Although Doma had cut the fight short, the air in the hall was still thick with hostility.
Daki retracted her severed sashes, cradling the torn ends with obvious distress. When she looked at Inosuke again, her eyes brimmed with malice.
Gyutaro, meanwhile, kept scratching his cheek, those dead-fish eyes fixed on Inosuke's skin, clearly calculating where to make the first cut.
"What are you staring at?"
Inosuke sheathed his twin blades with a sharp click.
"Ugly."
He straightened his collar and snorted.
"Don't think I'm scared just because my old man's protecting you."
He walked over and plopped himself down on the armrest of Doma's throne, wearing the arrogant air of a spoiled crown prince.
"If you want to fight, I'm free anytime.
But I don't have time to play house with you right now."
"I've recently found a big fish—
way more interesting than eating a few believers in this broken temple."
Doma's interest was piqued. He waved his fan lightly.
"Oh? What did you discover, Inosuke?"
"The Demon Slayer Corps."
A crafty smile curled at the corner of Inosuke's mouth.
"A few days ago, a Water Hashira came knocking. I drove him off.
But it made me realize something—we know far too little about the Demon Slayers."
"Just sitting here waiting for them to come to us is too passive.
And since I'm human, I've got a natural advantage."
He stood up and began pacing the hall, emerald eyes gleaming with the light of a born swindler.
"I'm going to infiltrate the Demon Slayer Corps."
"I'll mix in with them, learn their Breathing Styles, eat their food, take their salary—
and then…"
Inosuke turned toward Doma and the sibling pair, flashing a sinister grin.
"I'll sell their Hashira to you—one by one."
The hall fell completely silent.
Even Gyutaro, who had been scratching his face nonstop, paused and stared at the human brat in surprise.
"Heh… selling out your own kind?"
Gyutaro chuckled darkly.
"You're a real piece of work… I'm starting to like you."
Daki snorted.
"Sounds decent enough. If you can actually trick a Hashira into coming, I'll forgive your rudeness."
Doma was even happier, clapping enthusiastically.
"Wonderful! Wonderful! So this is what they call a double agent?
Inosuke, your ideas are always so creative!"
"Go on, go on! Daddy supports you wholeheartedly!
I'd love to know where that Ubuyashiki family is hiding, after all!"
Inosuke laughed inwardly. Everything was going exactly as planned.
Only by joining the Demon Slayer Corps could he enter the true core of the story.
Only then could he do what he really wanted.
What he wanted wasn't to keep throwing his weight around in the Eternal Paradise Faith, living off his idiot father's power.
He wanted everyone to live—happily.
"Since no one objects, I'll be heading out."
Inosuke dusted off his hands and turned to leave.
"Oh right—Sato. Arrange proper rooms for our new guests."
...
Three days later, on the mountain path leading to Mount Sagiri—
Tanjiro trudged through the snow, a heavy pack on his back.
Nezuko slept curled inside the basket, still instinctively afraid of sunlight even there.
The past few days had been hell for Tanjiro—freezing cold, hunger, and the constant need to watch Nezuko's condition.
"Huff… huff…"
His legs felt like lead.
"Hang in there… I have to find Mr. Urokodaki!"
Just then, hurried footsteps crunched through the snow behind him.
"Hey! Charcoal boy!
What are you, a turtle? Why are you so slow?!"
Tanjiro turned back in shock.
That familiar figure was striding toward him with ease.
Inosuke—twin blades at his waist, iron fans at his chest, a huge pack slung over his back.
He ran through the snow as if it were flat ground, barely breathing hard.
"I–Inosuke-kun?!"
Tanjiro stared wide-eyed.
"Why are you here?"
"Stupid question."
Inosuke rushed up and eyed Tanjiro's tattered straw sandals with disgust.
"I told you—you owe me money.
If you get dragged off by wolves or eaten by another demon halfway, who's going to pay me back?"
"But… I'm going to train under a master," Tanjiro said helplessly.
"It's dangerous…"
"Train?"
Inosuke sneered.
"Perfect. I'm going too."
"Eh? You're learning demon-slaying swordsmanship too, Inosuke-kun?"
"Nope."
Inosuke wagged a finger.
"I'm going for advanced studies. Don't get too friendly."
He pulled some dried meat from his pack, chewed noisily, and tossed a piece to Tanjiro.
"I'm not doing this to keep you company. I'm doing it to get stronger."
"Move it, Gonpachiro."
He kicked Tanjiro in the rear.
"If we don't reach the mountain before dark, I'll roast you and eat you."
"It's Tanjiro! Not Gonpachiro!"
Tanjiro rubbed his backside with a wry smile—but his steps grew lighter.
The two boys walked side by side.
Hidden against Inosuke's chest, the concealment sachet quietly released its scentless effect.
The best disguise… is blending in.
The snowstorm continued.
Though Inosuke walked easily, his brow remained furrowed as he replayed his brief clash with Water Hashira Tomioka Giyu.
After several days of calm reflection, he understood clearly—
His self-created Ice Breathing was powerful, but at its core it was a crude, wild style.
It relied on innate heightened senses and brute force from lung-capacity enhancement.
Like a naturally strong giant swinging a hammer wildly—good enough against Lower Moons or ordinary demons.
But against martial masters like Akaza, or sword-god monsters like Kokushibo?
He'd be toyed with until death.
"I need systematic training," Inosuke thought.
"That old man Urokodaki Sakonji is a former Water Hashira—top-tier trainer.
My goal there is simple: master Total Concentration: Constant."
"That's the threshold for all top Breathing users—the ability to maintain physical enhancement 24/7."
And beyond that, there was an even bigger issue.
Attribute alignment.
Right now, he was all ice and shadow. Effective against low-level demons, sure—but against Muzan?
Cold alone wouldn't kill the Demon King.
He needed fire.
He needed the power Muzan had feared for a thousand years—
The power of the sun.
Inosuke turned and looked at the exhausted but determined boy beside him.
If Tanjiro could master both Water Breathing and Hinokami Kagura in the original story…
Why couldn't he, a transmigrator with a higher starting platform?
"Hey, Gonpachiro."
Inosuke stopped, planting a foot on a raised rock and looking down at Tanjiro.
"It's Tanjiro!"
Tanjiro sighed, wiping sweat away.
"What is it? Hungry?"
"Cut the chatter."
Inosuke crossed his arms.
"You sell charcoal, right?"
"Yeah."
"Charcoal sellers deal with fire."
Inosuke narrowed his eyes, finally revealing his true intent.
"I heard some charcoal-selling families perform a strange dance during New Year's, to pray to the fire god so the flames never die?"
Tanjiro froze, then his eyes widened.
"Inosuke-kun… how do you know that?
You mean the Hinokami Kagura? It's a dance where we offer our body and spirit to the fire god…"
"Stop. I don't want the explanation."
Inosuke impatiently cut him off and extended one hand, palm up.
"You owe me money, and I'm too lazy to calculate interest."
He spoke righteously.
"So in exchange, you're going to teach me that fire… dance thing."
"Eh? Teach… dancing?"
Tanjiro was stunned. He'd expected money or food—never this.
"But… it's a ritual dance, not swordsmanship.
And only the Kamado family knows—"
"Huh?!"
Inosuke's face darkened instantly, princely arrogance exploding.
He grabbed Tanjiro by the collar, their foreheads nearly colliding.
"You trying to dodge your debt?!
I taking an interest in your dance is your honor!"
"And who says dancing can't kill demons?"
He released him and pointed at the box on Tanjiro's back.
"Your sister's a demon now. Afraid of sunlight."
"If you master that fire dance, maybe you can create sunlight."
"Same goes for me."
He patted his own chest.
"I've stayed in that cult too long—my body's freezing.
I need some fire to warm it up. Got it?"
Tanjiro looked into Inosuke's emerald eyes.
He didn't understand how dancing related to killing demons—but he was kind by nature.
And Inosuke had saved Nezuko, even paid their travel money.
"I understand!"
Tanjiro nodded earnestly, flashing his trademark smile.
"I'm not as good as my father, but I'll do my best to teach you, Inosuke-kun!"
"Hmph. That's more like it."
Inosuke turned away haughtily—but his grin stretched ear to ear.
Plan complete.
Ice Breathing in the left hand.
Sun Breathing—Yoriichi's legacy—in the right.
Linked together by Urokodaki's Total Concentration: Constant.
Plus a bit of Doma's Blood Demon Art knowledge.
He'd become the world's one and only ice-and-sun dual-wielding, ultimate stitched-together monster.
"Move it! Stop dragging your feet!"
Inosuke slapped Tanjiro hard on the back, spirits high.
"The sooner we meet that scaly old man, the sooner training starts.
My time is precious—I still have to write home and report I'm safe."
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