After saying goodbye to Ubuyashiki Amane, Kocho Shinobu went to a Demon Slayer Corps outpost near Mount Fujikasane.
Led by the outpost members, it took her two days to finally meet her targets.
"Good evening, you two."
Her gaze swept past Rengoku Kyojuro and settled on the black-haired youth standing to the right.
"I am a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, Kocho Shinobu."
"I have received a mission from the Master to lead you both to the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters."
"Eh? A reply so soon?" Rengoku Kyojuro's face showed a hint of surprise.
Lynn had walked out of Mount Fujikasane and given the letter to Ubuyashiki Amane only half a day ago.
Receiving a reply in such a short time meant that Ubuyashiki Kagaya had agreed to Lynn's request the moment he saw the letter.
"Lynn, you didn't write in the letter that you could kill the Twelve Kizuki, 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, Lynn!"
"..."
"Uh, you are joking, right?"
Looking at the silent black-haired youth before him, who wore a mysterious smile.
Rengoku Kyojuro, who had been laughing loudly, gradually lowered his voice as his expression turned serious.
"Lynn, you should understand what Kibutsuji Muzan represents, right?"
"Of course. The source of all demons, and theoretically the strongest demon."
"Can you really kill him?"
"If I use my trump card, I can end the battle in a single move."
"..."
Rengoku Kyojuro's expression was a bit subtle.
He felt that Lynn was boasting.
Insta-killing the legendary Kibutsuji Muzan in one move—no matter how you heard it, it didn't sound realistic.
"Insta-killing Kibutsuji Muzan in one move? You're definitely boasting."
As if hearing Rengoku Kyojuro's thoughts, Kocho Shinobu, standing nearby, chimed in.
As the source of all demons, Kibutsuji Muzan hadn't appeared before the public for many years.
Even the Demon Slayer Corps, whose goal was to kill Kibutsuji Muzan, had very limited knowledge of him.
How could Lynn, a newcomer who had only been practicing Breathing Techniques for a few months, have a trump card to kill Muzan?
"Never mind Muzan; if your trump card could insta-kill the Twelve Kizuki, I'd already consider you impressive."
"By Twelve Kizuki, do you mean the Upper Ranks or the Lower Ranks of the Sixs?"
"The Lower Ranks of the Sixs, of course."
"For the Lower Ranks of the Sixs, I don't even need a trump card. I can insta-kill them in one move with just a normal attack."
Lynn seemed to not care about the Lower Ranks of the Sixs at all, his tone calm and confident.
"If you don't believe it, do you want to make a bet with me?"
"Bet on what?"
"Bet on whether I can insta-kill a Lower Ranks of the Six in one move without using my trump card."
"If I can do it, you must do one thing for me unconditionally, and vice versa."
"Fine! I'll take that bet!"
Kocho Shinobu accepted the wager.
Lynn's ability to clear Mount Fujikasane in a single night proved his strength was indeed formidable.
But even the greatest genius needs time to develop.
Kocho Shinobu did not believe that someone who had been practicing a Breathing Technique for less than half a year could insta-kill one of the Twelve Kizuki with a single move.
"If you can really pull off a one-hit kill, I'll agree to a hundred favors, let alone one!"
"Cough~ Miss Kocho Shinobu, I think it would be better if you calmed down."
Standing nearby, Rengoku Kyojuro couldn't help but cough and speak up to dissuade her.
As one of the five basic Breathing Techniques, the greatest characteristic of Thunder Breathing was its explosive power.
At the same level of skill, the explosive power of Thunder Breathing far surpassed other Breathing Techniques.
Combining the strength Lynn had shown previously at Mount Fujikasane, it wasn't impossible for him to insta-kill Lower Ranks of the Six with a surprise attack from behind.
"We are all members of the Demon Slayer Corps; there's no need for the atmosphere to be so tense."
"As the saying goes, it's better to make friends than enemies. If you two have a conflict, you can sit down and talk it out slowly."
"I don't think there's much to talk about."
Lynn shrugged and let out a light chuckle.
"No matter how much I say, she won't believe I can one-shot one of the Twelve Kizuki."
"That's right, I don't believe it."
Kocho Shinobu nodded without hesitation.
Compared to the mature persona she displayed in the original story...
At this moment, Kocho Shinobu had not yet lost her older sister, and her personality was quite impulsive.
Under the guidance of Lynn's rhetoric, she had become completely worked up within just a few sentences.
"Unless you can one-shot one of the Twelve Kizuki right in front of me, it's impossible for me to believe it."
You really took the bait, hook, line, and sinker.
Lynn gave a light chuckle: "Since you've said so, let's set out right now."
Kocho Shinobu was stunned for a moment: "Set out? Do you mean to the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters?"
"That is the final destination, but before that, we're going to Mount Natagumo."
Lynn patted the nichirin blade at his waist, a surging and terrifying aura emerging from his body.
"Rather than visiting empty-handed, it's better to bring a gift along."
...
Two days later.
Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters, Ubuyashiki Residence.
It was the month of May, the season when cherry blossoms are in full bloom and all things grow vigorously.
In the spacious courtyard, the pink petals of late-blooming cherry blossoms fell like light snow onto the blue stone path.
At the entrance of the courtyard, a black-haired young man pushed open the gate and walked in from outside.
His right shoulder was draped with a red haori, while his left shoulder bore a haori with a geometric turtle-shell pattern of yellow, orange, and green; from a distance, his look was quite peculiar.
"Yo~ Water Hashira, you've arrived!"
Under a cherry blossom tree, a man with a sturdy build stood with his arms crossed, wearing a large headpiece embedded with Diamonds on his head.
As his gaze swept over Tomioka Giyuu, Uzui Tengen tilted his head back and rested a hand on it: "Same as always, your outfit isn't flashy enough at all!"
"Mr. Uzui, not everyone can adapt to such a flashy style like you can~"
A woman whose appearance was ninety percent similar to Kocho Shinobu covered her mouth and let out a light laugh.
"Namu Amida Butsu."
In the very center of the courtyard, a two-meter-tall man turned around, his hands pressed together in prayer.
"It has been a while, Benefactor Tomioka."
"Compared to our last meeting, your aura has refined significantly."
"It's nothing worth mentioning."
Tomioka Giyuu replied calmly.
In his view, the talent of the people in this courtyard far surpassed his own.
If it weren't for the fact that he had more free time to cultivate and grow stronger...
With his actual strength, he wouldn't even be qualified to stand in the same place as these people.
"You're still the same as ever, no fun to talk to at all."
Uzui Tengen, who had been striking a pose, sighed, dissatisfied with the response.
"Be a bit flashier, Water Hashira."
"..."
What does 'be a bit flashier' even mean?
A trace of confusion rose in Tomioka Giyuu's heart, unable to understand the other's meaning.
However, just as he was about to ask, the sound of footsteps suddenly came from the residence nearby.
Under everyone's gaze, two young girls with white hair slid open the shoji doors and stepped out.
"The Master has arrived!"
...