"Let's not talk about that for now. I'll take you to find a place to rest first."
After he finished speaking, Ren gently lifted the blushing Kocho Shinobu into his arms in a princess carry and then asked.
"By the way, will this muscle enhancer cause any major side effects?"
"This is my first time researching such a drug, so there are quite a few side effects. First, the effect only lasts five minutes. Once that time is up, I'll be completely exhausted and enter a weakened state, just like I am now."
It had been five minutes since she injected herself with the muscle enhancer, and Shinobu was indeed powerless, leaning weakly against Ren's chest.
"The recovery takes about twelve hours. During this time, I'll be so weak that even eating or drinking will be extremely difficult for me."
"So, you'll be completely powerless..."
A mischievous grin suddenly appeared on Ren's face. "Doesn't that mean for the next twelve hours, Miss Shinobu, you'll be completely at my mercy?"
"You! What are you planning?!"
Shinobu's cheeks flushed crimson as she glared at Ren with a stern expression.
"I'm warning you, if you dare try anything untoward, I won't let you off easily."
"Miss Shinobu, don't think so poorly of me. I'm not the type to take advantage of someone. Besides, I've already won the lady's heart, haven't I? Heh heh heh..."
With that, Ren tightened his grip slightly and carried her toward the inn.
Shinobu could only blush deeper while feeling the radiant heat of his body.
Back at the inn, Ren called his Kasugai Crow to report Doma's death to the Master. He stayed to care for Shinobu, planning to return to the Demon Slayer Corps once she regained her strength.
...
Time flew by, and a month passed in the blink of an eye.
Shinobu's wounds had long since healed. She returned to the Butterfly Mansion and began researching medicine to mitigate the side effects of the Demon Slayer Mark.
This wasn't just for herself, but for Ren and everyone else in the Corps.
Meanwhile, Ren returned to Tokyo, back to the home of Tanjiro and Nezuko. As usual, while training Tanjiro, he also worked with him to eliminate the Berserk Demons near the city.
After a month of training, Tanjiro's strength was now comparable to the Nine Hashira. Under Ren's guidance, he successfully manifested the Bright Red Nichirin Sword and the Transparent World.
Though Tanjiro hadn't officially joined the Corps, he fully deserved the title of 'Sun Hashira'—or perhaps 'Head Hashira'...
They weren't the only ones. During this month, no one in the Corps had stayed idle. Even though the Twelve Kizuki were effectively gone, everyone was busy slaying Berserk Demons to protect the world.
In just one month, the number of missing person cases had decreased visibly. Everything was moving in a positive direction.
However, as long as Muzan remained, it wasn't over. The current peace was merely the calm before the storm.
...
At that moment, in the center of the Infinity Castle, the slumbering Muzan suddenly snapped his crimson eyes open. He stared directly at Nakime and asked coldly.
"Nakime, what is the situation now?"
"Reporting, my Lord. Master Doma has been slain. Of the Twelve Kizuki, only I remain. Additionally, during your slumber, the Demon Slayer Corps began a nationwide purge of the Berserk Demons. Many of the ones we mass-produced have fallen to their blades."
"Gather all the remaining Berserk Demons in the Infinity Castle!"
"Understood!"
Nakime lightly plucked the strings of her biwa made of bone before asking tentatively, "If I may be so bold, how should we deal with the Demon Slayer Corps?"
"Deal with them? Hmph, don't worry. Those people don't have much time left!"
As he spoke, Muzan began regulating the power within his body. His hearts started beating violently, and with a sudden roar, his chest tore open.
A pair of arms burst from Muzan's body, leaving Nakime stunned.
First the arms, then the head, torso, and legs. A sinister figure separated from Muzan's form.
The man had a powerful, muscular build, pale skin, and plum-red eyes. In his pupils, the characters for 'Upper Moon' and 'Zero' were inscribed.
Upon seeing this man's face, Nakime's single eye widened. Her body trembled as she stared in disbelief.
"This is..."
Nakime was terrified. The man before her was the spitting image of Ren—they looked exactly like they were cast from the same mold.
"Lord Muzan, what is this?"
"Heh heh. Didn't I absorb that brat's blood?" Muzan curled his lips into a smirk and explained to Nakime.
"Using his blood as a blueprint, I created a clone and infused it with my own blood. Now, standing before you is the strongest Berserk Demon in the world—Upper Moon Zero, many times more powerful than even Kokushibo!"
"Upper Moon Zero..."
Looking at the figure, Nakime was speechless with shock.
"Since he is a duplicate of that brat, it's only natural they look identical. This will also serve my purposes perfectly. While a copy rarely surpasses the original, he contains a massive amount of my blood. With his own Blood Demon Art, his power will surely transcend that boy!"
Muzan looked at his creation with satisfaction, as if admiring a fine work of art.
"You should have a name. You shall be called Chaos." Muzan muttered before commanding, "Chaos, I want you to bring Ren—your original self—to me immediately!"
"Duplicate... original... Ren..."
The Berserk Demon named Chaos murmured to himself. Suddenly, a flash of scarlet crossed his plum-red eyes, and in an instant, he vanished completely from the Infinity Castle.
Nakime was shaken to her core. 'He left the Infinity Castle? Does this guy also have a space-type Blood Demon Art? But... since he's a copy of Ren, it's only natural he'd have such power!'
...
After leaving the Infinity Castle, Chaos looked out at the world. He blankly extended his hands. With a thought, the bone in his left arm began to grow rapidly, elongating until it pierced through his palm, transforming into a sharp blade of white bone that he sheathed at his waist.
"Heh, that's more like it."
"Blood Demon Art: Shadow of Darkness!"
As he spoke, Chaos's flesh began to multiply rapidly, forming a flesh puppet almost identical to himself, which slowly separated from his body.
The only difference was that this flesh puppet had deep purple eyes that resembled an abyss, possessing soul-captivating magic.
"Evernight, as my shadow clone, go and scout for information on the Demon Slayer Corps first. This world is still too unfamiliar to me. I need to get used to it."
"No problem. Our eyes are connected anyway. Take your time getting settled. I'll head out first. Heh heh!"
Evernight chuckled, then activated a Blood Demon Art, vanishing instantly from Chaos's sight.
After Evernight left, Chaos looked at the brightly lit scenery before him and muttered, "It really is an unfamiliar world..."
"Ren..."
Suddenly, Chaos's eyes widened. An image of a young girl flashed through his mind, followed by a sharp pain. He clutched his head, groaning in agony.
"Who is this girl? Why is she in my head?"
"I am Ren's clone... are these memories from that guy's blood?"
"I can't remember. Damn it! I have no memory of this girl at all."
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]