A week later,
Ryou received a message from Tamayo saying that she had been officially invited to join the Demon Slayer Corps, as he guessed. As he read through the message, she mentioned some key details about what they were doing.
Tamayo was now working closely with Shinobu at a secret location, experimenting and developing drugs that may assist the Corps in the coming battle against Muzan.
With Shinobu's expertise in poisons, medicine, and pharmacology, paired with Tamayo's extensive knowledge of demons and their physiology, the research was progressing faster than either of them expected.
Tamayo praised Shinobu, calling her a genius in the field of poison and medicine. With Shinobu's help, she had been able to make progress on things that had troubled her for a long time.
With their combined efforts, they were on the verge of developing a drug that could turn demons back into humans. Along with other drugs, it would help the slayers fight against Muzan.
"Nice," Ryou thought to himself. "Everything's going according to plan."
Standing at the edge of the training field, Ryou watched the slayers collapse to the ground, mentally exhausted, after an intense day of training.
The setting sun bathed the horizon in a warm glow, casting long shadows across the field. Ryou's eyes followed the fading sunlight, and he thought, 'It's time for me to go!'
--
After three hours of running, Ryou arrived at a clearing in the forest. Even before reaching the spot, the faint sound of clashing blades echoed, signaling the intensity of the duel between two swordsmen.
The moonlight illuminated the clearing, casting a silvery glow on the battlefield where Kyojuro and Tengen were locked in a fierce battle, with wooden swords in their hands.
Upon his arrival, Ryou was greeted by this sight as sword energies flew with every impact, each clash sending ripples through the night air.
'Bang!'
The sheer force of their collision generated shockwaves that briefly stirred the air around them. It was a brilliant display of skill and power.
"You're good, Kyojuro. Your moves are flashier than before. Seems like you've honed up after fighting Upper Moon Three," Tengen remarked, with a flashy smile on his face.
Kyojuro laughed heartily with a brilliant look. "Hahaha... I've indeed improved, but against the demons like Upper Moons, it's still not enough."
In a flash, Ryou appeared beside Kanae and Gyomei, who were quietly observing the battle from the sides. He glanced at them and said, "You two arrived earlier than yesterday."
"Namu Amida Butsu!" With his hands clasped in a praying gesture, Gyomei commented. "We need to make the most of this precious time and push ourselves further. Only with strength can we defeat the strong demons and Muzan!"
--
Ryou stood at the center, gripping a wooden bokken in his hand. Across from him, three Hashira—Kyojuro, Tengen, and Gyomei—readied themselves for the upcoming fight.
Though this was a training session, Kanae could tell the air was thick with tension as she watched from the sidelines.
The three Hashira knew very well of Ryou's immense strength and his mastery over his Breathing style. They weren't taking this lightly—they were serious.
This wasn't their first time facing Ryou, as they had been training together for the past week. However, unlike previous days when they fought him one-on-one, today they were fighting as a group, aiming to improve their cooperation.
"Let's begin. Attack me as if you're facing an Upper Moon demon or Muzan himself. Don't worry about injuring me; with your strength, you won't be able to," Ryou said calmly, his eyes scanning the three of them.
Kyojuro, always brimming with spirited enthusiasm, stepped forward, tightening his grip on his wooden sword. "I won't hold back, Ryou!"
"You shouldn't," Ryou chuckled.
Tengen spun his dual wooden blades effortlessly, a grin on his face. "This is going to be flashy!" But his eyes betrayed his seriousness as he knew Ryou's strength well.
Gyomei simply nodded, his grip firm on the wooden weapon resembling a spiked flail and axe. Despite his blindness, his heightened sense of hearing is at the level of Superhuman.
Kyojuro took the initiative, dashing forward with his First Form: Unknowing Fire. At a blinding speed, he came at Ryou and unleashed a powerful downward strike, his form flawless, bearing his entire strength.
'Bang!'
Ryou met Kyojuro's attack head-on, his wooden blade blocking the strike with ease. The clash of wood reverberated across the field as a gust of wind pushed everything aside from the impact.
Kyojuro pressed forward, but Ryou's blade remained unmoved. With slight force, Ryou pushed back, sending Kyojuro stumbling back.
At that exact moment, Tengen rushed in, his dual wooden blades whirled through the air with a sharp whoosh.'Fifth Form: String Performance!' His blades slashed at high speed, almost invisible to the naked eye.
But Ryou parried each attack with precision, his bokken seemingly in multiple places at once. Suddenly, Ryou closed the distance in a flash and delivered a swift kick, sending Tengen flying backward.
At the same time, he dodged his head to the side, evading Gyomei's spiked flail that came at him from his blind spot, the force of the strike ruffling his hair.
Without giving him a moment to breathe, Kyojuro was back again with another passionate strike. Second Form: Rising Scorching Sun! His sword arced upward, aimed directly at Ryou's chest with blazing speed.
Ryou sidestepped casually and, with a swift back-kick, struck Tengen, who had silently sneaked behind him, ready to strike.
At the same time, Ryou's bokken came down with force, slamming into Kyojuro's wooden sword, shattering it, and sending him skidding across the ground.
Without wasting a single movement, his bokken turned into a blur and intercepted Gyomei's spiked flail, the force behind the strike forcing him to skid back.
"What strength, Gyomei-san! You have incredible physical power," Ryou praised, observing him through his transparent world.
"I'm fortunate—I was born with strength beyond that of ordinary people." Gyomei shook his head.