After seeing Tanjiro off, Inosuke did not return to the Eternal Paradise Faith immediately.
He found a wind-sheltered mountain cave and briefly treated the ribs cracked by Giyu's kick.
His Ice Spirit physique didn't just grant resistance to cold—within low temperatures, his recovery speed far surpassed that of ordinary people.
"Tch… that poker-faced bastard really didn't hold back."
Inosuke rubbed the bluish-purple bruises on his chest with snow, cursing under his breath, while replaying the battle in his mind.
That fight had lasted only a few minutes, yet it made one thing painfully clear:
the gap between him and a Hashira.
That kind of technique, honed through countless repetitions—
His Ice Breathing was domineering, yes, but when placed against orthodox Water Breathing, it could only barely hold for a few exchanges, riddled with flaws.
"Still not enough," he muttered with a sigh.
He pulled out the newly obtained reward from his chest—
The Concealment Sachet.
It looked like nothing more than an ordinary gray cloth pouch and had no discernible scent.
But the moment he hung it at his waist, Inosuke clearly felt the demonic aura he'd picked up from Doma shrink noticeably.
"Good stuff."
He tucked the sachet inside his clothes, close to his body.
By the time he returned to the Eternal Paradise Faith, dawn was already breaking.
The moment Inosuke vaulted over the wall, he saw Sato anxiously pacing the courtyard.
"Young Master! You're finally back! The Lord has been waiting for you all night!"
"Relax."
Inosuke patted Sato on the shoulder, sounding casual.
"I'm back, aren't I?
Oh, and tell the kitchen to get me a roast chicken. I'm starving."
With that, he swaggered toward the rear hall.
The moment he pushed the door open, a thick stench of blood hit him.
Doma was still seated on the high priest's throne.
In his hand was a… withered blue flower.
"You're back?"
Doma didn't even lift his head. His voice carried a rare hint of fatigue and boredom.
"How was the debt collection?"
Inosuke's heart stirred.
That flower—was it the Blue Spider Lily?
No. If it were real, Muzan would already be celebrating.
Which meant… a fake.
"Don't even mention it."
Inosuke flopped into the seat beside him.
"That charcoal-selling kid's family got robbed. Everyone was killed.
Only he and his half-dead sister survived."
"How was I supposed to collect a debt from that?
I ended up doing charity work—didn't get a single coin back and even gave him some gold for travel money."
He complained with a look of annoyance.
Doma finally looked up. His rainbow-colored eyes lingered on Inosuke for a few seconds—then he burst out laughing.
"Hahahaha! Charity?
Inosuke, you really are a great philanthropist."
He casually crushed the withered blue flower into powder.
"But it's fine that they died.
That kind of backwater village was never worth much anyway."
"Oh right, Dad."
Inosuke pointed at the powder on the floor.
"About Lord Muzan—"
"Don't bring that up."
Doma waved his hand dismissively, his face full of disdain.
"That lord was in a terrible mood last night.
He thought he'd found a lead, but when he went to check, it turned out to be nothing more than a dyed ordinary flower.
"That charcoal-selling family were just ordinary humans—no ancient lineage at all."
"So he got angry and slaughtered the entire family to vent his frustration.
Honestly… zero aesthetic sense."
Inosuke sneered inwardly.
As expected—Muzan really was a spoiled child.
Couldn't find his toy, so he smashed something instead.
And this perfectly confirmed the plot:
the Kamado family's tragedy truly was a senseless disaster.
"Enough of that depressing talk."
Doma stood up and stretched lazily.
"Since you're back, go check on your mother.
She had nightmares last night and kept calling your name."
Inosuke's expression changed instantly.
Without another word, he grabbed his blade and sprinted out.
Back Mountain
Kotoha sat dazed beneath the corridor.
She was wrapped in a thick fox-fur cloak, yet her face looked pale.
Dark circles lingered faintly beneath her eyes.
Hearing footsteps, she suddenly looked up—and when she saw Inosuke, her eyes lit up with pure joy.
"Inosuke!"
Ignoring the cold, she ran barefoot down the corridor and hugged him tightly.
"You're finally back!
You scared me to death…
I dreamed of so much blood last night…
So many monsters…"
Inosuke let her hold him, feeling her trembling body.
Warmth rose in his chest, mixed with a trace of bitterness.
"It's okay, Mom."
He gently patted her back, his voice unusually soft.
"I just went down the mountain to collect a debt and got a bit lost.
See? I'm perfectly fine."
He helped Kotoha back to the corridor and quietly checked her condition with his heightened senses.
Just shock. No serious harm.
"Mom," Inosuke said suddenly,
"I want to eat your rice balls."
"Huh?"
Kotoha froze, then smiled warmly.
"Alright. What filling do you want?"
"Pickled plum. Extra sour."
Watching her busy herself, Inosuke leaned against a pillar and exhaled a long breath of white air.
How long could this peaceful life last?
With Tanjiro setting out on his journey, the Demon Slayer Corps would only grow more active.
The Eternal Paradise Faith—this massive entity—would inevitably be dragged into the center of the storm.
When that time came…
could he still protect his mother within these walls?
"I have to become stronger."
Inosuke clenched his fist.
"Strong enough… to do whatever I want."
The idea of joining the Demon Slayer Corps to learn orthodox breathing techniques grew stronger and stronger in his mind.
In the days that followed, Inosuke became even more relentless.
He increased the intensity of his Ice Breathing training and began frequently handling the cult's external affairs.
He even started modifying his weapons.
Serrated blades were brutal, but against masters like Giyu, they felt clumsy.
He needed faster. Deadlier.
So, on a moonless night with howling winds, Inosuke snuck into the cult's forge.
Using what little physics knowledge he remembered from his previous life—combined with this world's forging techniques—
he began heavily modifying his twin serrated Nichirin blades.
He added counterweights inside the hilts to adjust balance.
He carved blood grooves along the spine to reduce air resistance.
Most importantly, he coated the gaps between the serrations with a special poison.
A toxin refined from wisteria flowers—not as lethal as Shinobu Kocho's,
but enough to cause temporary paralysis in demons.
"Perfect."
Inosuke smiled in satisfaction at the blade in his hand.
Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside.
Sato burst in, panting.
"Young Master! Something's wrong! Something happened!"
"Relax. If the sky falls, someone taller will hold it up."
Inosuke put the blade away and calmly wiped his hands.
"It's not the sky…
It's that the Lord brought back two people."
Sato's expression was strange—like he'd seen a ghost.
"So? Doesn't he bring snacks home all the time?"
"N-no! Not snacks!"
Sato swallowed hard.
"A man and a woman!
And… the Lord said they're his… old friends!"
Inosuke frowned.
Old friends?
Doma—aside from Kotoha—had ever had real friends?
Unless…
A bad feeling rose in Inosuke's chest.
He shoved past Sato and strode toward the main hall.
Before he even reached the door, he heard Doma's cheerful voice.
"Come, come—let me introduce everyone.
This is Lady Daki. She'll be a distinguished guest of our cult from now on."
Inosuke stopped dead.
Through the crack in the door, he saw a breathtakingly beautiful woman seated beside Doma, arrogantly surveying the kneeling believers.
And behind her, a hunched shadow lurked indistinctly.
Upper Rank Six.
Daki—and Gyutaro.
"Those idiot siblings…"
Inosuke cursed inwardly.
"They won't mess with Mom… will they?"
This just got lively.
Two Upper Moons in one house—what was this, a mahjong table?
He took a deep breath, adjusted his expression, and pushed the door open.
"Dad, I heard we've got guests?"
Inosuke wore a brilliant smile, though his fingers had already tightened around the iron fans.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?
I could've had something special prepared for them."
Daki turned her head, her golden-green eyes slowly sizing Inosuke up.
"Oh? So this is the so-called divine child?"
She sneered.
"Pretty face. Too bad he's human."
"Human—so what?"
No one had dared speak to Inosuke like that in his entire life.
"And weren't you human once, too?"
The air in the great hall froze solid.
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