Three Who Drew Every Eye

Since they had speed-cleared the side boss, Chinatsu had some free time to spare. Nezuko followed behind her and Tanjiro as the three walked down the street, drawing plenty of attention from everyone around them.

Chinatsu, with her striking good looks.

Tanjiro, with the scar on his forehead.

Nezuko, with a tube in her mouth.

With those three walking together, keeping a low profile would have been difficult even if they had wanted to.

Fortunately, none of them were socially anxious. Someone had once called Chinatsu a "social menace," but that did not mean she was awkward around people. She was a menace to society, a terrifying creature one level above someone who could make herself at home with anyone. Her defining trait was a complete disregard for other people's stares or the mood around her.

Tanjiro, meanwhile, was a cheerful, sunny boy. Although he noticed people's looks and the atmosphere, he never let them overwhelm him. His presence fluctuated between strong and unobtrusive.

As for Nezuko... she followed behind Chinatsu and Tanjiro with her head lowered. Stares? Atmosphere? She was entirely focused on the Konpeito cradled in her hands, hoping they would hurry somewhere deserted so she could take the bamboo tube out of her mouth and enjoy a piece in peace.

After wandering around, they ultimately decided to have a bowl of noodles each at a roadside stall. Still, they had successfully completed their first mission. Celebrating with nothing but plain noodles would have been a little too pathetic, so...

"Sir, add an egg and a sausage to every bowl!"

"Coming right up!"

The stall owner briskly cooked the noodles, then brought out bowls topped with sausage and eggs. It was a classic combination, one Chinatsu had often ordered at noodle shops before coming to this world.

Egg noodles, mushroom noodles, noodles with vegetarian toppings, pork chop noodles, seafood noodles...

Chinatsu and Tanjiro ate their noodles while the stall owner quietly watched the two of them and Nezuko, who sat blankly beside them, hugging a jar.

Their clothes don't look like they're from ordinary families. And those things at their waists... those must be replica swords, right? Playing samurai in this day and age-they must come from wealthy families.

Those thoughts ran through the stall owner's mind as he watched them. In the current Taisho era, the Sword Abolishment Edict was in effect. Samurai had once stood above ordinary people, but after the edict was issued, they were gradually suppressed. Within just a few years, most of them had disappeared.

Of course, even though the Sword Abolishment Edict had been in force for so many years, some children still thought wearing a sword looked cool and strapped replicas to themselves. Beneath the scabbards, most were made of wood or plastic.

That was why the noodle stall owner did not pay much attention to the swords Chinatsu and Tanjiro wore. As long as they did not draw them and reveal metal blades, there was little trouble to be had-except in certain places, such as train stations...

"It's getting late. Once you've finished eating, hurry home. If you're visiting, you'd best find an inn early, especially you, miss. Women have been disappearing around here lately. Some perverted thug must be behind it. I hope the police catch him soon."

The noodle stall owner began packing up as he spoke. Even though he was a grown man, the frequent disappearances of women at night had reduced his customers at this hour to practically zero. If Chinatsu and the others had not come along, he would normally have packed up and gone home already.

"It's... fine, it's... fine. Starting... tomorrow, no more women will disappear," Chinatsu mumbled between mouthfuls of noodles.

"If only that were true."

The noodle stall owner did not take her seriously, dismissing her words as nothing more than a young girl's wishful thinking.

Chinatsu did not argue and simply concentrated on slurping her noodles. She could hardly tell him she was a Demon Slayer, nor could she claim to be a police officer. Demons were beings that could not face the light, and the Demon Slayers who fought them likewise had to remain out of sight.

"Sir, your noodles are delicious!"

"Thank you for the compliment, miss. You're quite a beauty yourself. Let me guess-is the young man beside you your boyfriend or your older brother... your older brother, surely?"

The noodle stall owner smiled, convinced he had guessed correctly. Little did he know that the instant he finished speaking, Chinatsu involuntarily snapped the chopsticks in her hand in two.

Seeing that, Tanjiro hurriedly said, "She's my older sister. She's two years older than me!"

"Your older sister?"

The noodle stall owner froze for a moment. He genuinely had not expected to guess wrong. Not only was she older, she was a whole two years older.

Tanjiro was fifteen that year, Nezuko fourteen, and Chinatsu seventeen. As the eldest sister of the family, being two years older was perfectly normal. Surely she could not be only one year older-the Kamado family's mother needed time to rest between children.

This was far from the first time someone had misjudged her age. Chinatsu could tolerate things and back down on just about anything else, but not this.

"I'm full!"

Chinatsu rose from her seat at the noodle stall, a little annoyed, and Tanjiro promptly put down his bowl as well.

"Chinatsu, are we going back to Master Urokodaki's place now?" Tanjiro asked as he walked over to her.

"No. Let's find an inn and rest for the night first. There's no rush." Feeling a little sleepy herself, Chinatsu covered her mouth with her hand.

"True."

Tanjiro nodded. If they headed back to Urokodaki's cabin now, they would probably have to travel all night.

Although deciding what to eat had been difficult, choosing somewhere to stay was easy enough: check how much money they had on hand, then find the best inn they could afford!

They booked two rooms at one of the better inns in town. Chinatsu and Nezuko shared one, while Tanjiro took the other.

After returning to their room, Nezuko held up her wooden training sword, indicating that she wanted to practice the Breathing Style and swordsmanship Urokodaki had taught her some more.

Because of her constant sleepiness, however, she had barely practiced before she could no longer keep her eyes open and fell asleep. Chinatsu did not make her wear the bamboo tube while sleeping. With her there, she could stop Nezuko immediately if she went berserk. Of course, Chinatsu knew Nezuko would not lose control unless someone put "marechi blood" right in front of her.

Chinatsu sat cross-legged on the bed. Although she resisted the endless grind, she realized that if she only pushed herself a little and continued following the early plot like this, her strength would still be insufficient to change the tragedies to come.

The gaps in strength in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba were simply too severe. Just as the Demon Slayer Corps had ranks, so did the demons.

Six Upper Ranks.

Six Lower Ranks.

Upper Ranks > Pillars > Lower Ranks > ordinary demons/ordinary swordsmen.

In the Mugen Train arc, the Flame Hashira, who was strong enough to kill a Lower Rank demon with ease, encountered Upper Rank Three. It was an utterly one-sided fight. Against Upper Rank Three, who kept trying to persuade him to surrender, the Flame Hashira gave everything he had, even burning through his life. Yet the outcome was still...

Chinatsu wondered whether, if her strength continued growing at this rate until the Mugen Train arc, she could truly prevent the tragedy of the Flame Hashira's death-or merely become another corpse that had tried to resist.