Chapter 58 – Three Girls Came to Visit!
A new day had begun, ushered in by the soft light of dawn painting the sky.
"Haaah..."
Clink—
Letting out a calm breath, Yukinoshita Akira slid his katana back into its sheath. At the same moment, a familiar notification rang in his ears.
[Ding]
[Acquired 0.3% Inheritance Synchronization Rate!]
After defeating Lower Moon Six, one of the Twelve Kizuki, Akira had sensed a noticeable boost in his strength. Because of that, today's morning training felt slightly lighter than usual.
Still, a gain is a gain. Even a small increase in power was nothing to scoff at.
— — —
[Name: Shin Akira (Yukinoshita Akira)]
[Identity: Otherworldly Traveler]
[Inheritance Template: Tsugikuni Yoriichi (11%)]
[Breathing Techniques: Sun Breathing, Water Breathing]
[Talents: Demon Slayer Mark, Swordmastery Divine Path, Sword Heart]
[Abilities: Swordsmanship·Lv5]
[Equipment: Nichirin Blade, Murata Katana]
[Items: Phoenix's Tear ×1]
— — —
Aside from slaying Lower Moon Six—Kamanue—last night, Akira also hunted down a few lesser demons. Unfortunately, they were nothing more than weaklings, contributing a mere 0.1% to his synchronization rate.
Now that he had inherited the Sun Breathing style, acquiring more sword techniques was no longer a priority.
After all, no matter how strong a technique may be, it's only as powerful as the one who wields it.
And someone truly powerful… even their improvised swing can become a deadly technique in itself.
Since returning home last night, Akira had devoted his focus to mastering Total Concentration Breathing.
It was a technique developed by the Demon Slayer Corps to allow humans to fight on equal footing with demons. By forcefully enhancing the function of the heart and lungs, the body absorbs more oxygen into the bloodstream, boosting one's physical abilities to near-demonic levels.
And there was an advanced form: Total Concentration: Constant—a state where the user maintained that same focus even while asleep.
Though Akira could now dispatch Lower Moons with ease, he understood one thing clearly—his true enemies among the Twelve Kizuki weren't the Lower Moons.
It was the Upper Moons.
Lower Moons were disposable pawns, frequently replaced and easily killed.
That's why his top priority was to sharpen his strength to its absolute peak.
Because after killing even the weakest of the Twelve Kizuki, Akira knew without a doubt—Muzan Kibutsuji would take notice.
He was now a marked target.
Whether Muzan would send another Lower Moon or an Upper Moon next… it would depend on how much of a threat that so-called "Boss Bastard" thought he was.
Ding-dong—
The doorbell rang, the sound already familiar to him.
Over the past few days, one of the Yukinoshita sisters had been dropping by every single morning.
Click—
When Akira opened the front door, both sisters were already standing there.
But this time, they weren't alone. Accompanying them was their homeroom teacher—Hiratsuka Shizuka, the same woman who had tailed Akira last night… and witnessed the truth about demons with her own eyes.
"Showing up uninvited on a weekend morning… don't you think that's a little rude?"
"Aw, sorry for bothering you, Akira-chan~"
"Yeah, yeah. Just get inside already."
Seeing Yukinoshita Haruno, Akira didn't bother starting an argument. He had long since given up complaining about the nickname "Akira-chan." No matter what he said, the woman never listened anyway.
The three women stepped in.
Hiratsuka Shizuka's gaze lingered on Akira, her expression uneasy. She didn't say a word—but clearly, her mind was filled with questions.
Last night, she had called Haruno to get an explanation, but came away with none. So this morning, she showed up in person.
Cornered, Haruno had no choice but to tell her the truth.
And just like that, everything Hiratsuka knew about the world… came crashing down.
Demons who ate humans—once dismissed as fiction or horror stories—were real.
"Please, have a seat. I don't normally have guests, so there's no tea. Just hot water."
Akira poured three glasses from the thermos and set them down.
But clearly, the three women weren't concerned about refreshments. They had come for answers—about what happened the night before.
"So... the creature you killed last night… really was a flesh-eating demon?"
Hiratsuka asked, a trace of doubt in her voice.
"Shizuka-sensei, you already believe it—why the hesitation?"
"It's just… hard to wrap my head around. That monsters like that actually exist—creatures that live in the dark and feast on humans… It's beyond comprehension."
"This world is vast. Just because something hides in the shadows... doesn't mean it doesn't exist."
"Well, I suppose that's true..."
In the end, whether she believed it or not wouldn't change anything.
"I have a question. Shizu-chan told me the demon you fought had writing in its eyes. Is that true?"
"It is."
"Then... does that mean you've already fought one of the Twelve Kizuki?"
"Yes. Lower Moon Six. The weakest of the twelve. Frankly, a disappointment."
"Which means… the strongest demon in Chiba is already dead? So the city's safe now, right?"
She still remembered Akira explaining that demons rarely gathered in groups.
So if a Lower Moon had already been slain, then there should be no more Kizuki left in the area.
That would be good news.
"No. Actually, it's the opposite. Chiba's about to become much more dangerous."
"Eh? Why? Didn't you just say you killed the Lower Moon?"
"Exactly. That's why it's going to get worse. Think about it—if you were Muzan, and you learned that a human managed to kill a Lower Moon, what would you do?"
"If it were me? I'd eliminate him immediately. Before he becomes a real threat."
Yukinoshita Haruno, a woman with the mindset of both a politician and a capitalist, instantly understood what he meant.
Demons couldn't be killed by normal humans. But if a human could kill one?
Then they were a threat.
And like all threats… they had to be crushed.
Her face darkened.
The one they had thought was their protector... was actually a beacon, drawing more demons toward him.
And considering how close Yukino's apartment was to Akira's... wouldn't she be in danger too?
"Oh, by the way, Little Miss Yukino. That thing I promised is ready. This weekend, don't go anywhere. You'll be training in Breathing Techniques here."
"Eh? You mean it's done?"
Yukinoshita Yukino, who had been silent this whole time, widened her eyes in surprise.
Akira had once told her he would create a training method tailored to her physique. At the time, she thought it was just talk.
But now, he was actually following through.
"Yeah. Water Breathing. Complete with the sword forms. All you have to do now… is learn it."
"Understood. I'll do my best."
Yukino nodded earnestly, her eyes filled with determination.
At last, she had found a path to grow stronger.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Read ahead and support the story on Patreon:
🔗 patreon.com/FaaanzKun
✅ 90+ chapters ahead of WebNovel
✅ 2 new chapters every day (Monday–Saturday), exclusive on Patreon
Thank you all so much for your amazing support 💖
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —