Demon Slayers: Swordsman
Chapter 7 — The Dawn Approaches
At the Ubuyashiki Mansion, deep within the quiet forest that housed the Demon Slayer Headquarters, the sound of crows broke the peaceful silence of the morning. The air felt tense, as if the world itself was waiting for something to change.
Inside the courtyard, Kagaya Ubuyashiki sat calmly on the wooden veranda.
Two Kasugai Crows stood before him.
Kagaya stared at them with disbelief slowly spreading across his gentle face.
"Sa–say that again," he said quietly.
The crow flapped its wings and repeated the report.
"Caw! Caw! Flower Hashira fought Upper Moon Two, Doma! A mysterious swordsman intervened, saving Flower Hashira and killing Upper Moon Two, Doma!"
Silence fell across the courtyard.
Ayame, standing beside Kagaya, froze in shock.
Even the wind seemed to stop moving.
Then suddenly—
Kagaya began laughing.
"Hahaha…!"
His voice carried a strange mixture of joy and relief.
"It's here… the dawn is finally upon us."
Ayame wiped tears from her eyes as her shoulders trembled.
"For the first time in decades… an Upper Moon has been killed," Kagaya continued softly. "It finally happened."
He slowly lifted his head toward the crows.
"Where is that swordsman?" Kagaya asked gently. "I must go and meet him."
"Take me to him."
Ayame quickly grabbed his arm.
"Your health is declining, you can't—"
Kagaya turned his calm gaze toward her.
"It doesn't matter," he said softly.
"The Demon Slayers need that swordsman."
Before Ayame could argue further, the crow spoke again.
"Caw! Caw! Flower Hashira and Shinobu Kocho are bringing the swordsman to headquarters and have asked for your permission! They are currently resting at a Wisteria House!"
Kagaya immediately nodded.
"Tell them they may come."
His voice held quiet authority.
Then he turned toward Ayame.
"Ayame, call all the Hashira," Kagaya ordered gently. "We will welcome this swordsman properly."
He smiled faintly.
"He is now a guest of the Ubuyashiki Family and the Demon Slayer Corps."
Meanwhile, far away at the Wisteria House, Ren sat comfortably at a low table while enjoying a warm meal with the Kocho sisters.
The peaceful house was surrounded by blooming wisteria trees.
Ren lazily stretched his arms.
"Ahem… sorry about earlier," Ren said casually.
Kanae and Shinobu's mouths twitched.
Both sisters could immediately tell he wasn't sincere at all.
This bastard was clearly just doing lip service.
Shinobu cleared her throat and tried to move the conversation forward.
"Ahem… so are you joining the Demon Slayer Corps, Ren-kun?" she asked politely.
Even though he was a bit too touchy and shameless, the truth remained that he had saved Kanae's life.
Ren looked at her and smiled.
"There's no need for 'kun' or 'san'," he said lightly. "We are friends, so you can just call me Ren, Shinobu."
Shinobu blinked slightly.
Then she smiled sweetly.
"Ara… then Ren, are you joining the Demon Slayers?"
Her violet eyes sparkled slightly.
Ren suddenly covered his face dramatically.
"Shinobu, if you smile like that how can I say no to you?" he said exaggeratedly. "For you, I will fight all the demons and even the Demon King."
Shinobu's face immediately turned red.
"D-don't say things like that," she said nervously.
Before she could react—
Ren suddenly grabbed her hands and looked straight into her eyes.
"All I say is the truth, Shinobu."
Shinobu froze.
Her face burned bright red as her heart started pounding wildly.
Yet strangely—
She couldn't look away from his serious eyes.
Kanae immediately stepped forward and pulled Shinobu back.
"You hateful guy, stay away from my sister!"
Ren didn't flinch at all.
Instead, he calmly looked into Kanae's eyes.
"You too, Kanae," Ren said seriously.
"Just say the words, and I will fight the Demon King for you."
For the first time since meeting him—
Ren looked completely serious.
With Yoriichi's template, Ren had gained the legendary swordsman's peak strength and talent.
And Ren knew something important.
He could eventually surpass even Yoriichi Tsugikuni himself.
Just then—
A notification suddenly appeared before his eyes.
{DING! Join the Demon Slayers.
Reward — Food from the One Piece World.}
Ren blinked.
He already understood the hint.
One of the secrets behind the absurd strength of characters in the One Piece world was their food.
And he had already received a Supreme Grade Sword earlier that could easily kill demons.
Which meant—
Another notification appeared.
{DING! Host detected the obvious hint.}
{Mission — Kill Muzan and eliminate all demons.
Reward — A Space-Time Gate to the One Piece World.}
Ren's eyes widened slightly.
The system continued.
{Note: You may bring others with you. Once inside the One Piece world, everyone's bodies will adapt to that world.}
{Warning: This is a one-way gate. Once entered, you cannot return.}
Ren blinked slowly.
Damn… my guess was right.
He looked back toward Kanae and Shinobu.
Both girls were still slightly red from his shameless teasing.
Ren suddenly spoke seriously.
"Kanae. Shinobu."
Both girls blinked at the sudden change in his tone.
"If all demons are defeated… will you two join my journey?"
They looked at him with confusion.
"What kind of journey?" Kanae asked cautiously.
Ren grinned.
"A journey you will never forget."
He leaned back slightly.
"A journey of the sea… freedom… friendship… and will."
Silence fell across the room.
Shinobu and Kanae exchanged glances.
Ren smiled casually.
"You can give me your answer later," he said. "Think about it."
Then he stood up.
"If you follow me, I guarantee you will absolutely love it."
After saying that, Ren stretched lazily.
He had traveled the entire night.
He was exhausted.
"I'm going to sleep," he muttered.
Ren walked toward his room and closed the door.
The house became quiet again.
Kanae and Shinobu looked at each other silently.
"What kind of journey was he talking about?" Kanae murmured.
Shinobu frowned thoughtfully.
"I don't understand… a journey of sea, freedom, friendship, and wills?"
She looked slightly intrigued.
"It sounds… amazing."
Kanae shook her head tiredly.
"Well, I'm going to rest. I'm still exhausted after fighting Doma."
She stood up and walked toward her room.
But even as she left—
Ren's words echoed in her mind.
Meanwhile, Shinobu remained seated.
Her gaze slowly drifted toward Ren's room.
"Why was he talking like he was going to leave soon?" she whispered quietly.
"And why does that bother me?"
She sighed softly.
"I've only known him for half a day."
A small smile slowly appeared on her face.
"This shameless guy…"
She chuckled quietly.
"He's dangerous in a completely different way than demons."
Shinobu looked toward Ren's room again.
"Things are going to get a lot more interesting with him around."