Chapter 75: Because I'm the Strongest!
Around 1800 words were deleted from this chapter during revision, so you may find mistakes. Please inform me about them.
Enjoy~~~
Half a month had passed since the hellish "Hashira Training" began, and thanks to Yukihara Ren's continuous interventions in this world, the state of the Demon Slayer Corps stood at the peak of its glory and strength, with barely noticeable damages compared to what had been destined in the original story's course.
Two of the strongest Hashira, who were supposed to leave the battlefield early, were now standing in perfect health and strength; Uzui Tengen and Rengoku Kyojuro. They neither died nor became unable to fight, but instead became essential pillars in the training.
The Hashira Training plan was proceeding with terrifying perfection, and the greatest credit for the enormous morale belonged to the Corps leader, Kagaya Ubuyashiki.
Thanks to the miracle medicine he obtained from Ren, the malicious curse that devoured his body and family for centuries because of Kibutsuji Muzan had been dispelled.
Kagaya now stood on his feet in perfect health, supervising the Corps with his terrifying strategic mind and presence that spread reassurance into everyone's hearts.
The Corps members were undergoing eight brutal stages of training, with almost every Hashira taking charge of a certain stage to polish the trainees' skills, except for one person: Kocho Shinobu.
The Insect Hashira had secluded herself inside her secret laboratory, racing against time to develop poisons and medicines powerful enough to dismantle Muzan's cells. Despite her exceptional genius, she was still merely a young girl.
She did not possess the deep accumulated knowledge of a demon who had lived for hundreds of years.
Therefore, Yukihara Ren took upon himself a secret and complicated mission: searching for Tamayo. That demon doctor who changed locations and disappeared after previously cooperating with Ren to create Nezuko's medicine. Ren knew that combining Shinobu's genius with Tamayo's experience was the true key to bringing down the Demon King.
And in the training grounds, the first stage was supervised by Rengoku, whose booming voice echoed throughout the area, raising the trainees' morale and igniting flames of determination in their exhausted hearts, preparing them for the coming hell.
However, far from the eyes of ordinary trainees, all the Hashira gathered every few nights during their free time in remote and closed areas to train under one person: Yukihara Ren. The goal of this secret gathering was singular and precise… activating the "Demon Slayer Mark."
. . .
The dense clouds in the sky slowly began separating, allowing the bright moonlight to slip through and illuminate the wide dirt field. The silver light reflected upon ten faces standing in majestic silence.
The strongest Demon Slayers of the current era, the Hashira, stood before one another, and all their gazes were directed toward one point: the Sun Hashira (and former Storm Hashira), Yukihara Ren.
Ren's appearance had changed. His black hair, once long and messy, had been cut short, falling calmly on both sides of his face.
His emerald-green eyes were cold, calm, and deep like the surface of a bottomless lake. He wore the standard Demon Slayer Corps uniform, but in a darker and gloomier color, with complex embroideries distinguishing him from the rest, granting him an aura of authority and mystery impossible to ignore.
At a distant corner of the field, Kamado Tanjiro sat hidden in the shadows, watching the scene with intense focus. He thought to himself: "Ren-senpai changed a lot lately… he seems more serious and colder." Then Tanjiro swallowed with difficulty. "Well, at least this calmness can't compare to that day… the day he was worse than the demon himself!"
The moment he remembered the "hell training" from a short while ago, Tanjiro's entire body trembled uncontrollably.
He did not know that the one who trained him that day was not the original Ren, but "Ron," the cloned soul that exchanged bodies with Ren to avoid attending the wedding ceremony in the ancient era.
That day, Ron vented all his accumulated anger over losing the system points (SP) he exhausted himself collecting, and Tanjiro and his companions paid the price for that anger with unforgettable blood and bruises.
Returning to the center of the field, Ren looked seriously at all the Hashira, and hidden hesitation existed in his eyes. What he was about to teach them was not merely a technique to increase strength… but the method of activating the "Demon Slayer Mark." The mark that, once it appeared, burned life energy and caused premature death.
Ren took a deep breath and broke the silence with his calm voice echoing around them:
"Guys… do you want to die that badly?"
The question was strange, extreme, and direct like a sword blade. But it was completely realistic. After activating the mark, nothing awaited them except death; either death at demons' hands in the upcoming battle, or death caused by the mark draining their souls.
"Stop saying nonsense and hurry up teaching us!" Sanemi Shinazugawa interrupted with his rough voice, his face carrying coldness and irritation. "Nobody here cares about his life. We all abandoned it the moment we decided to carry the sword and walk this bloodstained path."
"I agree with Shinazugawa," Obanai Iguro said from atop a tree, his eyes shining between the bandages. "Our lives are tools. If this mark is what we need to cut off Muzan's head, then I'll burn my entire life away in one night."
Tengen Uzui smiled widely and struck his chest with his massive hand, saying: "Come on, Ren! Even a stupid kid like you activated it… do you think a flashy and magnificent man like me, the ruler of festivals himself, would fear a drawing appearing on his body?"
"I should have died a long time ago, I should sacrifice my life in this battle to compensate the people who sacrificed their lives for me…" Tomioka Giyu said in a low voice.
Ren looked at Tengen from the corner of his eye and sighed in boredom before delivering a merciless verbal strike:
"As you know, Tengen… you have three beautiful wives at home. Yet you haven't even left them one child to inherit your 'flashiness'… are you impotent, you clown husband? Or do you want to die and leave behind three widows crying over your disappointment?"
Tengen's face stiffened completely, and an angry vein bulged on his forehead while some Hashira tried hiding their smiles (especially Mitsuri, who quickly covered her mouth).
"You damned little brat!" Tengen shouted. "I'm at the peak of my manhood! I'm just waiting for the right time! Don't mix personal matters with training!"
Rengoku stepped forward confidently and placed his hand on Ren's shoulder, saying with his noble warm voice: "Ren-shounen! I respect and appreciate your deep compassion toward us and those we leave behind. But none of us here fear death."
"We prefer dying while uprooting demons completely, we prefer being the final generation of the Demon Slayer Corps who finally brought down Kibutsuji Muzan…"
"Rather than living long comfortable lives burdened with shame because we left future children sacrificing their lives instead of us. This is the Hashira's pride!"
Hearing Rengoku's sincere words, Ren showed an irritated and frustrated expression. He realized convincing them otherwise was impossible. He suddenly turned toward the dark place where Tanjiro hid and shouted impatiently:
"You're right, Rengoku! A child shouldn't activate this mark and burn away his life… Tanjiro! Come here and remove it immediately!"
"Hah?!" Tanjiro jumped from his hiding spot in the shadows, his eyes widening in shock. "How did I suddenly get dragged into this conversation?! I didn't say anything!"
Tengen mocked him and stepped forward to slap Ren's back with enough force for the sound to echo throughout the field: "What do you mean by 'remove it'? It's not like it's just an ink drawing that can be washed off, idiot!"
Ren bent forward from the slap's force and grabbed his back painfully while muttering angrily through his teeth: "This shiny gorilla… one day I'll break his arm…"
Tengen continued with a malicious grin: "Besides… we're talking about you too when we talk about children! Did you forget your real age after suddenly getting taller or what?"
That was the ironic truth. Yukihara Ren, the Sun Hashira and the demons' most terrifying nightmare, had only turned thirteen half a month ago! People his age within the Demon Slayer Corps, even the talented ones, had barely begun their initial training.
Ren straightened himself and looked at them coldly: "Then what do you want me to do? Go hide for two years and make the Demon King wait in his castle until I reach the legal age for participating in battle?"
Shinobu, who had just joined to observe from afar, sighed and said with a calm smile: "Well, Yukihara-san, since we all agree on moving forward, please… begin explaining."
Ren nodded, and all traces of sarcasm disappeared from his face, replaced by absolute seriousness. He began explaining scientifically how to activate the mark: "To activate the mark, you must push your bodies to the edge of death. Your heart rate must exceed two hundred beats per minute, and your body temperature must rise above thirty-nine degrees Celsius. It is a literal burning of your life energy."
He looked at them sternly and added warningly: "Do not activate it during training except for a few seconds just to understand the feeling. Never use it continuously. And in actual battle, only activate it if absolutely necessary."
Ren fell silent briefly, then threw the harsh truth like a heavy rock: "And I'll say this clearly… I possess no method to prevent your deaths. Most likely… everyone who activates this mark will die once they reach the age of twenty-five."
That sentence made everyone turn tensely toward one person: Gyomei Himejima, the Stone Hashira, who had already surpassed that age.
But Gyomei did not tremble. His sorrowful expression did not change. He calmly rubbed his hands and giant prayer beads, then opened his clouded eyes and said in a firm voice capable of shaking mountains: "I will not die… I will not die until I see Muzan completely crushed, and until I kill him with these two hands."
Ren looked at him and smiled gently with deep respect: "You will, Gyomei… we'll do it together."
After this heavy decision settled in the Hashira's hearts, Ren moved to the next and most important stage. He pulled out his sword sheath and began drawing diagrams on the dirt ground.
"Since you've placed your lives on the line, it's my duty to tell you who you'll face and how we'll crush them. I'll list the Upper Moons' names, techniques, and fighting styles that you must memorize perfectly."
Ren began explaining the Upper Moons' abilities in terrifying detail, one after another, including their precise weaknesses. He explained combat methods as if he had fought life-or-death battles against them countless times.
This level of detail shocked everyone, including Tanjiro whom Ren dragged into this meeting for reasons unknown to him. How had Ren gathered all this information about the Upper Moons in such a short time? Had he fought them before? Was he spying on them?
When Tokito Muichiro asked in confusion about the source of this information, Ren simply ignored their questions and said coldly: "How I know doesn't matter. What matters is that what I'm saying is definitely the truth…" (Of course, Ren relied on his prior story knowledge.)
Ren continued explaining: "Of course, I don't know the current exact rankings of the Upper Moons. Most likely, their ranks are inaccurate in our current chaotic situation. The Upper Moon Six I encountered half a month ago, the one who caused this injury… may have only been temporarily placed in that rank."
"How so?" Obanai asked with interest.
"Perhaps he'll be promoted to Upper Moon Two because of the terrifying power level I personally experienced. Or perhaps he'll remain Sixth Moon if Muzan doesn't care about rankings. Muzan is currently in a state of panic and cares less about ranks than he does about killing me."
Ren pointed his sword toward the first circle on the ground: "Kokushibo… Upper Moon One. The strongest among all demons. His power may exceed both my expectations and yours. Therefore, Kokushibo will be the responsibility of four Hashira."
The Hashira's eyes widened. Four against him?
"Your mission against him is not to kill him immediately… but to hinder him, restrict his movements, prevent him from slaughtering Corps members, and most importantly, stop him from interfering in other battles."
Ren explained calmly and decisively: "It seems there's some kind of cooperation and relationship between Kokushibo and the traitorous Upper Moon Six… Kaigaku."
While speaking, Ren had already noticed Zenitsu hiding with Tanjiro in the distance, and hearing Kaigaku's name caused Zenitsu to frown.
Zenitsu bit his lips hard in the darkness until they bled.
Suddenly, Ren frowned noticeably, drawing everyone's attention toward him. He thought briefly while communicating with "Rena" in his mind, then said:
"Actually, I realized what the Blood Demon Art of the fake Upper Moon Six is."
"Fake?" Tokito asked in confusion, tilting his head.
Ren nodded: "Yes. I could easily measure that demon's power level. And although demons are currently in chaos, especially with two of the strongest Upper Moons whom I killed previously… that demon's strength doesn't match the number in his eye."
Rengoku enthusiastically interrupted: "Yes! It's incredible that someone like you managed to kill two Upper Moons at such a young age and within one era! The death of Upper Moons was something rare, perhaps happening once every hundred or two hundred years!"
Ren nodded while ignoring the praise: "That 'fake' demon's power should definitely place him in rank two. Therefore, there are two possibilities, since I clearly saw the symbol of Upper Moon Six in his eyes…"
Ren raised one finger: "The first possibility is that, as I expect, he's Upper Moon Two, but for some reason he uses his Blood Demon Art to alter his appearance, including the numbers in his eyes. This possibility is very large because despite my perception and overwhelming aura, I only noticed his approach and existence very late. Therefore, his ability most likely specializes in absolute concealment, stealth, and illusion creation."
Everyone swallowed nervously. An ability at that level? Wouldn't the demon kill them without them even realizing his existence? In truth, Ren's ability to notice him despite such concealment proved how terrifying Ren's perception was and how far he surpassed the Hashira.
Gyomei then said in his deep voice: "If this is true, then Yukihara Ren and I… we are the only ones capable of fighting this demon, since we possess perception high enough to detect him."
Everyone nodded in agreement, expecting Ren to request support.
But Ren simply and coldly said: "Exactly. Therefore, Gyomei, you must stay alongside the other three against Kokushibo so you can restrain him without suffering severe injuries and preserve enough stamina."
Everyone was shocked. After Ren became the Sun Hashira, the living legend, he was unquestionably the strongest. But everyone still knew Gyomei was the strongest human warrior on their side after Ren, their absolute trump card.
How could Ren fight Upper Moon Two (Ryoga) alone when his primary duty was fighting Muzan himself?! Exhausting himself fighting an unexpected and powerful opponent like Ryoga, while supporting others and performing his role as the Corps' tactical leader amid battle, was sheer madness and suicide.
Ren continued speaking without blinking: "The second possibility… is that there exists another demon, or more, stronger than Ryoga himself occupying the remaining Upper Moon positions."
At that possibility, everyone froze in place. Ren had eliminated two previous Upper Moons, so if this prediction was correct, there existed an entirely unexpected demon stronger than Ryoga… Ryoga, who injured Ren with a kick that kept him hospitalized for days (despite Ren intentionally not healing himself with his full abilities, the injury was real).
After thinking deeply for a while, Ren finished his strategic analysis that shocked the Hashira's minds and began distributing the final roles:
"There are six Upper Moons. Listen carefully:
Upper Moon One, Kokushibo: Gyomei, Sanemi, Rengoku, and Tanjiro will handle him."
That statement shocked Tanjiro and even the Hashira. How could a non-Hashira boy be thrown into battle against the strongest? But they did not question Ren's decisions, because he displayed terrifying strategic genius impossible to argue against.
"Upper Moon Two, Ryoga: I will kill him as quickly as possible."
Ren continued:
"Upper Moon Three, Hantengu: Mitsuri, Obanai, and my disciple Sakurai will handle him."
It was obvious Ren gathered several Hashira against Upper Moon Three with the purpose of killing him as quickly as possible and without any damage so they could support the others afterward.
"Upper Moon Four, Gyokko: Inosuke and Zenichiro will support Tokito so he preserves his stamina."
After Ren explained that demon's weaknesses to Tokito, the young genius realized the possibility of defeating Upper Moon Four easily and quickly thanks to this guidance, then joining the other battles at full strength.
"Upper Moon Five, Gyutaro and Daki: Gyutaro uses deadly poison, therefore Tengen, Hakuji, and Tomioka Giyu will fight him. Thanks to his poison resistance, Tengen will be perfect for killing Gyutaro, but his head must be cut simultaneously with Daki's for him to die."
"Finally… Upper Moon Six, Nakime: she is the most important!" Ren said in a serious tone.
"She controls the Infinity Castle. Defeating her means exposing Muzan, and perhaps even Upper Moon One, directly beneath sunlight! And in the worst case, if Ryoga's power is exaggerated enough to overcome death through decapitation, then he must die beneath sunlight."
"Nakime's location is hidden and constantly changing, so if any of you encounter her by chance… don't kill her immediately! Try defeating and manipulating her until contact is established with Yushiro (Tamayo's subordinate boy) to mentally control her and deceive Muzan."
Ren took a breath and looked toward the darkness:
"Meanwhile… Zenitsu will fight one battle alone. His responsibility is killing the traitor who was his training brother and his master's disciple. It is a battle nobody should interfere with."
Hearing this, Zenitsu showed no expression except enormous determination.
Then Ren concluded with a tone carrying confidence surpassing arrogance:
"And if any strange circumstances occur… I myself will intervene in any other battle and finish it."
Hearing his final sentence, everyone was in absolute shock. Confidence in killing Upper Moon Two immediately and quickly enough to support others? Supporting the team against Upper Moon One? Trying to locate Muzan and kill him? Ensuring Kaigaku's death?
[Well, with Yoriichi's template, you're practically invincible against demons…] Rena said boredly while floating nearby.
It was insane arrogance, but supported by terrifying strength nobody dared question. Ren had analyzed everything, exploiting his story knowledge, future predictions, and the assistance of the AI (=__=) "Rena."
The final plan was clear as the sun: after their ally Tamayo injected Muzan with poisons and medicines that would greatly weaken him and prevent his regeneration (and perhaps even kill him), the others would bring down the demon moons with the least possible damage and casualties.
"Now…" Ren said while slowly sheathing his crimson blade, his eyes glowing with savage light in the darkness, "you must become strong enough to never die in this battle…"
"That terrifying expression… Mitsuri, you should leave," Obanai said while turning toward Mitsuri, who had frozen from the killing aura Ren released.
"Nobody is escaping…" Ren said in an emotionless voice. "After all… there's always the possibility that something unexpected changes the battle for Muzan."
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Wait for the shock soon… and what are your thoughts about the recently released chapters? What are your predictions for the upcoming events?