Good bird!
Good bird!
Ryosuke had never felt the mission report from his Kasugai Crow sound so sweet.
He felt as if he had received a great pardon, his body moving faster than his mind!
"Understood! I'm leaving now!"
Ryosuke scrambled, hands and feet, rushing into the house to grab his bundle and then bolting down the mountain.
"Ryosuke! You..."
"Brother Ryosuke!"
"Yasui Ryosuke!!!"
Three shouts rang out simultaneously, and the three of them chased after him in unison.
Ryosuke didn't stop, waving frantically behind him.
"Grandpa! Shota! Rika! I'm off! Urgent mission! See you!"
No sooner had he spoken than Ryosuke disappeared around a winding mountain path.
"Brother Ryosuke! Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!"
Rika stamped her foot in annoyance, displaying a girl's adorable capriciousness.
Ryosuke stumbled, almost falling.
He seemed to see Rika with puffed cheeks and red eyes, like a fluffy kitten whose tail had been stepped on.
This was more unsettling than facing Yumee directly.
Ryosuke shrank his neck, his feet flying, and he ran even faster.
Can't afford to provoke, can't afford to provoke, time to escape!
...The continuous journey, day and night, temporarily pushed the ridiculous embarrassment and girlish feelings of Peach Mountain to the back of his mind.
Ryosuke followed the guidance of his Kasugai Crow, traveling through towns and villages, searching for local hidden contact points.
Just then, a surprised shout suddenly came from behind him.
"Mr. Ryosuke?! Mr. Ryosuke!"
Ryosuke turned his head at the sound, only to see Moriyama Akira peeking out from behind a wall, waving vigorously at him.
"Moriyama?"
Ryosuke stopped, a little surprised.
His teammate for this mission was actually this 'lying down to win' king.
Moriyama Akira jogged over, his tone joyful.
"It really is you! This is great! I thought that back looked familiar, and this black haori! We haven't seen each other since Fujikasane Mountain, I didn't expect to run into you here!"
"You also got a mission here?"
Ryosuke asked, his gaze habitually sweeping the surroundings.
The mission brief was vague, only mentioning "suspected presence of a demon," without even details on casualties or disappearances.
"Yes!"
Moriyama Akira nodded repeatedly, a hint of distress and confusion on his face.
"I've been here for three days, but I haven't found any trace of a demon!"
"I've thoroughly searched both inside and outside this county, and I can't sense any demonic aura."
"And the local people all say no one is missing, it's very strange, this demon... is hiding too well, isn't it?"
Ryosuke didn't speak.
This matter was indeed peculiar in every way.
No trace of a demon, no casualties or disappearances among people.
Everything was too normal, too well concealed.
Ryosuke deduced that this demon's Blood Demon Art was very likely a spatial type, similar to Kyogai and Nakime.
Or perhaps like the ugly Gyokko, who could hide and merge himself within objects.
But compared to these, Ryosuke was more curious about the young man in front of him.
The difficulty of Demon Slayer Corps missions generally correlated with the number of people and their rank.
Ryosuke was currently a Kanoe, which meant Moriyama Akira was also... Thinking of this, Ryosuke's brows furrowed slightly.
"What rank are you now?"
"Ah? Oh!"
Moriyama Akira smiled a little sheepishly: "I'm a Kinoto."
"Kinoto?!"
Ryosuke was somewhat surprised.
The reason he reached Kanoe was because he killed a Rokurokubi and several other demons, and also assisted Shinjuro in slaying Yumee.
Shota, that kid, fought desperately and cut down demons all the way, and he's only Kinoto now!
And this big brother here, who passed Fujikasane Mountain by 'lying down to win' and had mediocre strength... was also Kinoto?!
Not only fast, but also absurd.
"I don't mean anything else, I'm just purely curious."
Ryosuke looked at Moriyama Akira with an inquisitive gaze: "How did you get promoted?"
Moriyama Akira's expression grew even more embarrassed.
"Uh, heh heh... This is embarrassing to say, I relied entirely on luck."
"Luck?"
Ryosuke raised an eyebrow.
"Mhm mhm!"
Moriyama Akira nodded vigorously, as if he had finally found someone to confide in.
"The first time I went on a mission, my Kasugai Crow said the target was in an abandoned warehouse in the west of Osaka Prefecture, but I took a wrong turn and stumbled into a mass grave in the south of the city..."
"And guess what? That demon was right there! And it had already been cut to pieces!"
"He desperately needed human flesh and blood to recover, and was digging graves and eating dead people without noticing the time, just as the rising sun hit him, half his body was charred, and he was writhing on the ground in pain!"
"I just... just went over and delivered the final blow..."
Huh?!
Ryosuke: o_0?
"Second time."
Moriyama Akira recalled, seemingly also finding his own experiences incredible.
"The target was deep in the mountains, and as I was chasing it, I lost my footing and fell into a cave, where there were children all captured by demons."
"By the time I came out with the children, the others had already finished the battle... I earned great merit by saving people, so... I just picked up the ready-made credit..."
Ryosuke's mouth began to twitch uncontrollably.
No, dude.
What kind of luck do you have?!
I'm killing demons desperately, and you get two missions for free!
"There was another time."
Moriyama Akira seemed to have opened a floodgate, talking non-stop.
"My Kasugai Crow indicated the demon was by the river, and by the time I arrived, the demon, I don't know how, had fallen headfirst into the rushing river, was disoriented by the current, and crashed into a rock, flattening its head... I drew my sword and cut it down."
He spread his hands, looking helpless.
"That's how I muddled through a few missions, accumulated some merit, and got promoted to Kinoto."
The air was quiet for a few seconds.
Ryosuke sighed, feeling absurd and numb.
Although his appearance changed the course of the original story, allowing Shota and Moriyama Akira to survive.
But there was already a road pillar Murata with heaven-defying luck in the original story!
And he also uses Water Breathing!
He was from the same period as Giyuu and Sabito!
Alright, alright, alright—
So Mount Sagiri is a factory for protagonists and children of luck, huh?!
A ludicrous thought flashed through Ryosuke's mind.
Could it be that because 'kings do not meet kings,' Moriyama Akira's lucky buff failed at Fujikasane Mountain in the original story?
Abstract!
It's too damn abstract!
Ryosuke couldn't help but think of Sabito and Makomo.
Those two geniuses who should have displayed dazzling talent, but withered early due to the Hand Demon.
Now that the Hand Demon was gone, their fates... should be completely different, right?
"Mr. Ryosuke?"
Moriyama Akira, seeing him silent for a long time, called out softly.
Ryosuke snapped back, changing the subject: "Oh, it's nothing, I just thought of some things. Is Urokodaki-sensei doing well?"
"Oh! Master is doing great! He recently took in a new little girl named Makomo, she's especially cute."
Moriyama Akira's tone became light when speaking of Mount Sagiri.
"Oh! Right! I have three junior disciples: Sabito, Giyuu, and Murata. The first two have better talent than me, and they learn things really fast!"
"As for Murata, although his talent isn't high, he's my best friend, a very interesting person, hehe~"
As expected... Ryosuke smiled.
They should be participating in the final selection at Fujikasane Mountain next year.
Ryosuke's mind settled, and a thought instantly formed.
Anyway, Peach Mountain wasn't peaceful recently, and he could also go hide there.
"Moriyama."
Ryosuke spoke, discussing: "After this mission, I'd like to go to Mount Sagiri with you."
"Huh?"
Moriyama Akira was startled.
"I want to visit Urokodaki-sensei on behalf of my grandfather, Kuwajima Jigorō."
"Oh, yes, yes!"
Moriyama Akira immediately nodded eagerly.
"Teacher mentioned you last time, saying he was very grateful for your help at Fujikasane Mountain and wanted to thank you in person but couldn't find the time."
"After this mission is complete, we can go back together! Teacher will definitely be happy to see you!"
Ryosuke also nodded; he had to go to Mount Sagiri.
These people whose fates he had changed and saved would all be instrumental in defeating Muzan in the future.
At this moment, an unusual scent wafted into their nostrils.
Ryosuke and Moriyama Akira both froze simultaneously.
This scent was too strong, too familiar.
Demon!
It was the aura of a demon!
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