11. Departure to Infinite City - That Time I Made Friends With a Slime

"Ugh! Where did he go?!"

Kochou Shinobu stopped and looked around, but Kaito had completely vanished from her sight.

"Right behind you, little girl!"

Hearing the voice at her back, Kochou Shinobu's gut dropped and she instinctively tried to cover her head, but it was already too late.

"Thump!!!"

"Itai (It hurts)!!! /(ㄒoㄒ)/~~"

As if reliving the exact same moment, Kochou Shinobu crouched down on the spot, both hands clamped over her head, while Kaito doubled over laughing.

"Hahaha! Not so cocky now, are you?!"

Still clutching her head, Kochou Shinobu snapped back indignantly:

"What the heck!!! How are you so fast?! You baka!!!"

Kanae Kocho watched the two of them with a helpless smile. She had noticed that Shinobu always seemed to lose her composure the moment Kaito was involved.

Even so, she could tell that Shinobu didn't actually dislike him. She called him a jerk at every turn, yet the amusement dancing in her eyes gave her away every time.

'Could this girl actually have feelings for Kaito-sama?!'

The thought struck her, and Kanae quietly turned it over in her mind as she watched them.

Because she had started to realise that she might be in the same boat. Ever since he had saved her at their very first meeting, she had never quite been able to shake the impression he left on her. The more time she spent with him, the more she saw it — he was warm and easy-going with the people he cared about, and utterly ruthless toward anyone who deserved it. It was hard not to like someone like that.

'Hmph! Looks like I am going to have some competition after all.'

Nearby, Kanao Tsuyuri took a quiet sip of Coke, her face completely blank. "Mmm. Good," she murmured.

Time slipped by without anyone noticing, and two days passed in the blink of an eye.

Butterfly Estate, afternoon.

"Open System Panel."

Kaito

Gender: Male

Age: 23 years old

Realm: [Nascent Soul Stage — Peak]

Items: [Dimensional Gate], Coke x3, Sofy x1, Big Brother Phone x1, Icha Icha Paradise x1

Overall Evaluation: You are already a visible big shot in the myriad worlds, though you might still accidentally be stepped on! ┓(´ー`)┏

"Come on, System, you're slacking off on me. The daily sign-in rewards have been terrible lately. And what am I even supposed to do with this Big Brother Phone? There's no signal out here!"

"And what is this Icha Icha Paradise doing in my inventory? Do I look like the type who reads that stuff?!"

"[Heh heh! Oh? You don't want it? Then I guess I'll stop including it in the sign-in rewards!]"

"Heh. All I'll say is — you really do know me well."

'Though honestly, thinking about Shinobu's stats from two days ago… I might not need it anyway.'

Kochou Shinobu

Loyalty: 91

Affection: 99

Abilities: [Insect Breathing], [Dance of the Butterfly: Caprice]...

Overall Strength Evaluation: D-rank

'She really buries it deep, doesn't she. Ninety-nine affection and she still acts like she can't stand me. Guess I'll just have to keep poking at her.'

Kaito was still quietly plotting when Kanae's voice came through from outside the room.

"Kaito-sama! Kagaya says the Demon Slayer Corps has fully assembled and is waiting for you at headquarters!"

Hearing that, Kaito got to his feet, pulled open the door, and looked at Kanae standing in the hallway.

"Got it. Let's move."

Everyone at the Butterfly Estate had gathered in the entrance, all of them aware that he was leaving. Kochou Shinobu crossed her arms and looked away, but her voice betrayed her.

"Hey. You'd better come back in one piece, you hear me? I won't let you off the hook if you don't."

Kanao, standing quietly beside her, spoke without a trace of expression on her face.

"Kaito nii-chan, please be careful."

She didn't show it, but Kaito caught the worry underneath the words just fine.

"Please come back safe, Kaito-sama. I'll have a meal ready and waiting for you."

Kanzaki Aoi stepped forward, unable to stay quiet any longer.

"Hahaha, relax. I like being alive way too much to go and die on you. Wait here, all of you. Kanae, with me."

"Yes, Kaito-sama!"

Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters

"Today, we put an end to centuries of suffering. For generations we have fought, bled, and lost people we loved, and yet hope always seemed just out of reach."

"But not today! Today, I know in my heart that we will defeat Kibutsuji Muzan and finally close this chapter. So I ask you — are you ready?!!!"

"Yeah!!!! *n"

The formation of hundreds of Demon Slayers roared back as one.

Watching them, still fired up from Kagaya Ubuyashiki's words, Kaito couldn't help but think the man was born for this. A natural leader, through and through.

At the same time, a thought occurred to him, the Jura Tempest Federation's administrative headache might just sort itself out.

After all, everyone knew what Rimuru was like. Adorable, sure. Good at running a country? That was another story entirely.

And Kaito himself had zero intention of picking up that slack. He'd spent years back home grinding through 996 hours like a pack animal. Now that he'd actually made something of himself, he was supposed to just… keep doing paperwork?

'Absolutely not. I didn't survive transmigration to become a civil servant. I want music. I want dancing. Someone make this happen.'

Kagaya Ubuyashiki stepped over to him once the crowd had settled.

"Is there anything you'd like to add?"

Kaito looked out at the sea of faces — all that energy, all that resolve — and felt something stir in his chest. He raised his right fist.

"Just one thing." His voice rang across the square. "This time next year, we raise a toast on Kibutsuji Muzan's grave!!!"

"Yeah!!!! *n"

"Long live Kaito-sama!!"

'One line. That's all it took. I have to say, I impressed even myself.'

Kaito's gaze swept the crowd, settling first on the Hashira assembled at the front.

Rengoku Kyojuro

Loyalty: 92

Affection: 91

Abilities: [Flame Breathing · First Form: Unknowing Fire]... [Ninth Form: Rengoku]