A night breeze brushed past, dispersing the residual pungent smell of burning in the air.
Shinobu stood in place, a flash of astonishment crossing her purple eyes as her gaze remained fixed on the ashes of the demon scattering with the wind on the ground.
As the Insect Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, she was well-versed in pharmacology and toxins.
She understood the physical structure of demons better than anyone. Aside from sunlight and nichirin blades forged from ore that had absorbed sunlight, nothing could completely kill a demon. This was an ironclad fact for countless years.
But just now, this young man named Yamada hadn't even drawn a sword. Merely by condensing that violent lightning, which screeched like a bird's cry, in his right hand, he had forcibly annihilated that demon.
"You... what you used just now wasn't Thunder Breathing, was it?"
The trademark smile on Shinobu's face faded slightly, her tone carrying an unabashed sense of inquiry.
"There was no sound of the cardiopulmonary expansion unique to Breathing Styles, and furthermore, you didn't even use a sword."
"You can think of it as my unique Blood Demon Art... oh wait, saying it that way makes it easy for you all to treat me as an enemy."
Yamada chuckled, shoving his right hand into his pocket and explaining casually, "This is a unique ability of mine, a high-density Lightning-attribute Chakra Nature Transformation. As long as the destructive power instantly exceeds the regeneration limit of the demon's cells and completely destroys its core, killing a demon doesn't necessarily have to rely on a nichirin blade."
Shinobu tilted her head slightly. "Chakra? Nature Transformation?"
These completely foreign terms piqued the intense interest of this genius in medicine and toxicology.
What concerned her even more was Yamada's attitude. This young man, who appeared to be around her age, hadn't even broken a sweat after instantly killing a powerful demon. That composure was definitely not an act, but rather stemmed from absolute confidence in his own strength.
[Ding! Detected that the host has demonstrated strength in front of the key plot character 'Insect Hashira Shinobu' and piqued her intense curiosity, slightly altering her cognitive trajectory!]
[Dimension Points +200!]
Hearing the pleasant system notification in his mind, the smile on Yamada's lips deepened.
As expected, harvesting rewards from these significant plot characters was much faster than the grueling task of killing ordinary demons in the mountains.
"Tanaka-san is truly a man full of mysteries."
Shinobu resumed her smiling expression, her hands folded in front of her. "Despite possessing strength greater than the vast majority of swordsmen, you don't even have a Demon Slayer Corps uniform."
"You're going to participate in the Mount Fujikasane trial in five days? With your strength, going there is practically like an adult stepping into a child's sandbox."
"Rules are rules, after all." Yamada shrugged.
"Right now, I'm a penniless unemployed vagrant. If I don't get an officially certified Demon Slayer status, even food and lodging will become an issue later. I heard the salary and benefits of the Demon Slayer Corps are quite good?"
Shinobu let out a giggle at Yamada's down-to-earth reasoning, and her nerves, which had been tense because of the demon, relaxed.
"Ara ara, killing demons for a salary, Tanaka-san is honestly cute."
"Since we've met and you helped me deal with a troublesome prey, as a thank you, let me host you tonight."
She turned to look outside the forest, the butterfly patterns on her haori seeming to come alive under the moonlight.
"My name is Kochō Shinobu, the Insect Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps."
"Thirty kilometers from here, there is a 'Wisteria House' protected by the Demon Slayer Corps. I wonder if Tanaka-san is interested in coming along?"
"An invitation from a Hashira is my honor." Yamada nodded readily.
"Then please keep up, I am quite fast."
Before her voice had even faded, Shinobu's petite body suddenly exerted force, turning into a purple-black afterimage with a 'whoosh' as she nimbly leaped onto the tree canopy and sped toward the distance.
She intentionally wanted to test the background of this mysterious young man.
Great power and destructive capability were one thing, but in battle against demons, movement techniques, stamina, and speed were equally indispensable.
However, when Shinobu had been shuttling rapidly through the forest for over ten minutes and couldn't help but look back to check, her pupils couldn't help but shrink.
Yamada was not running breathlessly behind her as she had imagined. Instead, he was following just two meters to her right as if taking a leisurely stroll.
Without snapping a single branch or making any unnecessary noise, his soles seemed to have a layer of invisible suction cups (Chakra adhesion). Each time he lightly tapped a tree trunk, his whole body seemed to defy gravity, gliding forward lightly yet with extreme speed.
No matter how much Shinobu increased her speed, Yamada always maintained that two-meter distance, and even the rhythm of his breathing wasn't disturbed in the slightest.
'This way of traveling is simply like a phantom.' Shinobu was secretly alarmed.
The two maintained an extremely high speed, and in less than half an hour, a traditional mansion surrounded by a large number of blooming wisteria flowers appeared in their sight.
That was a logistics base for the Demon Slayer Corps, the Wisteria House.
"We've arrived."
Shinobu landed first and turned to look at Yamada. There was now less testing and a hint of genuine respect in her eyes.
"Tanaka-san, though it might be a bit abrupt to say this now, after you pass the Mount Fujikasane trial, if you're interested, you can come to the Butterfly Mansion to find me."
"With your strength and that special 'Chakra' ability, Master will surely be very happy to see you."
Yamada said half-jokingly, "Butterfly Mansion? I'll go, it sounds like a place where there would be quite a few cute girls."
Hearing this, a dangerous yet charming curve hooked at the corner of Shinobu's lips. "Oh? If Tanaka-san goes to the Butterfly Mansion with such a frivolous attitude, you'll be turned into a pincushion by my needles tipped with paralytic toxin."
The two walked into the Wisteria House, talking and laughing.
After showing the wisteria carving that represented Shinobu's Hashira status, an old lady immediately prepared a sumptuous late-night snack and two adjacent high-quality guest rooms for them.
Late at night, Yamada took a hot bath, changed into a dry yukata, and sat cross-legged on the tatami. He didn't rush to rest but instead, with a thought, summoned the system's virtual panel.
Today, he had not only become familiar with the combat feel of the Sasuke template but had also unexpectedly made a connection with Shinobu, a bountiful harvest.
[Dimensional Template System]
[Host: Tanaka Yamada]
[Current Template: Sasuke (Mangekyo Sharingan Period)]
[Template Synchronization: 100%]
(Note: The host has perfectly inherited this template's power system, combat experience, Chakra, and Dojutsu, and is not affected by the original character's personality or appearance.)
[Inherent Skills]
Ninjutsu: Lightning Release (Chidori, Chidori Current, Chidori Sharp Spear, etc.), Fire Release (Great Fireball Technique, Dragon Fire Technique, etc.)...
Dojutsu: Mangekyo Sharingan (Insight, Copying, Genjutsu, Amaterasu, Kagutsuchi, Susanoo)
Taijutsu: Uchiha Style Kenjutsu, Sharingan Taijutsu
[Dimension Points: 360]
[Main Story Node: Time until Mount Fujikasane Final Selection: 4 days]