A night breeze brushed past, dispersing the lingering pungent smell of burning in the air.
Shinobu Kocho stood where she was, a rare flash of astonishment crossing her purple eyes as her gaze remained fixed on the ashes of the demon scattering across the ground with the wind.
As the Insect Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, she was well versed in pharmacology and toxins. She understood the physical structure of demons better than anyone.
Aside from sunlight and Nichirin blades forged from iron ore that had absorbed sunlight, nothing could completely kill a demon. This had been an ironclad law of the Demon Slayer Corps for thousands of years.
But just now, this young man named Rin had not even drawn a sword.
Merely by condensing that violent lightning, which screeched like a bird's cry, in his right hand, he had forcibly annihilated the Morph Demon's regenerative cells along with its neck.
"You... what you used just now wasn't Thunder Breathing, was it?" The trademark smile on Shinobu Kocho's face faded slightly, her tone carrying an unmistakable note of inquiry. "There was no sound of the cardiopulmonary expansion unique to Breathing Styles, and you didn't even use a sword."
"You could think of it as my unique 'Blood Demon Art'... although saying it like that might make it easier for you to treat me as an enemy."
Rin chuckled, slipping his right hand into his pocket and explaining casually, "This is a unique ability of mine, a high-density Lightning-attribute Chakra Nature Transformation. As long as the destructive power instantly exceeds the regeneration limit of a demon's cells and completely destroys its core, killing a demon doesn't necessarily have to rely on a Nichirin blade."
"Chakra? Nature Transformation?"
Shinobu Kocho tilted her head slightly. These completely unfamiliar terms sparked the intense curiosity of this genius in medicine and toxicology.
What concerned her even more was Rin's attitude.
This young man, who appeared to be around her age, had not even broken a sweat after instantly killing a powerful Morph Demon. That composure was clearly not an act, but something that came from absolute confidence in his own strength.
[Ding! Detected that the host has demonstrated strength in front of the key plot character "Insect Hashira · Shinobu Kocho" and piqued her intense curiosity, slightly altering her cognitive trajectory!]
[Obtained dimension points: 200!]
Hearing the pleasant system notification in his mind, the smile on Rin's lips deepened.
As expected, harvesting rewards from these significant plot characters was far more efficient than the exhausting task of killing ordinary minor demons in the mountains.
"Mr. Rin is truly a man full of mysteries."
Shinobu Kocho resumed her smiling expression, her hands folded in front of her. "Despite possessing strength greater than the vast majority of swordsmen, you do not even have a Demon Slayer Corps uniform. You are planning to participate in the Fujikasane Mountain trial in five days? With your strength, going there would be like an adult stepping into a child's sandbox."
"Rules are rules, after all." Rin shrugged. "Right now, I am a penniless, unemployed vagrant. If I do not obtain an officially recognized Demon Slayer status, even food and lodging will become a problem later. I heard the salary and benefits of the Demon Slayer Corps are quite good."
Shinobu Kocho giggled at Rin's down-to-earth reasoning, and the tension in her nerves from earlier completely relaxed.
"Ara ara, killing demons for a salary. Mr. Rin is honestly quite cute."
"Since we have met and you helped me deal with a troublesome prey, allow me to host you tonight as thanks."
She turned to look outside the forest. The butterfly patterns on her haori seemed to come alive under the moonlight.
"My name is Shinobu Kocho, the Insect Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps."
"Thirty kilometers from here, there is a 'Wisteria House' protected by the Demon Slayer Corps. I wonder if Mr. Rin would be interested in coming along?"
"An invitation from a Hashira is my honor." Rin nodded readily.
"Then please keep up. I am quite fast."
Before her voice had even faded, Shinobu Kocho's petite body suddenly exerted force, turning into a purple-black afterimage as she nimbly leaped onto the tree canopy and sped toward the distance.
She deliberately wanted to test the background of this mysterious young man.
Great power and destructive capability were one thing, but when fighting demons, movement techniques, stamina, and speed were equally indispensable.
However, after she had been darting rapidly through the forest for more than ten minutes, Shinobu Kocho glanced back to check, and her pupils could not help but shrink.
Rin was not running breathlessly behind her as she had imagined.
Instead, he followed two meters to her right as if taking a leisurely stroll.
Not a single branch snapped, nor did he make any unnecessary noise.
His feet seemed to have invisible suction cups attached to them, allowing him to adhere to surfaces with chakra. Each time he lightly tapped a tree trunk, his entire body seemed to defy gravity, gliding forward with lightness and incredible speed.
No matter how much Shinobu Kocho increased her speed, Rin always maintained that two-meter distance, and even the rhythm of his breathing remained perfectly steady.
"This way of moving... it is practically like a phantom," Shinobu Kocho thought, secretly alarmed.
Maintaining this extremely high speed, the two of them arrived in less than half an hour at a traditional Japanese mansion surrounded by blooming wisteria flowers.
That was a logistics base for the Demon Slayer Corps, the Wisteria House.
"We've arrived."
Shinobu Kocho landed first and turned to look at Rin. The testing in her eyes had lessened, replaced by a hint of genuine respect. "Mr. Rin, although it may be a bit abrupt to say this now, after you pass the Fujikasane Mountain trial, if you are interested, you can come to the Butterfly Mansion to find me."
"With your strength and that special 'Chakra' ability, Oyakata-sama will surely be very happy to meet you."
"The Butterfly Mansion? I'll go. It sounds like the kind of place where there would be quite a few cute girls," Rin added half-jokingly.
Hearing this, a dangerous yet charming curve formed at the corner of Shinobu Kocho's mouth. "Oh? If Mr. Rin goes to the Butterfly Mansion with such a frivolous attitude, you will be turned into a pincushion by my needles coated with paralytic toxin."
"Paralytic toxin, huh? Didn't know you were interested in Necrophilia." Rin sarcastically remarked, making Shinobu's forehead twitch.
"Hey! Stop looking at me with those murderous eyes, it was just a joke!"
"Mr Rin, please don't joke like that, or I'll have to burn you while you sleep..."
"What the—"
"Haha, it was also a joke, Mr Rin.."
The two walked into the Wisteria House while chatting and laughing.
After showing the wisteria carving that represented her Hashira status, a warm old lady immediately prepared a sumptuous late-night meal and two adjacent high-quality guest rooms for them.
Late at night, Rin took a hot bath, changed into a dry yukata, and sat cross-legged on the tatami.
He did not rush to rest. Instead, with a thought, he summoned the system's virtual panel.
Today, he had not only become completely familiar with the combat feel of the Sasuke template, but had also unexpectedly made contact with Shinobu Kocho. It had been a fruitful day.
"System, open the panel."
[Dimensional Template System]
[Host]: Rin
[Current Template]: Uchiha Sasuke (Mangekyō Sharingan Period)
[Template Synchronization]: 100%
(Note: The host has perfectly inherited this template's power system, combat experience, chakra, and dōjutsu, and is not affected by the original character's personality or appearance.)
[Inherent Skills]:
Ninjutsu: Lightning Release (Chidori, Chidori Current, Chidori Sharp Spear, etc.), Fire Release (Great Fireball, Dragon Fire Technique, etc.), Basic Three Jutsu.
Dōjutsu: Mangekyō Sharingan (Insight, Copying, Genjutsu, Amaterasu, Flame Release: Kagutsuchi, Susanoo).
Taijutsu: Uchiha Style Kenjutsu, Sharingan Taijutsu.
[Dimension Points]: 360
[Main Story Node]: Time until Fujikasane Mountain Final Selection: 4 days.