Starting from Demon Slayer, Forging the Strongest Demonic Blade!

Tanjiro suddenly came to his senses, as though everything had connected at once, and asked tentatively.

"Could it be the Dance of the Fire God?"

"Your guess is correct. But your father wasn't a swordsman and never cultivated Sun Breathing. You're different—you have the potential to learn Sun Breathing!"

Hearing these earth-shattering secrets, Tanjiro found himself with other doubts as well.

"So that's why you chose me?"

Facing the question, Lin Fan replied calmly, without the slightest emotional fluctuation.

"I didn't choose you because you have the potential to learn Sun Breathing. What truly moved me was always your unwavering determination for revenge!"

Actually, the system forced me to...

"You must have your own reasons, but thank you for choosing me." Tanjiro flashed a brilliant smile again and gave a sincere response.

"Enough nonsense. Start training your Breathing Technique right now!"

"Okay!"

Tanjiro held his breath and focused his mind, using Total Concentration as he began digging graves and burying the dead. Yet before long, it often felt as though his lungs were about to burst.

But at those times, Lin Fan would use Demon Power to swiftly restore him.

Time passed silently by.

In the blink of an eye, dusk was already approaching.

Only then had they finally buried all the dead.

They watched the setting sun sink below the horizon.

Night was about to fall.

As everyone paid their respects to the deceased, a Kasugai Crow swooped down from the sky. It spread its wings and hovered in midair. "Quickly go down the mountain, quickly go down the mountain, follow me..."

After saying that, it flew ahead to lead the way.

Tanjiro and the others followed closely behind. After bidding farewell to the four of them, the three followed the Kasugai Crow together.

Bathed in the glow of dusk, they walked down the mountain path.

At that moment, Lin Fan gave a reminder.

"Be careful. Demons may attack tonight."

"I'll be careful."

Tanjiro rested one hand on Ashura Maru at his waist, feeling an unprecedented sense of security.

At the same time, he specifically warned the other two.

"Demons may attack us tonight, so the two of you must be careful."

"I'm not afraid no matter how many demons come! Hahahaha..." Inosuke grew even more excited upon hearing that, waving his arms around.

Zenitsu's expression changed instead, and he cried out in terrified panic, "What happened? Why would demons come attack us?"

But on second thought, with someone as strong as Tanjiro around, one or two demons didn't seem like much of a threat.

Thinking about it that way, he didn't seem quite as afraid anymore.

The group took many twists and turns, following the Kasugai Crow down the mountain until night fell.

However, while they were walking along the way—

On the small path they had taken earlier, Lin Fan's voice suddenly rang out in Tanjiro's mind. "Demons are coming for you. Be careful—there are thirteen this time!"

What?

Only then did Tanjiro realize it. His nose picked up the scent of blood in the air, along with the unique stench that clung to demons.

It hadn't been obvious when they were far away, but after walking a few more steps, the smell rushed into his nostrils. The odors were mixed together.

But without exception, the owners of those scents were definitely demons!

Zenitsu, beside him, also perked up his ears. He suddenly turned his head and asked, "Did you two hear something?"

Tanjiro did not hide it at all and said directly, "Demons. Thirteen demons are approaching us from ahead!"

"Th... thirteen? Huh? Huh!... Where did so many demons come from? I'm going to die here! I haven't even gotten married yet..."

Zenitsu could not help dropping to his knees, howling and sobbing in despair.

Inosuke snorted beside him.

"What's thirteen demons? I'll kill every last one of them for you!"

As he spoke, he drew his twin blades.

Beside him, Tanjiro also drew Ashura Maru from his waist and said.

"I'm counting on you, Ashura Maru!"

Did They Really Need Such a Huge Force?

Zenitsu, meanwhile, was like a headless fly. Any ease he had felt earlier was long gone.

He had thought there would be one or two at most. Who knew more than a dozen demons would show up all at once?

Are you guys teaming up to fight a boss?!

Did they really need such a huge force?

"Let's run. If we run now, we might still make it in time. Besides, these demons might not necessarily be coming for us..."

Zenitsu still clung to a shred of hope.

But Tanjiro immediately dealt him a crushing blow.

"These demons are most likely here for me. But even if they aren't, I can't step aside!

"If we move aside, how many more people will these demons hurt?!"

He gripped his sword with both hands and prepared himself.

At that very moment.

The ground shook as dense footsteps rushed toward them.

The first thing they saw was a youth gliding through the air with bat-like wings. His crimson eyes and pair of fangs—

All proved that he was a demon.

On the ground beneath him, three more figures charged toward them at high speed. The remaining nine demons behind them were clearly far slower.

"The first four demons have very strong scents. They must have eaten many people, so they won't be weak. I'll hold them back!"

Tanjiro held his sword in both hands. Thanks to the improvements brought by several rounds of Nourishment, as well as Ashura Maru's support, he was confident that he could fight even in such circumstances!

The demon in the air spotted the three of them. In particular, after seeing Tanjiro's outfit and earrings, he immediately confirmed the target.

He shouted down at the others.

"We caught up to him! That guy is the demon slayer that person specifically ordered us to kill!"

"Our long journey wasn't in vain after all!"

A demon built like a bull below him followed with a wild laugh.

Beside him, a man as thin as a bamboo pole added, "Kill him and bring his head back to that person!"

There was also a white-haired female demon mixed among them. "As long as we kill him, that person definitely won't be stingy with granting us blood!"

The demons following behind said nothing.

None of these demons argued. Their objective was clear.

The reason for that was that Muzan had permitted demons hunting Tanjiro to gather together!

Thus, the demons in the same region had assembled solely to hunt Tanjiro.

"What do we do, Tanjiro?!"

Zenitsu's face had gone pale with fright. He looked as though he were about to collapse.

Inosuke gave a disdainful snort beside him.

"Quit yammering! You're so annoying!"

Tanjiro had nothing much to say either and could only comfort him helplessly.

"Let's do our best together!"

Zenitsu was utterly bewildered.

The moment his words fell—

The Bat Demon in the air had already glided toward them first. Its pair of bat wings were like sharp blades, gleaming with an icy light beneath the moon.

It split the air and charged straight at the three of them.

"Get out of the way!"

Tanjiro shoved Zenitsu beside him away, while he himself dodged to the side as well.

Without even turning back, Inosuke gripped his twin blades and charged toward the demons.

"Charge, charge like a boar!"

However, the demons had little interest in him. Only the bull-like demon stopped, bringing three other demons with him to fight Inosuke.

"Kid, can you cut through my skin?!"

"Huh?! Of course I can cut through it!"

Inosuke raised his twin blades and clashed with it head-on.

But when the blades struck the demon's body, they rang out with the sound of metal striking metal, scattering fleeting sparks.

"So hard."

Inosuke's hands went slightly numb.

"You can't break through my defense at all. Die, you brat!" The demon laughed madly and lunged forward with both arms spread wide.

Elsewhere.

Tanjiro retreated rapidly, reaching the nearby forest in just a few breaths. In this kind of terrain—

The Bat Demon's ability to fly was restricted, forcing it to lower both its speed and altitude.

Zenitsu was still slumped on the ground nearby, trembling uncontrollably.

The demons only glanced at him before all heading into the forest to chase Tanjiro. However, they still left behind three weaker demons to finish off Zenitsu.

One of the skinny demons laughed.

"Boss, isn't this guy way too cowardly? Is he really a demon slayer?"

Hearing that, the demon standing in the middle gave a sinister grin. "Who cares whether he is or not? I've never eaten a demon slayer's flesh before. Hurry up and kill him so we can see how he compares to ordinary people."

A demon holding a spiked club stepped forward from the side. "Boss, let me do it. I want to eat his brains."

As he spoke, he walked forward and raised the spiked club in his hand.

At the sight, Zenitsu's eyes rolled back, and he fell backward. His terror was so great that he directly lost consciousness.

Meanwhile.

Inside the forest, beneath the cover of night.

Tanjiro moved lightly on his feet, weaving back and forth through the woods by taking advantage of the terrain.

Behind him, the Bat Demon beat its wings and opened its blood-filled maw lined with fangs.

"Blood Demon Art—Sound Wave Resonance!"

Invisible waves shot from its mouth, spreading over a vast area. Once they enveloped Tanjiro, he felt both hands gripping his sword begin to tremble faintly on their own.

His body also shuddered slightly beneath those waves.