Clusters of wooden houses stood beneath the fading glow of dusk. Wisps of cooking smoke drifted into the sky as the final rays of the setting sun sank beyond the horizon.
Makomo, Ryuya, Nezuko, and Tanjiro had already gathered in town.
Tanjiro's goal was to sell the charcoal he had burned, while the other three planned to purchase materials for Tsugikuni Yoriichi's clothing.
Ryuya was pragmatic by nature and never procrastinated.
After bidding farewell to the others, Tanjiro began going door to door, asking if anyone needed charcoal.
He was well known in this small town—not only because his family's charcoal sold well, but also because his nose was sharper than a dog's. He often helped townspeople locate lost items simply by following their scent.
Led by Nezuko, Ryuya and Makomo headed to the best tailor shop in town to buy fabric and sewing supplies.
Originally, Ryuya had been confident that he remembered the color and characteristics of Tsugikuni Yoriichi's clothing. He even thought he could guide Nezuko and take charge of the selection.
Reality proved otherwise.
Specialists excel in their own fields, and amateurs simply cannot compare.
To put it bluntly, Ryuya struggled to distinguish subtle differences in fabric texture, slight variations in color, and the overall feel of the material. Nezuko, on the other hand, handled it with ease.
Moreover, she clearly communicated more naturally with Makomo. Girls simply had more to talk about.
Feeling out of place, Ryuya left the two girls to finish the purchases and walked toward the outskirts of town. As he enjoyed the quiet, beautiful night scenery, he mentally organized the current situation and contemplated his next move.
First, the factions.
His relationship with the Demon Slayer Corps was irreparable.
As for the demons—so long as he remained under Muzan's control, he was still Upper Rank Four, the most respected young master among the demons. But that came with one condition: he could not escape Muzan's control and had to continue working for him.
However, Ryuya had been taking the medicine given to him by Tamayo for quite some time now. He could clearly feel Muzan's control steadily weakening.
A conflict with the demons was inevitable. Muzan would never tolerate his continued existence once he broke free.
His current plan was simple: secretly build his own faction.
The good news was that Qingshu had sent word yesterday via pigeon that his mission had been completed to perfection.
As of now, Iguro Obanai had left the Demon Slayer Corps and could not return. With the Corps hunting him, it was only a matter of time before Ryuya recruited him. All that was needed was the right opportunity.
There was no need to force it. When the time came, he would seize it.
Assuming Iguro Obanai joined him, his current forces would consist of Qingshu, Makomo, and Iguro Obanai.
Still far too few.
Ryuya had once considered imitating Muzan by mass-producing demons to serve him.
That was completely unfeasible.
First, it would make it far easier for Muzan to detect his ambitions.
Second, unlike Muzan, he could not read their thoughts. Absolute obedience without rebellious intent was far more important than raw strength.
Then a bold idea surfaced in his mind.
What if he turned all the Lower Ranks into his own people?
Since Muzan had entrusted him with managing the Lower Ranks, he would "manage" them properly and not disappoint him.
In truth, it was quite simple.
He only needed to give them the medicine created by Tamayo.
It was merely a matter of time.
As for their memories, that was even easier. Once their lives were no longer controlled by Muzan, Ryuya could erase their memories completely through his Blood Demon Art and fabricate new ones, creating an entire force of perfectly loyal infiltrators.
With that in mind, he needed to visit Tamayo soon—not only to request a large quantity of medicine, but also to deliver the Upper Rank blood she had entrusted him to collect.
Speaking of which, he had already gathered the blood of Upper Rank Three and Muzan. He still needed to find time to visit Doma, Daki, Gyokko, and his master, Kokushibo.
He should provide Tamayo with as many samples as possible as a show of sincerity.
Thinking of factions inevitably led him to Kochou Kanae.
Was she still standing with the Demon Slayer Corps?
Would his previous words have any effect?
Ryuya had no clear answer, but he still hoped Kanae would choose him.
After settling the matter of Yoriichi's clothing, he would need to visit the Swordsmith Village and determine how to obtain Tsugikuni Yoriichi's Nichirin Blade. Only then could he wield Sun Breathing without suffering the burden of an incompatible weapon.
He could already practice Sun Breathing. Though it was extremely difficult, at least he was improving gradually. It required patience.
Perhaps the Blue Spider Lily held the key.
If demons could overcome sunlight through it, then perhaps it could eliminate the backlash of using Sun Breathing as well.
And if that failed…
He would have to rely on his dormant, unstable System.
"Man-eating! There's a man-eating demon!"
Just as Ryuya gazed up at the bright moon—pondering whether he could refine his Moon Breathing forms and perhaps create his own technique like Tomioka Giyu's Eleventh Form, Dead Calm—a man dressed in thin clothing ran through the street, his face twisted in extreme terror.
Ryuya's expression shifted.
Before he could approach and question the man, several members of the Demon Slayer Corps arrived in groups of three or five, Nichirin Blades in hand. They rushed forward, stopping the panicked man.
"Where is the demon we're pursuing? Did you see it?"
"Demon? What are you people doing?" the man stammered, trembling violently at the sight of their swords.
Their town was usually peaceful. Incidents of evil demons devouring people were rare. The residents strictly followed the warnings not to go out at night.
He had not dared to step outside.
But who could have expected that even staying indoors would not save them?
The demon had broken into his home.
"We are the Demon Slayer Corps. We specialize in killing demons. Where is it?"
"My wife—my children—they've all been eaten! It's horrifying! That demon—it has numbers in its eyes! It's still in my house—it's eating people!!!"
The man pointed toward his home with a shaking finger.
The Demon Slayers instinctively ignored the repeated cries of "eating people." Their attention locked onto one phrase.
Numbers in its eyes.
That meant it was a member of the Twelve Kizuki.
A Lower Rank.
The strength of a Lower Rank demon was not something they could easily contend with.
They had never expected that the demon they were pursuing would be one of the Twelve Kizuki.
But then—
Why had it been fleeing this whole time?
...
Author's Note:
The full completed version of Demon Slayer: Son of Muzan (Completed) is now on Patreon!
🔥 I also have additional 18+ fanfics available for readers who enjoy exclusive mature stories. 😉
1. Dragon Ball: Oolong's Sex Adventure
2. Elements of Lust – ATLA & Korra Mixed Smut
3. Doraemon: Filtering with Nobi Tamako
4. The Naive Me Who Became Someone's Everyday Secret
5. High School DxD: Rias Gremory, the Phenex Bride
6. Versatile Mage: Awakening the Succubus System
🔗 patreon.com/Shadow_demon_007
Thank you all for your support and love for this story 💙