Kibutsuji Muzan stared at the book on the desk for a long time, murmuring, "So that's how it is? No wonder Lower Moon Three was so easily slain. Indeed, with such speed, it's no surprise he was killed."
He picked up the book from the desk, casually flipping through a few pages. His cherry-red pupils sank into deep thought. Suddenly, his mind stirred, and he covered his temple with his fingers, saying lightly, "Call Gyokko and Akaza over. I have a task for them."
——
In the distance——
Roa's figure had already disappeared. At this moment, he could be considered quite disheveled.
But despite his disheveled state, his escape posture was still incredibly cool. Roa's body turned into lightning, crossing several meters in the blink of an eye, moving at an inhuman speed almost every moment.
Roa had already decided that after some time, he would take the initiative and start hunting the Upper Moons one by one.
Damn it, this was the first time Roa had to run away. It was a bit embarrassing, but he had to reclaim his dignity.
After running for a while, he glanced back and saw no pursuers. He let out a sigh of relief.
Suddenly, Roa thought of a bold idea. If he camped outside Kamado Tanjiro's house, would he be able to ambush Kibutsuji Muzan with 100% certainty?
It seemed worth a try.
Moreover, would this count as drastically altering the plot? The original protagonist's experiences would no longer exist, and that poor charcoal seller could save his family's lives.
But dealing with Kibutsuji Muzan would be a bit troublesome.
However, these were matters for the future. For now, he should head back.
On his way back, Roa encountered members of the Demon Slayer Corps. Under their stunned gazes, he casually recounted the events of the previous night.
The Demon Slayer Corps member was dumbfounded, muttering in disbelief, "So, you're saying that last night, you encountered Upper Moon Four, but because you didn't have a Nichirin Sword, you couldn't deal effective damage and had to strategically retreat?"
Roa scratched his forehead. This guy sure knew how to talk, turning "running away" into a "strategic retreat." He was quite the talent.
Roa looked at him with satisfaction and said, "Kid, if you can talk like that, keep it up."
The young man, who looked about sixteen or seventeen, chuckled behind his mask but then turned serious, asking Roa, "So, are you sure you encountered Upper Moon Four?"
Roa nodded and proceeded to share some information about Upper Moon Four with the young man.
"In his normal state, Hantengu can split into four powerful demons after being decapitated: 'Zohakuten,' 'Kokushibo,' 'Karaku,' and 'Aizetsu.' These four demons are independent entities, each with different abilities and thoughts, and their tongues bear different characters."
After a moment of thought, Roa continued, "These four demons are not afraid of decapitation; even if decapitated, they won't die. Moreover, when their bodies are severed and split, the severed parts can still attack, though the power of these attacks will significantly decrease. Additionally, if their tongues are cut, their recovery speed will slow down slightly."
The young man's face showed horror as he said in disbelief, "So, he's incredibly hard to kill and extremely powerful?"
Roa patted the young man's shoulder and said, "You don't need to worry about these things. Just report them to the Master. We'll handle it. I've already tested out this information for you, so now you know his weaknesses when you encounter him."
The young man nodded solemnly and said to Roa, "Then, I'll take my leave."
He then turned to his two Demon Slayer Corps colleagues and said, "You two, come with me to inspect the battle site."
Roa raised an eyebrow and reminded them, "He might still be around, so be careful. Don't go into the shadows."
The three Demon Slayer Corps members nodded in unison. After bidding them farewell, Roa headed back to have some food.
By the time Roa returned to Rengoku Shinjuro's place, it was almost eight o'clock.
Due to his somewhat disheveled escape, Roa looked a bit dusty.
When he returned, he happened to see Rengoku Kyojuro and Kanroji Mitsuri having breakfast. Roa greeted them with a smile.
Rengoku Kyojuro returned the smile but frowned slightly upon seeing Roa's condition. He asked curiously, "Handsome young man, what happened? It looks like you've been through a big fight."
Roa shrugged and sat down familiarly, saying to the young boy beside him, "Rengoku Senjuro, get me a bowl and chopsticks."
Due to the Rengoku family tradition, Senjuro's hairstyle and appearance were very similar to Kyojuro's. In short, he could be considered a smaller version of Rengoku Kyojuro, though their personalities were quite different.
If Rengoku Kyojuro was cheerful and outgoing, the little guy was more gentle and amiable.
Rengoku Senjuro responded and obediently fetched a bowl and chopsticks. Roa nodded, smiled at him, and patted his head.
Roa said to Rengoku Kyojuro, "It's nothing. I just ran into Upper Moon Four."
Rengoku Kyojuro, who had been eating, paused slightly. Kyojuro usually didn't talk much while eating, except for saying how delicious the food was.
He then flashed a bright smile and patted Roa's shoulder, saying, "Handsome young man, I knew I wasn't wrong about you."
He then continued eating. It was clear that Rengoku Kyojuro really loved eating and was quite passionate about it.
Meanwhile, Kanroji Mitsuri, who had been sitting upright, now looked worried and asked Roa, "Are you okay? I heard from Master Rengoku Kyojuro that the Upper Moons are extremely powerful demons. Were you hurt anywhere?"
Roa shook his head and joked, "I'm so strong, how could I get hurt?"
Kanroji Mitsuri showed an admiring expression, her face blushing slightly. She nodded gently and said, "Well, Brother Roa is so strong. Cough, Brother Roa, what would you like to eat? I still have some sakura mochi here, freshly made. Would you like to try some?"
She then placed the sakura mochi in front of her on the table, indicating that everyone could have some.
Roa didn't hesitate and casually picked one up and popped it into his mouth.
As he ate, he asked curiously "Where did you guys go last night?"
Kanroji Mitsuri smiled and said, "Master Rengoku Kyojuro took me around the local security office to show me what real demons are like. But we didn't have the bad luck you did, Brother Roa. The demons we encountered were just small fry. But demons are really ugly."
She then seemed to recall some unpleasant memories, her face showing a moment of discomfort.
When three big eaters get together, the outcome is obvious. Fortunately, Rengoku Kyojuro had already informed his father, or else the family's food supply might not have been enough for the three of them.
After the three of them finished eating, it was already half an hour later. Roa, now full, lay back comfortably in his seat, let out a burp, and looked at Rengoku Kyojuro, asking, "So, Rengoku Kyojuro, do you know when my Nichirin Sword will arrive?"
Rengoku Kyojuro hesitated for a moment and said, "It should be soon. Ordinary members might have to wait a couple of days, but given your level, the Master will prioritize your Nichirin Sword. It should arrive today. Just wait a bit longer."
Roa nodded and turned his gaze to the "Steam Princess," who was now pretending to hold a tea tray while subtly glancing at Roa.
Roa raised an eyebrow and said to her, "How about we go out for a walk?"
"Eh? Really? Is that okay?" the Steam Princess looked surprised, her eyes directly meeting Roa's, showing a happy expression.
Roa smiled and said, "Of course it is."
Rengoku Kyojuro looked at the two and sighed, "Youth is wonderful. No, I should say, handsome young men are wonderful."
Going for a walk was actually just a stroll around the area to familiarize themselves with the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters' layout while chatting.
If there was anything special about the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters, it was the abundance of wisteria flowers.
The blooming wisteria flowers looked like a purple ocean, covering this small mountain.
Roa began to act as a life mentor, answering Kanroji Mitsuri's questions. Besides helping her overcome some homesickness, he also gave her some ideas about breathing techniques.
Kanroji Mitsuri's natural talent wasn't bad. After Roa's guidance, she quickly came up with new ideas. Her excited eyes showed that she would likely be pondering over this for a while.
After bidding her farewell with a smile, Roa returned to the courtyard to continue his daily sword practice, while also pondering how to further unleash this energy.
In fact, Nichirin Swords and sunlight were like concepts—concepts that could suppress and kill demons. Ordinary attacks couldn't completely kill demons because of this somewhat vague notion.
This world had souls, and even heaven and hell existed.
Since Roa had physically crossed over, he likely couldn't enter heaven or hell. The benefits he could gain from this world were quite limited. Thunder Breathing was a significant boost for Roa now, but it wouldn't be enough for his fully realized self. To maximize his gains, he needed to try and learn Sun Breathing.
And to obtain Sun Breathing, Kamado Tanjiro was the only entry point. The remnants of Yoriichi Tsugikuni's soul were likely attached to him.