Demon Slayers: Swordsman
Chapter 4 — Crimson Sun
Kanae slowly calmed her breathing and tightened her grip on her sword. The embarrassment from earlier faded as her focus returned to the battle in front of her.
She raised her blade and spoke firmly.
"We are Demon Slayers. Our job is to kill—"
Before she could finish, Ren flicked her forehead.
"Oww!"
Kanae immediately pointed at him with an angry glare.
"You—!"
But Ren had already drawn his sword.
The black and crimson blade of Akatsuki slid from its sheath with a quiet metallic sound as Ren stepped forward.
Kanae stared silently at his back.
His white scarf flowed gently with the wind as he walked toward Doma like he had all the time in the world.
Doma tilted his head curiously while examining the red-haired boy.
"Are you going to fight me?" he asked with a playful smile.
Ren looked at him calmly.
"That fake smile doesn't suit you," Ren said casually.
"Why don't you smile properly? Don't tell me you don't feel any emotions."
A vein popped on Doma's forehead, though his fake smile remained.
"My, you got quite the tongue," Doma said sweetly.
Then suddenly—
He attacked.
Ice-filled wind exploded forward as his fans moved.
But Ren already saw everything.
Through the Transparent World, every movement of muscle and breath was visible.
His mind was completely empty.
No hatred.
No killing intent.
Ren had entered the Selfless State.
For a moment, the world seemed to slow.
Then—
Slash.
Doma blinked.
"W-what?"
His arm suddenly fell to the ground.
For a moment even Doma didn't understand what had happened.
He looked down in confusion.
His arm was gone.
And strangely—
It wasn't regenerating.
He immediately tried to jump back.
Another flash of crimson.
Slash.
His leg separated from his body.
Doma collapsed onto the ground.
Only then did the burning sensation spread through his body.
"Who are you?" Doma asked slowly.
His usual cheerful voice had changed slightly.
"And what was that red sword?" he continued while staring at Akatsuki.
"I clearly saw it wasn't crimson when you drawn it. And it can suppress my regeneration?"
Ren didn't answer.
He simply looked at him quietly.
Doma continued staring at the red-haired boy.
Then suddenly—
Something strange happened.
His vision blurred.
Fragments of memories appeared.
"My memories?" Doma muttered.
Then his eyes widened.
"No… Lord Muzan's memories!"
In the vision—
Muzan Kibutsuji was lying on the ground.
Trembling.
A tall man with long red hair stood before him.
The man held a crimson blade.
His expression was completely emotionless.
The scene overlapped with the boy standing before Doma now.
For the first time in his life—
Doma felt something unfamiliar.
"What is this?" he whispered.
His voice trembled slightly.
"Am I feeling fear?"
He stared at Ren with wide eyes.
"Lord Muzan's fear?"
His vision began spinning.
"Hhh… why is everything spinning?"
Only then did Doma realize something strange.
His body was no longer attached.
His head was flying through the air.
"I was beheaded?" he whispered.
"When… how?"
His body slowly turned into ash.
And Upper Moon Two—
Doma—
Died without understanding what had happened.
Ren slowly exited the Selfless State and Transparent World.
A small smile appeared on his face.
"Even if I don't have Yoriichi's battle experience," Ren murmured quietly.
"But his control, swordsmanship, instincts, and senses are already powerful enough."
He looked at the fading ashes calmly.
"I should be able to fight Kokushibo as of now," Ren said thoughtfully.
"But I won't be able to win."
Ren placed Akatsuki back into its sheath.
"His combat experience must be much richer."
He glanced toward the sky.
"By now Muzan must already know Doma is dead."
Behind him—
Kanae stood completely frozen.
She had watched everything.
The man had fought an Upper Moon.
And the fight ended in seconds.
One slash cut his arm.
Another cut his leg.
The final one took his head.
It looked so simple that Kanae almost doubted if the demon was truly an Upper Moon.
"Di-did he just kill an Upper Moon?" she whispered.
"A Upper Moon… is dead?"
"Just like that?"
Her mind struggled to process what she had just seen.
Ren walked toward her casually.
Then suddenly—
Squish.
Kanae's cheeks were squeezed.
Ren smiled brightly.
Kanae looked extremely cute in real life.
He couldn't resist.
"You're so cute," Ren said while squishing her cheeks.
Kanae's brain stopped working.
Her face instantly turned red all the way to her neck.
"You pervert! What are you doing?!"
She angrily swung her sword.
"This bastard!" Kanae shouted internally.
"He hit me in the head… messed my hair… and now he's squishing my cheeks!"
The more Kanae thought about it, the more embarrassed and angry she became.
Just then—
A crow's voice echoed through the forest.
"Caw! Caw! Caw! Flower Hashira ahead!"
"Sister!"
A familiar voice called out.
Shinobu.
But Kanae didn't hear anything.
She was too angry and embarrassed.
She continued attacking Ren furiously.
Ren simply dodged effortlessly.
Soon Shinobu arrived.
She had rushed there after hearing Kanae was fighting an Upper Moon.
But what she saw instead completely confused her.
Kanae—
The calm and gentle Flower Hashira—
Was chasing a red-haired boy around with her sword.
The boy looked around fifteen or sixteen.
Shinobu blinked several times.
"What's happening?" she muttered quietly.
"Where is the demon?"
"Why is sister attacking a human?"
Her eyes widened slightly.
"Was her face red?"
"Is that really my sister?"
"How can Kanae—the calm, mature older sister—lose her control like this?"
Shinobu and Kanae's crow both stared silently.
Kanae continued swinging her sword.
"You bastard stop dodging!"
Ren protested while easily avoiding every strike.
"Are you an idiot?! That will hurt!"
"So what?!"
Ren casually waved toward Shinobu while dodging another slash.
Shinobu stared blankly.
"What the fuck is happening?"
Kanae finally turned toward the voice.
Seeing Shinobu staring at her made her face turn even redder than Ren's crimson blade.
As Kanae paused—
Ren suddenly appeared beside Shinobu.
He examined her carefully.
She looked like a delicate doll.
Even cuter than in the anime.
Ren smiled brightly.
"Hay I'm Ren," he said cheerfully.
"I just saved your sister. Nice to meet you."
He leaned slightly closer.
"You're even more beautiful than your sister."
Shinobu instantly turned red.
"Th-thank you for saving my sister," she said nervously.
It was the first time a boy her age had called her beautiful.
Ren's eyes sparkled seeing her embarrassed expression.
Then—
Squish.
He squeezed her cheeks too.
"You are super cute when you are embarrassed," he said happily.
Then he hugged her.
Shinobu's brain completely short-circuited.
Kanae's face turned red with rage.
"This bastard!" she thought furiously.
"First he hit me, messed my hair, squished my cheeks…"
"And now he's hugging my sister?!"
"You bastard!"
Kanae shouted.
"I'm going to kill you!"
"You shameless pervert!"
"Baka! Playboy!"
She attacked again.
Ren dodged while still holding Shinobu.
Shinobu finally regained her senses.
"H-hay leave me!" she stammered.
"A-and stop sister! You might hit me!"
Ren spun gracefully while dodging.
Kanae's crow watched silently.
From above it looked less like a fight…
And more like a dance.
Ren and Shinobu moved together while dodging Kanae's attacks.
Even Shinobu slowly started laughing.
"It's… fun."
Then she shook her head quickly.
"N-no stop!"
"What are we even doing?!"
"Where is the Upper Moon?!"
"Who are you?!"
"Why are you two fighting?!"
"And stop this!"
Finally everyone stopped.
Ren laughed softly.
Then he casually wrapped an arm around Shinobu's shoulders.
"Well," Ren said cheerfully.
"This turned into quite a lively morning."