Zenitsu Agatsuma

[Ding! Slain one Common Demon. Gained 50 points. Current total: 300 points.]

Kirishima Bupai moved like lightning, every slash lethal. Killing these low-level demons was as easy as slicing vegetables.

He even found it a little boring. These demons were so weak that they did not even deserve his serious effort.

His rampage soon drew the attention of the other participants.

Several boys hiding behind trees watched Kirishima Bupai cut down demons like vegetables. They were so stunned with fear that they hardly dared to breathe.

They had planned to find somewhere secluded to hide and simply wait out the seven days. They had never imagined anyone would dare to act so brazenly, taking on so many demons head-on.

"I-is he crazy...?" one boy said in a trembling voice. "Isn't he afraid of getting surrounded by demons?"

"S-so strong..." another boy murmured, his eyes full of awe.

But rather than encouraging them, this only strengthened their resolve to hide.

What a joke. They could never compare to someone like that god of slaughter.

They were better off finding somewhere safe and keeping their heads down.

Naturally, Kirishima Bupai noticed their presence. He gave a disdainful snort.

Hiding from even the weakest demons here, and they wanted to join the Demon Slayer Corps? What a bunch of spineless losers!

Even if people like that passed the test, they would only end up as demon food.

He could not be bothered with them and continued cutting his way forward.

Wherever his blade flashed, not a blade of grass survived, and no demons remained.

Before long, he had fought his way to the other side of the area.

Just then, frantic footsteps and screams reached his ears.

"Aah! Help! Stay away!"

Kirishima Bupai looked toward the sound and saw a yellow figure fleeing from more than a dozen demons in utter disarray.

The fellow had a head of golden hair, as messy as a mop-a very rare sight.

He wore an orange-and-yellow kimono, with a yellow-toned Nichirin Blade at his waist.

At that moment, he was screaming and scrambling away on all fours, his face utterly terrified.

His wailing face looked exactly like a reaction meme, and his wildly flailing escape was utterly ridiculous.

"Zenitsu Agatsuma?" Kirishima Bupai narrowed his eyes slightly, recognizing him.

In the anime, Zenitsu was part of the main cast.

But he was timid and cowardly, and only knew Thunder Breathing's First Form, though he could always unleash astonishing power at critical moments.

He lacked confidence and believed that entering the Final Selection meant going to his death, so he gave up trying throughout the whole thing, never expecting to actually survive in the end.

"Heh, what a troublesome guy." Kirishima Bupai fell silent for a moment and rolled his neck.

To be honest, he did not want to save Zenitsu.

This guy just needed more experience. Perhaps being chased by demons a few more times would force out some of his potential.

But...

Kirishima Bupai glanced at the demons chasing Zenitsu, a calculating gleam flashing in his eyes.

Killing one demon earns 50 points. These dozen or so are worth hundreds. Why let them go to waste?

At that thought, he hesitated no longer.

Whoosh!

With a rush of air, Kirishima Bupai vanished from his spot, appearing in front of Zenitsu the very next second.

"Who's there?!" Zenitsu jumped in fright. Thinking it was another demon, he nearly collapsed.

But before he could make out the newcomer's appearance, he saw a cold glint flash past.

Swish!

The blade rose and fell. The demon at the front was instantly beheaded, its body turning to drifting ash.

The remaining demons froze. Before they could understand what had happened, another rush of air rang out.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Cold flashes followed one after another, too fast for the movements to be seen.

By the time Zenitsu registered what was happening, all dozen or so demons had been beheaded.

Amid the smell of blood, their bodies turned to drifting ash one after another and vanished without a trace.

"A bunch of trash."

Kirishima Bupai cursed under his breath, sheathing his blade with an elegant, unhurried motion.

He turned around, rolled his neck again, and straightened his wind-tousled collar, muttering, "So itchy."

Zenitsu was dumbfounded. His mouth hung open and his eyes were wide, but he could not get a word out for a long while.

H-how could this guy be so strong?!

More than a dozen demons, all gone in the blink of an eye?!

Was he really that strong?! This was ridiculous!

Zenitsu felt his entire worldview being shaken. In all his life, he had never seen anyone this powerful.

But Kirishima Bupai had no attention to spare for Zenitsu's shock. He was entirely focused on the system notifications in his mind.

[Ding! Slain one Common Demon. Gained 50 points. Current total: 350 points.]

[Ding! Slain one Common Demon. Gained 50 points. Current total: 400 points.]

...

[Ding! Slain one Common Demon. Gained 50 points. Current total: 800 points.]

Seeing his points rise to 800, Kirishima Bupai nodded in satisfaction. Not bad, not bad. That was worth it.

Just then, the system's voice sounded again: [System shopping unlocked. The host may exchange points for items.]

Kirishima Bupai's interest stirred, and he immediately opened the System Shop.

However, when he saw what the shop offered, he froze.

There were no powerful weapons or skills in the shop, only an assortment of random snacks.

[Chocolate: 2 points/bar]

[Burger: 10 points/each]

[Fried chicken: 15 points/serving]

[Cola (fat nerd happy juice): 5 points/bottle]

...

The corner of Kirishima Bupai's mouth twitched, and he could not help grumbling inwardly, Is this system worried I'm not living comfortably enough here? It even has fat nerd happy juice?

Though he was somewhat speechless, the sight of these familiar modern snacks still made his stomach growl despite himself.

It had been fifteen years. Ever since he had transmigrated to this world, he had never eaten any of these things again.

As the eldest son of the Kirishima Family, he enjoyed treatment comparable to an emperor's, with every delicacy he could want.

But how could this era possibly have things like chocolate, cola, or burgers?

"This is amazing!"

Kirishima Bupai's eyes lit up, and he exchanged points for two chocolate bars without hesitation.

With a thought, two beautifully wrapped chocolate bars appeared in his hands out of thin air.

He eagerly tore open the wrapper and took a huge bite.

Rich sweetness burst across his tongue, carrying a hint of bitterness. That familiar taste instantly sent a shudder through him, filling him with overwhelming happiness.

"Oh man, this is so good!"

Kirishima Bupai narrowed his eyes in satisfaction, finished the chocolate bar in a few bites, and picked up the other, ready to unwrap it.

Just then, Zenitsu, who lay sprawled on the ground, finally came to his senses.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted several more demons in the distance, drawn over by the commotion, and immediately screamed in terror.

"Aah! Demons! More demons are coming!"

Without a second thought, Zenitsu scrambled over on all fours.

He threw his arms around Kirishima Bupai's thigh, rubbing his face hard against it as he wailed, "Boss! Big brother! Sir!"

"My savior! Save me!"

"Please protect me! I'm begging you!"