Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Ten Shadows!
『RYON』
Enjoy~~~
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[Tokyo – Jujutsu Technical High School]
The training ground was boiling under the midday sun, but the real heat was coming from Ren Zenin's body. He was panting heavily, as if he had run a marathon while carrying an elephant on his back.
"Oh, come on, Ren-chan! Where did that arrogance you greeted me with go?"
Gojo Satoru's cheerful, irritating voice came from atop a nearby wooden fence. He was sitting casually, sipping from a juice can, wearing round black sunglasses instead of his usual blindfold.
"You…" Ren wiped the sweat from his forehead and glared angrily at the necklace hanging from his neck. It was a strange crimson gem, pulsing with a faint light whenever he tried to gather his cursed energy.
"You know this damn necklace weighs a ton, right? And on top of that, it completely blocks my cursed energy flow!"
"Exactly!" Gojo raised his thumb with a wide grin. "That's the point! You rely too much on reinforcing your body with cursed energy and your weird techniques. I want you to learn how to fight like a 'normal' human… well, a slightly superhuman one."
Gojo pointed toward Fushiguro Megumi, who stood on the opposite side in a combat stance, looking intensely focused.
"Megumi-chan! Don't hold back! Use your shikigami! Make this little Zenin cry!"
"I'm not a little Zenin…" Ren muttered irritably, then assumed a defensive stance. "Alright, Fushiguro. Show me what you've got."
Megumi didn't waste any time.
"Divine Dogs!"
The moment he clasped his hands and formed a shadow, two massive dogs—one black, one white—burst out of the ground and lunged at Ren at astonishing speed.
"Damn it!"
Ren jumped sideways at the last moment, narrowly avoiding the black dog's jaws as they snapped shut where his arm had been. But the white dog was already waiting for him on the other side, slashing at him with its claw.
With a fluid motion born from years of harsh training by his "other self," Ren bent backward like a bamboo reed, the claw passing mere centimeters above his nose.
Using the dog's momentum, he delivered a precise kick to its abdomen, causing it to dissolve into a shadow and temporarily disappear.
"Not bad without cursed energy," Megumi commented coolly, though he was breathing a bit heavily. "But—"
Suddenly, Ren felt something grab his ankle. He looked down to see sticky frogs emerging from his shadow, immobilizing him.
"Seriously? That's disgusting…" Ren complained.
"Now!" Megumi shouted suddenly, smiling.
A large electric bird descended from the sky, firing a small bolt of lightning straight at Ren.
"Are you trying to kill me?!" Ren shouted. In a desperate move, he tore the frogs apart with raw physical strength and rolled across the ground, narrowly avoiding the lightning that scorched the grass where he had been.
Then he steadied himself, and in the next instant, he launched forward at terrifying speed, eyes sharp like a hunter attacking his prey.
It was such insane speed that Megumi froze in place as Ren closed the distance in an instant.
At that moment, Gojo realized that Ren's current attack was no simple thing.
"Stop!" Gojo suddenly shouted, clapping slowly. "Time's up!"
Ren froze mid-motion, then collapsed onto his back, staring up at the sky as Megumi's shikigami faded away.
"You… little monster…" Ren said between breaths, directing his words at Megumi, who approached and extended a hand to help him up.
"And you're extremely stubborn," Megumi replied with rare honesty as he pulled Ren up.
"How were you able to keep up with my shikigami while restricted like that? Your physical movements… they're different. That's not just ordinary martial arts."
The two sat down on the grass as Gojo hopped over and tossed them bottles of water.
"Hey, Fushiguro," Ren said after downing half the bottle in one go. "You don't realize the value of your treasure, do you?"
Megumi looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"The Ten Shadows Technique…" Ren said seriously, briefly assuming the role of a teacher. "The Zenin clan—my very lovely biological family—would be willing to pay millions just for your head because you possess this technique. Historically, a user of this technique managed to kill a 'Six Eyes' user."
Gojo suddenly spat out his juice. "Hey! Don't give him weird ideas! I'm the strongest one here!"
Ren ignored him and continued speaking to the shocked Megumi. "Your problem is that you think within limits. 'I'll sacrifice myself to summon Mahoraga and die with it'… isn't that what's going on in that dark little head of yours?"
Megumi's eyes widened. "How do you know about Mahoraga? I never told anyone…"
"I know a lot," Ren said with a mysterious smile. "The point is: don't fight to die. Fight to live and win. Imagine your shadows not as tools, but as extensions of your body. You can hide in them. You can store weapons in them. You can even fuse shikigami. Your technique is extremely flexible—don't let your mind be rigid."
Megumi fell silent, staring at his hands in deep thought. Ren's words struck a sensitive chord. He had always seen himself as 'secondary,' ready to sacrifice himself for others. But Ren's talk about 'winning' ignited something different.
(Are there things I changed in the story? Yes!)
"Alright, alright, enough philosophy lessons!" Gojo interrupted, throwing an arm around both of their necks.
"Ren-sensei, Megumi-chan, how about we go eat some sushi? My treat, of course!"
"Sushi? I'm in," Ren said immediately, forgetting his exhaustion.
"I'm not really a sushi fan…" Megumi muttered, though the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
The three laughed under the Tokyo sun, a rare moment of peace before the coming storms awaiting them.
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[Demon Slayer World – Osaka City – Yukihara Family Home]
On the other side of existence, the atmosphere was heavier than lead.
In the quiet traditional living room, Rengoku Kyojuro sat perfectly in the seiza position, hands on his thighs. Yet his usually straight back seemed slightly bent under the weight of the mission.
Beside him, Kocho Shinobu sat silently. Her usual smile had vanished, replaced by a tired, sorrowful look.
Across from them sat Yukihara Yumi, Ren's mother. She was a beautiful woman with calm features that closely resembled Ren's, and long black hair.
Next to her was her young daughter, Sakura, looking at the guests with curious, sparkling eyes.
"So…" Yumi said softly, her voice trembling slightly as she poured tea with hands that shook just a bit. "You are Ren's colleagues… from the 'martial arts school' he enrolled in?"
Rengoku and Shinobu exchanged a quick glance. The lie Ren had told his family before leaving.
"Yes, ma'am," Rengoku replied in an unusually subdued voice. "We are his colleagues. My name is Rengoku Kyojuro, and this is Kocho Shinobu."
"Onii-chan!" Sakura suddenly exclaimed, jumping up excitedly. "Is Ren-nii-chan strong now? Did he become the strongest like he promised me? When is he coming back? I miss playing with him!"
Shinobu looked at the little girl and felt her heart break. Sakura's innocence reminded her of her sister Kanae, and of herself before demons destroyed her life.
How can we tell her? How do we say that her heroic brother is now lying as a living corpse? Shinobu thought, unable to speak.
Noticing Shinobu's distress, Rengoku intervened with a warm yet sad smile.
"Miss Sakura," Rengoku said gently. "Your brother Ren… is indeed a great hero. He has become very strong, so strong that everyone respects him."
"Really?" Sakura's eyes sparkled.
"Yes." Rengoku turned to Shinobu. "Kocho, could you take the young lady to the garden and tell her some of Ren's 'funny' training stories? I have something private to discuss with Mrs. Yumi."
Shinobu understood immediately. She stood with a gentle smile and extended her hand to Sakura. "Come along, dear. I'll tell you how Ren once fell into the river while trying to catch fish."
(Ren: Hey, I'm not a clown… oh well, if it's Sakura 😂)
"Waaah! I want to hear!" Sakura ran outside with Shinobu.
Only Rengoku and Yumi remained. The atmosphere in the room changed instantly.
Yumi set her teacup aside and looked at Rengoku with the gaze of a mother who feels the truth in her heart.
"Tell me the truth, Mr. Rengoku," she said firmly. "Ren didn't go to an ordinary martial arts school, did he? And those clothes you wear… the swords… you aren't ordinary students."
Rengoku closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them with absolute honesty.
"You are correct, ma'am. Your son, Yukihara Ren, joined a secret organization called the Demon Slayer Corps. Our mission is to protect humanity from monsters that eat humans at night."
Yumi gasped, covering her mouth, but did not interrupt.
Rengoku began telling the story. He spoke of Ren's courage, his extraordinary talent, and how he became a Hashira—the highest rank—in record time. He told her how beloved Ren was by everyone, and how he always spoke proudly of his family.
Then he reached the hardest part.
"Last week… Ren faced a demon from the Upper Moons. They are the strongest demons… monsters that have lived for centuries."
Rengoku paused, his voice growing heavy. "Ren fought with indescribable bravery. He saved me… saved his comrades… and saved countless civilians. He defeated the demon… but…"
"But?" Yumi whispered as silent tears streamed down her cheeks. She had already guessed, yet hoped it wasn't true.
"His body suffered damage beyond human endurance. He is now at our medical headquarters—the Butterfly Mansion—under the care of the best doctors. His heart is beating… but his mind… his consciousness is completely absent. He is in a very deep coma."
Rengoku bowed until his forehead touched the floor. "I'm sorry… I'm truly sorry that we couldn't protect him. He was the youngest among us. We should have been his shield."
A long silence followed, broken only by Yumi's muffled sobs.
After minutes that felt like an eternity, Yumi lifted her head. She wiped her tears with a handkerchief and regained her composure in an almost unbelievable way.
"Raise your head, Mr. Rengoku," she said calmly. "My son chose this path… and I am proud of him. Proud that he saved you."
Rengoku lifted his head in shock.
"But…" Yumi looked at him with determination. "I am a former doctor. I will not leave my son alone there. I want to be by his side. I want to hold his hand and talk to him… even if he can't hear me."
Yumi bowed deeply before him. "Please… take Sakura and me to him. I will work at this Butterfly Mansion… I'll wash clothes, cook, help with nursing—anything. Just let me be near him."
Rengoku felt a lump in his throat. "Ma'am… there is no need for you to work. Master Ubuyashiki, our leader, has taken care of everything. But… your wish is an order. I will arrange for you both to be transferred immediately to a safe place near the mansion. You will be able to see him every day."
"Thank you…" Yumi cried again, but this time her tears were mixed with relief and pain.
Outside, in the dark corridor leading to the garden—
Sakura stood frozen. She had returned to retrieve the doll she forgot… and she heard everything.
The words "demons," "battle," "coma," "won't wake up" echoed in her small mind.
She slowly stepped back, tears falling silently.
"Onii-chan…" Sakura whispered, hugging her doll tightly. "You're sleeping? Like the sleeping princess?"
(Ren: Huh?)
She looked up at the cloud-covered sky.
"I'll wait for you," she said with painful childish innocence. "Even if you sleep for a hundred years… I'll wait for you to wake up so we can play again. And I won't let any monster come near you."
In that moment, Sakura matured by years in a single minute. The sorrow filling her eyes did not suit a seven- or eight-year-old child.
She returned to Shinobu in the garden, forcing a fake smile onto her face—one that looked exactly like Shinobu's own.
"Come on, Miss Shinobu… tell me more!"
Shinobu looked at her in shock, a chill running through her. Did she… did she hear everything?
In the Yukihara home, under the sorrowful Osaka sky, a new tragedy was born—along with quiet hope and silent resolve in the hearts of a mother and a sister.
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End of Chapter Twenty-Eight.
I posted this chapter only to tell you that I'm angry at you for not interacting with the previous chapter 😅
I hope to receive comments that encourage me to continue this novel.