July 28, 1788—the eighth year of the Tenmei era. Clear skies, a light breeze, and a sweltering 32 degrees Celsius.
Izumi Kiyokazu was panting heavily, curled into the corner of a narrow alleyway. He wore a coarse hemp tunic caked in filth; dried stains had stiffened the fabric into rough, unsightly folds.
The air around him was thick with the cloying, gaudy scent of cheap rouge. From the building next door came the faint, rhythmic pluck of a shamisen. If one listened closely, the muffled sounds of carnal dalliance could be heard bleeding through the walls.
This was the intersection of heaven and hell: the Yoshiwara Pleasure District.
Kiyokazu's throat felt terrifyingly parched. It had been several months since he had transmigrated into the world of Demon Slayer. Back then, he had simply drifted off during a late-night shift at work, only to wake up in this world.
He had appeared out of nowhere in the corner of a small mountain village. Not only had his body shrunk in age, but he was also wearing modern clothes, nearly getting himself purged as a demon by the locals. He couldn't even speak Japanese. Fortunately, the village head was a kind soul who took him in and gave him a place to stay.
After a few difficult months, life had finally begun to stabilize. But just as he was preparing to use his modern knowledge to make a name for himself, the village was slaughtered by bandits.
Though he had managed to hide in the mountains and survive, he witnessed the gruesome sight of demons devouring humans in the deep woods. It was at that moment that Kiyokazu realized exactly what kind of world he had landed in.
Upon confirming this, a sense of despair took hold. No matter how he looked at it, this was not a safe world. One stroke of bad luck and he would become nothing more than demon fodder. His body was weak—even though he was younger, he struggled with basic farm work, let alone practicing the legendary Breathing Styles.
However, just as he was losing heart in the depths of the forest, a melodic voice rang out in his mind.
"Sign-in System Unlocked!
Sign-in Location: Yoshiwara Pleasure District
Sign-in Reward: Sun Breathing (Complete Version)"
Relying on that voice and the knowledge he had gathered about the land, Kiyokazu had pushed himself to the limit to reach this place. But after exhausting every ounce of his strength, while he had finally obtained the Sun Breathing he sought, he had also lost his last spark of energy.
Damn it... surviving in this era is just too hard.
His throat felt like it was on fire, and his limbs were useless weights. Within his mind, the techniques of Sun Breathing were fully integrated and understood, yet he lacked the strength to use them. He could barely even maintain the strength to breathe at all.
It was then that a voice, laced with disdain, drifted toward him.
"Hey! You! Don't you dare die here. Honestly, if you kick the bucket, hauling your corpse away is going to be a huge pain!"
It was a crisp, feminine voice. She sounded young, perhaps in her early teens.
Kiyokazu instinctively looked up toward the source of the voice. He saw a girl with silver hair and striking blue eyes. She stood before him, her lips moving as she spoke, but he no longer had the strength to stay conscious. As his vision faded into gray, he plummeted into darkness.
A cool sensation brushed against his throat, like parched, cracked earth being nourished by a heavy rain. Kiyokazu's eyes slowly fluttered open.
"Tch! You're heavy as a rock. Drink this water and get out of here immediately!"
As his consciousness returned, Kiyokazu realized exactly who was standing in front of him. This silver-haired, blue-eyed girl was currently known as Ume—the future Upper Moon Six, Daki.
I was actually saved by her? What a coincidence...
Kiyokazu opened his mouth, and from his raspy throat, he squeezed out two words:
"Thank... you..."
Ume visibly flinched at his gratitude. This was a place where kindness was almost always met with betrayal. Many who were saved here would wake up only to kill their savior, steal their money, and flee.
This was precisely why Ume had been reluctant to help him in the first place; she had no way of knowing if he would turn on her the moment he recovered.
Someone who actually said "thank you" was a rare breed indeed.
Ume had rarely, if ever, heard anyone thank her. She turned her face away uncomfortably. Her tone remained stiff, though the sharp edge of her hostility had softened slightly.
"Stop wasting your breath on useless nonsense. Since you're awake, hurry up and leave. This isn't a place for someone starving to death."
Despite her blunt words, her eyes surreptitiously scanned his body, as if trying to judge whether he truly had the strength to move on his own. She knew all too well that if he couldn't walk, kicking him out was no different from a death sentence. It was scorching hot outside; if he were forced out now, he wouldn't last until evening.
Kiyokazu didn't answer immediately. Instead, he took a deep breath. That single drink of water had restored a tiny spark of vitality. Using that meager surge of strength, he attempted to adjust his internal state according to the "Sun Breathing" method etched into his mind.
Even though he still hadn't eaten, as he began to breathe in that specific rhythm, a cool sensation surged through his body. It washed away the fatigue and the oppressive heat, and his strength began to return.
Feeling slightly better, Kiyokazu braced his hands against the ground and staggered into a sitting position.
Seeing him sit up so suddenly, the spark of vigilance returned to Ume's eyes. When she had dragged him into the room, she had checked his condition; by all rights, there was no way he should have recovered this quickly.
No, now wasn't the time to wonder why. Since he could move, he was a potential threat. She had to get him out.
Thinking this, Ume instinctively took two steps back and pulled a rusted dagger from her waist. She glared at him, her voice threatening yet underscored by a faint, involuntary tremor.
"Since you can sit up, get lost! Now! Or I won't be so nice!"
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