The night was as dark as ink, and cold moonlight pierced through the dense canopy, casting mottled shadows on the forest floor covered with withered leaves.
Slash—
The dull sound of a sharp blade entering flesh suddenly rang out.
A burly demon with a blue face and fangs looked in disbelief at the straight sword piercing through its chest. The hard skin it was so proud of seemed incredibly fragile before this sword.
"You... who exactly are you? There are no fluctuations of a Breathing Style, and you aren't wearing a Demon Slayer Corps uniform."
The demon's voice leaked air, and an unwilling roar escaped its throat as it tried to wave its claws in a final counterattack.
The youth holding the sword had a cold and stern expression. He didn't even blink as he casually flicked his wrist.
Lightning Release: Chidori Sharp Spear!
Buzz!
Blue lightning instantly surged along the slender blade, transforming into an extremely sharp bolt of electricity that sliced off the demon's head in an instant.
The headless demon's body crashed to the ground and then quickly disintegrated and vanished.
[Ding! Killed a common demon. Dimension Points +10]
The cold mechanical voice ringing in his mind allowed Yamada's tense nerves to relax slightly.
"That's the twelfth one."
Yamada slowly sheathed the straight sword, whose blade displayed a strange dark black color.
His name was Tanaka Yamada, and he had originally been just an ordinary male college student.
A day ago, he had inexplicably transmigrated into this world infested with demons, simultaneously activating something called [Dimensional Template System].
This system was designed to assist the host in drawing and merging the 'character templates' of powerhouses from countless worlds.
The rules were simple: by changing the original plot, killing important enemy targets, or winning over key characters, he could obtain Dimension Points.
These points could be used not only to draw new templates but also to upgrade current ones, exchange for all things, and even travel to other worlds in the future.
And his luck had exploded when he first arrived. The starter pack yielded [Sasuke: Mangekyo Sharingan Period] character template.
In addition, the system thoughtfully included a modified Kusanagi Sword. Not only did it come with its own scabbard, but the blade was also infused with scarlet ore, possessing the same characteristics as a nichirin blade—decapitation means a demon's death.
'The power of this template is quite good, but what satisfies me most is that the template provided by the system only provides power and doesn't change my appearance or personality.' Yamada touched his own cheek.
With the help of the moonlight, he saw his reflection clearly in a puddle.
It was still that face he was familiar with, black hair and black pupils—his original appearance, not having turned into Sasuke.
More importantly, after merging the template, he perfectly obtained all of Sasuke's combat experience, Taijutsu instincts, Chakra, and Dojutsu from this period, but his personality remained that of the casual and easygoing Yamada, without being tainted by the Uchiha clan's characteristic paranoid mania.
"There are still five days until the Final Selection at Mount Fujikasane." Yamada murmured to himself.
His purpose for entering the mountain this time was partly to become thoroughly familiar with Sasuke's combat instincts in actual battle and partly to accumulate some initial Dimension Points.
After all, only by obtaining an official identity in the Demon Slayer Corps would it be more convenient to contact plot characters and obtain a large number of Dimension Points later on.
Just as he was about to turn and look for his next prey, Yamada's movements suddenly paused.
His pitch-black eyes turned crimson in a tenth of a second, three tomoe spinning rapidly around the pupils before finally connecting end-to-end to form a complex and eerie hexagram pattern—Mangekyo Sharingan!
Insight beyond that of ordinary people instantly locked onto the tree canopy dozens of meters to the right.
"Who's there? Come out." Yamada's hand rested back on the hilt of the Kusanagi Sword.
"Ara ara, such keen perception. I thought I had hidden myself quite well."
Accompanied by a soft and ethereal female voice, several fluttering purple phantom butterflies emerged in the night.
Immediately after, a petite figure leaped lightly from a branch, landing silently on the clearing ten paces away from Yamada like a feather.
The newcomer wore a standard black Demon Slayer Corps uniform with a haori patterned like butterfly wings over it. Her long black hair was tied up in a bun, adorned with a butterfly hair ornament edged with purple.
She was extremely beautiful, with a gentle smile hanging on her lips, but her deep purple eyes held a fathomless depth that was hard to read.
The Insect Hashira, Kochō Shinobu!
The Mangekyo Sharingan in Yamada's eyes instantly faded, reverting to his original clear black pupils.
His heart stirred slightly. He hadn't expected to encounter a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps so early during this demon-hunting trip in the wilderness, especially a character he had quite liked in his previous life.
"Sir, wandering alone deep in the mountains late at night is very dangerous." Kochō Shinobu said with a smile as she sized up Yamada.
She had just been tracking the remnants of a Demon and came here, only to unexpectedly see this black-haired youth, who wasn't even wearing a Demon Slayer Corps uniform, effortlessly kill a demon.
He hadn't used any Breathing Style, yet he possessed power like lightning.
The material of the straight sword in his hand was clearly that of a nichirin blade, but its design was unheard of.
Especially when the youth turned around just now, those fleeting crimson hexagram eyes had caused even her, a Hashira, to feel a sudden, inexplicable palpitation.
"Dangerous? It's certainly dangerous for the demons." Yamada released his grip on the sword and smiled affably.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Tanaka Yamada, a passing... well, demon hunter."
"Tanaka-san? That doesn't sound like a local name." Kochō Shinobu tilted her head, resting her cheek on one hand.
"That weapon in your hand is a nichirin blade, isn't it? But you don't seem to have a trainer, nor have you participated in the Final Selection at Mount Fujikasane."
Just as Kochō Shinobu was about to continue probing, Yamada's keen hearing caught a slight noise. The extreme sense of danger brought by the Sasuke template made him suddenly look up.
"Watch out above!"
Boom!
A massive Demon fell from the sky with a wild laugh, its sharp claws heading straight for the petite Kochō Shinobu's head.
"Die! Demon slayer!"
This demon's aura was several times stronger than the previous one. It was clearly the target with a Blood Demon Art that Kochō Shinobu had been tracking.
Kochō Shinobu's gaze turned cold. Just as she was about to draw the nichirin blade at her waist to meet the attack, she felt a gust of wind rush past her.
So fast!
Yamada's figure vanished from the spot like a ghost.
Chirp... Chirp...
The ear-piercing sound, like a thousand birds chirping simultaneously, instantly echoed through the entire forest, and dazzling lightning lit up the night like day.
Kochō Shinobu only saw a blinding bolt of blue lightning streak across the night sky, and Yamada had already appeared in mid-air at some point.
He hadn't even drawn his sword. His right hand condensed high-density, violent lightning, and with irresistible force, he pierced through the Demon's chest, tearing half its body along with its neck into fragments without losing momentum.
Lightning Release: Chidori!
The demon didn't even have time to scream before it turned into flying ash amidst the violent lightning.
[Ding! Killed a special Demon. Dimension points +50]
Yamada landed steadily and casually shook off the remaining blue electric arcs on his hand.
He turned around and smiled at Kochō Shinobu, whose eyes were slightly widened. "The introduction isn't over yet. I'm planning to participate in the Final Selection at Mount Fujikasane in five days. Please take care of me."