People in Demon Slayer: The Journey That Began with Demon Slayer

Tanjiro asked in confusion, "Does Mr. Tanjiro also know Kanae Kocho and Shinobu Kocho?"

"Of course I know Lord Yosuke's disciple. The medicine applied to Kyojuro's sword during battle was also a drug developed by Kanae and Shinobu that can suppress the cells of demons."

Tanjiro felt something was amiss. Whether it was Lower Moon Six, Lower Moon Five, or now Upper Moon Three, every battle was related to Yosuke, and it was thanks to Yosuke that he was able to escape danger every time.

"As expected, Mr. Yosuke is omnipresent and has always been protecting us."

Chapter 79 The Trail of Kokushibo and Mado

The battle was over, and a solar halo had appeared in the east; dawn was approaching.

"Osamu, thank you for your help. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to protect the passengers on the Infinite Train on my own." Rengoku Kyojuro sincerely thanked Osamu.

"No need to thank me. Although I'm on a different path from your Demon Slayer Corps, we share the same goal. Besides, I'm looking forward to waiting for you to recover so we can have a good, exhilarating battle!"

Osamu extended his right fist, and Rengoku Kyojuro also extended his fist, which touched Osamu's fist.

"It's a promise! I'll be waiting for you!"

After Zhi left, the sun shone brightly on the earth.

"Brother Purgatory..."

Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke, who had been tense all along, suddenly burst into tears and threw themselves into Rengoku Kyojuro's arms.

They were completely helpless in the face of the Upper Moon's battle, and could only watch helplessly from the sidelines, and almost lost Rengoku Kyojuro.

"Don't cry, we won this battle! We should be laughing happily!"

Despite Rengoku Kyojuro's words of comfort, Tanjiro and the other two continued to weep, filled with self-reproach: "We're sorry, Mr. Rengoku, we were too weak and couldn't help you!"

“You’ve done very well. Next, I will train you. My training is very rigorous, you know. Are you ready?” Rengoku Kyojuro said with a smile.

"We're ready!" Tanjiro and the other two shouted with unwavering determination.

The Demon Slayer Corps' support troops also arrived on the battlefield and began treating the wounded.

As Rengoku Kyojuro was carried away on a stretcher, he seemed to see his mother in a daze.

“Mother…” Rengoku Kyojuro stared blankly at his mother.

Kyojuro's mother stroked his hair: "Kyojuro, you did a great job. You fulfilled your duty. Your mother will always be proud of you."

Kyojuro Rengoku smiled warmly: "Yes, Mother, I will continue to work hard!"

This time, only Rengoku Kyojuro, Tanjiro, and two others were seriously injured.

Seven days have passed, and after the butterfly sisters' proper treatment at the Butterfly House, the four of them have recovered to a considerable extent.

"Tanjiro! Zenitsu! Inosuke! Training begins!" Rengoku Kyojuro's booming voice echoed from outside the Butterfly Mansion.

Inosuke was the first to respond: "Big brother! I'm here!"

Tanjiro followed closely behind.

"Are you sick? Absolutely sick! With such a serious injury, shouldn't you rest until you're fully recovered before starting training again? I'm absolutely not going!" Zenitsu huddled in the corner of the ward, refusing to come out.

Kanzaki Aoi, who came to tidy up the ward, noticed Zenitsu huddled in the corner and asked in confusion, "Lord Rengoku is calling you to train, aren't you going?"

Zenitsu looked nervous: "I'm not going! My injuries haven't healed yet! You can understand that, right?!"

Remembering how Zenitsu used to grope them, Kanzaki Aoi smiled slyly: "Rehabilitation training is very important, you know, Lord Rengoku! Zenitsu is here, and he says he can't wait to start training!"

"How could you do this!" Zenitsu kept condemning Kanzaki Aoi's behavior and tried to move their hiding place.

However, Rengoku Kyojuro had already appeared in front of Zenitsu and grabbed his wrist.

"Zenitsu! I didn't expect you to be so eager to get stronger. Don't worry! I'll do my best to teach you. Today's training will be doubled!"

"No!" Zenitsu struggled in terror, but he couldn't break free and was dragged outside to begin his grueling training.

After a long day of training, Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke had sunken cheeks and lifeless eyes, looking as if they had been thoroughly exhausted. They sat down and began to eat.

The sumptuous dinner on the table did not arouse the appetite of Tanjiro and his companions at all; all they wanted to do at that moment was lie in bed and sleep soundly.

Sitting opposite him was Rengoku Kyojuro, who had an extremely strong appetite. In the blink of an eye, he had already finished his eleventh bowl of rice.

"Why aren't you eating? This food tastes great and is good for your recovery. Tomorrow's training will be even more intense than today's, so you need to eat more."

Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke, remembering today's training and the even more demanding training tomorrow, instinctively shuddered.

"Brother Rengoku, can we take a day off tomorrow? My injury hasn't healed yet!" Zenitsu tried to avoid training.

Rengoku Kyojuro righteously refused, "No! Once training begins, it can't stop for even a day, otherwise all our efforts today will be wasted! Didn't you say you wanted to get stronger? Then you'll have to put in even more sweat!"

Tanjiro and Inosuke, driven by their reluctance to experience the helplessness they felt during the battle and their desire to never relive that feeling again, began to wolf down their food.

Feeling abandoned, Zenitsu could only rely on his heart, picking up the food and starting to eat.

——

Meanwhile, Renyuki and Xiaomei, who had been exploring southwards, discovered traces of the Twelve Demon Moons.

In the Izu region, Koyuki and Koume sensed two extremely strong demonic auras and, based on them, tracked them to a small town.

The town was ablaze with flames and littered with corpses, suggesting that the town had been the site of a massacre.

Hiding in the ruins, Xiaomei pointed ahead: "Sister Lianxue, look at those two guys. They look like Upper Moon One, whom we met at the Eternal Bliss Cult. The one next to them looks like Upper Moon Six."

Lianxue looked in the direction Xiaomei pointed and saw Upper Moon One, Kokushibo, and Upper Moon Six, Kendo.

Kokushibo coldly commanded Kendo beside him, "Kendo, begin the search."

Kendou nodded blankly and began to cast Blood Demon Art. Suddenly, mirrors appeared around Kokushibo and Kendou, reflecting the surrounding scenery.

"It seems there isn't one here. Let's go to the next place."

Kokushibo left the town with Kendo.

Lianxue and Xiaomei didn't dare to breathe, trying their best to hide their auras. Even without facing Kokushibo directly, the intense sense of oppression lingered.

After Kokushibo left, Koume breathed a sigh of relief: "Phew... How come Upper Moon One is so strong!"

"Xiaomei, they seem to be looking for something. Let's follow them and see."

Xiaomei asked Lianxue, "Should we inform Brother Zhi and the others?"

Renyuki knew that she and Koume were no match for Kokushibo and Mado, so she said, "Let's inform them, and also let Yosuke-sama know that we've found a big fish this time!"

Xiaomei summoned the ghost crow, told it the information, and then released it.

Renyuki and Xiaomei continued to follow Kokushibo and Kendou. After several days of tracking, they discovered that the places Kokushibo and Kendou went to were very chaotic and they had no destination at all.

Kokushibo suddenly turned his head and looked at the pitch-black forest: "Come out."

Hiding in the woods, Lianxue and Xiaomei felt their hair stand on end. Xiaomei asked Lianxue nervously, "Sister Lianxue, have they found us?"

Lianxue's eyes were filled with seriousness: "I don't know..."

Xiaomei still harbored a glimmer of hope: "Maybe they were just trying to trick us, and they didn't actually find us."

Kokushibo sneered, "Since you won't come out, then I'll force you to! Moon Breathing - Second Form - Pearl Moon Dance!"

Kokushibo unleashed two wind blades imbued with numerous crescent-shaped blades, hurtling towards the location of Koyuki and Koume.

Wherever the wind blades went, trees were sliced ​​in half as easily as tofu.

"Blood Demon Art? Carving Jade and Cutting Ice!"

A hollowed-out ice wall appeared in front of Renyuki and Xiaomei, blocking Kokushibo's attack.

Kokushibo looked at Renyuki and Komei, a cold smile appearing on his lips.

"This is truly an unexpected delight."

Chapter 80 Battle with Kokushibo

Koyuki and Komei were not flustered at this moment. According to the time, Oni Crow should have already notified Osamu and Gyutaro and was on its way.

Kokushibo said indifferently, "If your expectations are based on those few demon crows, then your expectations may be disappointed."

A mirror appeared in front of Jian Tong, and several bird corpses emerged from the mirror. They were none other than the ghost crows sent out by Lian Xue and Xiao Mei.

Lianxue and Xiaomei were on edge, their only hope shattered.

Kokushibo looked indifferently at Renyuki and Koume: "It seems that your strength has increased a lot since the last time we met, but you have never eaten a human. That means Ubuyashiki Yosuke gave you blood, right? Perfect, let me experience how strong you are!"

"Run, Xiaomei!" Lianxue grabbed Xiaomei's hand and ran behind her. Lianxue knew that they were no match for Kokushibo, let alone Upper Moon Six.

“Escape? How naive, Kendō!” Kokushibo called out softly to Kendō.

"Blood Demon Art? Mirror Domain!"

Mirrors rose from the ground, forming a semi-circular cage that trapped Lianxue and Xiaomei inside.

"Unless you defeat me, you won't get out, but... can you do it?" Kokushibo's calm tone was full of contempt.

Koume, who had always been well protected by Osamu and Gyutaro, panicked and asked, "Koyuki-neechan, what should we do now?"

Lianxue's face was also extremely pale at this moment, but as Xiaomei's pillar of support, Lianxue had to calmly deal with the unexpected situation.

"Don't panic, Xiaomei. With our combined strength, even if we can't defeat them, they might not be able to stop us. Let's work together to break the mirrors around us first, and then find a chance to escape this place!"

After being comforted by Lianxue, Xiaomei calmed down.

Renyuki tried to divert Kokushibo's attention: "The thing that Upper Moon One and Upper Moon Six are searching for must be something very important to Kibuy Muzan, right? Could it be the Blue Spider Lily?"

Kokushibo saw through Renyuki's scheme and sneered, "Hmph, trying to stall for time? It's only been a short time since night fell, no matter how long you drag it out, it's useless! Moon Breathing? First Form? Dark Moon? Night Palace!"

Kokushibo lunged at Koyuki and Koume with incredible speed, leaving many crescent-shaped blades in the path of his attack.

"Blood Demon Art? Carving Jade and Cutting Ice!"

Lianxue instantly created a hollow ice wall, but it was shattered instantly by Kokushibo's attack.

Kokushibo's demon blade slashed towards Koyuki's neck without any hindrance.

Xiaomei hurriedly separated several ribbons from her body. Although the tough ribbons could not stop Kokushibo's slash, they slowed down his speed. Lianxue leaned back, her neck barely grazing the blade, and dodged Kokushibo's Iai Slash.

"Blood Demon Art? Eightfold Slash!"

Xiaomei released eight sharp ribbons from her body, sealing off the surroundings and attacking Kokushibo and Mado simultaneously.

Jian Tong hid in the mirror space to avoid Xiao Mei's attack, while Hei Shi Mou kept swinging his blade, cutting off Xiao Mei's ribbons one by one.