Bright sunlight shone on a mansion deep in the mountains, the surrounding air filled with the rich fragrance of wisteria flowers. "Master Ubuyashiki!" Kojuuro Rengoku said with a powerful voice, his pair of spirited, large eyes full of energy. After the last battle, he had recuperated for a long time. The moment his injuries healed, he had come to the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters.
"I heard your body has recovered, Kojuuro. That's truly wonderful news." The man opposite him had a face half-covered in purple scars, but he always wore a gentle and kind smile, and his voice was soft and warm.
"I am very sorry for worrying you, Master!" Kojuuro said loudly.
Ubuyashiki smiled and shook his head, saying thoughtfully, "Regarding the situation of that battle, although I have already read the mission report, I would still like to hear your perspective."
"Yes!" Kojuuro nodded and recounted the events of that time in detail. But all information about Doma himself was blurry and completely irretrievable. "...I am very sorry for not being able to bring back more information about the Upper Moon demon!" he said at the end.
"It's alright, Kojuuro. The best news is that you were able to survive an encounter with an Upper Moon," Ubuyashiki said. He looked up and sighed softly. "In all these decades, you are the first..."
"No, I am deeply ashamed! I was merely spared!" Kojuuro said loudly, thinking of the creature who had so willfully declared him a friend.
"Upper Moon Two, is it?" Ubuyashiki said with a smile. "What is your assessment of him?"
"Very strong! I have never felt such an oppressive aura!" Kojuuro said without hesitation. "He clearly has the ability to block memories, perhaps a mind-related Blood Demon Art..."
"He seems careless, but in reality, his perception is very sharp. He was able to notice the hidden movements I made to leave information on my hilt."
"His disguise ability is incredible. I didn't notice at all before he actively revealed his identity!"
"In terms of personality, he is very playful and has a strong curiosity. His temperament is very changeable, and his way of thinking is different from ordinary people, making him hard to understand!"
"He gives me a feeling of being naive and straightforward, doing as he pleases, a bit willful and domineering, firmly believing that he is saving others, and very persistent about making friends..."
"A childlike personality!" Kojuuro concluded. "And he seems to have a pair of particularly beautiful eyes, yes!"
"I see..." The smile on Ubuyashiki's lips deepened slightly. "This is already quite valuable information."
"And, regarding the news of the Star Demons..." he turned his head to look at the rock garden in the courtyard. "A new type of demon, escaped from Kibutsuji Muzan's control, with a chaotic mind?" Whether it was a blessing or a curse, one could not say. However, change was always good. This way, there was hope to break the long-standing stalemate and bring a turning point to this centuries-long impasse.
After leaving the Ubuyashiki estate and returning home after a few transfers, Kojuuro Rengoku opened a book and recorded his experiences. He placed the book in a wooden box, paused for a moment, took a bamboo copter out of his pocket, and placed it inside as well. He slowly closed the lid.
...
In a cleverly hidden mansion, a woman in a floral-patterned kimono was engrossed in her research. "Lady Tamayo! Why did you go to so much trouble to capture this stinking thing!" A green-haired young man gritted his teeth and stared at the demon howling in the cage. This demon had a black cross-star mark on its chest. "The existence of this thing is simply a defilement to Lady Tamayo's pure eyes!"
"Yushiro, they are very special beings," Tamayo said softly, looking up. Her exquisite face had a faint smile, but her light purple eyes held a deep melancholy.
Ah! Lady Tamayo is as beautiful as ever today! Yushiro stared blankly for a moment before snapping back to his senses. "Lady Tamayo, by special, do you mean... they are more like beasts than any other demon?"
Tamayo shook her head and looked down at the research notes in her hand. "These demons with the cross-star patterns have undoubtedly broken free from Kibutsuji's control, in a very special way."
"No, it should be said that they are not entirely demons, although they have the same abilities and weaknesses as demons..."
"And, Yushiro, haven't you noticed? Their growth rate is astonishingly fast," Tamayo said calmly. "Among them, there are already beings that can rival a Lower Moon."
Yushiro's eyes widened. He looked at Tamayo's perfectly calm face and said, on the verge of pulling his hair out, "Lady Tamayo, this is a huge deal!"
"If this continues, there will soon be an Upper Moon-level one, right?" These things without reason... are a disaster!
Tamayo shook her head and said in a peaceful tone, "Without receiving blood from Kibutsuji, relying solely on eating, their speed of getting stronger is ultimately limited."
"Moreover, although they have gained greater potential and a faster rate of progress by burning their life force, there is a limit. The possibility of reaching the strength of an Upper Moon is still very small."
"But that's still troublesome enough!" Yushiro paced back and forth anxiously.
Tamayo nodded. "However, this is not something we can interfere with." She wrote and drew in her notes and said softly, "These Star Demons only have a lifespan of a few decades. Even if they sustain themselves by eating, it's probably no more than two hundred years at most..."
"This method of burning life force is remarkably similar to the marks that appeared on the swordsmen of the Sengoku period."
"Perhaps it can add a glimmer of hope to killing Kibutsuji Muzan, who knows." Tamayo slowly tightened her grip on the pen in her hand, a deep hatred quietly appearing in her eyes.
...
In the temple of the Eternal Paradise Cult, Doma's room. Compared to a room for rest, this place was more like a collection display hall. The shelves along the walls were filled with all sorts of small objects. A magnificent soft couch placed among them seemed a bit out of place. Because Doma rarely slept, this couch was only occasionally used for lying down and daydreaming.
Doma was carefully organizing his toys. Among them were common trinkets from the street, as well as expensive works of art, all placed together here without distinction. There were also some paintings, calligraphy, and crafts that Doma had made himself...
The pot gifted by Gyokko was placed on a wooden table, with several blooming lotus flowers in it, complementing the lotus and leaf patterns on the pot itself. On the wall next to the pot hung Kojuuro Rengoku's Nichirin Sword, its flame-shaped guard looking as if it were burning. Doma picked up the sword, wiped it, put it into a custom-made scabbard, and hung it back up.
"What should I do next?" He pinched his chin in thought for a while, and then his eyes suddenly lit up. "Oh my, it seems I haven't tried drawing a manga yet!"
He walked to the table in a few steps, took out a stack of paper, and enthusiastically picked up a brush. "What should I draw?"
"Ah! If I were to draw the Demon Slayer manga, wouldn't that be interesting!" The more he thought about it, the more he felt it was a good idea. Doma's rainbow eyes shone brightly, and he began to draw quickly on the paper.
However, his enthusiasm never lasted long. After diligently drawing half of the plot, Doma felt it was a bit boring. "Ah, how could I forget? Even if I finish drawing it, I can't show it to anyone."
"It feels like it has instantly lost its meaning." He pouted with a wronged expression and casually tossed the unfinished manga onto a nearby wooden shelf, leaving it to be forgotten.
"Mmm—I should go play with Miss Nakime~" He instantly showed a carefree smile.
In this quiet and peaceful time, another fifty years passed in the blink of an eye.
-------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get access to early chapters by joining my Patreon!
Find me at My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
I, Herta's Fiancé, the Universe's Number One Male Fist (114 Chapter (Simulpub-Full) )
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (400 Chapter)
Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (254 Chapter)
MyGO!! A Story Voiced by Me (140 Chapter)
BLEACH: Blade of Purification (158 Chapter)
Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi (400 Chapter)
My Real Job is Spying on Konoha, but I'm Also its Hokage (140 Chapter)
The Pinnacle of the Navy! Starting from Being Captured by Garp (172 Chapter)
Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! short videos is making the veteran players lose...(80 Chapter)
Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live (200 Chapter)
Zenless Zone Zero The Random Kamen Rider (200 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: It All Began With Me Being Stepped On by Arlecchino (120 Chapter)
Naruto: I Can Synthesize Summoning Beasts (96 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: The Great Swordsman's System, Disciple of Yoriichi (140 Chapter)
My Wife is a General, but I'm an Emanator of Abundance! (160 Chapter)
Type-Moon: My Nine-Fold Path (140 Chapter)
Uma Musume: They're Peeking at My Diary, and All of Tracen is Panickin (Ending)
The Wild History of Type-Moon world (70 Chapter)
Reborn in Conan, But I Refuse to Be the Bad Guy (80 Chapter)
Ruan Mei is begging me to go back? But there's no going back anymore (140 Chapter)
Just a Slacker at Tracen Academy (165 Chapter)
Survival in Blue Archive (70 Chapter)
Kimetsu no Yaiba: Doma Wasn't Hated Today, Either (100 Chapter)
The Vibe of This Chat Group is a Little Off (100 Chapter)
Heartbreak Simulator: I Broke Them and Made Them Cry (80 Chapter)
The Talentless Trainer Doesn't Want to Restart (80 Chapter)
A Journey Starting as a Quincy (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: The Master of Romance Obstruction (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: You Can't Be a Hero Without a Little Chemical Enhancement (40 Chapter)
Honkai Impact 3rd Your Boyfriend is Really Amazing (40 Chapter)
Warhammer 40K: My Fiancée, Fulgrim (180 Chapter)
Classroom of the Elite: Trying to Capture Me! (120 Chapter)
Genshin Impact My Named Senji Muramas (150 Chapter)
A Chef, the Vice-Captain of the Rocks Pirates? (160 Chapter)
Naruto : My Uchiha Girlfriend is Too Tsundere (130 Chapter)
Type-Moon: Reincarnated in a Lostbelt, I Became the Alien God (90 Chapter)
The Way These Horse Girls Look at Me Is Terrifying! (160 Chapter)
Naruto: Tsunade's Deskmate (130 Chapter)
I Just Want to Live a Normal (50 Chapter).
Genshin Impact: A Hundred Confessions? It's Just a System Task (70 Chapter)
OnePiece : Starting as a Veteran of the Roger Pirates (60 Chapter)
Uma Musume : I Have Special Horse Taming Techniques (180 Chapter)
Uma Musume : My other self is a Horse Girl (110 Chapter)
Jujutsu Kaisen : All Affection Stats Maxed Out (170 Chapter)
Satou Kazuma's Decision to Live by Swindling, Starting from Re:Zero (60 Chapter)
Bleach : Ichigo! Take Over the Soul Society (68 Chapter)
Crossover Anime: The Master of Plagiarism with a 'Love Obstacle (110 Chapter)
Arknights Succubus Nurturing System, But I'm a Quiet Office Worker (60 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: Using My Personas to Break the Hearts of Players (50 Chapter)
One Punch Man : i am King? (100 Chapter)
Genshin: My Stats Are Irresistible (50 Chapter)
Naruto: Master of Dream Fulfillment! (50 Chapter)
Why Are All My Chat Group Friends Spin-Off Characters? (50 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it