Ryo Anzai woke up choking on dust and panic.
His lungs burned. His heart hammered. His mind tried to piece together what happened.
A demon.
A real demon.
Its rotting breath.
Its claws tearing the air.
The screams.
He didn't remember escaping.
He only remembered running until his legs gave out.
Now he was lying on the cold wooden floor of a small cabin.
A fire crackled nearby. Shadows danced across the walls like restless spirits. His clothes were torn, and dried blood clung to his skin.
Was it his?
He didn't know.
The cabin door opened with a creak, letting in the scent of steel and forest wind.
A girl stepped inside. Black hair tied into a neat ponytail. Eyes full of judgment and curiosity.
Rika Kiriya.
Age? Maybe twelve or thirteen.
Expression? Annoyed and suspicious.
She crossed her arms.
"You're awake. Finally."
Ryo tried to sit up but pain shot through his ribs. "Where… am I?"
"My house." She pointed at him like accusing a stray animal. "Shota found you unconscious outside. You were bleeding a lot."
"…I see. Thank you."
Rika turned away with a huff. "Don't thank me. I wanted to leave you there."
Lovely.
Before he could respond, someone much louder barged in.
A boy with messy brown hair and a wooden practice sword strapped to his back.
Shota Kiriya.
Bright eyes. Boundless energy. Zero caution.
"You survived! That's amazing!" he exclaimed. "I thought you were totally dead!"
"Shota!" Rika smacked him. "You don't say that to a patient!"
He rubbed his head. "I was trying to compliment him…"
Ryo slowly stood up. His body protested every movement, but he forced himself straight.
He needed to appear strong.
He needed to survive.
Shota looked impressed. "Wow, you already look better."
Ryo exhaled. "Thank you for saving me. Really."
Rika observed him quietly.
Ryo felt the weight of her gaze she wasn't just looking at him.
She was judging him.
After a long silence she finally asked:
"Why were you alone in the mountains at night?"
Ryo's heart clenched.
He couldn't say the truth:
I was teleported into Demon Slayer by a sadistic anime god who thinks my suffering is hilarious.
So he spoke the simplest version:
"I was attacked by a demon."
The room froze.
Rika's eyes widened.
Shota dropped his sword.
Even the fire crackled quieter.
"What did you say?" Rika whispered.
Ryo looked straight into her eyes, serious and steady.
"A demon killed the people traveling with me. I ran. I barely survived."
The siblings exchanged a frightened glance.
Rika bit her lip. "Demons don't come here. At least… not recently."
Shota's voice shook a little. "Did it chase you? Is it coming here?"
Ryo shook his head. "No. Someone saved me. A masked man with a fox mask."
Kiriya siblings gasped together.
"You met Urokodaki-sama?" Shota blurted.
Rika's suspicion turned to awe. "You're joking…"
Ryo blinked. "That's his name?"
Now the shock made sense Sakonji Urokodaki, former Water Hashira, was a legend.
Shota grabbed his shoulders, shaking him like a maraca.
"That means you're special! People like him don't save just anyone!"
"Shota! Stop shaking the patient!" Rika yanked him away.
He stumbled but kept bouncing with excitement.
"Do you want to become a Demon Slayer? That's the only reason Urokodaki-sama saves people!"
Ryo hesitated.
He remembered the demon's claws.
The stench of blood.
The helpless terror.
His own screaming.
He remembered being prey.
Ryo's voice trembled, but his resolve did not.
"Yes. I want to become a Demon Slayer."
Shota's face lit up like fireworks. "I knew it!"
Rika narrowed her eyes. "You know nothing about this world. You can't even swing a sword."
Ryo met her stare. "Then I will learn."
She scoffed. "Talk is cheap."
She reached behind the door and tossed something at him.
It was a wooden practice sword.
The same kind Shota carried.
"If you're serious, prove it."
Shota cheered. "Practice with me! I'll help you!"
Ryo gripped the wooden sword.
It felt heavy.
Awkward.
Unfamiliar.
His body ached. His wounds throbbed.
But something inside him something stubborn refused to back down.
Shota rushed outside toward the clearing.
Rika followed, arms crossed, clearly expecting Ryo to collapse again.
Ryo stepped out into the cool night air.
Stars glimmered across the dark sky.
Mountains loomed like silent giants.
This place… felt alive.
Shota took his stance with exaggerated confidence.
"Ready?"
Ryo nodded.
Shota charged.
Ryo barely had time to raise his sword before
WHACK.
The impact rattled his bones and dropped him to one knee.
"Wow, your guard is bad," Shota said brightly.
Rika sighed. "Embarrassing."
Ryo stood again. A bit slower this time.
They clashed again.
WHACK.
This time, Ryo stumbled backward.
His arms shook.
His breath was uneven.
Shota was holding back.
This was a child.
How weak was he?
Ryo clenched his teeth.
He remembered the demon again the certainty of death.
He refused to be that helpless ever again.
He tightened his grip and stepped forward.
Shota swung.
Ryo parried.
Barely.
But he parried.
Shota grinned wide. "There you go!"
The round continued awkward, rough, messy.
Ryo fell again. And again.
Rika watched with silent focus.
By the time he collapsed in the grass for the tenth time, his body felt like fire and stone.
Shota knelt next to him. "You're stubborn. I like that."
Rika stepped closer too. Her voice was softer.
"You really fought a demon… didn't you?"
Ryo didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
Rika finally nodded.
"I'll help too. But if you slack off even once, I'll throw you back on the mountain."
Ryo smiled weakly.
"Do your worst."
Shota pumped a fist into the air. "Tomorrow at sunrise! Training begins!"
Rika added, "If you die, don't haunt us."
Ryo looked up at the stars again.
His body hurt.
His past was gone.
His future was a blade he had to sharpen himself.
But for the first time since arriving in this nightmare…
He wasn't alone.
Ryo Anzai would become strong.
Strong enough to survive.
Strong enough to slay demons.
No matter what it took.