Chapter 145: Returning Loaded Down! Ren Is Going Home!
Two sets of clothes.
The kind that were rather... intriguing.
"That's right!"
Uzui Tengen proudly declared,
"These are the clothes I prepared for little brother Ren!"
"They're exactly the same as the cute shinobi outfits Hinatsuru and Makio wear!"
"I went to a specialty shop in the red-light district with Hinatsuru and Makio specifically to buy these!"
"When Hinatsuru and Makio first put these clothes on, Big Brother Tengen was deeply inspired!"
Ren: "..."
To be honest, saying that the thought had never crossed his mind would be a lie.
But seriously...
Were these fishnet stockings and black stockings actually real?
No wonder Suma hadn't come over.
The reason was that Suma went bare-legged and wore nothing on her legs, so she had nothing to show off...
Looking at the black stockings and fishnets in front of him, Ren subconsciously imagined what Shinobu and Kanao would look like wearing them.
He involuntarily swallowed.
[Transparent World activated!!!]
Your mind is clear!
[You remind yourself: With no woman in your heart, your sword will naturally become divine!]
You begin using Full Concentration Breathing to imagine black stockings!
[No. You realize your thoughts are wrong. You begin using Full Concentration Breathing to imagine what fishnet stockings would look like!]
[Forget it. You've already exited the Transparent World...]
This was terrible!
Ren was genuinely flustered.
It was his first time activating the domain, and he'd actually failed!
And the reason was two completely ordinary scraps of cloth!
"How about it?"
Uzui Tengen crossed his arms confidently.
"If Shinobu wore this outfit, what do you think little brother Ren would do?"
Ren sneered disdainfully.
"I have my own way of handling this matter. Brother Tengen doesn't need to worry!"
What a joke!
Ren clearly remembered that when the Butterfly sisters had joined the Demon Slayer Corps, there had been a perverted tailor who specifically made clothes for Shinobu.
He had made the same kind of revealing chest-baring outfit that the Love Hashira wore now!
But what had our Shinobu done?
She had burned it right in front of the tailor!
Exactly.
That was how Shinobu handled such things!
Everything was about control.
Whether it was a cold summer or a hot winter, the key was to wrap yourself up as thoroughly as possible!
Ren actually wanted to say:
The girls at the Butterfly Mansion are all very conservative, so please don't defile the Butterfly Mansion with this kind of vulgar nonsense!
Otherwise, with Shinobu's personality, she really would kill Ren!
But...
He couldn't refuse Uzui Tengen's enthusiastic hospitality.
Ren was alone, while Uzui Tengen had four people standing on his side.
After some verbal sparring and half-hearted resistance, Ren ultimately accepted them.
But Ren swore!
He had absolutely never thought about making Kanao and Shinobu wear them!
Absolutely not!
Ren could even activate the Transparent World to prove it!
He planned to find someone along the way and give these things away.
Besides, Shinobu wasn't here right now.
He still had room to maneuver.
Fortunately...
Ren had put the copper coins he earned the previous day into his left pocket.
In his right hand, he carried some dried provisions prepared by Hinatsuru and the others.
His backpack was stuffed with piles of black stockings and fishnets.
With imposing momentum, he set off!
Since the Sound Hashira and his three wives—Hinatsuru and the others—still had some matters to deal with afterward, Tengen didn't travel with Ren.
However, Tengen used Hinatsuru's Kasugai Crow to send a message to the Demon Slayer Corps.
Headquarters would certainly receive the news soon.
But this wasn't Ren's report.
Hinatsuru had already sent one earlier.
This message concerned the slaying of an Upper Rank!
Uzui Tengen could almost imagine the uproar that would erupt when the letter reached Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters.
The letter was long, detailing the entire process and outcome of the battle.
Tengen had also deliberately embellished his own magnificent image, emphasizing all the preparations he had made to help Ren slay Upper Rank Six and so on.
The letter concluded with:
"The two of us are simply amazing!"
Uzui Tengen was already looking forward to the reactions of the other Hashira when they read the letter.
They would surely say:
"My God! As expected of the God of Flashiness! Could this be any more flashy?!"
Just thinking about it made his blood boil!
He, Uzui Tengen, had been waiting for this moment!
Then Ren and Uzui Tengen symbolically shook hands.
The two went their separate ways.
Before leaving, Hinatsuru also gave Ren a train ticket and several boat tickets.
Ren was deeply moved by the gifts.
Hinatsuru and the others knew that Ren's original destination had been the Butterfly Mansion, but the emergency in the red-light district had delayed his return.
On top of that, Ren had saved Tengen's life, so Hinatsuru took the matter very seriously.
That morning, she and Tengen had gone together to purchase train and boat tickets for Ren's return journey.
Everything was meant to make Ren's journey home smoother!
Naturally, Ren didn't pretend to be shy.
How could he possibly refuse a ride?
So before leaving, he left some copper coins and a five-stringed zither in Hinatsuru's room.
Why leave behind a five-stringed zither?
Because ever since their last performance, Ren had felt that Hinatsuru seemed particularly fond of the instrument.
She must really like it.
So, as a gesture of courtesy, Ren also gave something back to the others!
"Helping others feels great. This is the true essence of the Demon Slayer Corps' spirit of mutual assistance!"
Ren sighed and set off!
At night, the red-light district was exceptionally lively.
When the lights came on, the entire street was illuminated.
Cars came and went. Looking up, one could often see successful-looking people in suits and leather shoes holding meetings inside their cars, appearing completely relaxed.
There were many food stalls along the roadside, plenty of children, and an atmosphere filled with the warmth of everyday life.
Looking at the peaceful scene before him, Ren couldn't help but sigh.
"I have to admit, there really is a reason to protect the Demon Slayer Corps."
At least, seeing such a peaceful scene now, that was what Ren thought.
Yesterday's battle with Hantengu had caused destruction across several kilometers, and Ren felt extremely guilty about it.
Although ninety percent of the destruction had been caused by Uzui Tengen and Gyutaro, Ren still bore some responsibility.
After all, he had been there.
Because of certain circumstances, he had delayed killing Gyutaro, which was why the red-light district had suffered such extensive destruction.
Following the ticket information Hinatsuru had provided, Ren found the corresponding vehicle and finally put down his luggage.
"Comfortable."
Ren couldn't help sighing.
The driver in front glanced at Ren's enormous backpack and couldn't help asking,
"Young man, are you going on a picnic or heading into the wilderness for a military operation? Why are you carrying so much stuff?"
Ren sucked in a breath.
He hadn't expected the driver to be so frighteningly accurate in certain respects...
"It's nothing. Just drive."
The vehicle started moving.
Ren slowly closed his eyes.
[You are summarizing your post-battle reflections...]
[Summary.]
Ren certainly hadn't been idle the previous night.
He had already taken the time to learn it while confronting Hantengu.
Inside the vehicle, the young man slowly opened his eyes.
He exhaled a heavy breath of carbon dioxide.
"This... is that the sound of normal breathing...?"