Chapter 72: Kaito Shirogane's Revenge, From Morn till Night
"Mr. Tao, the Master is aware of your contributions. He has instructed me to tell you that the Ubuyashiki Clan will do everything in its power to satisfy any request you may have. We only ask that you continue to help us… hunt down Muzan."
Gyomei Himejima knelt seiza-style on the tatami mat, yet he still loomed like a small mountain. Kaito estimated that his basic attributes were likely all approaching the 20-point "limit." In the Infinite Space, reaching 20 points in a foundational attribute would trigger a "Limit Break," granting a special proficiency or ability. It was the most basic requirement for advancing to the [Strong]-tier.
When a [Paper]-tier Reincarnator's four attributes (Strength, Agility, Constitution, and Spirit) exceeded a total of 40 points, the Nexus would judge them eligible to accept the advancement quest to the [Mortal]-tier. As long as a Reincarnator didn't die and kept completing missions, it was a stage that all of them would theoretically reach, and the quest itself wasn't prohibitively difficult. Killing a single [Mortal]-tier enemy, for a resourceful Reincarnator, wasn't impossible. With the right conditions, enough high-explosive grenades could get the job done.
But the threshold for the [Strong]-tier was much, much higher.
Kaito knew that Gyomei's offer was, in its own way, the opening of the Demon Slayer Corps' reputation store. But this faction mostly offered swordsmanship and Breathing Styles, things Kaito wasn't particularly interested in.
He thought for a moment, then spoke. "Can you let me read all of the branched Breathing Styles?"
Gyomei froze. Behind him, Kanae Kocho and Sanemi Shinazugawa—who had just arrived—both had complicated expressions. The request was incredibly greedy. The only reason the Demon Slayer Corps could fight demons at all was because of the Breathing Styles passed down for hundreds of years. In a sense, they were the Ubuyashiki Clan's most precious treasure.
Kaito, seeing their hesitation, smiled with an air of indifference and added, "In return, although I will not continue to hunt Muzan personally, I will find a way to teach you that breathing method... the one that allows you to kill demons with your bare hands."
SCREEE…
Gyomei shot to his feet, the sound of his tensed muscles like grinding steel gears. He remained in a half-risen crouch, his solid white eyes wide.
"Kill demons… with your bare hands…"
He hadn't witnessed Kaito's battle himself, but he had sensed his aura. He knew this "Mercenary Tao" was a rare master with an incredibly powerful physique. Kanae had described to him how the man could kill a demon with a single, casual touch, how every demon struck by his golden, ripple-like breathing had dissolved into ash, unable to regenerate.
And this man was willing to teach them such a power?!!
[NOTICE: ID# Ex051, the Nexus cannot directly "write" abilities into non-Reincarnators.]
[NOTICE: ID# Ex051, introducing items or abilities from other worlds will cause unpredictable changes to the current world. Such changes will prevent the corresponding Singularities from being generated.]
Kaito wasn't trying to trick Gyomei, but the moment the thought formed, two crimson warnings appeared before him. He looked at the two "warning" messages, but far from being deterred, he used them to understand the Nexus's deeper mechanics.
First: The Nexus used the word "write" to describe the way it granted skills via scrolls or the Goddess. This was the language of programming, not mysticism. Combined with the absolute precision of the Nexus's mission descriptions, Kaito had reason to believe the Nexus itself was a non-sentient entity. If it were a high-level mystical consciousness, it would have used words like "infuse" or "bestow."
Second: Singularities were the product of a Reincarnator's actions causing a divergence in the world's original plot, thus creating a new branch of destiny. But in this world, he had received no Singularities for killing Douma or Kokushibo. At first, Kaito thought it was because they weren't strong enough, but now it seemed it was related to the world itself.
The warning stated that if his introduction of a foreign ability caused an unpredictable change, that change would not generate a Singularity. This was very interesting. If a player wanted to cause a massive plot divergence, the easiest way, aside from killing the protagonist, was to introduce something that didn't belong, such as spreading high technology in a primitive world. But the Nexus was stating that this kind of change yields no reward.
In other words, if his previous understanding was correct—that the Nexus was a hive and Reincarnators were its worker bees, sent to various worlds to collect precious [Information]—then fresh, native changes were the "information" it desired most, for which it rewarded [Singularities]. But any change born from the interaction and contamination of two different worlds' information was data the Nexus did not want, and thus, offered no reward.
Taking it one step further, Kaito now understood why he hadn't received Singularities for killing Kokushibo and Douma. Because the change to this world's Muzan was not a natural event. Muzan's "enlightenment" must have been caused by another Reincarnator using some foreign item or ability.
The Twenty-Two Tarot, bestowed upon The Chosen. Card Number II… [The High Priestess]. So that's the true nature of her special ability.
"Although, I can't guarantee you'll be able to learn it," Kaito said, finishing his thought. "I am simply willing to leave the technique behind for you. After all…"
"Muzan Kibutsuji thinks he outplayed me. I really ought to leave him a little surprise, don't you think?"
Kaito was not a generous person. On the contrary, he was extremely competitive. Both Vincent and Muzan believed they had gotten the better of him. He needed to teach them both a lesson. Given Muzan's cowardly nature, he would almost certainly go into deep hiding. In that case, Kaito's only option was to leave behind the ultimate anti-demon weapon in this world: [Hamon].
As for Vincent… Kaito felt the man had made a critical miscalculation. A Reincarnator's battle doesn't just stay in the mission world…
There is an old saying: "A gentleman's revenge can wait ten years."
But Kaito Shirogane's revenge was from morn till night.
"What you stole from me, you will pay back with interest."
Gyomei immediately used his Kasugai Crow to contact the Master, finalizing the deal. The cultivators for every branch of the Breathing Styles were dispatched by the Kakushi at all costs, arriving in Kyoto within half a day.
~~~
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