The next day... around eleven in the morning... the golden sun in the sky burned with relentless passion, leaving Tanjiro nearly exhausted as he wiped the sweat from his brow. Since it was daytime, only he and the Shogun were traveling together; Nezuko, as usual, hid inside her box.
After passing through Tokyo Prefecture, they found themselves on another wide countryside road. The path was a smooth dirt road surrounded by farmland. They had grown accustomed to such scenery. However, this area was unusually open—completely devoid of trees—so the sunlight was overwhelmingly intense.
"So hot..."
Tanjiro trudged forward weakly, muttering under his breath.
The Shogun, walking behind him, seemed completely unaffected. After all, she had a parasol. Resting it lightly against her shoulder, she blocked the slanting sunlight perfectly. Moreover, she wasn't wearing her casual kimono today but rather her Raiden Shogun attire—her short dragon-bellflower-patterned kimono dress. Since it was a mini skirt, her upper thighs were exposed, and the front of her chest was partly open, making it relatively cool.
Her casual kimono was also short but had a closed collar, which, combined with her well-developed figure, made it stifling in this heat. So she had chosen to keep her current outfit.
"East-southeast! East-southeast!"
Flutter!
Just then, a crow swooped down in front of Tanjiro, squawking repeatedly in its shrill voice, endlessly repeating, "East-southeast!"—so loudly it made his head spin.
That must be the crow that guides the Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen during missions, right? Shinobu had explained it before—it served as a sort of task reminder.
"I know, I know! Just be quiet for a second, please!"
Tanjiro, already overheated and irritable, couldn't help snapping back at the noisy bird.
"East-southeast!! Caw!!!"
The crow, however, grew even more insistent—flapping its wings furiously as it landed on his shoulder, threatening to smack him in the face if he didn't start moving.
"Ugh... please, I know! Just let me rest a bit before we go!"
Tanjiro looked about ready to collapse.
"East-southeast! No resting! No—!"
Whoosh!
Thwack!
"Caw!!!"
Flutter!
A pebble flew with perfect accuracy, striking the noisy bird's wing. With a shriek, it panicked and fled, leaving behind a few drifting feathers.
"Cough, cough..."
Tanjiro waved the feathers away, coughing a few times.
"...Noisy creature."
The Shogun murmured coldly, brushing off her hands. She had held back—otherwise, that bird's head would've been blown clean off.
[Shogun...]
'What is it?'
[Don't be so impatient... You've been getting rather irritable lately.]
Ei's gentle voice spoke within her mind.
'Really? I hadn't noticed.'
The Shogun blinked, sounding mildly embarrassed.
[It's fine... Just try to stay calm, alright? Keep yourself balanced.]
Ei's tone was soft and motherly. She knew her daughter was entering a kind of "adolescent" phase—emotionally unstable at times. As her mother, she needed to guide her with care.
'Understood...'
The Shogun answered obediently.
[Good.]
Ei smiled warmly. Despite her "adolescence," her daughter wasn't rebellious at all—her upbringing had been impeccable.
"Please, I'm begging you! I'm begging you!!!"
"?" ×2
At that moment, both of them heard a familiar young male voice up ahead—pleading desperately.
When they approached, they saw the source.
It was the same boy they'd seen during the Final Selection—the blond-haired, yellow-clad coward. He was kneeling before a girl, seemingly pestering her.
"L-Let me go!!"
The girl struggled to pull free from his grip, shaking him off desperately, but he clung to her shoulders like a lifeline.
"Please don't do this! Please, marry me! I'm begging you! I don't know when I'll die—please, just this once!"
The boy shouted, tears streaming down his face, looking utterly miserable.
"Miss Raiden... isn't that..."
Tanjiro stared at the crying blond boy before him, his face vaguely familiar.
"He's the one who passed the Final Selection with us..."
The Shogun reminded him softly.
"Right! That's him!" Tanjiro nodded as realization struck.
"Help! Somebody help me! There's a pervert here! Big sister over there, please help me!"
The girl being harassed shrank back in fear. When her eyes accidentally landed on the Shogun, they lit up as if she'd just found salvation itself. She stretched out a trembling hand toward her savior.
"Ahaha... I'll come—eh?"
Tanjiro froze, glancing back at the Shogun in confusion. Why did she skip him and call for her instead?!
"...Haa."
Crack.
The Shogun sighed quietly, stepped forward, and grabbed the blond boy by the back of his collar—lifting him effortlessly into the air like a sack of rice.
"Wahhh! What—what's happening?!"
The boy flailed like a giant fish caught on a line, his eyes wide in shock as he turned toward her.
"Y-You... you're..."
He paled instantly upon seeing her.
"If you want to get married, then don't die. If you want to die, then don't get married. Understand?"
Who did he think he was pestering here?
"Eh?"
He blinked dumbly.
Without another word, the Shogun casually tossed him to the ground as if throwing out garbage.
Thud!
"Ow! That hurts!!"
He clutched his backside, whining in pain.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing in broad daylight?! That girl clearly didn't want this!" Tanjiro took the opportunity to scold him harshly.
"Eh? You're... wait, you two... how—"
He finally recognized them—it was the pair he'd seen during the selection exam!
"What do you mean, 'you two'? I don't even know you!" Tanjiro said, stepping back in disgust and waving his hand dismissively.
"No way! That's so cold! We just saw each other not long ago!!"
"When did I ever see you?!"
And thus began their argument.
The Shogun ignored them, turning instead toward the girl she had just rescued.
"Are you alright?" she asked calmly.
"Y-Yes... thank you, my... my savior///"
The girl turned bright red upon seeing the Shogun's face, quickly averting her eyes and rubbing her hands together nervously in front of her chest.
So beautiful... such a gorgeous lady...! Her heart pounded wildly in her chest.
"Hey, you! Don't get in the way! That girl's gonna marry me! She loves me! There's a proper order to these things—"
"!!"
The girl snapped.
Smack!!
A powerful slap echoed through the air, stirring up a gust of wind. The blond boy spun in place, saliva flying, before collapsing perfectly onto the ground.
Thud!
A heavy silence followed.
"Huff... huff..."
The girl exhaled heavily, trying to calm her rising anger. Then she turned back to the Shogun nervously.
"I-I'm sorry, I just—"
"It's fine. As a woman, it's important to know how to defend yourself. Well done."
The Shogun's expression softened slightly. She hadn't expected the girl to act so decisively. Resting her chin in her hand, she nodded approvingly.
"///!"
The girl flushed even redder. Just that simple praise made her heart race all over again. What kind of magic did this woman have—to make her feel like this?
"Are you feeling unwell?" The Shogun tilted her head slightly, puzzled by the girl's dazed expression.
"N-No! I'm fine! I-I should go! Ahaha! S-see you later, beautiful lady~!"
Flustered, she waved awkwardly while running off, glancing back over her shoulder the whole way.
"..."
The Shogun watched her leave in silence, her expression faintly puzzled.
'Ei...'
[Hm?]
'I didn't say anything wrong, did I?'
[No, you didn't.]
'Then why did she...'
[I'm not sure... If it were me, I'd probably act the same way you did. Perhaps she simply had something else to do.]
Ei soothed her gently.
'Let's hope that's all...'
The Shogun murmured, dropping the matter as quickly as it came.
Facing the trembling blond boy before her—whose demeanor resembled that of a frightened puppy—the Shogun crouched down, meeting his gaze directly.
"Ah!"
He flinched, scooting backward on his rear as if terrified of her.
"...We've met before," she said softly.
"Y-Yes... we have." He nodded quickly, stammering as he did.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"M-My name's Zenitsu Agatsuma."
He replied timidly, voice trembling.
"You're heading east-southeast as well?" Tanjiro stepped up beside him, asking curiously.
"Y-Yeah... that sparrow told me to go that way."
He pointed to the small sparrow perched on the Shogun's shoulder—a chubby, dazed-looking creature glancing left and right with comical seriousness.
"Chirp chirp~!"
The bird's cry sounded oddly like a little girl's voice—clearly not a normal sparrow.
"I see... then let's travel together. It'll be safer with more company," Tanjiro suggested, then instinctively glanced at the Shogun for approval.
"Are you certain he won't slow us down?" she asked.
"Uh... probably not... I think." Tanjiro wasn't entirely sure himself. After witnessing Zenitsu's earlier behavior, he had mixed feelings.
"Hey! Don't look at me like I'm trash!" Zenitsu clutched his chest dramatically, as if wounded by the Shogun's unimpressed expression.
"Sigh... he's definitely going to slow us down." The Shogun shook her head, now certain. At first, she wasn't sure—but now, yes, she was convinced this one was going to be trouble. Still, he must have some skill to have survived the Final Selection; an ordinary person would've died long ago.
"..."
She turned her gaze back toward him.
"Eek!!" He flinched again, shivering visibly.
"You're afraid of me?" she asked, genuinely puzzled.
"O-Of course! You—you picked me up with one hand just now! And during that fight with that rude guy earlier—you used lightning! Are you sure you're not a demon?!"
In his mind, only demons possessed such overwhelming strength. That lightning attack especially—its nature and form were far too similar to Blood Demon Arts. There was no way it was a Breathing Technique! He could tell instantly—after all, he himself was a practitioner of Thunder Breathing. The color, the feel, the force of that electricity—completely different leagues!
"Then... do you think I'm a demon?" The Shogun asked in mild exasperation, returning his question calmly.
"No..." He shook his head firmly.
"Why?" she asked.
"Because there's no way a demon could be that beautiful," he blurted out.
"Pfft!!"
Tanjiro couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"What?! What are you laughing at?!" Zenitsu shouted, face red with embarrassment.
"Sorry, sorry... it's just that your 'worldview' is still a bit narrow." Tanjiro chuckled, trying to hold back more laughter. "Saying there's no beautiful demon... then what about Lady Tamayo? Or Nezuko?"
"Wha—?!" Zenitsu froze, utterly confused. He had no idea what Tanjiro was even talking about. Meanwhile, the woman before him showed no change in expression. Still... wow. Now that he looked closely—she really was a breathtakingly beautiful woman!
"Sigh... enough, Tanjiro."
The Shogun shook her head and rose gracefully to her feet. "Tanjiro."
"Yes, Miss Raiden!" He straightened instantly.
"Keep an eye on him. Just make sure he doesn't cause trouble."
Without waiting for a reply, she turned and began walking forward. The two boys hurried to follow.
"Right!" Tanjiro nodded, pulling Zenitsu along.
"Come on, let's go with her."
"O-Oh... you guys are also..." Zenitsu trailed off curiously.
"That's right. We're the same as you," Tanjiro said.
"She is, too?" Zenitsu asked, glancing ahead at the woman's back—the dignified, commanding figure walking before them.
"No, Miss Raiden did go to the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters, but... her purpose was different," Tanjiro explained.
"So... she's not a demon?" Zenitsu asked again, still fixated on the question.
"Of course not! Miss Raiden isn't a demon—she's a member of the Demon Slayer Corps. I think she's even a newly appointed Pillar."
"A P-Pillar?!" Zenitsu gawked at the woman walking ahead, his eyes wide in disbelief.
"Yeah! Miss Raiden is really strong—on a level that's just insane! In the Demon Slayer Corps, only the Pillars have that kind of strength!" Tanjiro said with confidence, nodding proudly to himself as if to say, My deduction skills are flawless!
"If you two don't keep up, I'll leave you behind."
From up ahead came the Shogun's cool, commanding voice—tinged with a faint, elegant sharpness that made it clear she wasn't joking.
"Ah! Sorry! We're coming! Zenitsu, move!"
Crack!
Without hesitation, Tanjiro grabbed Zenitsu by the arm and started running, paying no attention to the poor boy's protests.
"Ahhh!! Not so hard! My arm's going to break!!" Zenitsu wailed as he was dragged along.
...
After several minutes of travel, the three made their way off the countryside road and into a dense forest. The trees towered high above them, their numbers so thick that the sky was barely visible through the canopy. Birdsong echoed through the woods, and the ground was overgrown with grass nearly reaching their ankles.
Fortunately, a dirt path cut through the forest's center, just wide enough to walk through without fear of getting lost.
Tap, tap, tap...
Their footsteps filled the quiet woods, the soft rustle of soil and leaves beneath their feet blending with the distant calls of wildlife.
"...!"
Suddenly, Tanjiro froze. His nostrils flared slightly. He smelled it—a demon's scent. Strong and close.
"Miss Raiden!" he called urgently.
The Shogun turned back, her expression calm yet questioning. "What is it?"
"I smell a demon nearby—very close."
A demon's scent...
Upon hearing his words, she narrowed her eyes slightly and scanned their surroundings. Yet, despite her heightened senses, there was no trace of movement anywhere.
Bzzz—
She activated her Elemental Vision. Within the violet-tinted world, no disturbance appeared—no energy fluctuations, not even the faintest echo of presence. Even a sonar pulse yielded nothing.
"Do you know its location?" she asked once her vision returned to normal.
"Yes! I can follow the trail straight to it!" Tanjiro nodded with determination.
"Lead the way." The Shogun ordered softly.
"Right!!" Tanjiro answered firmly. Even if she hadn't come, he would've gone alone—but having Miss Raiden with him was more reassuring than anything.
"W-We're going after a demon?!" Zenitsu's face turned pale as paper.
"We're Demon Slayers, Zenitsu. Of course we're going after it! Are you sleepwalking?" Tanjiro shot him an exasperated look.
"B-But people die fighting demons!!" Zenitsu cried, clutching Tanjiro's sleeve as if his life depended on it, his feet dragging against the dirt like he was surfing through sheer terror.
"Zenitsu..." Tanjiro sighed, turning to look at him helplessly.
"If we don't go, it's the innocent who'll die instead. If that's your decision, we'll just leave you here," the Shogun said plainly, arms crossed, eyes cold and unconcerned. She gestured lightly toward the woods. "Tanjiro, let him stay."
"Uh... right, okay." Tanjiro replied awkwardly. If Zenitsu refused, there wasn't much else they could do.
"N-No, wait!! Don't leave me alone—I'll die out here! I'm coming! I'm coming, alright?!" Zenitsu immediately caved, clutching Tanjiro's arm like a terrified lover.
"Ugh... fine! Just—don't cling to me like that!" Tanjiro tried to shake him off, but Zenitsu clung tighter, refusing to let go.
"Don't let me go!! Uwahhh!!" he wailed, tears streaming down his face.
"Ugh... fine, fine—just move already!" Tanjiro gave up entirely.
"Honestly... what a troublesome man," the Shogun murmured, shaking her head with quiet exasperation as she followed them deeper into the forest, tracing the direction of the demon's scent.
[Such righteous words, Shogun,] Ei teased lightly in her mind.
"What?" she replied aloud, too lazy to keep it internal.
[What you said just now, about killing demons.]
"Hmph... demons are meant to be slain. Besides, I'm part of the Demon Slayer Corps now. Killing demons is only natural."
[True enough...] Ei's voice softened with amusement.
After all... when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
A small smile tugged at her lips as Ei closed her eyes once more.