson, the delicate features, the elegant coat—everything about this stranger screamed unusual.
If not for his keen sense of smell confirming this was indeed a young man, Urokodaki would have sworn he was looking at a girl.
"How did you learn about the Demon Slayer Corps?"
"I..." Kaidō scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
'I can't exactly tell him I'm a transmigrator who watched the anime. He'd think I'm insane and throw me off the mountain.'
"Never mind," Urokodaki said after a moment. "I won't force you to answer. But let me ask you something else: If you encountered a demon, what would you do?"
Kaidō didn't hesitate.
"That depends on whether they've consumed human flesh. If I'm facing a man-eating demon—one that's murdered innocent people—I'd cut them down without a second thought."
His expression softened slightly.
"But if the demon was transformed against their will and has never harmed anyone? Then I'd let them live out a natural human lifespan and die peacefully when their time comes."
Urokodaki's head tilted fractionally—the only sign of his surprise. "Why would you think that way? And how would you determine which demons deserve mercy and which deserve death?"
"If we can't distinguish between monsters and victims, then we're no better than the demons themselves," Kaidō said quietly.
His voice carried a weight that seemed to age him beyond his years.
"Imagine someone who was turned into a demon through no fault of their own. They resist the hunger, never harm a soul, even dedicate themselves to helping people—but then a demon slayer discovers what they are and kills them on sight. How is that justice?"
He paused, letting the question hang in the air.
"Now imagine a human family that knowingly shelters a man-eating demon. They help it lure victims, dispose of bodies, profit from the carnage while innocent people die. Tell me, Master Urokodaki—what makes them different from the demons they serve?"
Silence descended like a heavy blanket.
Urokodaki said nothing. The question had no easy answer—perhaps no answer at all. Kaidō's logic was flawed in some ways, yet undeniably compelling in others.
Humans who collaborate with demons... do they deserve death? And demons who harm no one—should they be allowed to exist?
For the first time in years, Urokodaki found himself genuinely uncertain.
Finally, he spoke. "If you want to join the Demon Slayer Corps, you'll need to pass my test. Complete it, and I'll teach you everything I know. Now—follow me."
Without waiting for a response, Urokodaki turned and sprinted up the mountain with the fluid grace of a man half his age.
So it begins.
Kaidō activated Total Concentration Breathing: Constant and gave chase.
Urokodaki glanced back, expecting to see the young man struggling to keep pace. Instead, Kaidō was right behind him, breathing steady and controlled. "He's already mastered Constant? But where did he learn it?"
...
They reached the summit as the sun began its descent toward the horizon. Urokodaki turned to face his would-be student.
"Reach the house at the mountain's base before dawn. Do that, and you have my approval."
Before Kaidō could respond, Urokodaki vanished into the mist.
"Former Water Hashira indeed," Kaidō murmured, impressed. "Guess I'd better get serious."
He stretched his arms overhead, rolling his shoulders.
"The system gave me tools, but tools are useless if I don't know how to use them. Rewards mean nothing if I can't weave them into my fighting style through real training. The system won't hold my hand forever—if I die, I die."
His expression hardened into determination.
"Time to earn it."
He launched himself down the mountainside, senses heightened to maximum alertness as he dodged trap after trap—pitfall snares, tripwires, swinging logs, hidden spike pits.
What Kaidō didn't know was that Urokodaki had already decided to accept him the moment he'd articulated his philosophy about demons. Witnessing the Total Concentration Breathing had only cemented that decision.
But talent without discipline bred arrogance. Arrogance got you killed.
So Urokodaki hid in the canopy, watching as Kaidō navigated the gauntlet. The young man had every reason to coast on his natural advantages, yet he pushed himself relentlessly, treating the trial as if his life depended on it.
No complacency. No shortcuts. Just pure, stubborn determination!
"I approve of you, Ryūjin Kaidō," Urokodaki whispered to the wind before vanishing into the night.
...
Several hours later, the door to the mountain base house burst open.
Kaidō stood in the threshold, gasping for air, covered in leaves and dirt, his pristine coat torn in a dozen places. The journey had forced him to maintain Total Concentration Breathing while simultaneously dodging an absurd number of traps. Several times he'd been caught off guard, losing his breathing rhythm and having to restart, which wreaked havoc on his lungs.
But he'd made it.
"Huff... huff... Master Urokodaki... huff... did I pass?"
His breathing was ragged, uneven—but even as he spoke, Kaidō was already correcting it, forcing his diaphragm back into the proper rhythm. Within moments, his gasping had smoothed into something approaching normal, though still elevated.
"I approved of you hours ago, Kaidō," Urokodaki said simply.
Though his mask hid his expression, there was warmth in his voice. This young man could have taken the easy path, relied solely on his natural talent—but he'd chosen the hard road instead.
That spoke volumes.
"Really?? I passed!" Relief flooded through Kaidō—
GROWL.
His stomach chose that moment to voice its protest.
Kaidō's face flushed with embarrassment. "Uh..."
"Come. I've prepared fish stew. Eat, bathe, rest. Tomorrow, your real training begins." Urokodaki gestured toward the low table, already ladling soup into a bowl.
"Thank you, Master!" Kaidō settled cross-legged on the floor, accepting the offered meal. "I won't hold back!"
...
After dinner and a long, much-needed bath, Kaidō lay on the tatami mat, staring up at the ceiling.
His mind drifted through everything that had happened since his transmigration—the Kamado family's kindness, his encounter with Tamayo in Asakusa, and now Sakonji Urokodaki.
"It all feels like a dream... Like if I close my eyes and open them again, I'll wake up in my old bed. Mom will call me down for breakfast, Reika will complain about me sleeping in, and everything will be normal again."
But it wasn't a dream.
This was real. He'd truly crossed into another world.
"System," Kaidō whispered into the darkness. "Can I ever go back?"
[Ding! In response to Host's query: theoretically, yes. However—]
"Wait, WHAT??" Kaidō bolted upright, heart hammering. "I can go back?"
[Affirmative. However, there are conditions.]
The initial euphoria faded, replaced by cold pragmatism. "Of course there are. What's the catch?"
[Two requirements. First: Host must accumulate Interdimensional Energy.]
"Interdimensional Energy? What's that?"
[Interdimensional Energy powers the gateway between dimensions, allowing travel to specific times and locations across the multiverse.]
"Understood. And the second condition?"
[Host cannot return to their original world in their previous identity. Host has died in that timeline. Resurrection would disrupt causal order. Therefore, Host may only return with a different identity. Your memories will remain intact, and this system will handle all logistical arrangements.]
[Additionally: Host cannot return to a point in the timeline before their death. If two versions of Host's soul exist simultaneously in the same timeline, it will cause soul fragmentation or complete dissolution.]
"So I can't go back to the day before I died," Kaidō murmured, processing. "Two souls, one timeline, catastrophic results."
"But if I return the day after my death, my soul won't exist in that timeline anymore, so there's no risk of soul fragmentation or dissolution. The catch is I'd have to live under a different identity since I'm officially dead in that timeline."
[Correct, Host. Regarding resurrection, please remember: a timeline cannot support two identical souls simultaneously. Even this system has limitations in such matters.]
"Can I check how much Interdimensional Energy I currently have? And how do I earn more?"
[Ding! Searching... Search complete.]
[Current Interdimensional Energy: 0%]
[Acquisition Method: Complete system-issued quests to receive random Interdimensional Energy rewards. Minimum reward: 1%]
"So I can earn Interdimensional Energy from completing quests?"
[Affirmative. Each completed quest yields random Interdimensional Energy.]
"Got it. Looks like I'll need to travel around and trigger as many quests as possible to accumulate energy fast."
[Ding! Hidden Quest Detected.]
[Hidden Quest: Defeat Sakonji Urokodaki.]
[Success Reward: 5-10% Interdimensional Energy (Random)]
[Failure Penalty: None]
"Hell yeah!"
If he could beat Urokodaki tomorrow, he'd earn his first chunk of Interdimensional Energy. Once he hit one hundred percent, he could finally go home. Sure, he'd be wearing a stranger's face, but the chance to see his family again made it all worthwhile.
The Next Morning
Kaidō woke before dawn. Thanks to Total Concentration Breathing: Constant, the morning cold didn't bother him, and he felt completely refreshed despite the early hour.
After washing up, he headed straight to the training grounds. The moment Kaidō had stirred, Urokodaki had noticed.
"Up this early... he really is determined to get stronger," Urokodaki mused before heading to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
...
"995, 996, 997, 998, 999, 1,000!!!"
"Phew—finally done with a thousand swings." Kaidō lowered the practice sword, rolling his shoulders. "Next time I should carve myself a proper wooden sword. This stick doesn't feel right."
"It seems you're ready for my special training." Urokodaki's voice came from behind him. "In that case—attack me with everything you have!"
"Understood, Master. Be careful!"
Kaidō raised the wooden practice sword over his shoulder, pointing the tip toward Urokodaki. Then he exploded forward—
WHOOSH.
THWACK.
Urokodaki blocked the strike one-handed, wood clashing against wood.
"Too slow!"
Another exchange. Another failure.
"Your attacks lack focus!"
Again.
"Still too slow!"
"You're raising your sword too high—too many openings!"
"Speed is better, but your strikes don't have enough power!"
Over and over, Kaidō attacked. Over and over, he hit the ground. But he didn't give up. Each failed exchange taught him something new—how Urokodaki moved, where the openings were, what worked and what didn't.
Combat experience could only be earned through actual combat. There was no shortcut.
His Total Concentration Breathing never faltered—inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale—a steady rhythm that kept his muscles oxygenated and his mind sharp.
This time, he incorporated everything he'd learned from the previous exchanges. He adjusted his grip, changed his approach angle, and launched another assault.
"Fast!"
Even Urokodaki was caught off guard. The boy had absorbed the lessons from their sparring and adapted his strategy mid-training. Impressive didn't begin to cover it.
Within moments, the tide turned. Kaidō's relentless barrage forced Urokodaki onto the defensive until—
CRACK.
Urokodaki wooden sword snapped in half.
Kaidō immediately stopped attacking, not because he'd won, but because his stamina had hit zero. His muscles screamed in protest, and his lungs burned despite the breathing technique keeping him upright.
If he'd had more energy, he would've kept going. The sparring session had revealed exactly where his weaknesses lay and how much he still needed to improve his real-world combat skills.
For the first time, he had a clear understanding of his actual fighting ability—not theoretical knowledge, but practical experience.
"You won." Urokodaki tossed aside the broken practice sword. "Tomorrow, come back here. I'll teach you every form of Water Breathing. How much you learn depends entirely on you."
What Urokodaki didn't say aloud: There's nothing more I can teach you after that.
"Finally... I actually won. If that had gone on much longer, I would've collapsed."
[Ding! Congratulations! Host has completed Hidden Quest.]
<><><><><><><><>
~# Every 300 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter!
~# Add to Library!