Demon Slayer: Starting with the Kingdom

So, just take this as a nosy remark from me. You'd be better off letting go of the past and moving on to a new chapter in your life.

Don't end up like my older brother...

Mitsuha initially thought that Tamayo's deliberate indulgence and even guidance of the demon slayer to kill her that night was just Tamayo's way of taking her anger out on Muzan.

But as Mitsuha spent the next few days with Tamayo, she gradually began to understand some other meanings behind it.

Tamayo's actions that night were not entirely motivated by her hatred for Muzan; she also saw it as a form of "relief" for Mitsuha.

Yes, liberation.

Tamayo seems to genuinely believe that becoming a demon is an extremely tragic thing.

She sympathized with Mitsuha's tragic experiences as a human, but did not agree with her choice to become a demon.

It seems that in her view, Mitsuha's future is destined to be one tragedy after another.

Therefore, rather than waiting for such a tragedy to happen to this poor little girl again, it would be better to let her life end completely before anything happens.

In this way, we can avoid suffering in the future...

This was Tamayo's true thought that night.

What a twisted person...

It was precisely out of a sense of reciprocation for Tamayo's seemingly unkind kindness that Mitsuha gave her that piece of advice at the end.

After all, whether they are ghosts or humans, once they are trapped in the vortex of the past and cannot extricate themselves, what awaits them in the end is only a complete and real tragedy.

For living beings, it is wiser and more appropriate to move on to a new beginning as soon as possible rather than dwelling on the past that cannot be changed.

Of course, that's the truth, but not everyone can accept it.

Under the cover of darkness, sitting on the high eaves of the castle tower, Mitsuha crossed her legs, propped her chin on her hand, and watched Tamayo's receding figure on the street below. She shook her head and sighed softly.

"Well, never mind. Everyone has their own choices. Instead of thinking about these troublesome things, I'll just rest here for a few days and wait patiently for my brother to wake up..."

Time passed slowly, and it wasn't until the third day that Yan Sheng finally woke up.

Like Mitsuha, Kokushibo's appearance did not change after he was transformed into a demon.

He had a normal appearance and a normal body shape. He had not become grotesque or suddenly developed any strange limbs. Everything about him was exactly the same as when he was human.

And Yan Sheng, unsurprisingly, also acquired his Blood Demon Technique—

He can mold his own flesh and blood into blades.

That's right, that's it.

Although this Blood Demon Art is nothing special compared to Mitsuha's incredible Blood Demon Art, Yan Sheng himself seems quite satisfied with it.

After all, pursuing Yoriichi in the art of kendo was his lifelong goal.

Therefore, Yan Sheng was very happy to obtain such a matching Blood Demon Art.

Like Mitsuha, Kokushibo, who mastered the Breathing Technique when he was human, was not only able to continue using it after becoming a demon, but also became stronger with the enhancement of his Blood Demon Art.

When Yan Sheng uses Moon Breathing, each swing of his sword is accompanied by numerous tiny moon blades.

Now, not only are there more of these moon blades, but their size and length also change irregularly during Yan Sheng's attacks, making them impossible to defend against.

That's truly amazing.

"Mitsuba, where is Lord Muzan now?"

Late at night, in the courtyard of an abandoned temple on the outskirts of the city, Yan Sheng, having finished testing his newfound power, immediately asked a question.

The courtyard was a mess, with marks from sword strikes all over the floor tiles, clearly caused by his Moon Breathing.

"Lord Muzan went to find the Blue Spider Lily."

Sitting on the wall to the side, swinging her legs, Mitsuha pointed to her temple and replied with a smile.

"If you need to contact me, elder brother, you can just call out to Lord Muzan in your mind. It's very convenient."

"No need. As a subordinate, I should not bother my lord unless there is something important to say."

He quickly assumed his new identity and, though he wanted to immediately pay his respects to Muzan, shook his head slightly and declined.

He gripped the katana forged from his own flesh and blood, closed his eyes briefly in thought, then abruptly opened them and said:

"Moreover, one must not go to pay respects to the lord empty-handed."

At this moment, Yan Sheng thought of someone.

Ubuyashiki, who was bedridden for many years, had negligible strength, yet was extremely important to the Demon Slayer Corps.

Now that he has decided to serve Muzan, he naturally wants to take the head of his former lord as a "pledge of allegiance" to Muzan.

As the Moon Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps, Michikatsu had naturally met Ubuyashiki.

Not only had he seen it, he was also aware that his former lord's clan had been regularly changing their hiding places for many years in order to evade Muzan's pursuit.

Fortunately, the Ubuyashiki clan had recently changed their hiding place and would not be changing it again anytime soon.

Even more fortunately, because of the mysterious death of the Marked Swordsman, Michikatsu and the other Pillar-level swordsmen had just been summoned by Ubuyashiki a few days ago.

Therefore, he knew very well where the Ubuyashiki family was currently hiding.

The goal has been clearly defined.

He was about to cut off the head of Ubuyashiki and present the head of the Demon Slayer Corps lord to Muzan.

Yan Sheng had no doubt that he was capable of doing this.

Even as a human, he was already the strongest member of the Demon Slayer Corps besides Yoriichi.

Now transformed into a demon, his strength has reached a new level. Even if he were to be surrounded by several Pillar-level swordsmen, he would be confident that he could escape unscathed, or even kill them all!

"Where are you going, elder brother?"

"I'm going to take the head of Ubuyashiki and present it to Lord Muzan."

When asked by Mitsuha, Yan Sheng slowly sheathed his sword and answered truthfully.

"Does my elder brother know where they are hiding?"

Yan Sheng nodded slightly, and just as he was about to advise San Ye not to come along, San Ye smiled and spoke first:

“Interesting! Elder brother, then let me go with you!”

She also really wanted to see for herself what this legendary Demon Slayer Corps leader looked like...

However, Yan Sheng immediately refused upon hearing this.

“The Demon Slayer Corps just held a meeting of Pillars a few days ago, and there are likely other Pillar-level swordsmen still at the current base. If we are surrounded, I cannot guarantee that I can protect you, Mitsuha.”

"Don't worry, brother, your sister's Blood Demon Art is very powerful~"

In my eyes, all humans are the same, regardless of strength or weakness; it makes no difference how many come.

"But……"

Without giving Yan Sheng another chance to refuse, San Ye immediately jumped down from the wall, ran behind him, and pushed him to walk out.

"It's decided then! Hurry up and lead the way, brother, if we delay any longer we might miss our chance!"

"The wind is a bit noisy tonight..."

Late at night, the Demon Slayer Corps' base was as peaceful as ever.

The contemporary Wind Pillar and Sound Pillar moved a table and chairs and were leisurely drinking and enjoying the night breeze by the training ground where they usually trained.

They were all Pillar-level swordsmen who had been summoned by Ubuyashiki a few days ago to attend the Pillar Meeting.

Although the meeting has ended, at Ubuyashiki's request, they did not leave immediately but remained at the residence to receive a medical check-up.

Not only the two of them, but also the other five Pillar-level swordsmen besides the Tsugikuni brothers are currently stationed at this base.

At yesterday's meeting, Ubuyashiki made it clear to them the truth that the Marked Swordsmen die at the age of twenty-five.

Although they were initially shocked by this, the Pillars quickly accepted the reality.

One reason for this, besides their deep hatred for evil spirits, might also be that they had actually anticipated this outcome.

After all, there's no price to pay for awakening your markings and becoming stronger?

There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world...

Of course, although the swordsmen quickly accepted the reality, Ubuyashiki still seemed to have some doubts about the outcome.

Hoping that perhaps there might be some mistake, he asked the pillars to stay for the time being.

The local doctors arranged new physical examinations in hopes of discovering other clues and overturning this conclusion.

The other pillars naturally cooperated, understanding their lord's thoughts.

After hundreds of years, they finally have a group of powerful demon hunters. With the opportunity to slay the Demon King seemingly within reach, Ubuyashiki naturally hopes that this generation can live longer, rather than die young at the age of twenty-five.

If possible, the pillars would naturally hope to live longer...

It's just staying at this post for a couple more days; consider it a vacation for yourself. It won't have much of an impact.

It should be noted that the Demon Slayer Corps is currently thriving and full of vitality.

Especially after Yoriichi brought the Breathing Technique to the Demon Slayer Corps, the Demon Slayers of today are no longer what they used to be.

Those demons that were once difficult to kill are now being defeated at an astonishing speed thanks to the Demon Slayer Corps' proactive attacks.

The balance of power between demon hunters and demons has fundamentally changed.

It can be said that, apart from the fact that they have never found the legendary mysterious demon king, the Demon Slayer Corps is currently in a very favorable situation.

In this situation, it doesn't really matter if a Pillar-level swordsman occasionally takes a few days off.

"Those two brothers from the country are really working as hard as ever..."

After taking a sip from his wine bowl, Fengzhu couldn't help but sigh.

He still remembers it vividly, after his lord told him the truth about the Marked Swordsman's death.

Only Yan Sheng said nothing. He neither broke down nor cried. Instead, he silently left the post and went out to carry out his mission.

To be honest, Fengzhu was deeply shocked by Yan Sheng's actions.

Knowing his days were numbered, he decided to dedicate all his remaining time to slaying demons, striving to kill as many evil spirits as possible before he died...

Yan Sheng, you are truly a role model for us demon hunters!

After Yan Sheng left the camp, Yoriichi also took on a mission, following in his older brother's footsteps, and went out to slay demons.

These two brothers from the nation are truly hardworking, no wonder they can become the only two top demon hunters in the world...

"Speaking of which, it seems like Yan Sheng and Yuan Yi have been gone for several days now. They haven't come back for so long. I hope something bad has happened to them..."

Narutoshi suddenly asked with some concern.

As soon as he finished speaking, a woman's voice suddenly came from the darkness behind him.

"Don't worry, with your two elder brothers' strength, they can't possibly encounter any accidents."

Chapter 44 After tonight, the Demon Slayer Corps is entrusted to you.

"Well, that's true."

The Wind Pillar and the Sound Pillar didn't react to the sudden female voice; they simply nodded slightly in agreement.

"Gentlemen, may I ask where the Demon Slayer Corps' lord resides now?"

During the brief silence between the two, the mysterious female voice continued to ask.

Still not noticing anything unusual, Fengzhu picked up the wine bowl in front of him, took a sip, and pointed in a direction.

"Oh, just keep going in this direction until you see the mansion hidden in the valley... By the way, young lady, what brings you to see the lord?"

"It's just a personal matter. Thank you both."

"You're welcome, please go ahead."

He waved goodbye, and just as Fengzhu picked up his wine bowl again, ready to take a couple more sips, his hand suddenly stopped, and then his brows furrowed.

Wait, something seems off...

As if only now realizing what was happening, he abruptly drew his sword, stood up, and shouted sharply at the figure in the darkness:

"Who are you?! How did you get in?!"