"Mount Yamata? I didn't expect the peace and quiet to last only a month before being shattered so soon!"
'Though, among all the Hashira, I'm probably the only one this leisurely.'
Ren smiled self-deprecatingly. Since Tanjiro woke up, Shinobu and Giyu had left Tokyo one after another to report the situation at the Ubuyashiki estate before heading to their respective stationed areas.
Because he had to take care of Tanjiro's family, Ren did not attend that Hashira Meeting. However, his record of fighting three opponents at once and slaying Upper Rank Five had spread far and wide.
"Is Big Brother Ren going on a mission?"
Hearing Tianyue's voice, Tanjiro asked with concern. Having spent so much time with Ren, he knew that Kasugai Crows were magical creatures; not only did they possess intelligence close to that of humans, but they could also speak human languages.
"Yeah, Mount Yamata is haunted by demons, and I've been asked to handle it." Ren nodded slightly, then looked at Tanjiro with a mischievous grin. "How about it, Tanjiro? Do you want to come with me?"
"Eh? Is that okay?" Tanjiro was surprised. "Didn't you say, Big Brother Ren, that you wouldn't let me fight demons until I completed my training and passed your assessment?"
"That's right, so I won't let you make a move. I'm just taking you to see the world, build your courage, and let you see clearly the cruelty of demons and how we fight them."
Although he had fought Kamanue, Tanjiro was still essentially a gentle and kind boy.
If he didn't see clearly how demons plagued the human world, Ren feared that in battle, Tanjiro might hesitate and fail to sever a demon's neck, which would ultimately harm him.
"Okay, Big Brother Ren, I'm willing to go!" Tanjiro nodded heavily, agreeing without hesitation. "I want to see the Demon Slayer Corps' combat with my own eyes."
"Good, then let's set off." As soon as the words fell, Ren began walking down the mountain.
Tianyue suddenly spoke up, "Lord Ren, Lord Ren, isn't it inappropriate to take a civilian on a mission?"
"Tanjiro isn't a civilian. He is my Tsuguko. Haven't you seen the results of his training these past few days?"
"That is true, but Tanjiro-kun hasn't passed the Final Selection yet. Taking him on a mission violates the regulations, doesn't it?"
"Regulations? Aren't regulations meant to be broken?"
"Eh?! Is... is that allowed?"
Tianyue was dumbfounded, unable to keep up with Ren's train of thought.
"Alright, enough with the useless chatter. Hurry up and lead the way."
The two first went down the mountain to say goodbye to Nezuko and the others, then headed toward Mount Yamata under Tianyue's guidance.
As for the safety of Nezuko and the others, Ren wasn't worried. To prevent demon attacks, he had prepared a large amount of Wisteria flowers at the house.
He also informed Kie about the nearby Demon Slayer Corps outpost, so if they encountered danger, they could seek help from the Corps.
Furthermore, Tamayo and Yushiro had promised Ren that they would secretly protect Nezuko and the others.
Traveling by night and resting by day, the two finally arrived at the foot of Mount Yamata on the third night.
This was also to let Tanjiro adapt to the nocturnal environment beforehand, preventing him from getting sleepy at night or failing to see the road conditions due to the darkness.
Fortunately, the moon was exceptionally round today, allowing them to see clearly even at night.
"Is this the haunted place? The smell of blood is so strong..."
Just arriving at the foot of Mount Yamata, Tanjiro was so frightened by the scent of blood permeating the mountains that he couldn't move his legs, even though he had once fought Kamanue.
Ren frowned as well, walking toward a dilapidated inn at the base of the mountain. Although the inn was reduced to broken walls and ruins, the wood inside was exceptionally fresh, and one could even smell a faint scent of new timber.
'If I'm not mistaken, this inn was likely built or renovated recently, then destroyed within the last few days. It's probably the work of the demons on the mountain. It just so happens that Tianyue mentioned earlier that a large number of demons have appeared across Japan recently, causing hundreds, if not thousands, of casualties.'
'I'm afraid the demons here have been starving for the past month. It seems my previous record of single-handedly defeating three of the Twelve Kizuki wasn't enough to deter them...'
"Big Brother Ren, are we going up the mountain?" Tanjiro gripped the Nichirin Sword at his waist, swallowing hard.
"Yeah, let's go."
Ren gripped the heavy Nichirin Greatsword on his back and slowly walked toward the mountainside of Mount Yamata.
Originally, he wanted to continue using his bloodletting tactic to lure the demons down, but before he could do so, he saw two snake-like heteromorphic demons burst out of the ground, roaring as they charged at the pair!
"Roar, roar!"
The two demons had red eyes and roared ferociously. They had no limbs but were covered in black scales, with body lengths exceeding three meters; they were simply two giant black pythons.
"Big Brother Ren!"
Tanjiro cried out in alarm. He saw the two heteromorphic demons open their bloody maws, biting toward them. Tanjiro was about to draw his sword to intercept, but Ren was faster!
Splurt!
The sound of cutting flesh rang out leisurely. Ren struck instantly, severing one demon's throat. As for the other, he only cut through its waist and abdomen, not finishing it off immediately.
He grabbed the upper half of the python demon and questioned it in a cold tone.
"Did you kill the people here? How many demons are left on this mountain? Tell me the truth, or I'll tie you up and leave you under the sun! I'll let you burn to ash alive!"
"Roar, roar, roar!!!"
The python demon didn't answer his question, continuing to hiss and roar incessantly.
"Hmm?"
Ren frowned and muttered, "There's something wrong with this demon. The demons I met before, even if they didn't speak, would show some fear or panic. Why does this guy have no reaction at all?"
"It's simply a beast that can't understand human speech! It seems things aren't so simple here..."
Saying this, Ren casually threw the python demon onto the ground and said to Tanjiro, "Tanjiro, do you dare to cut off its neck?"
"Eh?"
"You must have smelled it too, right? These two demons have eaten quite a few people. We must act on behalf of the heavens and kill it right here!"
"I'm leaving this guy to you. If you want to protect Nezuko, Auntie Kie, and the others, Tanjiro, this is a hurdle you must overcome!"
"I understand..."
Tanjiro gripped his Nichirin Sword tightly, looking at the python demon before him with fear in his heart.
Although he had fought Kamanue, that was to protect Nezuko. This time, however, he was taking a life with his own hands.
"Roar, roar, roar..."
Meanwhile, the python demon continued to roar in rage. Its severed lower body began to regenerate, and a thick, foul stench drifted from its mouth full of fangs.
'It's not human. That's right, it's no longer human! The current thing is just a monster! If I leave it be, it will destroy the happiness of more people, so I must end it here!'
After smelling the corpse stench from the python demon's mouth, Tanjiro steeled his resolve and swung his blade decisively at its throat.
"Hinokami Kagura: Dance!"
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]