Horitake swung the Blade of Weiguang, slicing toward Tanjirou's scalp with a ferocious Tempest's Final Slash!
Crack! Tanjirou's slightly overgrown hair was sheared off, the severed strands scattering into the wind whipped up by the sword's fierce gust.
Whoosh! The tempest unleashed by the slash sent the trees behind Tanjirou swaying violently.
From above, the dense canopy rippled like a turbulent green wave, the gust roaring into the distance!
And Tanjirou?
The poor kid was petrified.
He hadn't even reacted. Beyond the tension gripping his body, he felt a chill above his scalp. By the time he registered it, Horitake was already behind him.
Tanjirou heard the howling wind, touched his newly shortened hair, and turned to face Horitake, dazed.
This… is just a glimpse of Horitake-senpai's power?
How does he feel stronger than Master Urokodaki?
Urokodaki thought to himself, Your instincts are spot-on. In my youth, I might've matched him, but now, in my old age, I'm no match for Horitake.
Horitake sheathed Weiguang with a crisp snap, grinning at Tanjirou. "So, Tanjirou, how's it feel?"
Tanjirou shook his head, still stunned. "Not… great."
"Hahaha! If it didn't feel great, then get stronger. Once you can trade a few blows with me, you'll be ready for the Demon Slayer Corps."
As soon as he spoke, the system's voice rang in Horitake's mind.
It had been a while since the system last spoke up.
Ding! The host has displayed a portion of their strength before Tanjirou, showing him there are mountains beyond mountains, heavens beyond heavens. This has disrupted fate, triggering a negative butterfly effect: Tamayo's Peril!
Horitake's expression darkened. Through mental communication, he raged at the system. Whose peril?
Tamayo's peril!
That beautiful demon doctor?!
Precisely!
What kind of nonsense is this?! Horitake nearly roared in his mind. Tanjirou and Tamayo have no connection right now—they're worlds apart! How could disrupting fate here affect her?!
The butterfly effect is unpredictable, uncontrollable, and unfathomable.
Oh, come on!
Cursing the system won't change the reality of the negative butterfly effect.
Then why didn't discovering the Blue Spider Lily in Nezuko—a massive deal—trigger a butterfly effect, but this small act did?!
The host's discovery of the Blue Spider Lily did trigger a butterfly effect—a positive one. The system does not notify the host of beneficial outcomes. This negative butterfly effect was triggered by a minor act because fate demands balance. Every positive butterfly effect is followed by a negative one to maintain equilibrium.
This was the first time Horitake had heard the system's balance theory. He mulled it over. So, I've caused positive butterfly effects before, but since they were good, you didn't notify me or assign tasks?
The host is correct.
Horitake sighed, exasperated. Fine, whatever. Tell me, what kind of crisis is Tamayo facing? What's the task this time?
Ding! System Task Issued: Resolve the negative butterfly effect—Tamayo's Peril!
The kind demon doctor Tamayo has been living in hiding in Tokyo's Asakusa district, treating patients while researching a way to turn demons back into humans. However, an imminent accident will expose her to other demons, putting her in grave danger!
The host must prevent Tamayo's crisis and save her.
Friendly Reminder: The accident and crisis will occur within the next 48 hours. If the host prevents the accident, the crisis will be averted. If the host fails to act in time, the crisis will unfold as destined.
Task Success Reward: Thunder Breathing, Third Form, and its derived techniques.
Task Failure Penalty: Tamayo's death, potentially preventing Nezuko from ever becoming human again.
Horitake listened silently, his mind racing.
This mission was to save Tamayo.
There was no question—she had to be saved. Not only was Tamayo kind-hearted, but she was crucial to Nezuko's chance of becoming human again. In the original story, it was Tamayo who developed the drug to revert demons to humans.
She was, without a doubt, vital.
Another critical factor was time.
Horitake calculated mentally. Forty-eight hours. If I travel at full speed to Asakusa, Tokyo… I can make it!
With that, he turned to Tanjirou and Urokodaki, his tone grave. "Tanjirou, Master Urokodaki, something urgent has come up. I have to leave immediately to handle it!"
Tanjirou, still reeling from his hair-shearing experience, didn't react right away.
Urokodaki stepped forward, his voice steady. "If it's urgent, go."
Tanjirou snapped out of it, nodding quickly. "Right! Horitake-senpai's a Demon Slayer now, not as free as before. If there's urgent business, go take care of it!"
Horitake looked at Tanjirou, offering one final instruction. "Take care of Nezuko and train hard under Master Urokodaki."
"I will!" Tanjirou promised.
Horitake exchanged a glance with Urokodaki.
Then, activating his spirit vision, he spotted the souls of Sabito and Makomo in the distance. With a subtle nod, he bid them farewell.
Sabito and Makomo waved back, smiling.
No loose ends. Time was of the essence.
A flash of purple lightning crackled around him, and Horitake bolted eastward, his speed like a thunderbolt tearing through the air. He left Sagiri Mountain in a blur.
Watching Horitake's lightning-fast figure vanish, Urokodaki mused, "It must be truly urgent. He's even using Thunder Breathing to travel."
Tanjirou, thoughtful, ventured, "Could it be… Horitake-senpai saw something in the future, something urgent, and that's why he's rushing off?"
"It's possible," Urokodaki replied.
Tanjirou, you're closer to the truth than you know.
"Enough, Tanjirou. You've seen Horitake's strength. You've got a long way to go to reach his level. Grip your sword—we're resuming training!"
"Yes, Master Urokodaki!"
Meanwhile, Horitake sped through the mountains, his form a mere flicker of purple lightning, too fast to be seen as human. Onlookers might mistake him for a spirit or divine phenomenon.
As he raced, Horitake pondered. Tamayo's lived for centuries. She's one of the oldest demons. Even if she focuses on research, her strength can't be weak. What could threaten her?
It has to be someone at least as strong as her. An Upper Rank of the Twelve Kizuki… or even Muzan Kibutsuji himself?
Please, not Muzan.
If it was Muzan, Horitake's only option would be to abandon Yushiro and flee with Tamayo at full speed.
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