Chapter Three: The Legend, Murata!
『ＲＹＯＮ 』
Enjoy~~~
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It was a cold autumn night in the city of Akasaka. The moon was a thin crescent, barely lighting the sky, making the shadows between the crowded wooden houses appear deeper and more terrifying. While the city's inhabitants were fast asleep, safe beneath their warm blankets, a small shadow moved across the rooftops with a light, gravity-defying grace.
[Stealth Skill (Active): Reduces footstep noise by 60%, reduces visual detection probability by 40%]
Rin was leaping from one roof to another, his movements fluid like a cat's—or perhaps a ninja's, as he liked to imagine. The wind played with his tied-back black hair, and his emerald eyes scanned the dark alleys below with the focus of a hawk.
"Three hours..." Rin muttered under his breath, crouching on the tiled roof of a closed shop. "Three hours of jumping around this city like a monkey, and I've found nothing but stray cats and a couple arguing loudly about sake expenses."
He sighed in boredom and opened the System menu to check the time.
[Time: 02:14 AM]
"Where are they hiding?" he asked himself, feeling frustrated. "Demon Slayers aren't ghosts. They should be here. This city is large and crowded, which means plenty of 'food' for demons."
Just thinking of humans as "food" made his stomach churn. In his previous life, his biggest fear was his phone battery dying or an anime episode being delayed. Now, he lived in a world where your kind neighbor could turn into a dinner guest's meal for a monster lurking in the shadows.
Suddenly, he heard a sound.
It wasn't human. It wasn't the sound of a natural animal.
It was a sound like metal scraping against bone. A wet, sickening "crunch," followed by the hoarse, urgent caw of a crow.
"Caw! Caw! Support! We need support! Western District!"
Rin snapped to his feet, eyes wide.
"A Kasugai Crow!"
He didn't hesitate for a second. He kicked off the roof, launching himself toward the sound. The System responded to his intent immediately.
[Skill Activated: Sprint (Level 8)]
[Current Speed: 45]
He flew over the roofs, bypassing chimneys and leaping over gaps between houses with a skill no ten-year-old should possess. His heart raced—not from the effort, but from a mix of excitement and dread. This was the first time he would get close to the "other side" of this world.
Rin reached a dark back alley that reeked of a foul odor—a metallic scent of blood mixed with something rotten and sour.
"The scent of a demon..." Rin concluded, holding his breath and hiding behind a chimney overlooking the alley.
He looked down, and the blood froze in his veins.
At the end of the dead-end alley was a creature.
It didn't look like the "cool" or "handsome" demons like Doma or Akaza. This thing was a distorted nightmare.
It had a bloated body, slimy grey skin, and four asymmetrical arms sprouting from its back. Its mouth was filled with rows of jagged fangs dripping with bloody saliva.
In front of this monster stood a young man wearing the distinctive black uniform of the Demon Slayer Corps. He was panting heavily, blood streaming from a deep wound on his left shoulder. His Nichirin sword was in his right hand, but his arm was shaking.
"Dammit..." the young man cried out, his voice dripping with fear. "Why is its skin so tough? They didn't tell me city demons were at this level!"
The demon chuckled with a sickening, gurgling sound. "Hehe... your flesh looks tender, boy. I've eaten three beggars today, but the meat of warriors full of muscle is my favorite!"
Rin watched the scene from above, his mind working at lightning speed.
[Opponent Analysis]
[Target: Demon (Low Rank)]
[Danger Level: C]
[Note: Possesses relatively slow regeneration, relies on brute force.]
Then he looked at the Demon Slayer.
[Target: Corps Member (Rank: Mizunoto - Lowest Rank)]
[Status: Injured, Exhausted, Terrified.]
"He's weak," Rin realized the bitter truth. "This isn't a Hashira. This is just a foot soldier. And this demon isn't even a Lower Moon. Yet, the boy is about to die."
This was reality. Not every Demon Slayer was a Tanjiro or a Zenitsu. The majority were just cannon fodder.
The demon lunged suddenly, its four arms extending like whips toward the young man.
"Wind Breathing... First Form!" the boy shouted, trying to raise his sword.
But his movement was slowed by his injury.
"He's going to be killed!"
Rin didn't think. His body moved before his mind.
He picked up a stone from the roof, and with his arm strength (35 points), he hurled it with sniper-like precision toward the demon's left eye.
Whoosh! Bam!
The demon's eye exploded into a mash of black blood.
"Aaaagh!" the demon howled, stumbling back a step, its attention diverted from the Slayer.
"Now!" Rin shouted from above, his childish voice echoing in the alley.
The Demon Slayer seized the opportunity. With a final burst of adrenaline, he lunged forward.
"Dust Whirlwind Cutter!"
The blade flashed in the darkness, passing through the demon's neck.
The distorted head hit the ground and rolled away, while the body began to crumble and turn into ash slowly.
The Demon Slayer fell to his knees, gasping as if he had run a marathon, his sword slipping from his trembling hand.
Rin jumped from the roof, landing lightly and gracefully right in front of him.
The Slayer looked up in alarm, quickly grabbing his sword and pointing it at Rin. "W-who are you? Another demon?"
Rin raised his hands slowly, showing his empty palms, and flashed an innocent smile (utilizing all his Charisma points).
"Relax, Big Brother. I'm human. I'm the one who threw the stone."
The young man blinked, trying to process what he was seeing. A small boy with long hair and an angelic face, wearing a black hakama, standing in a bloody alley at 2 AM?
(=__=)
"A child? What is a child doing here?"
"Taking a walk?" Rin replied with light sarcasm, then turned serious. He approached the young man and examined his shoulder wound. "You're bleeding. Are you from... the Demon Slayer Corps?"
The young man relaxed slightly and lowered his sword. "You know about us? Yes... I'm Murata. Thank you, little one. If not for that stone, I would be dinner for that freak right now."
"Murata?" Rin almost laughed. Was this the legendary Murata? The immortal side character of the anime? He looked younger and weaker than he remembered, but he was alive. This was a good omen.
"My name is Yukihara Rin," he said, pulling a clean bandage from his pocket (he always carried them as a precaution from the System). "Let me help you with that wound. In exchange... I want you to answer some questions."
Murata sat down exhaustedly and allowed Rin to dress the wound. "Questions? Like what?"
Rin tightened the knot on the bandage and looked directly into Murata's eyes.
"How do I join you?"
"What?" Murata laughed painfully. "You? Look at yourself, you're still drinking milk! Joining the Corps isn't a samurai game. It's hell."
"I know it's hell," Rin interrupted with a coldness that didn't match his age, his emerald eyes gleaming with a sharpness that made Murata swallow hard. "I know about demons. And I know the only way to protect my family is by cutting off their heads. I have the physical strength, Murata-san. You saw my throw. But..."
Rin looked at the sword in Murata's hand.
"I don't have a sword that can kill them, and I don't know how to use Demon Slayer techniques. Tell me, how do I learn?"
Murata sighed, realizing this child was no ordinary boy.
"Listen, Yukihara-kun. You can't just walk up to the Corps headquarters and knock on the door. You have to survive the Final Selection on Mount Fujikasane. But before that, no one will accept you for the exam unless you have a trainer."
"A trainer?"
"Yes," Murata nodded. "They are called 'Cultivators.' Usually, they are former Hashira or skilled swordsmen who have retired. They are the only ones who can teach you Breathing Techniques. Without a Breathing Technique, you can't cut a demon's neck, even if you have the strength of a bear."
A window appeared before Rin:
[Main Quest Updated: The Path to the Corps]
[New Objective: Find a Cultivator to learn a Breathing Technique.]
"Where can I find these trainers?" Rin asked urgently.
Murata scratched the back of his head. "I don't know where they all are; they live in secluded places. My trainer lived in the North, but he passed away last year. However... I've heard rumors from the crows."
He lowered his voice as if sharing a secret.
"They say there is an old trainer living at the foot of Mount Sagiri. A man who always wears a mask. You'll have to find them yourself. The crows are your key. If you see a crow flying regularly toward a specific mountain, there's usually a trainer or a mission there."
Murata stood up with difficulty. "I must go. The Kakushi will come to clean up the mess. My advice to you, kid? Go back to your mother. This path ends with dying alone in a filthy alley."
Murata patted Rin on the head, then disappeared into the darkness, limping.
Rin remained standing alone in the alley, the scent of demon ash filling his nose.
"Dying alone..." he repeated the words.
Then he clenched his fist tightly.
"I'd rather die alone in an alley than see my mother and Sakura eaten in their own home."
Rin returned home shortly before sunrise.
He sneaked into his room and changed his clothes. He stood before his little sister Sakura's bed. She was sleeping peacefully, hugging a stuffed rabbit doll he had bought for her with the money from the first tournament he won.
Her short black hair was scattered on the pillow, and her chest rose and fell in a calm rhythm.
"I'm sorry, Sakura," Rin whispered, feeling a lump in his throat.
In his previous life, he had no one to say goodbye to. But now, the thought of leaving was tearing his heart apart.
But he knew the truth. Staying here was dangerous. His increasing strength might attract demons. And his scent, as someone who trains seriously, would become appetizing to them over time.
He had to become the hunter, not the prey.
He sat at his small desk and took out a piece of paper and an ink pen.
His hand shook slightly as he wrote. He couldn't tell them the truth. "Mom, I'm going to kill man-eating monsters" would give her a heart attack or get him locked in the cellar.
He needed a white lie. A lie they would believe.
[To my dear Mother, and beloved Sakura,
I know this will surprise you, and I know you will worry, Mother. But I feel I have reached a limit I cannot cross here. The martial arts I have learned... I feel they are calling me to go further.
I have decided to go on a training journey to learn more sword styles in the mountains. Do not look for me; I will be fine. I have left enough money in the box under the bed for you to live comfortably for years.
I promise, I will return. I will return stronger, and I will protect you for the rest of my life.
Take care of Sakura.
Your loving son, Rin.]
He put down the pen and left the letter on his pillow.
He packed a small backpack: some clothes, dry food, a water bottle, and all his remaining money (except what he left for them). He took his new wooden sword.
As he walked into the living room, he froze.
His mother, Yumi, was sitting there at the tea table in the dark. She wasn't asleep.
"I knew this day would come," she said in a quiet voice, but it carried deep sadness.
"Mother..." Rin stammered. "I..."
Yumi lit a small candle, and her face appeared in the dim light. Her eyes were slightly red.
"Since you were five, you changed, Rin. You were no longer that naughty child. You became... like an adult in a child's body. I saw you training until your fingers bled. I saw you looking into the darkness with fear and determination."
She stood up and approached him. Rin knelt, unable to look into her eyes.
"Is it something dangerous?" she asked, holding his face with her warm hands.
Rin raised his tear-filled emerald eyes. "Yes. But it is necessary. If I don't go... I won't be able to protect you."
She didn't ask for details. She trusted him blindly—the trust of a mother in her miracle child.
She pulled his head to her chest and hugged him tightly, as if trying to carve the feel of his body into her memory.
"Come back to us," she whispered with a trembling voice. "No matter what happens, no matter how strong you become or how much you change... come home. That is my only condition."
"I promise," Rin cried, letting go of his icy mask for a moment. "I promise on my life."
An hour later, with the first rays of dawn, Rin stood at the gate of Akasaka city.
He didn't look back.
Before him lay a long road stretching toward the misty mountains. A road filled with blood, pain, and demons.
He opened his System one last time before setting off.
[Quest Started: The Search for a Master]
[Suggested Destination: Mount Sagiri (North)]
Rin tightened the straps of his bag and adjusted the wooden sword on his back.
"Alright, you cursed world," he said with a fierce smile as he took his first step outside the boundaries of safety. "I'm coming. And you're not going to like what I become."
Rin took off running, his speed kicking up dust behind him, heading toward his fate as a "Demon Slayer."
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Chapter Three Ends.