The scene before Shinji was a tranquil night, with the chirping of insects filling the air, creating an atmosphere of serene peace.
As he wandered through the forest, his gaze carefully scanned his surroundings.
Though he wasn't sure of his exact location, he was certain this wasn't the shinobi world but rather the Demon Slayer world he had come to counter-invade.
This was because he could clearly sense the absence of chakra in this place!
"It looks similar, but there's an unshakable sense of discomfort. Is it because this world lacks chakra?"
Shinji frowned slightly.
After invading the Demon Slayer world, he felt an unease, as if a burden had been placed on his shoulders or shackles bound him.
The sensation was vivid, but he couldn't pinpoint its cause for the moment.
Soon, he emerged from the forest and arrived at the edge of a high cliff.
Standing at the cliff's edge and looking into the distance, he saw a vast array of lights far off—there seemed to be a city!
"Now to find Haku and Karin…"
Muttering to himself, Shinji activated 'Jikibi.'
Perhaps due to his unfamiliarity with using the 'Lamp,' this invasion had a slight hiccup. Haku and Karin, who had crossed the spatial rift with him, were not by his side.
Fortunately, his 'Jikibi' sensory range now extended to over a hundred kilometers, so he quickly located Haku and Karin.
They seemed to have landed luckily, directly in that distant city.
"In that case, I'll let them investigate in the open while I stay in the shadows to support them."
Shinji made up his mind.
The Demon Slayer world now was undoubtedly very different from the one he remembered, so no amount of caution was too much.
Moreover, he still couldn't confirm whether the mysterious figure had truly lost their 'Lampbearer' abilities, so having one in the light and one in the dark was the safer plan.
In the city.
Looking at the bustling streets filled with people and vehicles, Haku and Karin couldn't hide the astonishment on their faces.
Unlike Shinji, who had landed in a forest, they had crossed from the shinobi world directly into an empty alley in the city.
Heeding Shinji's instructions, they observed from the shadows before using the 'Transformation Technique' to adopt appearances similar to the city's residents, then stepped onto the streets.
They hadn't expected a world plagued by demons to have such lively markets, with even more foot traffic than Hidden Leaf Village.
Karin asked anxiously, "What do we do now?"
Without their leader nearby, she felt deeply uneasy.
Haku was much calmer, observing their surroundings as he said, "First, we figure out where we are, then find a way to locate the leader!"
As the two whispered their plans, Shinji's voice suddenly sounded in their ears.
Hearing his voice, both visibly relaxed.
"So the leader is deliberately staying in the shadows."
Karin patted her chest in relief.
Haku asked, "Did you hear the leader's instructions clearly?"
"Mm."
Karin nodded.
Haku said, "Then let's move!"
The two split up and began their tasks.
From the shadows, Shinji had assigned them the mission of familiarizing themselves with the city and gathering information about demons or the Demon Slayer Corps.
Given that the mysterious figure could mobilize Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen to invade the shinobi world, there was likely a Demon Slayer Corps in this world as well.
The Demon Slayer Corps was undoubtedly the group most knowledgeable about demons, so starting the investigation with them, finding the Corps, and then following the trail to locate demons—and ultimately the mysterious figure, the Demon King—was the plan!
The two, acting separately, each had their own targets.
Karin disguised herself as a female student and asked a passerby for the library's location. She then headed straight there, using the 'Body Flicker Technique' to bypass guards and staff, silently infiltrating the library.
Faced with rows of bookshelves packed with countless books, Karin's head spun, muttering, "This is way too much!"
Books were the simplest and most convenient way to learn about a world.
However, Karin had underestimated the information density of the Demon Slayer world. This world was roughly in the Taisho era, around the time of the First World War, a period of rapid technological and cultural development.
Though overwhelmed, Karin was a shinobi and had her own methods.
She quickly formed hand seals and gave a soft shout: "Shadow Clone Technique!"
Poof, poof, poof.
In a series of white smoke, Karin created over ten shadow clones, which then swarmed toward the bookshelves.
Elsewhere.
Haku, also disguised as a student, learned the location of the police station and infiltrated its records room.
Gently closing the records room door, he approached the filing cabinets.
Demons' nature was to feed on humans, a trait even the 'Upper Rank' demons couldn't resist. Thus, investigating a city's death or missing persons cases could lead to demon activity—unless the city was entirely free of demons.
Haku moved quickly, and after reviewing some files, he zeroed in on a specific area.
"Recently, a large number of people have gone missing in the slums on the city's outskirts. That's clearly abnormal!"
Haku's expression grew serious.
The slums were where the city's underclass gathered, and security there was typically the worst, so a few missing persons cases were normal.
Under usual circumstances, such disappearances wouldn't be reported to the police, let alone generate extensive records.
For there to be so many missing persons files meant the number of disappearances far exceeded what was normal.
After returning the files to their original places, Haku's form flickered and vanished.
Soon, he arrived at the city's slum district.
Upon entering, he instinctively covered his mouth and nose, as the stench was overwhelming. He hadn't expected such a filthy, grimy place to exist in a city that appeared so polished on the surface.
Walking through the narrow, barely passable paths of the slums, Haku vigilantly observed his surroundings.
Suddenly, a scream pierced the air nearby!
Haku's expression darkened, and he immediately dashed toward the sound.
But when he reached the scene, all that remained was a pool of blood on the ground.
"Too late…"
Haku's face fell, but the traces left behind suggested a demon had just attacked. Finding a demon meant finding a lead to the mysterious figure.
As Haku prepared to track the demon using the traces, two figures suddenly lunged from both sides, swinging swords at him!