A thunderous roar, and blazing flames carrying a sharp blade slashed forward!
Meng E was greatly alarmed and retreated rapidly.
As the firelight dissipated, a tall man stood in front of Ryosuke.
His long golden-red hair was like a blazing flame. His white and red haori flapped in the heatwaves, his fighting spirit surging.
Meng E was shocked. The burning sensation from that slash just now still caused a faint stinging pain in his hands.
With such battle spirit and strength, could he be...
"You... you are a Hashira?!"
Rengoku Shinjuro ignored Meng E's barking completely.
His gaze was like a torch as he slapped his hand heavily on Ryosuke's shoulder.
"Young man!"
Shinjuro's voice was as loud as a bell.
"I have received the pure intent to slay demons in your heart! Well done! That will is the sharpest blade for us demon slayers!"
The immense force and volume made Ryosuke, who was trapped in the Blood Demon Art, sway.
Surging battle spirit washed over him, shattering the quagmire of desire. Ryosuke stumbled back a few steps and woke up.
He looked up and saw the man clearly.
That resolute and heroic face, that iconic owl hairstyle...
Big Brother (Kyojuro)?!
Ryosuke almost shouted it out subconsciously, but instantly suppressed it.
No! That's not right!
Kyojuro isn't old enough yet.
This should be his father, the current Flame Hashira, Rengoku Shinjuro!
Tsk, hard to handle.
Ryosuke's mouth twitched.
In the early stages, Shinjuro was indeed impressive, but after his wife died of illness, he lost his fighting spirit and became the King of Slacking Off ("Lying Flat").
But for now... hehe~
Rengoku Shinjuro at his peak was still very reliable.
Ryosuke revealed an Anya-style smirk and gave Meng E the middle finger.
Come on, come on—
I can't handle you, so why don't you practice with this gentleman?
Go get chopped, you sissy!
Meng E exploded with rage, screeching and roaring.
"So what if you're a Hashira! Under my Blood Demon Art, you will die too!"
As soon as his voice fell, Meng E's ten fingers danced wildly, emitting strange syllables from his mouth.
Countless blood-colored seashells appeared out of thin air, buzzing and trembling like a swarm of bees!
With a wave of Meng E's hands, the sky-covering bloody light shot towards Shinjuro!
The fire in Shinjuro's eyes burned even brighter, showing no fear.
He exerted force with his feet, cracking the ground as scorching flames exploded around him!
"Flame Breathing · Third Form · Blazing Universe!"
Shing!
The fiery red Nichirin Sword slashed out a massive arc of flame!
Flames soared, erupting with a boom!
The roaring, terrifying sea of fire was like an angry dragon, instantly swallowing the incoming swarm of seashells!
In the face of absolute power, everything was futile.
The bloody light was purified by the flames, and the air was filled with a scorched smell.
"No—!"
Meng E let out a desperate wail as he watched his Blood Demon Art being easily crushed by the opponent.
Run! Must run!
A Hashira's strength is completely beyond what I can contend with!
As long as I see that Lord!
As long as I see that Lord, I can survive!
Meng E had no will to fight left and turned to merge into the darkness.
"Evil demon! Don't you dare flee!"
Shinjuro roared, flames condensing on his blade.
"Repent and atone for your sins in the hellfire!"
Ryosuke was startled.
Oh no!
He's gonna get him!
I need to KS (Kill Steal)! I must KS!
I am a carried-to-victory dog who only cares about the score!
"Flame Breathing · Fifth Form · Flame Tiger!"
With Shinjuro's roar, the blade fell, the roar shaking the night sky!
A giant tiger composed of flames appeared out of thin air!
It pounced on Meng E with a violence that could burn everything to ash!
"I'll help you!"
Ryosuke shouted, quickly using Thunderclap and Flash to rush forward wildly!
Sissy! Stay strong!
Dying anywhere is still dying! You must die by my hands!
Meng E couldn't put up any resistance. His eyes reflected the giant maw of the Flame Tiger that burned everything, and... an inconspicuous but extremely fast lightning bolt.
Boom!
Flames shot into the sky, illuminating half the night like daylight.
Waves of scorching heat rolled out. Before Meng E's body could be burned to ash, Ryosuke burst out from the sea of fire and cut off his head.
Ryosuke was a mess, his whole body charred black, but he let out a long sigh of relief.
Bakayaro! Look how good I am to you!
To prevent you from dying under the Flame Hashira's ultimate move, I braved the sea of fire to cut you personally!
Really, I'm so moved I could cry!
The night wind blew, bringing up green smoke and a scorched smell.
As Meng E's body dissipated, hazy memories began to surface.
"I was born without worry for food or clothing. 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 had to possess her!"
"But that bitch didn't know what was good for her. She said she had a lover and rejected me!"
"Damn it! Damn commoner!"
"In my rage, I conspired with the officials to kill her whole family, and that man was also tortured to death by me."
"Hahahaha, I finally got her, got everything of hers!"
"However, on our wedding night, this bitch actually stabbed me with scissors!"
"On the verge of death, I saw a pair of eyes, a pair of beautiful rainbow-colored pupils."
"That Lord was like a god, granting me demon blood and giving me new life!"
"Since then, I have been like that Lord, exclusively eating women, and awakened this Blood Demon Art that manipulates desire using seashells as a medium..."
...
Hock~ Ptooey!
Ryosuke spat on the corpse that hadn't completely dissipated yet.
Another living beast!
And a braindead fan of Douma (Upper Moon Two)! Killing you isn't a loss at all!
[Slayed End-tier Evil Demon, Meng E. Gained 5 years of lifespan. Current remaining lifespan: 8 years, 360 days.]
Nearly 9 years of lifespan!
Woohoo~
One giant step closer to the small goal of 10 years!
Kill Stealing is so satisfying!
This kill had to be stolen!
"Wu—"
Stifled sobbing came from the side.
The abducted woman finally woke up from her desire.
Looking at the surrounding battlefield and the blades in the hands of the two men, she screamed in shock and rushed out of the courtyard gate, not even leaving a word of thanks.
Ryosuke didn't care about this.
After all, the work of the Demon Slayer Corps had always been like this.
"Hahahahaha!"
Hearty laughter rang out from behind.
Rengoku Shinjuro strode over to Ryosuke and slapped his shoulder heavily.
"Beautifully done, kid!"
"Facing a Blood Demon Art that confuses the mind, you didn't lose your original heart! I admire your will! Pure and hot like burning charcoal!"
He leaned closer, his golden eyes staring straight at Ryosuke, his voice booming.
"Kid! Do you want to become my Tsuguko (Successor)?"
"..."
Ryosuke's mouth twitched.
This familiar line.
The Rengoku family not only looked alike and had similar personalities, but even the habit of taking in successors was hereditary, right?!
Ryosuke waved his hand.
"Sorry, I refuse."
"Hmm?"
Shinjuro was confused.
Ordinary swordsmen were always respectful when meeting a Hashira, let alone becoming a Tsuguko.
That was not only a Hashira's recognition of your strength, but also a special honor!
This kid actually refused?
Ryosuke sighed faintly.
Tsugukos enjoyed more privileges; he knew that, of course.
But given Ryosuke's talent, it was impossible for him to learn Flame Breathing on his own.
Even with the System, he didn't have extra lifespan to add points to it.
Biting off more than one can chew... for Ryosuke, the most cost-effective way was to stick with Thunder Breathing until the end.
Agatsuma Zenitsu mastered one form to perfection.
When the time comes, I'll max out all the other forms of Thunder Breathing too. Won't that be even more awesome?!
"Flame Hashira-sama, I will promote to Hashira with my own strength. As for the position of Tsuguko, you should save it for others in the Demon Slayer Corps."
"Hahahahaha, you kid are truly interesting! Not arrogant or rash, much better than that brat at my house!"
Shinjuro's thoughts gradually went off track, thinking Ryosuke was the type of person who was dedicated to slaying demons and cared about his comrades.
A righteous talent!
Ryosuke naturally didn't know Shinjuro's thoughts.
He only felt the way the other man looked at him was gradually becoming... heated.
This made Ryosuke, who had lived in Sichuan in his previous life, instantly vigilant!
As the saying goes, the prejudice in people's hearts is a Sichuan.
The perverted "Nantong" (Southern link/Gay) chases relentlessly from behind~ The beast in the shadows throws up gang signs~
having seen and experienced much, Ryosuke inevitably felt wary of his fellow men.
Bro, seriously!
You have a wife and kids!
Can you not look at me like that?
The Demon Slayer Corps doesn't allow "unspoken rules" (casting couch)!
Shinjuro, lacking boundaries, stepped forward and wrapped his arm around Ryosuke's shoulder.
"Kid! I really like you!"
Ryosuke: o_0?
Ryosuke retreated rapidly, bowing to say goodbye.
"Flame Hashira-sama! I... I still have some private matters, so I'll take my leave first!"
"Eh—"
Shinjuro's hand froze in mid-air. Before he could say anything, Ryosuke activated Thunder Breathing and fled!
Shinjuro scratched his head, sighing with some regret.
"That kid... I wanted to invite him to my house for a visit."