Butterfly Shinobu's voice halted Lixuan just as he was about to take a step forward.
"Hm?"
He turned his head, visibly confused.
"Have you ever eaten a human?" Shinobu asked softly, her head lowered and voice laced with quiet intensity.
"Why would I eat humans?" Lixuan replied gently, his tone calm and composed as always. "Even after becoming a demon, I've never had the desire to eat people, nor have I ever done so."
"For me, demonization is merely a method of enhancing strength, similar to how a swordsman uses breathing techniques. It's nothing more than a tool."
"Is that explanation acceptable to you?"
This was exactly why Lixuan never wanted to reveal his demonized form while among the human faction. It would cause more trouble than it was worth.
"I will trust you, for now," Shinobu said, lifting her gaze. Her hand relaxed, no longer resting on the hilt of her Nichirin blade, and she returned to her usual serene and gentle demeanor.
She smiled, but to Lixuan, it looked slightly forced.
No matter how well she imitated her sister, Kanae, Butterfly Shinobu would always be herself. Kanae was irreplaceable.
At that moment, Lady Ubuyashiki, having calmed the frightened Loya, approached and leaned down to whisper into Kagaya Ubuyashiki's ear.
"Oh?" Kagaya murmured with quiet surprise.
Moments later, he looked toward Lixuan and Shinobu. "There has been a report of a powerful demon sighted on Mount Natagumo. Some of our Demon Slayer Corps members have encountered it. It might even be one of the Twelve Kizuki. We urgently need reinforcements. Can I count on the two of you to assist?"
"Understood," Shinobu responded with a graceful nod.
"All right," Lixuan said, recognizing this as the moment in the original timeline when Tanjiro faced Rui, the Lower Rank Five. But the circumstances had changed. Originally, both Giyu Tomioka and Shinobu had been dispatched for backup. Now, because of his presence and the butterfly effect it brought, only he and Shinobu were available.
If he refused and left Shinobu to go alone, Tanjiro might very well die this time.
"But... what about your safety, Master?" Shinobu asked, her eyes filled with concern.
"Giyu is stationed nearby. You need not worry," Kagaya reassured her.
As they stepped out of the main hall, Lixuan spoke, "I'll go retrieve Gyokko."
Gyokko had become his constant companion on missions. He might as well be considered essential luggage.
"All right," Shinobu replied.
In the blink of an eye, Lixuan vanished. A few seconds later, he reappeared beside Shinobu, a cloth bag now slung at his side. Inside the bag was Gyokko, peacefully silent.
The two set out lightly equipped, bringing only what was necessary.
Lixuan hadn't even bothered to change into the Corps uniform. Only the Nichirin blade at his waist marked his identity.
Mount Natagumo wasn't close, nor was it particularly far, but the road leading there was treacherous and time was of the essence. The two Pillar-level warriors could travel faster than any train by relying on their breathing techniques.
"Let's go."
At that moment, a gust of wind swept past them.
Their figures disappeared into the night.
Meanwhile...
Beast Breathing, Fang Three: Devouring Fangs!
The masked boy, Inosuke Hashibira, roared mid-air. His crossed arms swung down as he slashed with his jagged twin Nichirin blades. The blades struck the back of a monstrous black figure with a spider-like face and a hulking body.
Clang!
His blades snapped.
Broken...
Behind the wild boar mask, his eyes widened in disbelief.
He couldn't cut through.
Thud.
The spider-faced brute spun and slammed a massive arm into Inosuke, sending him crashing against the thick trunk of a tree.
"Cough... cough..."
Blood spilled from his lips as pain lanced through every part of his body. His limbs trembled, and an unbearable numbness gnawed at his muscles like maggots in flesh.
"Damn it... I didn't even manage to switch into my proper stance."
He muttered to himself, but then felt a massive hand grab his head and lift him.
"Stay away from my family!" the monster snarled, its mind lost to madness.
This was the puppet "father" Rui had created for his fake family.
"Aaaaaagh!"
Inosuke screamed. His skull felt as though it would burst from the pressure. His body froze, trembling under the overwhelming force.
Memories surged inside him, fragments long forgotten.
I cannot die!
With sheer will, Inosuke raised his broken swords and stabbed them into the monster's neck.
But the snapped blades only lodged into the flesh. They did no real harm.
Why...?
His eyes filled with frustration as he stared at the lodged weapons.
The grip on his skull grew tighter. His vision blurred.
"Impressive willpower," said a calm, almost amused voice.
Inosuke wasn't sure if he was hallucinating. On the beast's thick arm, someone squatted casually, smiling down at him.
He wanted to speak, but his throat was clamped shut. The pressure was unbearable.
"Stay away from my family!"
The monster shrieked again, its other arm lashing toward the new figure.
Not a hallucination...
Inosuke realized the truth.
A streak of azure light cut through the air.
In an instant, the crushing weight vanished. He fell to the ground, gasping.
Through his mask, he saw both of the monster's arms flying through the air, severed cleanly at the shoulder.
A tall man stood at the center, holding a dark blue Nichirin blade.
Did he do that...?
I couldn't even break the skin...
The difference between them was enormous.
"Stay back! Stay away from my family!"
The monster howled again, its madness deepening. Its severed arms regenerated almost instantly and lunged once more.
Watch out!
Inosuke wanted to shout, but his voice failed him.
"Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash."
The calm voice rang out again.
The demon's roar swallowed the sound of the blade being drawn, but the quiet shing of it being sheathed echoed clearly.
The massive demon stopped. The spider-like head slowly slid from its neck and hit the ground with a deafening thud.
Its body crumbled, vanishing along with the severed head like snow under spring sunlight.
So powerful... I've never seen someone like this...
Inosuke stared in awe, speechless.
"You're not dead, are you?"
Lixuan knelt beside him, his voice casual but kind.
"Of course not! That guy was strong, but I'm stronger!" Inosuke shouted as he sprang to his feet, ignoring his wounds.
"Full of life, I see," Lixuan said with a small smile.
He didn't dislike kids like this — wild, honest, and bursting with energy.
"Hey, you! Strong guy! Fight me! If I beat you, then I'll be the strongest!"
Even while battered and bruised, Inosuke challenged him with unyielding fire.
"Are you stupid?"
Lixuan's figure flickered. In the next instant, he stood beside Inosuke.
So fast!
Inosuke's heart skipped a beat.
"Injured people should rest."
Lixuan formed a knife-hand and gently pressed it to the back of Inosuke's neck.
A wave of force surged through him, and Inosuke's vision darkened as he collapsed into unconsciousness.
"Leaving him here could be dangerous. Better take him back to Shinobu for treatment," Lixuan said, picking up the unconscious Inosuke and slinging him over his shoulder like a ragdoll.