"Understood."
Ryo gently stroked the small hummingbird perched on his shoulder.
As the Kasugai bird fluttered its wings, he took a deep breath and reviewed what he knew.
Ranks of the Demon Slayer Corps, from lowest to highest: Mizunoto, Mizunoe, Kanoto, Kanoe, Tsuchinoto, Tsuchinoe, Hinoto, Hinoe, Kinoto, Kinoe.
And beyond Kinoe stood the Pillars, the mightiest swordsmen among humanity.
A normal swordsman needed at least five years to even hope of reaching that level.
Slay fifty demons or kill a member of the Twelve Kizuki.
Ryo only had one year of lifespan left.
No hesitation. No time to waste.
He packed lightly, changed into his Demon Slayer uniform, and stepped toward the gate.
Urokodaki and the siblings stood waiting to see him off.
From her sleeve, Rika pulled out a small protective charm sewn from indigo cloth.
The stitching was slightly crooked, but an earnest effort formed the kanji for "Safe" on the front.
Her cheeks flushed pink as she pressed it into Ryo's palm.
"Take this, Ryo. I sewed it myself. Grandpa said it will keep you safe."
Ryo smiled and patted her head gently.
"Thank you, Rika."
Shoichi pouted like someone had just stolen his entire future.
Ryo ignored him, bowed to Urokodaki, and turned to leave.
At the final moment, Shoichi shouted with forced bravado, pointing at Ryo's newly forged blade.
"You are going alone with that weird white sword? Can you even handle it?"
Even he winced at his own tone.
But a young boy's pride and jealousy pushed him forward.
"Just do not die out there and embarrass our master!"
Urokodaki's cane struck his head hard enough to echo.
"You brat. Mind your mouth."
Shoichi clutched his skull and sulked to the side.
Urokodaki's voice softened.
"Return safely."
Ryo nodded once and stepped onto the descending path.
"Ryo! Be careful!" Rika shouted with all her heart.
He did not look back, just raised his right hand and waved.
The hummingbird soared into the night sky, guiding his path.
Hours passed. Ryo's chest tightened as stabbing pain surged through his damaged liver.
He collapsed against a tree, gasping for breath.
"Damn it. This body is falling apart."
The bird chirped anxiously beside his ear.
"I am fine. Not dying today."
Ryo wiped his face and growled:
"System. Get out here."
[Ding dong. Darling host, what do you need~]
"Cut the nonsense. Tell me something important."
He inhaled sharply.
"How much lifespan do I need to fix my liver?"
[Not much. Just ten years~]
"Ten WHAT?!"
His voice exploded across the forest.
[Yes, dear host. Ten years will completely cure your cirrhosis and give you a brand new, energetic liver~]
"Ten years… hah… TEN YEARS?!"
Ryo's vision shook with pure rage.
"I almost died killing that Hand Demon just to get ONE YEAR. You are asking me for TEN?! Am I supposed to slaughter demons like they sprout from the ground?!"
[High investment, high returns~ A healthy body means you can unleash the full power of Thunder Breathing and kill stronger demons. Lifespan will come flooding in~]
"Cut the sales pitch! I only have ONE YEAR LEFT! ONE!"
He jabbed his own chest.
"According to your scam, I need to kill ten Hand Demons minimum! What kind of cursed system are you?!"
[Please calm down, yelling increases lifespan consumption~]
"Shut up!"
His roar sent birds flying from the trees.
Fine. The liver had to wait.
Skills and upgrades would wait too.
Survival first.
He pushed himself into a sprint until dawn blurred on the horizon.
By sunrise, he reached his destination: Mount Hinode.
Ryo slowed his steps, searching for traces of demon activity.
But then the stench hit him.
Thick, metallic, suffocating.
Blood.
His heart dropped.
A memory from the original timeline surfaced.
A tragedy. A turning point.
Here, in this very temple district…
The man who would become the Stone Pillar, Gyomei Himejima
was about to be framed for murder.
Ryo burst through the temple entrance.
Morning light filtered weakly across a nightmare.
Shredded prayer flags, overturned toys, broken lamps.
Seven or eight small bodies, limp and torn apart.
Blood soaked the tatami like a crimson river.
Kneeling in the center was a towering blind monk, fists dripping blood.
He hammered the demon corpse beneath him long after its head had pulped into nothing.
The rising sun burned the remains into ash, but he kept striking
as if he could erase their suffering through sheer force of will.
Behind him, a trembling little girl curled in fear.
The moment the demon vanished, Gyomei turned toward her, desperately reaching for reassurance, for understanding, for a voice to say he hadn't failed.
But the doors burst open.
Government officers stormed in with swords raised.
"What happened here?!"
The girl's voice cracked with dread.
"That man… he is a monster. He killed everyone!"
Her terror destroyed reason.
The leader's eyes narrowed with immediate disgust.
"Seize this murderer!"
Chains clamped around Gyomei's shoulders.
He did not resist. His heart was already dying.
His lips parted, trying to speak, but the girl's sobs choked his defense.
He shrank in silence.
Ryo stepped forward.
"No! Wait!"
All eyes turned to him.
"It was a demon. The killer was a demon that turned to ash in the sunlight. This monk protected them. He is not the murderer!"
The officer shoved Ryo aside with contempt.
"Demons? Stupid boy. Humans commit violence, not fairy tales. Protectors do not leave everyone dead."
He pointed at the corpses.
"The evidence is right in front of us. Interfere again and I will arrest you too."
Ryo's blood boiled.
He wanted to draw his sword.
But the Corps had strict laws:
No harming humans. Ever.
Even if they were blind fools.
Gyomei slowly raised his head, voice hoarse.
"Do not fight, young one. Do not commit sin for me."
That small smile on his face
hurt more than the carnage around them.
Ryo's fists shook.
He watched helplessly as they dragged Gyomei toward the exit.
That mountain of a man
for the first time looked smaller than a child.
Just as they neared the gate, Ryo shouted with everything in him:
"Monk! Lift your head!"
Gyomei stopped.
"You were never a murderer!"
His voice tore through grief and accusations.
"You protected them! You fight for humanity!"
Gyomei's body trembled.
Bloodstains covered his skin and robes, but a small smile, fragile and relieved, spread across his face.
He couldn't see
but he heard.
He bowed deeply toward Ryo.
"Thank you, young warrior."