Demon Slayer: I am a Demon.

So what kind of person is Kaiyue? In Su Mu's opinion, he is an extremely self-centered person.

Even extremely selfish people.

Such people are unlikely to find companions they would entrust their lives to.

But he still chose to say that he was willing to find a team that would sacrifice its back for him.

Hearing this, Kaigaku was genuinely happy and didn't think about whether someone as self-centered as him could really be willing to sacrifice for him.

So he gave Kaigaku another potential answer: "Are you worthy?"

Most people would consider it.

If you don't fight tooth and nail to protect others, how can you expect others to protect you?

As for the extremely self-centered Kaigaku, who only feels that he is not worthy of the title because of his own efforts, he only feels that he is not strong enough.

When someone's skill level reaches a certain height, it's only natural that their teammates would sacrifice for them.

Provided that

He is strong enough.

And this is the path that Su Mu envisions for Kaiyue to take.

Kaigaku is not worthy of having teammates.

But if someone has enough strength, should we just give up on them so easily?

At least in Su Mu's personal opinion, such a person has enough value, and may even be better at slaying ghosts.

As for Su Mu, his thoughts were very simple.

As long as such a person can be used by oneself and can help one do things, and as long as they are truly capable, it is not unacceptable for them to have some flaws in their character or some problems, more or less.

To make the most of someone's strengths, you must also tolerate their weaknesses.

No one is perfect.

What he wanted was actually very simple: to kill Muzan Kibutsuji. People like Kaigaku were just adding fuel to the fire in the fight against Muzan Kibutsuji.

So, looking at Kaigaku who was secretly gripping the hilt of his sword, and who said to him, "I will make you feel that I am worthy," he simply reached out and patted the other's shoulder, speaking gently: "Whether you are worthy or not is not for me to say, but for your companions to say. But at least for now, everyone is not convinced by you, and even has a lot of opinions about you."

Kaigaku lowered his head silently. He naturally felt the strange looks others gave him, though he didn't care.

“I have seen your excellence, and I even think that you will become a powerful ‘pillar’ in the future, but other people may not think so.”

He looked at Kaigaku and shrugged slightly: "They might even think that someone like you, who doesn't deserve to have teammates, or even has no chance of having teammates, will soon die at the hands of demons."

Kaigaku gritted his teeth.

Su Mu didn't say anything more, patted Kaiyue on the shoulder again, and then returned to the campfire to chat with everyone.

He was already considered quite capable by everyone, and he was tall and strong. He was also willing to listen to everyone's ideas and humble himself. Soon, the atmosphere of the conversation became very pleasant.

Gradually, everyone seemed to want to gather around Su Mu.

…………

Holding his Nichirin Blade, Kaigaku stood there watching this scene, his blue eyes filled with envy.

As time passed and the sun gradually set, the earth began to fall into darkness. Kaigaku couldn't help but raise his head, looking at the gradually darkening sky, and slightly tightened his grip on his Nichirin Blade.

He, Kaigaku, will show these people his abilities and his strength, and then they will bury all their doubts in their hearts.

He will climb higher and higher, becoming a more powerful swordsman, and even a 'pillar,' silencing all those who gossip about him and think he's no good.

Perhaps it was because of these thoughts

Kaigaku's mood had undoubtedly improved considerably. He gripped his Nichirin Blade and walked toward the campfire. In fact, when faced with the strange looks from some people, he even looked up and smiled at them, making his thick eyebrows appear even thicker in the gradually darkening night.

………………

PS: I didn't originally intend to write this chapter about Kaigaku, as I felt the description was already a bit too much. However, seeing the increasing number of people discussing it and the many misunderstandings among the readers, I had no choice but to add this chapter in a hurry.

Writing about a person doesn't whitewash them.

Why do I feel like the author is trying to whitewash their image? The author feels so bitter inside.

The author tried to write according to the original character settings as much as possible. The protagonist is a demon who exists in the gray area between humans and demons. He didn't come to the Demon Slayer Corps to find teammates. Whether Kaigaku is good or bad has nothing to do with the protagonist. Even if he betrays the Demon Slayer Corps, it still has nothing to do with the protagonist.

Many readers seem to be thinking about how the protagonist can get closer to the Demon Slayer Corps. In fact, many readers felt uncomfortable when the 'Hermit' was killed earlier, because they were on the side of the Demon Slayer Corps and felt that killing the Hermit would cause a serious conflict with the Demon Slayer Corps, which was completely unnecessary. But there is no need to think that way. Whether the Hermit is killed or not, the result is the same for the swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps.

The only demon the Demon Slayer Corps could accept was Nezuko. Or rather, they only accepted Tanjiro as a demon, not Nezuko as a demon. They basically killed all the other demons. How could the protagonist, a demon himself, possibly trust the Demon Slayer Corps, which hunts demons?

Aside from the point of view of Kanao, everything the protagonist does is for himself.

After finishing this chapter, the average daily subscriptions are going to drop again. We were only a couple hundred subscriptions away from becoming a featured chapter, and we've been combining chapters recently to try and reach that goal...

Chapter 138 The human heart is very sensitive; it can sense if you are not sincere. (2/4)

As the last rays of the setting sun faded and darkness descended upon the earth, the evil spirits that had lain dormant in the light all day could no longer restrain themselves and emerged from their hiding places to begin their hunt.

Most of the swordsmen who come here to participate in the assessment do not actually have the ability to fight a demon one-on-one, even if this demon is the weakest demon, a demon that has been thirsty for a year, and a demon that has been tormented by the fragrance of wisteria flowers.

Therefore, most swordsmen could only flee in panic, but most of them were found by the hungry ghosts and had to face a life-or-death duel, either being eaten by the ghosts or killing them.

Most of them ended up as food for the ghosts.

…………

The campfire burned, and the roars of various evil spirits echoed in the distance, along with the faint screams of people. Presumably, another swordsman participating in the assessment had been killed.

Those who choose the path of demon hunters are destined to encounter such a situation.

The flickering firelight illuminated the group gathered around the campfire, and everyone's gaze unconsciously fell on the tall man in the center, filled with a mixture of anticipation and excitement.

Su Mu squatted down, looking at the eyes of everyone looking at him, some expectant, some excited, and some fearful.

He gave a slight smile.

Night has finally fallen.

He smiled and said, "Every night, it is the time for evil spirits to hunt. Similarly, ghost hunters descend from the sky to slay evil spirits and protect humanity."

This is an ancient story passed down in this area, yet it made everyone present unconsciously straighten their chests. They were all demon hunters who descended from the sky to slay evil spirits and protect humanity.

They are the people whose stories have been passed down through generations in this region.

Perhaps, in the future, their stories will also be celebrated in this area.

Even if they are completely unknown.

But that... is enough.

Aside from a portion who were persecuted by ghosts and sought revenge, a large portion of them were driven by this kind of heroism.

The world is never short of such passionate people.

This is also why the Demon Slayer Corps has encountered setbacks in its many years of fighting against demons. Even its headquarters has been destroyed by demons, and even the head of its leader has become a spoil of war for demons. They have also been betrayed by powerful swordsmen.

No matter how many hardships we have encountered.

But the Demon Slayer Corps

It has always stood here.

And it has always stood tall and unyielding.

It is the flow of fresh blood from one generation to the next that injects new life into this team that might have withered or even aged, giving it renewed vitality and making it young again.

"Clang!"

When the Nichirin Blade is drawn, it gleams with different colors under the light of the flames—red, blue, gray, green, or a rare, heavy black.

The different colored blades, illuminated by the firelight, possessed a breathtaking beauty.

"According to the formation pre-arranged during the day, those practicing 'Rock Breathing' are in front, those practicing 'Water Breathing' are in the middle, and those practicing 'Wind Breathing' are on the sides..."

"Yes."

Everyone stood up, then, having determined a direction, they silently moved forward, carrying their Nichirin Blades.

Soon, they encountered their first demon in a thorny area.

This was the first time the group had formed a team. Before, they had been chasing ghosts on this mountaintop, but now they were hunting evil spirits, and they were all very excited.

He had already prepared various scenarios in his mind, such as his teammates being attacked by demons and falling into danger, or Kenichi Nishimura, who was the first to practice 'Rock Breathing', taking the first hit and then following up with his own attack...

The demon, its body covered in bruises, its face contorted in a ferocious grimace, and its eyes gleaming crimson, stopped in its tracks, staring at the group of murderous swordsmen.

Then, almost without hesitation, he turned and ran.

Everyone was taken aback.

They looked at each other, momentarily at a loss, but were all prepared to fight the ghosts in a bloody battle.

But ghosts...

But... he ran away.

Clearly, ghosts are not mindless creatures; they possess intelligence, know how to seek advantage and avoid harm, and will not consider a direct confrontation when faced with a clearly superior enemy…

"Mu Jun, what should we do?"

Standing at the very front, Kenichi Nishimura, who was practicing the 'Breathing of Rock' technique, also turned around, looking somewhat bewildered.

Last night, he was chased by a ghost and fled in panic. Now, when he encounters a ghost, the ghost chooses to run away, leaving Kenichi Nishimura somewhat at a loss.

"What else can we do? Grab your Nichirin Blade and chase after them!"

Su Mu said irritably, then added, "Maintain formation and stay alert."

"Yes."

Everyone reacted quickly, and Izumi Shinichi and Inoue Akio, who were practicing 'Wind Breathing', also stepped forward to intercept them so that the rest of the team could catch up quickly.

quickly

Shinichi Izumi and Akio Inoue, who were practicing the "Breathing of the Wind" technique, caught up with the demon and quickly engaged it in battle.

By the time Su Mu arrived with his men, both men had sustained serious injuries.

Seeing the situation of the two, Su Mu couldn't help but think of the first Demon Slayer Corps swordsman he had killed. That swordsman practiced the 'Wind Breathing' technique. Compared to Izumi Shinichi and Inoue Akio, who also practiced the 'Wind Breathing' technique, that swordsman was obviously smarter and would not fight the demon head-on like Izumi Shinichi and Inoue Akio.

As his group arrived, the demon panicked and turned to run away. However, he was quickly knocked to the ground by Kenichi Nishimura, who had come to practice the 'Breathing of Rock' technique. Then, almost simultaneously, everyone rushed forward. During this time, two teammates even bumped into each other in a farcical incident.