The occasional flashes of red light in the night sky went largely unnoticed by the people of this world. Even those who saw it would likely dismiss it as fireworks or something else.
Only Shinji, wielding the 'Lamp,' knew that those fleeting red glimmers were the gaze of the Hegemon, cast from the depths of the cosmos.
"This world has been locked onto…"
Shinji couldn't help but sigh.
He still remembered the soul-shaking devastation of witnessing a world's destruction. Before the Hegemon, everything in existence seemed utterly insignificant.
Reining in his thoughts, Shinji lowered his head in contemplation, "Given the energy intensity of this Demon Slayer world, no matter how much the mysterious figure trains, they couldn't resist the Hegemon. So, their invasion of the shinobi world is likely, nine times out of ten, to escape the Hegemon's scrutiny."
His brow furrowed slightly.
"But how does invading the shinobi world help achieve the goal of freeing the Demon Slayer world from the Hegemon's gaze?"
The mysterious figure's invasions weren't chaotic, large-scale assaults.
This was evident from the fact that they didn't mobilize ordinary people from the Demon Slayer world, only deploying elite forces—demons and select Demon Slayer Corps members—to invade the shinobi world.
Moreover, their invasions often focused on anchoring the shinobi world's coordinates and targeting Shinji, the shinobi world's 'Lampbearer.'
"They're so determined to find and eliminate me because, as the 'Lampbearer,' I must be interfering with their plans." Pausing, Shinji thought, "It seems to uncover the truth, I'll need to capture the mysterious figure first!"
...
Mount Sagiri.
Thud.
Haku sent one opponent flying with a kick, then sidestepped to dodge a wooden sword strike from another. With a downward swing of his own wooden sword, he knocked the second opponent to the ground.
"Ouch!"
"How is this possible?!"
"Is this guy really a newbie?"
The Demon Slayer Corps trainees, sprawled across the ground, either groaned in pain or stared at Haku in disbelief.
What was supposed to be a group sparring session had turned into Haku's personal showcase.
Facing seven opponents alone, he defeated them all in less than a minute, effortlessly knocking down trainees who had arrived months before him.
Nearby, Sakonji Urokodaki stood with his hands behind his back, silently observing, appearing calm.
But if not for the 'Tengu' mask concealing his face, others would have seen that his astonishment matched theirs.
Ahem, ahem.
Clearing his throat twice, Urokodaki signaled Haku to follow and turned to leave.
Haku understood and followed.
Leaving the training ground, Urokodaki said to Haku, "Kori, those training exercises are no longer suitable for you. Starting tomorrow, we'll begin new training!"
Haku asked, "What kind of training?"
Urokodaki opened his mouth but paused, finally saying, "You'll find out tomorrow!"
"Yes!"
Haku nodded lightly.
Today, he had tested the waters several times and found that the Corps members on Mount Sagiri seemed unaware of shinobi or, more precisely, the shinobi world.
Even Urokodaki, the veteran who had trained two Pillars, appeared to know nothing of the shinobi world or chakra.
"With the Demon Slayer Corps' strength, the mysterious figure should have easily wiped them out. So why have they been able to hold their own against demons for centuries?"
Haku temporarily suppressed this question.
As a mere trainee, he'd likely need to become an official Corps member to uncover the deeper secrets between the Corps and demons.
The next morning.
Urokodaki called Haku to a waterfall on Mount Sagiri.
Haku asked curiously, "Teacher, why did you bring me here?"
Urokodaki slowly drew the sword at his waist, pointing it toward the nearby waterfall. "Watch closely—I'll only demonstrate once!"
Haku had noticed that Urokodaki was different today, wearing a sword at his waist. Seeing him draw it now, Haku's interest surged.
Whoosh.
Urokodaki leaped into the air, shouting, "Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash!"
A horizontal blade of energy shot out, striking the cascading waterfall, cleanly slicing it for a brief moment!
Haku's pupils contracted at the sight.
Though Urokodaki's age had diminished his strength, the moment he unleashed the Breathing Technique, his swordsmanship remained razor-sharp.
But what shocked Haku wasn't Urokodaki's precise swordplay. It was that, as he watched Urokodaki perform Water Breathing's 'First Form: Water Surface Slash,' the image instantly overlapped with the figure of the demonized swordsman from the unforgettable battle on the island.
"No mistake—the mysterious swordsman on that island was a Demon Slayer Corps member who trained in 'Water Breathing'!"
Landing lightly, Urokodaki turned to Haku. "Did you see it clearly?"
Haku didn't respond, instead drawing the wooden sword at his waist.
After the island battle, he had privately practiced the 'First Form: Water Surface Slash' countless times, but no matter how he tried, it always lacked a certain essence.
Now he finally understood—the missing piece was the accompanying Breathing Technique, 'Water Breathing'!
On the other side of the waterfall.
Seeing Haku slowly draw his wooden sword, mimicking his earlier stance, Urokodaki's face filled with astonishment.
In his mind, no matter how talented Haku was, mastering 'First Form: Water Surface Slash' in a single day was beyond the realm of genius.
Yet, deep down, a faint hope stirred. With the Corps' current dire situation, only the emergence of an extraordinary talent could reverse their decline!
"Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash!"
At that moment, Haku let out a soft shout, leaping high and swinging his wooden sword with precise angles, moving with the steadiness of a veteran.
Whoosh.
In an instant, a blade of energy shot out, once again slicing through the waterfall!
"This?!"
Urokodaki was stunned. He never imagined Haku could master 'First Form: Water Surface Slash' after watching him perform it just once.
He fell into a daze, recalling his own arduous training in 'Water Breathing' and his missing disciples, Giyu Tomioka and Tanjiro Kamado.
In his eyes, those two were rare geniuses, but compared to Haku…
Yet, something even stranger happened!
The severed waterfall didn't resume its flow. Instead, it rapidly froze, spreading upward. In the blink of an eye, the waterfall transformed into a chilling glacier.