Chapter 9: Officially a Demon Slayer!
『ＲＹＯＮ 』
Enjoy the chapter!
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Early morning light flooded the gathering area at the foot of Mount Fujikasane, washing away the shadows of terror left by the previous night. The wisteria trees bloomed peacefully, as if they hadn't witnessed a massacre hours prior.
Yukihara Ren stood among the survivors. There were only seven of them. Seven pale faces, some in shock, others trembling. Ren, despite his young age, was the calmest among them, standing like a porcelain statue amidst the ruins.
The twins, with white and black hair, stood at the front.
(I remember the black-haired one turns out to be a boy in the end, but let's ignore that for now.)
"Welcome back, you seven examinees," the white-haired girl said in her monotonous voice. "You have passed the selection."
Ren looked at the small number. "Out of twenty..." he thought coldly. "That means two-thirds of the examinees died in seven days. This is madness. But... this is the world I live in."
He recalled Zenichiro's shocked expression upon learning his true age and turned his head in boredom. Fortunately, Zenichiro hadn't tried to approach him again since that moment.
The twins began the routine procedures: first, selecting the rank (the lowest rank, Mizunoto), then choosing a Kasugai Crow.
The crow Ren chose appeared quite ordinary, but he was surprised by its ability to speak.
Although he knew these crows were special and could talk, this crow's personality was...
"Caw! Hello there, handsome master! You look quite fit for a human, caw!" the crow spoke with a truly narcissistic tone.
"Well, the finest and most handsome Kasugai Crow will settle for you as his master, caw! What are you doing? Bow to me now!"
Ren let out a muffled chuckle, wondering internally if grilled crow meat would taste any good.
"...."
Ren's Kasugai Crow suddenly felt a chill!
"Why do I feel like there's a demon trying to devour me?!"
Next came the decisive moment: choosing the ore for the Nichirin Sword.
A collection of different alloys was lined up before them, each carrying a different energy. It was up to the swordsman to choose the metal that "suited" them to forge their personal blade.
Ren reached out his hand to touch the alloys. He didn't rely on touch alone, but on his enhanced senses amplified by the System. Ren activated "Total Concentration Breathing" and used his sense of smell.
Sniff... sniff...
Each alloy had a distinct "scent." Not a physical smell, but an energy scent.
One alloy smelled of "stubbornness" and "stability" (suitable for Stone Breathing). Another smelled of "wrath" and "insane speed" (Thunder Breathing). Yet another smelled of "calm" and "tranquility" (Water Breathing).
As Ren approached a dark-looking alloy, a System window appeared:
[Alloy Analysis (Rare Alloys):]
[Type: Oscillating metal, variable density.]
[Properties: Tends to absorb kinetic energy then release it. Ideal for styles relying on rapid pace shifts or 'turbulence.']
[Compatibility with User (Yukihara Ren): 99%. Perfect for 'Storm Breathing' (Hybrid), which requires rapid transitions between the fluidity of water and the explosive power of thunder.]
A flash of excitement lit up Ren's eyes. "The System almost made me forget its greatness!" he thought in awe. He had grown so used to his physical strength that he forgot the System could act as a "supercomputer" to analyze his surroundings.
"I'll choose this one," Ren said, pointing to the dark alloy with undeniable confidence.
"Excellent choice," the black-haired twin said calmly. "The swordsmith will send the blade to you within two weeks at most."
Ren smiled, thinking: "Does this mean this metal will be the best even when I learn other styles like Flame or Wind?"
...
It was over. He was now Yukihara Ren, a Demon Slayer.
Ren left the Fujikasane grounds, heading straight for Mount Sagiri. He wanted to share the news with Urokodaki and get some rest. Furthermore, he needed to devise a new plan now that he was certain he had missed the Kamado massacre.
"I need to reach Hashira rank as quickly as possible," Ren thought as he climbed the hill toward Urokodaki's hut. "I'll slay demons in abundance and solve cases that cause major chaos..."
"Besides, I remember that if you kill a Lower Moon demon by yourself without any help, you get promoted directly to Hashira."
"That's how the Mist Hashira, Muichiro, reached his rank so fast."
Ren ran at maximum speed. The distance that had taken him days to cover before was now crossed in a few hours.
He just wanted to reach Urokodaki and train with him as soon as possible.
He hadn't realized it earlier, but using Storm Breathing during the fight had caused him significant damage; without the "Player Body," the injuries might have been severe.
Therefore, he wanted to inform Urokodaki so he could try to master Storm Breathing properly before receiving his Nichirin sword.
He reached the outskirts of the hut. Everything was quiet; smoke rose from the chimney, and the distinct scent of Urokodaki lingered in the air.
Ren stopped abruptly.
He froze in place, as if he had hit a wall of steel.
Sniff.
Ren's nose, which had become a superhuman sense comparable to Tanjiro's, picked up two additional scents inside the hut.
The first was a familiar scent... a human scent, perhaps someone who worked in the charcoal business. Ren had met many such people while living in his village.
In addition to Urokodaki's familiar scent—a smell that made him smile.
But the second scent...
A sinister smell.
It wasn't an ordinary demon. It was a scent of a demon perhaps stronger than the Hand Demon itself. A dark, suffocating aroma that made one's hair stand on end.
A demon's scent! And in Urokodaki's home?
Ren felt a slight dizziness. "Impossible! Urokodaki would never let a living demon enter his hut! Was he attacked? Was my master betrayed?"
His confusion turned into pure panic. He didn't consider for a moment the possibility that these were the scents of Tanjiro and Nezuko. His mind was focused only on the threat to his only teacher.
"Damn it! Don't waste time thinking!" Ren screamed internally.
Ren launched himself at full speed. He didn't use the door. He leapt into the air and kicked the paper window of the hut, shattering it.
CRASH!
Ren burst into the house like a cannonball. The moment his feet touched the wooden floor, he had drawn his basic Nichirin sword (the one used in the selection) from its sheath.
"Storm Breathing: Preparation Form!" (To focus energy before using a style).
Ren pointed his sword toward the source of the demon scent, shouting in a sharp, terrifying voice:
"Get away from my master, you monster!"
But Ren froze in his tracks, his emerald eyes widening in absolute shock. The sword was pointed toward a thick brown cloth lying on the floor, but what stood behind it...
Urokodaki was sitting calmly on the floor, drinking tea, looking completely unharmed.
But in front of him sat a boy.
A boy with reddish-brown hair and kind eyes that were swollen from crying. His forehead was adorned with a familiar scar, and he wore tattered traveler's clothes, with a carved wooden sword by his side.
This was Tanjiro. Kamado Tanjiro.
But the shock wasn't Tanjiro's presence. It was what was happening in the corner.
There was a small girl wearing a beautiful pink kimono, emerging from a large wooden box. Her hair was black as coal, falling over her shoulders, and in her mouth... a large bamboo muzzle was tied.
It was Nezuko. Kamado Nezuko, the demon.
As Nezuko looked at Ren innocently, the demon scent emanated from her with undeniable clarity.
Ren's jaw dropped. His sword was pointed directly at Nezuko.
Tanjiro, caught off guard by Ren's violent intrusion, jumped to protect his sister, taking a defensive stance while staring at Ren with wide eyes.
"Who are you? Why are you breaking into Urokodaki-san's house and threatening my sister?" Tanjiro shouted passionately, unaware of the danger.
Ren remained silent.
Ren looked at Nezuko. Then at Tanjiro. Then at Urokodaki, who was sipping his tea in total silence under his Tengu mask.
Then Ren looked at his trembling hand, holding the Nichirin sword pointed at Nezuko.
He had planned to protect this boy and his family for two full years, only to find he was too late—and now, he was about to decapitate the sister who had turned into a demon.
Ren thought internally: "What in the hell! Do I attack them now? I should have saved them instead of barging in like some 'stupid demon slayer'!"
In that moment, Ren's emerald eyes shifted from coldness to absolute shock.
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End of Chapter 9!
Part of the text was accidentally deleted! I'm sad 😢