DS Chapter 83: Ren: Shinazugawa, Today I'll Help You Awaken Your Demon Slayer Mark
Kanao's heart was instantly captivated by Ren.
The next moment, his voice rang out.
"Come on, Kanao. Say it with me: 'Pinky promise, a hundred years, never break it.'"
Kanao's cheeks flushed. Although she didn't fully understand what it meant, she obediently repeated in a soft voice,
"Pinky promise... a hundred years... never break it."
Ren blinked.
"Hm? What about the 'if we break it, we swallow a thousand needles' part?"
The girl hesitated before asking shyly,
"Ren... can we skip the thousand needles?"
Ren couldn't help but laugh.
"Of course we can. Then it's just a pinky promise."
"Mhm!"
Kanao smiled sweetly as she hooked her little finger around his.
"Then it's a promise, Ren~!"
Their pinkies intertwined, silently sealing the promise.
The next moment, the girl hurried away, her face burning red.
Watching Kanao's flustered figure disappear into the distance, Ren gently rubbed the finger she had held.
Her faint floral fragrance still lingered.
Above them, the sky was clear as white clouds drifted lazily overhead.
---
In front of the Ubuyashiki Estate.
Standing proudly at the center of the arena, Tengen Uzui enthusiastically announced,
"Please welcome our contestants!"
Boom!
A figure shot onto the stage like a whirlwind.
His face wore a fierce, almost childlike expression, while bulging veins covered his body.
It was obvious he had come ready for battle.
From the opposite side, Katsuragi Ren calmly walked onto the stage.
Dressed in flowing white robes, he carried an almost ethereal aura.
The Nichirin Blade at his waist shimmered brilliantly beneath the sunlight.
The instant Ren stepped onto the stage, Tengen's eyes lit up.
"This kid..."
"He's got a bit of my flair from back in the day."
Tengen stroked his chin as though looking at a younger version of himself.
Elegant.
Handsome.
If the kid also had three wives, he'd truly be the youthful version of Tengen Uzui.
After a moment of admiration, the Sound Hashira dramatically raised his hand.
"On my left, we have the Demon Slayer Corps' Wind Hashira—Sanemi Shinazugawa!"
Once the introduction ended, Tengen immediately moved beside Ren, striking an absurdly flamboyant pose.
"And on my right!"
"The challenger!"
"The genius physician of the Butterfly Mansion!"
"A self-taught Breathing Style prodigy!"
"Possibly the youngest member in Demon Slayer Corps history!"
"The legendary successor of Shinobu Kocho!"
"And second only to me in handsomeness and flamboyance..."
"Katsuragi Ren!"
Whoosh!
The crowd instantly erupted.
"I didn't know Ren had so many titles!"
"Compared to him, even Wind Hashira-sama seems overshadowed!"
"Even Sound Hashira-sama thinks so highly of him!"
"It's a shame his opponent is Wind Hashira-sama!"
"Hurry up and start already!"
---
In the Hashira viewing area, the others quietly watched.
Muichiro Tokito tilted his head.
"How strange... Ren is the same age as me, but he's almost as tall as Tengen-san."
Mitsuri Kanroji clasped her hands together.
"Ahhh! Ren-sama is so handsome~! Even standing beside Uzui-sama, he doesn't lose at all~!"
Obanai Iguro muttered coldly,
"Shinazugawa... kill Ren quickly."
Gyomei Himejima pressed his palms together.
"Namu Amida Butsu."
Meanwhile, Giyu Tomioka gazed at the sky.
"The weather is nice today..."
---
At the younger Demon Slayers' viewing area—
"Heh-heh-heh!"
Inosuke burst into laughter.
"My master really is amazing! Even that God of Festivals thinks so highly of him!"
Zenitsu rolled his eyes.
"Since when did he become your master? Inosuke, stop acting like Ren's biggest fan."
Tanjiro smiled gently.
"Ren-sensei always gives off such a warm feeling."
"He reminds me of my mother."
As he spoke, Tanjiro set down the wooden box on his back and gently patted it.
"Right, Nezuko?"
Inside the box came a cheerful response.
"Mhm! Mhm!"
---
On the upper floor of the estate.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki watched quietly.
"Ren has truly grown."
"I can feel how much his presence has changed."
Amane Ubuyashiki nodded with a gentle smile.
"When we first met him, he still seemed like an inexperienced child."
"Now..."
"He feels like someone who has completely matured."
The couple exchanged warm smiles.
---
At the center of the arena, the three men stood facing one another.
The atmosphere grew increasingly tense.
Tengen glanced toward Kagaya.
After receiving Amane's nod of approval, he loudly declared,
"Contestants!"
"Show us your most flamboyant selves!"
"Begin!"
Whoosh!
The instant the words left his mouth, the Sound Hashira vanished from the stage.
Yet the battle everyone expected did not begin immediately.
Neither side moved.
Both silently observed the other, waiting for someone to make the first move.
Then Ren broke the silence.
"Shinazugawa..."
"Do you still want to awaken your Demon Slayer Mark?"
Sanemi narrowed his eyes.
Unsure what Ren was planning, he answered flatly,
"Why bring that up now?"
"I lost yesterday."
"You don't need to tell me how to awaken it."
Ren slowly shook his head.
"Not exactly."
"Yesterday ended in a draw."
"I was the one who collapsed first."
"So..."
"As a housewarming gift for moving into the Butterfly Mansion..."
"Today, I'll help you awaken your Demon Slayer Mark."
"...?"
Sanemi looked utterly baffled.
If awakening the Mark were really that easy...
Why would I have struggled for so long?
You're saying you can make me awaken it just by saying so?
Disbelief filled his face.
As if reading his thoughts, Ren calmly continued,
"Do you remember the conditions required to awaken the Demon Slayer Mark?"
Closing his eyes, Ren deliberately increased the vibration of every muscle throughout his body.
His body temperature steadily rose.
From the base of his neck, a strange black, cloud-like pattern slowly spread across his skin.
His Demon Slayer Mark emerged.
Opening his eyes, Ren exposed the mark on his neck without hesitation.
Pointing toward it, he explained,
"This is the Demon Slayer Mark."
"Simply put, it's awakened by raising your body temperature."
"The principle itself isn't difficult."
Sanemi stared intently at the mark.
A trace of envy flashed through his eyes.
The Master had repeatedly emphasized the importance of the Demon Slayer Mark.
Because of that, Sanemi had desperately tried to awaken his own.
Yet no matter what he did...
He always failed.
Then he noticed something different.
Compared to the first time he had seen it...
Ren's mark had changed.
It now possessed a distinct shape.
The black markings linked together like drifting clouds, intertwining into a single continuous pattern around his neck.
It was no longer the scattered, tadpole-like design from before.
His understanding of the Demon Slayer Mark...
...has reached an entirely different level.
After a brief silence, Sanemi asked,
"So I just need to keep increasing my body temperature?"
"No."
Ren shook his head.
"High body temperature is only the prerequisite."
"It isn't the catalyst."
"You're still missing one final trigger."
"A trigger?"
Sanemi frowned.
"What am I missing?"
Ren smiled faintly.
"A true life-or-death situation."
Swish!
A blade flashed through the air.
The sound was as soft and fleeting as butterfly wings.
Without the slightest warning, Ren drew his Nichirin Blade at blinding speed—
And thrust it straight toward Sanemi!