Because Tamayo and Yushiro were demons, traveling during the daytime was inconvenient. Coupled with the fact that transportation infrastructure in this era's Japan was far from well developed, Kurosaki Rei's group didn't move very quickly.
By the time the second night fell, they were only just nearing their destination.
To pass the time on the road, Kurosaki Rei chatted with Tamayo, familiarizing himself with various bits of information about this world.
During the process, he handed over eight vials of demon blood samples he had obtained during the battle in Yoshiwara. Tamayo was delighted—but also somewhat puzzled.
"Mr. … are you also a scholar?"
Tamayo looked at him with a hint of anticipation reserved for fellow researchers, mixed with a small amount of doubt. Though a bit impolite, she couldn't help feeling that Kurosaki Rei seemed rather… rough around the edges.
"Not really," Kurosaki Rei replied. "I'm just curious about the physical structure of demons."
After handing over the blood samples, Kurosaki Rei received a system notification indicating that his hidden quest progress had increased, though he didn't yet know what kind of reward would appear at settlement.
According to the quest description, the more blood samples he provided Tamayo, the greater the final reward should be.
"Honestly, Mr. Rei, you've helped tremendously," Tamayo said as she carefully stored the samples away. "In this era, Demon Slayer swordsmen with a spirit of inquiry like yours are far too rare. Demon blood samples are immensely helpful to my research."
"In the past, many powerful Hashira have slain Lower Rank members of the Twelve Kizuki, yet none of them ever thought to study the structure of demons or the origins of their abilities."
"Have you encountered other Hashira before, Miss Tamayo?" Kurosaki Rei asked curiously.
Tamayo's beautiful eyes turned toward the full moon in the night sky, her expression tinged with nostalgia. "I have—on several occasions. Though in most cases, they were trying to kill me. I survived to this day largely by luck."
"What? That's outrageous! Those Hashira were awful!"
Yushiro immediately bristled in anger. He was a brainless fan of Lady Tamayo.
Tamayo shook her head. "Demon Slayers killing demons is only natural. It's normal for a Hashira to attack us when encountering us—there's nothing to resent."
As she spoke, she raised her hand and lightly flicked Yushiro on the forehead. "And Yushiro, you mustn't interrupt when others are speaking."
"Yes!"
Yushiro instantly behaved himself. If they weren't in a car, he'd probably have snapped to attention.
"The two Hashira who left the deepest impression on me…"
Tamayo returned to the earlier topic, successfully piquing Kurosaki Rei's curiosity.
"The first time I met a Hashira was several hundred years ago. He was a man with dark red long hair and earrings bearing a sun motif. He was incredibly strong—the strongest Hashira I've ever seen."
Her expression shifted with emotion, as though even after centuries, the memory still shocked her. "That was the first time I saw someone defeat Muzan head-on. His overwhelming power struck fear into Muzan himself. In the end, Muzan only escaped by detonating himself."
"That really is a shame," Kurosaki Rei said with a sigh, though it wasn't clear exactly what he found regrettable.
"Yes," Tamayo agreed. "Kibutsuji Muzan made the correct decision at that moment. Had he hesitated even slightly, he might have been slain by that powerful Hashira."
"From what I later learned, his name was Tsugikuni Yoriichi—the creator of the First Breathing Style."
Tamayo sighed deeply, lamenting Yoriichi's failure to finish the job. He had clearly possessed power beyond Muzan, but Muzan was simply too cautious—his escape skills were first-rate.
"A swordsman who used the First Breathing Style… That means all future Demon Slayers have benefited from his legacy," Kurosaki Rei said with a smile. "Then what about the second one?"
Kurosaki Rei already knew Tamayo had met Tsugikuni Yoriichi. What he was curious about was the second Hashira who left a deep impression on her—and how she had managed to survive.
Despite her impressive medical expertise, Tamayo's combat ability was fairly average. Even escaping from a Hashira would have been extremely difficult. If she had encountered other Hashira besides Yoriichi and himself, her survival truly would have been miraculous.
Tamayo glanced at Kurosaki Rei and smiled. "Naturally, it's you, Mr. Rei. You're a strange man—so of course you leave a strong impression."
"Strange?"
Kurosaki Rei drove on, staring at the mountain looming ahead under the night sky, reflecting on his behavior.
"You appear fierce," Tamayo continued gently, "but you're actually a man of principles, with independent judgment… a kind person."
In her eyes, Kurosaki Rei was the most peculiar Demon Slayer she had ever met.
He possessed great power, yet didn't indiscriminately slaughter demons on sight. He seemed like a crude martial brute, yet was unexpectedly meticulous. He didn't appear scholarly, yet he possessed a genuine curiosity about the unknown and knew to collect demon blood samples.
Moreover, without any directive from the Master, he had independently recognized her value and chosen to protect her. That made Tamayo deeply curious about the inner world of the man beside her.
"Hah. I didn't even know I was gentle,"
Kurosaki Rei twitched his lips, thinking to himself that he was hardly some soft-hearted protagonist.
He gradually slowed the car and eventually stopped at the foot of a mountain. As soon as they arrived, the fog thickened dramatically, obscuring even the bright moon above, and dimming the stars.
"Out of fuel?" Yushiro asked, puzzled.
"It is almost empty," Kurosaki Rei replied, "but that's not why I stopped."
He looked at the fog-shrouded mountain before them and turned to Tamayo. "Miss Tamayo, do you know what place this is?"
He wasn't familiar with the finer details of this era's Japanese maps. Earlier, the Kasugai Crow had only pointed out a general direction, deliberately withholding the exact destination to protect the Master's location.
Although Kurosaki Rei's appointment as Thunder Hashira had already been announced to all Demon Slayer members, he had not yet been formally confirmed at a Hashira Meeting. As such, he wasn't authorized to know the Master's exact whereabouts.
The Kasugai Crow had told him it would guide him in stages, and that the final stretch would be led by the Kakushi.
Honestly, Kurosaki Rei felt there were quite a few loopholes in this secrecy method. It worked for over a thousand years in the original story, but now? With a few smart individuals in Muzan's faction, locating the Demon Slayer Corps' headquarters or key sites like the Swordsmith Village would be far too easy.
"If I'm not mistaken," Tamayo said after some thought, "this mountain should be Natagumo Mountain."
"Looks pretty lively up there," Kurosaki Rei said, lifting his gaze toward the flickering firelight within the mist.
"Caw—South-Southeast—South-Southeast—!"
Just as Kurosaki Rei got out of the car, a Kasugai Crow's cry rang out from the sky. It wasn't the Master's crow, but one belonging to another Demon Slayer. Shouting directions in its hoarse voice, it spiraled down and landed near Kurosaki Rei.
"Thunder Hashira-sama! Please hurry and head up the mountain for support! Demon Slayer members have encountered multiple Twelve Kizuki inside!"
The crow sounded frantic. "Sound Hashira-sama is already engaged in a bitter battle!"
Kurosaki Rei frowned. He knew that Natagumo Mountain housed a member of the Twelve Kizuki—Lower Rank Five. But someone of that caliber should have been instantly slain by the Sound Hashira.
That was precisely why Kurosaki Rei had never bothered coming here to farm a "small dungeon." In his eyes, Lower Rank Five was nothing more than mosquito meat—far less appealing than Upper Rank Six.
Yet how could someone of Lower Rank Five's level push the Sound Hashira into a bitter fight?
Although the Sound Hashira didn't appear in the final battle in the original story and never awakened a Demon Slayer Mark, his base strength was still formidable. Otherwise, he wouldn't have lasted so long against Gyutaro. If he was struggling, it could only mean one thing—
There was something else going on.
Explorers? Or were there other Upper Ranks present?
After rapidly assessing the situation, Kurosaki Rei made a decision. "Miss Tamayo, you and Yushiro stay at the foot of the mountain. If you encounter Demon Slayer members retreating downhill, hide yourselves."
If even the Sound Hashira was struggling, the enemy force must include at least an Upper Rank. Kurosaki Rei couldn't afford to fight while protecting Tamayo, nor did he have time to explain the situation to other Demon Slayers. The safest option was to have Tamayo and Yushiro hide.
With that, Kurosaki Rei wasted no more words. In a single step, he transformed into a raging gale, scattering fallen leaves through the forest as he surged toward the depths of Natagumo Mountain.
Some time earlier…
Deep within the forest, at a flatter section around the mountainside, an intense battle was raging.
A tall man nearly two meters in height stood among the trees. He wore a sleeveless Demon Slayer uniform and a gem-studded headband, with pale turquoise bead chains hanging from both sides. His hair was tied into a distinctive ponytail, his overall appearance flamboyant and stylish.
He wielded a pair of chained dual blades. Firelight danced across his handsome face as sweat streamed down, his breathing heavy.
He was one of the Nine Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps—the Sound Hashira, Uzui Tengen.
His expression was grave as he stared at his opponents, shouting loudly, "Tanjiro! Take that boar and run! Wake up that yel—forget it, don't bother waking him!"
Aside from this main battlefield, nearly all the Demon Slayer members who had initially come to subjugate Natagumo Mountain had been wiped out. Only five newly recruited rookies remained.
Originally, Uzui had received news from his wives and was on his way to rendezvous with them. But midway, he received a support request from this area, reporting the appearance of a Lower Rank of the Twelve Kizuki. He immediately changed course to assist.
By the time he arrived, the first wave of Demon Slayers had already been annihilated. Worse still, a second group of reckless rookies had also entered the mountain.
He had assumed that upon arrival, he could swiftly behead the Lower Rank and save the survivors. Instead, the situation turned out to be far more troublesome than he'd anticipated.
According to intelligence delivered by the Master's crow earlier, Muzan had expanded the Twelve Kizuki. They were no longer limited to twelve members. The reality before him confirmed it—aside from Rui, there were two other Twelve Kizuki on this mountain.
Such clustering was unheard of in the past. It could only mean that Muzan's forces had grown large enough to start moving in groups.
Worst of all, Uzui had encountered an enemy he never expected to face here—an Upper Rank of the Twelve Kizuki. Upper Rank Five.
"Uzui-san! Behind you!"
Tanjiro shouted loudly while carrying the sound-asleep boar-headed boy, dodging Blood Demon Arts from all sides.
In truth, Uzui hardly needed the warning. He leapt up instantly, narrowly avoiding slicing threads from behind and bullet-like Blood Demon Arts.
Midair, he tried to adjust his posture—but another attack came crashing down. A gigantic golden fish fell from above, its gaping maw aiming to swallow him whole.
With nowhere to brace himself, Uzui hastily blocked with his dual blades, holding back the grotesque jaws. Still, the overwhelming force sent him flying into a tree, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
Blood Demon Arts rained down like a storm, chasing the wounded Uzui before he could regain his breath.
At that moment, a flash of lightning cut through the battlefield. Zenitsu Agatsuma—snot bubble inflating from his nose—charged in and grabbed the Sound Hashira, pulling him out of the bombardment.
Due to Uzui's explosives and the chaos of various Blood Demon Arts, the surrounding forest began to burn. Despite it being the dead of night, the area was brightly lit by fire.
Figures emerged from all directions. What shocked Uzui was that although these demons bore no Twelve Kizuki markings, their presence felt no weaker than that of Lower Rank Five.
But the most troublesome foes were the two figures above.
On a tree trunk to the upper left sat a jade-colored pot. From its mouth grew a grotesque white creature. Where eyes should have been were instead two green-lipped mouths. Eyes were embedded in its forehead and mouth, and five purple fish fins sprouted from its head.
The sclera of its upper eye was white, the iris golden, engraved with the word "Upper Rank." The eye on its lower face bore the character "Five."
Its exposed upper body was powerfully built, yet it had no arms. Instead, small hands sprouted from either side of its head, and five more from each side of its torso. Those tiny fingers twitched excitedly, as though playing an instrument.
"What a beautiful man," Gyokko crooned in an eerie, effeminate voice, clasping his little hands together. "I'd love to turn you into a work of art~"
"Your head would make a splendid pot, wouldn't it?"
On the tree trunk to the upper right stood another figure, starkly different from Gyokko—an attractive man in a fitted suit, with a well-proportioned build. He had black medium-length hair with rose-pink tips and longer blue-green ends.
On each cheek were three large yellow squares and three smaller yellow squares. He wore a blissful, lovestruck smile as he gazed down at Uzui and the others, speaking in an androgynous voice.
"If I can kill a Hashira, that Lord will surely acknowledge me. To serve that Lord… what incomparable happiness~"
In his pale green eyes were engraved the words:
Lower Rank — One
At this moment, among the surviving Explorers on the Demon Slayer side, Hinata's heart sank straight to the bottom.
She and another Explorer had only come to Natagumo Mountain hoping to pick up an easy Lower Rank kill.
How the hell did it turn into this kind of lineup?!
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed.
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