A thunderous roar, and scorching flames carrying a sharp blade struck!
Yumee was greatly alarmed and quickly retreated.
As the firelight dispersed, a tall man stood in front of Ryosuke.
His long, golden-red hair resembled blazing flames, and his white and red haori flapped in the heatwave, brimming with fighting spirit.
Yumee was still shocked; the burning sensation from that last strike still made his hands tingle.
Such fighting spirit and strength, could he be... "You, you are a Hashira?!"
Rengoku Shinjuro completely ignored Yumee's yelping.
His eyes like torches, he clapped Ryosuke heavily on the shoulder.
"Young man!"
Shinjuro's voice was as resonant as a bell.
"I have received that pure desire in your heart to slay demons! Well done! This will is the sharpest blade for us demon slayers!"
The immense force and loud voice made Ryosuke's body sway, breaking him free from the Blood Demon Art.
Surging fighting spirit poured in, the mire of desire shattered, and Ryosuke took a few steps back, regaining his senses.
He looked up and clearly saw the man before him.
That resolute and heroic face, that iconic owl-like hairstyle... Big Brother?!
Ryosuke subconsciously wanted to shout it out but instantly suppressed it.
No! That's not right!
Big Brother isn't that old yet.
This must be his father, the current Flame Hashira, Rengoku Shinjuro!
Tsk, this is tough.
Ryosuke's lips twitched.
In his early days, he was indeed good, but after his wife's death from illness, he lost his fighting spirit and became a slacker.
But now... hehe~
Rengoku Shinjuro at his peak was still very reliable.
Ryosuke showed an Anya-like smile and gave Yumee the middle finger.
Come, come, come—
I can't do it, why don't you spar with this gentleman?
He'll chop you up, you sissy!
Yumee was enraged, screaming and howling.
"So what if you're a Hashira! Under my Blood Demon Art, you'll still die!"
No sooner had he spoken than Yumee frantically wiggled his ten fingers, uttering strange syllables.
Countless blood-red seashells appeared out of thin air, buzzing and trembling like a swarm of bees!
As Yumee waved his hands, a sky full of blood-red light surged towards Shinjuro!
The fire in Shinjuro's eyes grew brighter, completely fearless.
He stomped his foot forcefully, cracking the ground, and scorching flames erupted around him!
"Flame Breathing, Third Form: Blazing Universe!"
Whoosh!
The crimson nichirin blade cut out a giant fiery arc!
Flames soared and erupted with a roar!
The terrifying roaring sea of fire, like an angry dragon, instantly engulfed the incoming swarm of seashells!
In the face of absolute strength, everything was futile.
The blood-red light was purified by the flames, and the smell of scorching filled the air.
"No—!"
Yumee watched his Blood Demon Art being easily crushed by the opponent, letting out a desperate wail.
Escape! I must escape!
The Hashira's strength was completely beyond what he could contend with!
As long as I see That Lord!
As long as I see That Lord, I can survive!
Yumee had no more will to fight; he turned and tried to melt into the darkness.
"Evil Demon! Don't run!"
Shinjuro roared, and flames condensed on his blade.
"Repent and atone in the fires of karma!"
Ryosuke suddenly froze.
No good!
He's going to be gone!
I need to get the kill! I must get the kill!
I'm just a dog who only cares about the score and gets carried!
"Flame Breathing, Fifth Form: Flame Tiger!"
As Shinjuro roared, his blade swung down, and a roar shook the night sky!
A giant tiger made of flames appeared out of thin air!
It lunged at Yumee with a ferocity that could incinerate everything!
"I'll help you!"
Ryosuke shouted, quickly unleashing Thunderclap and Flash and charging forward!
Sissy! Hold on a little longer!
Where you die doesn't matter! You must die by my hand!
Yumee couldn't resist at all; his eyes reflected the gaping maw of the Flame Tiger, which could incinerate everything, and... an inconspicuous but very fast lightning flash.
Boom!
Flames shot up into the sky, illuminating half the night sky as if it were daytime.
Scorching heatwaves swept out, and before Yumee's body was completely incinerated, Ryosuke burst out of the sea of fire and cut off his head.
Ryosuke was disheveled, covered in soot, but he let out a long sigh of relief.
Baka yarou! See how good I am to you!
To prevent you from dying under the Flame Hashira's ultimate move, I bravely charged into the sea of fire to cut you down myself!
Seriously, I could cry!
The night wind blew, carrying a wisp of smoke and a burnt smell.
As Yumee's body dissipated, hazy memories began to surface.
"I was born into a life of plenty, my parents were wealthy pearl merchants."
"That day I saw a girl on the street; she was so beautiful, I wanted to possess her, I absolutely had to possess her!"
"But that bitch didn't know what was good for her, saying she had a sweetheart and rejected me!"
"Damn it! Damn commoner!"
"In a fit of rage, I worked with the Government to kill her entire family, and that man was tortured to death by me."
"Hahahahaha, I finally got her, got everything about her!"
"Yet on our wedding night, that bitch actually stabbed me with scissors!"
"On the verge of death, I saw a pair of eyes, a pair of beautiful rainbow-colored eyes."
"That Lord was like a god, he obtained demon blood for me, giving me a new life!"
"Since then, I, like That Lord, specialize in preying on women, and awakened this Blood Demon Art that manipulates desires, using seashells as a medium..."
...Hmph! Ptooey!
Ryosuke spat at his not-yet-fully-dissipated corpse.
Another living beast!
And a Douma fanboy to boot! Killing you is no loss!
[Slain Final Stage Evil Demon Yumee, gained 5 years of lifespan. Current remaining lifespan: 8 years 360 days.]
Nearly 9 years of lifespan!
Woohoo~
Another big step closer to the 10-year small goal!
Getting the kill is so satisfying!
This kill was necessary!
"Woo—"
A suppressed sob came from a nearby girl.
The captured woman finally awoke from her desire-induced trance.
She looked at the surrounding battlefield and the blades in their hands, let out a startled scream, and rushed out of the courtyard gate, without even a word of thanks.
Ryosuke didn't care about that.
After all, the work of the Demon Slayer Corps was always like this.
"Hahahahaha!"
Hearty laughter rang out from behind him.
Rengoku Shinjuro strode over to Ryosuke, clapping him heavily on the shoulder.
"Well done, kid!"
"Facing a Blood Demon Art that tempts the mind, you didn't lose your true self! I admire your resolve! It's as pure and fervent as burning charcoal!"
He leaned in closer, his golden eyes looking directly at Ryosuke, his voice booming.
"Kid! Are you willing to become my successor disciple?"
"..."
Ryosuke's lips twitched.
These familiar lines.
The Rengoku family not only looks alike and has similar personalities, but even this habit of taking successor disciples is hereditary, huh!
Ryosuke waved his hand.
"Sorry, I refuse."
"Huh?"
Shinjuro was bewildered.
Usually, swordsmen seeing a Hashira would show nothing but respect, let alone becoming a successor disciple.
That's not only the Hashira's recognition of your strength, but also a great honor!
This kid actually refused?
Ryosuke sighed faintly.
He, of course, knew that successor disciples enjoyed more privileges.
But with Ryosuke's talent, he couldn't possibly learn Flame Breathing on his own.
Even with the system, he didn't have extra lifespan to allocate.
Biting off more than he could chew, for Ryosuke, the most cost-effective way was to stick to Thunder Breathing all the way.
Agatsuma Zenitsu specialized in one area and reached the pinnacle.
By then, if I max out all the other forms of Thunder Breathing, wouldn't I be even more awesome!
"Flame Hashira-sama, I will advance to a Hashira with my own strength. Please save the successor disciple position for others in the Demon Slayer Corps."
"Hahahahaha, you kid are indeed interesting! Not arrogant or impatient, much stronger than that kid at my house!"
Shinjuro's thoughts gradually drifted, believing Ryosuke to be someone who was single-mindedly dedicated to slaying demons and cared for his comrades.
A righteous talent!
Ryosuke naturally didn't know Shinjuro's thoughts.
He just felt the other party's gaze on him gradually grow fervent... This immediately made Ryosuke, who lived in Sichuan in his previous life, vigilant!
As the saying goes, the prejudices in one's heart are a Sichuan.
Perverted gay men constantly chasing behind~ Wild beasts in the shadows are doing okay~
Having seen and experienced much, Ryosuke inevitably developed a sense of caution towards male compatriots around him.
Not cool, bro!
You have a wife and kids!
Can you please not look at me like that.
The Demon Slayer Corps doesn't allow any unspoken rules!
Shinjuro, however, stepped forward with no sense of boundaries and put his arm around Ryosuke's shoulder.
"Kid! I really like you!"
Ryosuke: o_0?
Ryosuke quickly retreated, bowing to him in farewell.
"Flame Hashira-sama! I, I still have some private matters, so I'll take my leave first!"
"Eh—"
Shinjuro's hand hung in mid-air, and before he could finish speaking, Ryosuke activated Thunder Breathing and fled!
Shinjuro scratched his head, sighing with some regret.
"This kid, I wanted him to come to my house for a visit."
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