Warm orange hues dyed the distant horizon, pushing back the darkness. The sun was about to rise.
The ground cracked as Ryou kicked off with force, his figure blurring forward at incredible speed. In a single breath, he slashed his sword multiple times, each stroke weaving a different motion.
'First Form: Wind Slash!' His sword conjured sharp, pressurized wind blades that shot toward Doma like slicing crescents.
Doma twirled his war fans nonchalantly, deflecting most of the wind blades. A few managed to cut into his skin, but the wounds vanished almost immediately. Such was the quirk of being a demon.
"Oh, that was so much fun!" Doma said with a friendly smile on his face. Waving the fan in front of his face, he remarked. "You mastered a weird breathing method... one that I haven't seen before!
I will remember both of you. Especially you..." pointing at Kanae. "Don't get killed by my other demon friends. You are mine!"
After saying the words, Doma withdrew at a quick pace. In moments, his figure faded into the forest, vanishing into the woods at the village's edge.
Within a few seconds after his disappearance, sunlight began to illuminate the world.
Ryou's entire body relaxed as he collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. His body trembled from exhaustion. To tell the truth, he's just putting up a strong front. The skill 'Tekkai' and his strong physique protected him from fatal injury. It was a narrow escape.
Holding his breath and maintaining his breathing technique at the same time was no easy feat. It was nothing like training underwater.
If Doma had a few more minutes to spare, he wouldn't have survived as the latter hadn't fully exerted his strength. The luck was on his side today.
Just then, a familiar ding echoed in his mind.
[~ Task: Save Kanae Kocho from Upper Rank Two Demon - Doma.
Reward: Primary Lottery Draw + 2 Demon Points ~]
Before he could check, Kanae's voice sounded.
"Who are you, really?" Ryou felt Kanae's gaze scaanning him up and down. When he looked up, he was stunned.
Because Kanae stood just a meter away from him, covering her breast with one arm while pointing her sword at him with the other.
Her expression was cold and guarded.
A silent crack echoed in his heart.
Looking at her cold and guarded expression, Ryou clearly felt a silent crack echoed in his heart. 'It's true I said something inappropriate earlier, but don't look at me like a thief who's ready to pick the flowers.'
"You don't have to thank me, but please don't insult me either!" Knowing she wouldn't change her impression of him, Ryou didn't argue. He turned and began walking away with unsteady steps.
After walking a few steps, he thought in his heart. 'Why isn't she stopping me? Isn't this the part where she calls out and stops me? Doesn't she feel any pity?'
After a few more steps, Ryou turned back and saw it. A slight smile tugged at the corner of Kanae's lips as if she foresaw all his moves.
'Fuck! What a cunning woman! I underestimated her. She's completely different from the gentle image shown in the manga... You win, woman!'
He coughed dramatically, pretending to grimace in pain. "You're Kanae Kocho—the Flower Hashira, right? Isn't your Butterfly Mansion supposed to take in the injured?"
"Now, now...you are good at acting. Are you the masked man who took care of a demon some months ago?" Kanae asked. She let down her guard, at least for now.
"Yes,"
Kanae lowered her sword, her tone turning serious. "As the Flower Hashira, I formally invite you to join the Demon Slayer Corps."
Ryou grinned and responded cheekily. "How could I refuse a beautiful girl's invitation? I accept so I can stay by your side."
"Don't take it for granted. It's just an invitation, you will only be accepted after passing the Final Selection." Kanae said, glaring at him. She couldn't keep the image of Hashira before him for long.
His cheekiness and pervertness completely infuriate her. She couldn't wait to punch him in the face. But his strength is good. If guided properly, he may become a powerful Demon Slayer.
Just then, a faint voice echoed from afar. "Sister… Sister…"
Soon, the figure of Shinobu appeared before them. After spotting Kanae, she let out a sigh of relief. "Sister, are you okay? I heard from my Kasugai crow that you met an Upper Moon Demon."
"I am okay." Seeing Shinobu, a gentle smile appeared on Kanae's face.
Shinobu looked much younger than Kanae, wearing a plain white Haori over the standard Demon Slayer Uniform.
"Hello...Are you Kanae's sister? Nice to meet you." Ryou showed a sunny smile and with a slight bow, he introduced himself, showing his gentlemanly character.
Wariness appeared on Shinobu's face as she shielded her sister and asked," Sister, who is he?"
"Thanks to him, your sister is still alive. He fought Upper Moon for a few minutes before sunrise forced the demon to retreat!"
"Oh!" Shinobu's opinion of Ryou changed as she looked at him curiously.
A flurry of footsteps sounded, and soon, a bunch of people arrived. They wore different Demon Slayer uniform with their identity concealed by dark head coverings with white linings and a paper-like mask.
Ryou recognized them instantly. They are 'Kakushi', a division of people who work as attendants to the Demon Slayer Corps. They support the Demon Slayers, including first aid, cleaning up the battlefield, transporting people, etc.
As soon as they arrived, they started cleaning the mess made by the Upper Moon Demon.
"Hey, what's your name? Are you a Demon Slayer? Why haven't I seen you before?" Shinobu asked.
"My name's Ryou. I'm not a Demon Slayer yet, but I will be soon!" Ryou responded calmly.
"What? If you aren't a Demon Slayer, then how did you fight the Upper Moon? Sister, what's going on?" Shinobu's completely confused. For a second, she even thought her sister was lying.
How could someone who's not even a Demon Slayer fight an Upper Moon Demon? Even if it's for a minute, it's unbelievable.
Similar to Shinobu, Kanae is curious about Ryou's strength, breathing style, and the sword that can injure the demon.
"I also want to ask you about this, but this is not the time and place to discuss. Let's get you treated first; we will discuss it when we reach our residence."
After cleaning the village, Kanae, Shinobu, and Ryou traveled towards the Butterfly mansion.