Demon Slayer: Starting with the Kingdom

The area that should have been carefully cinched at the waist was simply tied with a thin belt.

The hem, which should have been carefully adjusted and gathered, was instead left loosely spread out, occasionally revealing her slender calves as Mitsuha walked.

Its main theme is immoral and unrestrained.

But Mitsuha still felt unwell.

For the past twenty years, she has always been covered by this heavy burden.

Now that she can finally make her own decisions, she definitely wants to wear some lighter clothes.

Chapter 37 The Owl Swordsman

"What suits you?"

Upon hearing this, Tamayo lowered her head and fell into deep thought.

In this country during this era, women with even a little power and status all wore kimonos, the only difference being the style.

But after spending so many days with Mitsuha, Tamayo has come to understand her personality a little better.

Mitsuha definitely didn't want her to provide her with a different style of kimono; what she wanted was clothing that was completely different from a kimono.

Clothing for ordinary women?

No, those linen shirts aren't exactly pretty...

Searching her memory quickly, Tamayo suddenly remembered the foreigners she had met with Muzan many years ago.

"If you don't mind, you might want to try those foreign clothes worn by the southern barbarians."

"Southern barbarians? Miss Tamayo, are you perhaps referring to merchants who came by ship from Europe?"

In this era, it is said that people in Europe are embarking on a great maritime adventure, and many merchants have sailed across the ocean to this small island nation ruled by the shogunate in search of trade opportunities.

Even Mitsuha, who lived inland, had heard of the existence of these people.

"Well, compared to our clothing, their clothing, for both men and women, is more form-fitting and lightweight. I think you might be interested."

However, under the decree of the shogunate, the trade of these southern barbarians has always been limited to Nagasaki. If you want to buy, we have to go there.”

"Interesting. In that case, let's hurry..."

"Take this! Hey!"

Intrigued, Mitsuha decided to turn around and head towards Nagasaki when shouts suddenly came from the woods not far ahead, accompanied by the crisp sounds of swords clashing.

It sounds like someone is fighting inside?

"Let's go! Let's go see what's going on!"

After exchanging a glance with Tamayo, Mitsuha ran excitedly towards the woods without hesitation.

Tamayo hesitated for only a very brief moment before reluctantly following after them.

Ever since last night I witnessed how Mitsuha used her Blood Demon Art to trick several children out of their pocket money through a rock-paper-scissors game.

Tamayo had already completely given up on predicting Mitsuha Tsugikuni's thought patterns and behavioral logic.

After all, you can't expect someone who cheats even when playing rock-paper-scissors with kids to have genuine, rigorous rational thinking.

This person is simply someone who goes wherever there's excitement or fun.

Completely ignoring what Tamayo was thinking behind her, Mitsuha ran into the forest in one breath.

A battle is indeed taking place here.

However, the two sides in the battle are not entirely human.

It was a human and a ghost.

The man is a demon slayer, wielding a Nichirin Blade, and has a very young appearance, looking like a boy of only sixteen or seventeen years old.

His red and yellow hair, along with his strange hairstyle, made the young boy look like a yellow owl.

The ghost was just an ordinary evil spirit. Although it had not awakened the Blood Demon Art, its ten fingers were quite sharp and hard, like a pair of claws forged from refined iron.

Judging from the color of the Nichirin Blade, this young man should be a swordsman who uses the Flame Breathing technique. He already has multiple wounds on his body, all inflicted by the claws of the demon opposite him.

The sudden appearance of Mitsuha and Tamayo simultaneously attracted the attention of the human and the demon who were engaged in battle.

Perhaps because of its own weakness, the Claw Demon was unable to immediately recognize the aura of the same kind on Mitsuha and Tamayo, and only thought that they were two human girls who had accidentally wandered in.

The owl swordsman did the same; as soon as he turned around and saw the two approaching, he immediately shouted anxiously:

"Hey! Get out of here! Don't come any closer!"

"Hey? Are you talking about us, bro?"

After turning around to check that there was no one behind her, Mitsuha pointed to her face and asked in confusion.

"It's you! Quick! I'll stop it! You all need to get out of here right now!"

"Hehehe! You think you can leave? None of you will leave tonight! You demon hunter brats! I'm going to rip you all apart!"

Raising his sword, he once again blocked the attack of the Claw Demon. The Owl Swordsman repeatedly urged the two behind him, Mitsuba and Mitsuba, his expression growing increasingly anxious.

"I can't hold on much longer, you guys need to get out of here!!"

Blinking, looking at the owl swordsman who was standing in front of her, almost crying in despair, Mitsuha suddenly had a great idea.

[Ms. Tamayo, weren't you always curious about the effects of my Blood Demon Art?]

Using the unique consciousness of a demon, Mitsuha spoke to Tamayo beside her in her mind.

[Taking this opportunity, I think I can show you another way to use it.]

As the conversation ended, Mitsuha immediately smiled and shouted loudly to the owl swordsman who was still fighting the clawed demon in front of her:

"Go for it, buddy! Believe in yourself! I have a feeling you can defeat that ferocious monster and save us two fragile girls!"

"Where do you get your confidence in me?!"

The owl swordsman was on the verge of collapse upon hearing this.

He is not as good as his brother and father in terms of breathing techniques, and his swordsmanship is only average. To this day, he is only a Ren-rank swordsman in the Demon Slayer Corps.

With such mediocre talent and such weak strength, even when facing this ordinary demon that had neither blood demon magic nor seemed very strong, the owl swordsman felt he was about to collapse.

No, if this continues, he really will...

Just as the owl swordsman was becoming increasingly desperate about the situation, a blood-red array composed of countless intricate mandala patterns suddenly unfolded beneath his feet, instantly enveloping the entire grove!

"What? What is this? Could it be Blood Demon Art?!"

Startled, the owl swordsman quickly retreated, raising his sword to block Mitsuha and Tamayo.

He stared intently at the clawed demon opposite him, his expression one of utter shock.

"So you're a demon who possesses blood demon magic?!"

"What? I actually possessed Blood Demon Arts?!"

Faced with the owl swordsman's questioning, the demon opposite him was equally shocked, his eyes wide open.

How could it not know it possessed Blood Demon Arts?!

"Stop pretending with me! I'll risk my life to kill you today! I'll never let you hurt anyone else!"

Completely despairing, the owl swordsman mustered his last bit of courage and charged at the clawed demon once more.

"Keep it up, bro!"

Behind him, as the threads of cause and effect became clear, Mitsuha had already seen his fate.

This young man's surname is Lianyu (炼狱), and he comes from a family of three—a father and two sons—all of whom are demon hunters.

But compared to his brother and father, this child was utterly mediocre, lacking any unique talents. In the script the gods had ordained for him, as a weak demon hunter, he was supposed to die at the hands of this evil spirit tonight.

【Oh dear~ Such a kind-hearted child is going to die in vain, doesn't Miss Tamayo think it's a bit of a pity?】

How about we all do a little bit of defiance against the gods?

Chapter 38 She can even hand-rub genius

Under the tense gaze of Tamayo beside her, Mitsuha smiled and quietly plucked the datura flower in her hand.

The threads of cause and effect then begin to stir, and a person's destiny is thus altered.

As he charged forward, the owl swordsman suddenly felt his mind become clear, and all the Flame Breathing sword techniques that his brother had taught him flashed through his mind.

Driven by these memories, the owl swordsman instinctively swung his blade at the clawed demon in front of him.

With the crisp sound of the blade colliding with the claws, his mind seemed to be completely opened up. His previously sluggish thinking was no longer blocked, and his sword-wielding movements were no longer hesitant.

Wisps of flame ignited on the blade, and with the movements of the owl swordsman, one sword move after another was quickly executed, the flames burning endlessly!

He seemed to have suddenly transformed into a battle-hardened, experienced swordsman, relentlessly attacking the weak points in the clawed demon's defenses from all angles!

This feeling of mental clarity and thorough thinking was something the Owl Swordsman had never experienced before.

With each move he made, the attacks of the previously unpredictable Claw Demon appeared as clumsy as a child's trick in his eyes!

It felt like... like there was another powerful brain connected to my own brain, assisting me in thinking!

Wow! This feels amazing!

I feel like I'm about to fly!

Under the owl swordsman's fierce offensive, the battle instantly turned into a one-sided affair with overwhelming force.

The clawed demon was forced back and its head was severed in just a few breaths, disappearing with a bewildered expression.

"Oh! I won! I actually won!!"

"Yes! Congratulations! Little Owl!"

Looking down at the Nichirin Blade in his hand, the Owl Swordsman was completely excited, and Mitsuha also stopped her stance at the right time, stepped forward with a big smile and gave him a high five.

After the high-five, the owl swordsman immediately laughed, sheathed his sword, and bowed, saying:

"Alright! There shouldn't be any other evil spirits around here! Ladies! We'll take our leave now! Be careful on your way back!"

"Okay, you too, bro! Hope you're happy from now on!"

With a smile and a wave goodbye to the enthusiastic owl swordsman, Mitsuha turned around and saw Tamayo eagerly asking:

"Was it you who caused his sudden increase in strength just now?"

Nodding gently, Mitsuha patiently explained to Tamayo's curiosity.

"He neither concealed his strength nor awakened any special abilities. The sudden power he displayed that you just saw, Miss Tamayo, all stemmed from my 'modification' of him."

In other words, the owl swordsman's series of swift attacks were not actually the result of his own thinking.

That's just what he thought.

But in reality, everything he just did was the final 'result' achieved by Mitsuha through rapidly and continuously interfering with the causal threads in his body.

Mitsuha quickly set up and planned out the sword techniques he should use for each of his next strikes, and from which angle he should swing them, all according to her ideas...

It's no exaggeration to say that the owl swordsman from earlier was a complete "puppet" controlled by Mitsuba.

But unlike puppets in reality, humans cannot feel the causal threads that exist within them.

Therefore, they naturally could not feel the reality of being "manipulated" by Mitsuha.

Furthermore, the characteristic that "causality makes all changes seem reasonable" ultimately led the Owl Swordsman to develop a certain...

Huh? My mind suddenly became so clear, my thoughts flowed so smoothly, and my ideas were so sharp. I felt like I could beat it just by fighting like this...

Her Blood Demon Art can actually achieve this level of power?!

After hearing Mitsuha's explanation, Tamayo felt a chill run down her spine.

Humans trapped in Mitsuha's formation, whose causal lines are manipulated by her, do not feel that they are being manipulated; they take all the changes for granted.

Just like the owl swordsman from before, every slash he made was actually the result of Mitsuha's careful planning.

But he himself wouldn't have such feelings at all; he would only feel that all of this was the result of his own brain thinking, that he had suddenly had a burst of inspiration.

This sense of entitlement is precisely what makes the Three-Leaf Blood Demon Art so terrifying.

Compared to struggling in a desperate situation, the most despairing situation is when you are clearly in dire straits but remain completely unaware of it, walking towards death amidst laughter and joy.