After bidding farewell to Ubuyashiki Amane, Kochō Shinobu headed to a Demon Slayer Corps outpost near Fujikasane Mountain.
Guided by the members stationed at the outpost, it took her two full days to finally locate the people she had come for.
"Good evening, you two."
Her gaze swept past Rengoku Kyojuro before settling on the black haired youth standing to the right.
"I am Kochō Shinobu, a member of the Demon Slayer Corps."
"I have received a mission from the Master to escort both of you to the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters."
"Eh? A reply already?" Rengoku Kyojuro looked slightly surprised.
Cain had only left Fujikasane Mountain and handed the letter to Ubuyashiki Amane half a day earlier.
Receiving a response this quickly meant that Ubuyashiki Kagaya had agreed to Cain's request the moment he read the letter.
"Cain, you didn't write in the letter that you could kill the Twelve Kizuki (twelve demon moons), did you?"
"Not exactly. I wrote that I could kill Kibutsuji Muzan."
"Haha! I didn't realize it before, but you're quite the joker, Cain!"
"..."
"Uh... you are joking, right?"
Looking at the silent black haired youth standing before him, wearing a faint and mysterious smile, Rengoku Kyojuro's loud laughter slowly faded as his expression gradually became serious.
"Cain, you should understand what Kibutsuji Muzan represents, right?"
"Of course. The origin of all demons, and theoretically the strongest demon in existence."
"Can you really kill him?"
"If I use my trump card, I can end the battle in a single move."
"..."
Rengoku Kyojuro's expression turned somewhat complicated.
He could not help but feel that Cain was exaggerating.
Insta-killing the legendary Kibutsuji Muzan in a single move sounded unrealistic no matter how one thought about it.
"Insta-killing Kibutsuji Muzan in a single move? You're definitely exaggerating."
As if hearing Rengoku Kyojuro's thoughts, Kochō Shinobu spoke from the side.
As the origin of all demons, Kibutsuji Muzan had not appeared publicly for many years.
Even the Demon Slayer Corps, whose ultimate goal was to eliminate him, possessed extremely limited information about Muzan.
How could Cain, a newcomer who had only been practicing Breathing Techniques for a few months, possibly possess a trump card capable of killing Muzan?
"Forget Muzan. If your trump card could insta-kill one of the Twelve Kizuki, I would already consider you impressive."
"By Twelve Kizuki, are you referring to the Upper Ranks or the Lower Ranks?"
"The Lower Ranks, of course."
"For the Lower Ranks, I don't even need a trump card. I can insta-kill them with a single ordinary strike."
Cain appeared completely unconcerned about the Lower Ranks of the Twelve Kizuki. His tone remained calm and confident.
"If you don't believe me, would you like to make a bet?"
"A bet on what?"
"Whether I can insta-kill a Lower Rank of the Twelve Kizuki with one move without using my trump card."
"If I succeed, you must agree to do one thing for me unconditionally. If I fail, then I will do one thing for you."
"Fine! I'll take that bet!"
Kochō Shinobu accepted immediately.
Cain's ability to clear out Fujikasane Mountain in a single night already proved that his strength was formidable.
However, even the greatest genius requires time to grow.
Kochō Shinobu did not believe that someone who had practiced a Breathing Technique for less than half a year could instantly kill one of the Twelve Kizuki with a single move.
"If you can truly accomplish a one hit kill, I would agree to a hundred favors, let alone one!"
"Cough~ Miss Kochō Shinobu, I think it would be better if you calmed down a little."
Standing nearby, Rengoku Kyojuro could not help but cough lightly as he attempted to mediate.
As one of the five fundamental Breathing Techniques, the greatest characteristic of Thunder Breathing was its explosive power.
At the same level of mastery, the instantaneous burst of Thunder Breathing far surpassed the other Breathing Techniques.
Considering the strength Cain had already displayed on Fujikasane Mountain, it was not impossible for him to instantly kill a Lower Rank demon if he launched a surprise attack from behind.
"We are all members of the Demon Slayer Corps. There is no need for the atmosphere to become so tense."
"As the saying goes, it is better to make friends than enemies. If the two of you have a disagreement, you can simply sit down and talk things through."
"I don't think there is much to discuss."
Cain shrugged slightly and let out a faint laugh.
"No matter how much I explain, she won't believe that I can defeat one of the Twelve Kizuki with a single strike."
"That's correct. I don't believe it."
Kochō Shinobu nodded without hesitation.
Compared to the composed and mature persona she displayed in the original story...
At this point in time, Kochō Shinobu had not yet lost her older sister, and her personality was still quite impulsive.
Under Cain's deliberate provocation, she had already become completely stirred up after only a few exchanges.
"Unless you can defeat one of the Twelve Kizuki in a single strike right in front of me, I will never believe it."
You really walked straight into the trap.
Cain chuckled quietly.
"Since you've said that much, then let's depart immediately."
Kochō Shinobu paused in surprise.
"Depart? Do you mean we are leaving for the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters?"
"That will be our final destination. But before that, we are going to Mount Natagumo."
Cain lightly tapped the Nichirin Blade at his waist as a powerful and intimidating aura surged from his body.
"Rather than arriving empty handed, it would be better to bring along a gift."
...
Two days later.
Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters, Ubuyashiki Residence.
It was the month of May, the season when cherry blossoms bloomed and all living things flourished.
Within the spacious courtyard, pink petals from the late blooming cherry trees drifted down like gentle snow onto the bluestone path below.
At the entrance of the courtyard, a black haired young man pushed open the gate and stepped inside.
A red haori hung over his right shoulder, while his left shoulder bore a haori patterned with yellow, orange, and green geometric turtle shell designs. From a distance, the combination appeared rather peculiar.
"Yo~ Water Hashira, you've arrived!"
Beneath a cherry blossom tree stood a tall and muscular man with his arms crossed. A large headpiece decorated with diamonds rested upon his head.
His gaze swept across Tomioka Giyu as Uzui Tengen leaned his head slightly back and rested one hand on it.
"As usual, your outfit still lacks flashiness!"
"Mr. Uzui, not everyone can adapt to such a flamboyant style like you can~"
A woman whose appearance was ninety percent identical to Kochō Shinobu covered her mouth as she let out a soft laugh.
"Namu Amida Butsu."
At the center of the courtyard stood a towering man nearly two meters tall. He slowly turned around with his palms pressed together in prayer.
"It has been a long time, Benefactor Tomioka."
"Compared to our last meeting, your aura has become much more refined."
"It is nothing worth mentioning."
Tomioka Giyu replied calmly.
In his opinion, the talent of the people gathered in this courtyard far surpassed his own.
If it were not for the fact that he had more spare time to train and strengthen himself...
With his true level of strength, he might not even be qualified to stand among them.
"You're still the same as ever. Talking with you is never interesting."
Uzui Tengen, who had been striking a dramatic pose, sighed in dissatisfaction.
"Be a little more flashy, Water Hashira."
"..."
What exactly did "be more flashy" mean?
A trace of confusion appeared in Tomioka Giyu's mind as he tried to understand the meaning behind the words.
However, just as he was about to ask, the sound of footsteps suddenly echoed from the residence nearby.
Under everyone's gaze, two white haired young girls slid open the shoji doors and stepped outside.
"The Master has arrived!"
T/N- Should i use twelve kizuki or would y'all prefer English term?
...
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