Human sushi! Lataib!

"Huh? Big Brother You, are you leaving?"

"That's right. I'm going to start walking my own path. Tanjiro, just as you want to save Nezuko, I have a mission of my own."

Lu You rubbed Tanjiro's red hair. The boy was still rather short.

At least compared to someone of his own normal, 180-centimeter build, he was almost half a head shorter.

"Big Brother You..."

Tears gradually welled in Tanjiro's eyes.

If not for Lu You, Mr. Giyu might have killed Nezuko right at the beginning.

Though he later learned that Mr. Giyu was a good person, blades showed no mercy back then. Since she was a demon, no one would have cared if she were swiftly eliminated.

"Tanjiro, always remember why you started. As long as you keep moving, the road will keep stretching ahead. Perhaps one day, you really will reach its end."

"Flower of Hope" BGM.

"Yes! Big Brother You, I'll catch up soon. Please be careful."

The two bumped fists.

Sakonji Urokodaki came out of the house with a fox mask in his hand and offered it to Lu You.

"Though you aren't entirely a successor to Water Breathing, this can bring you good luck.

If you learn quickly enough from the Thunder Breathing cultivator, you might still make it to this year's selection on Mount Fujikasane."

Lu You took the mask and put it on top of his head.

"Don't worry, Master Urokodaki. I'll come back safely."

The man nodded. If even Lu You couldn't return, then there was probably an Upper Rank hiding on Mount Fujikasane.

Lu You clasped his hands. "I'll be on my way!"

Mount Fujikasane was roughly on the outskirts of Tokyo, while the Thunder Breathing cultivator, Jigoro Kuwajima, lived on Mount Momoi, which lay in the same direction.

That was why Sakonji Urokodaki had said that if he learned quickly enough, he might make it to Mount Fujikasane.

Of course, Lu You could also go straight to Mount Fujikasane, but as someone who wanted to create his own derivative Breathing Style, learning more about other Breathing Styles was essential.

Nothing eventful happened on the road, and he didn't yet have a Kasugai Crow to report the locations of man-eating demons.

So even if he wanted to kill demons along the way,

he couldn't.

"Nice scenery."

After nearly half a month of traveling with frequent stops, Lu You settled into a small town filled with blooming flowers.

As he drew closer to Tokyo, the towns began to grow increasingly dense.

There were scattered villages every few kilometers, and a little farther on, there would be a bustling town.

"The best sushi in Utsunomiya Prefecture!"

The innkeeper said this to Lu You as he prepared to take an evening stroll.

"Then I'll have to give it a proper try."

It was only a few steps from the inn to the market.

It was noisy and crowded.

"There's a temple fair here today."

He took in the sights, then passed through the bustling area and followed the lanes to their farthest end, where he found a simple wooden house.

A group of laughing children ran inside beside him, and a sushi shop banner hung by the entrance.

Though the place was small, the wood of its supporting pillars looked sturdy, and before he even entered, a rich aroma wafted toward him.

"Uncle Pingshong, I want this one!"

"Hehe, then I want this little bear-shaped one."

Lu You narrowed his eyes and lifted the blue curtain over the entrance.

"Welcome! Master Samurai, what sushi would you like?"

The shop was cramped inside, but brightly lit.

Wooden cabinets hung nailed to the walls on either side, holding boxes of exquisite sushi across more than ten full tiers. The rich fragrance of rice filled the room.

There were also a few tables and chairs, but no one sat at them.

In the serving window directly ahead stood a middle-aged man with graying temples. His rough hands kneaded steaming rice balls as he smiled and responded to the children.

His gaze was very gentle.

Seeing Lu You enter, he hurried to welcome him.

"Shopkeeper, is your sushi guaranteed to be cooked?"

Lu You casually sat in a nearby chair and asked with a smile.

"Uh, forgive me, but I don't understand what you mean. If you haven't decided, though, I recommend this beef sushi."

Hiratane Daiki spoke with an odd expression, then bent down and pulled out several packaged boxes of sushi from below.

Lu You stared at the boxes of sushi, lost in thought. The man looked back at Lu You, his face full of confusion.

For a moment, neither spoke.

"Shoo, shoo, all of you go home. Something's come up today. I'm closing! Come back tomorrow."

Pingshong suddenly felt his heart pounding with alarm.

Not knowing what this strange man had come for, he held out his hands and ushered all the dejected children out of the shop.

"Okay... Hiratane Daiki, we'll come back tomorrow. Bye!"

"Uncle, can I wait until you finish making the sushi and take it with me? Otherwise, Mom will definitely think I ate it on the way."

One little boy's eyes brimmed with tears.

"Hahahaha, isn't that what happened? Xiaoyou, I really do have something urgent today. Tomorrow-come tomorrow, and I'll definitely give it to you. Take these for now."

As Hiratane Daiki spoke, he grabbed a few boxes of sushi and handed them to the little boy, then escorted the blinking boy out the door.

He watched him go for a long time.

Only after a while did he turn around, his face pinched with fear.

"Master Samurai, may I ask what you want with me? I'm just an ordinary person. I haven't offended anyone.

I have plenty of sushi here, and nothing but sushi. If you need it, please take it all."

Clearly, he had mistaken Lu You for a robber.

Lu You remained unmoved.

"I see, you don't want this sushi? It's beef sushi. It's very tasty."

"I don't eat beef." Lu You made a dry joke that only he understood.

"That's a real shame. Meat is very precious..."

"Oh, I don't think so. After all, isn't human flesh cheap?"

Lu You's voice began to turn cold, and his right hand had silently found the hilt of the Nichirin Blade at his waist.

"What are you talking about? Please don't frighten me!"

Pingshong's expression changed drastically.

His face suddenly twisted hideously, flesh writhing among his pale, withered hair. He turned, and a human face appeared on the back of his head.

It was eerie, horrifying, and disgusting.

"Did you fool even yourself by the end of your act?"

Lu You sneered.

"Ah... delicious. Your scent is quite delicious. You'd be perfect made into sushi to savor slowly.

Hehe, Demon Slayer, what you said just now wasn't entirely correct. The me from before was real, and the me right now isn't fake either."

Pingshong extended his long, pointed tongue and lightly licked it.

"To think such a famous shop in this town was actually run by a man-eating demon."

Who knew how many people he had wrapped into sushi?

Were the people in the Demon Slayer Corps all blind?!

Lu You muttered inwardly.

"Why? Why do I run into your people wherever I go? You pester me endlessly, chase me relentlessly, and you're all pathetically weak.

Ah, thinking of it that way, you really are pitiful."

Pingshong wore a pitying expression. He pointed a rough finger at his temple, and a thread of blood instantly shot through his head and pierced the wall beside him.

Clink! A clear note rang out as the blade left its sheath.

Lu You's figure flickered, surging water whirled, and in the blink of an eye, he shattered the floor underfoot and reached the demon's face.

Cold light shone like the moon.

Boom!!!

The violent collision swept outward in every direction. Shock waves rippled, smoke rose, and the shop was already a complete mess. Sushi lay scattered everywhere, and dust obscured his vision.

"It didn't feel like I cut anything. More like I struck a rock."

The violent trembling numbed the web of his hand.

Thinking it over, Lu You focused and observed.

The demon was already nowhere to be seen.

"That blood thread just now was his Blood Demon Art, wasn't it? A demon capable of developing a Blood Demon Art... And with this strength, he can't be far from Lower Rank."

"Confused? Afraid? Hahahaha, Demon Slayer, do you know what it feels like to be wrapped into sushi? Well, you'll find out soon."

Wild laughter came from every direction inside the house. Lu You quickly turned, but the doorway had already become solid wood, completely blocking his escape.

Rumble...

The surrounding wooden walls were frantically squeezing toward the center. The whole house seemed to be kneaded into a ball of meat.

Boom!

As an earth-shattering crash suddenly erupted, the temple fair area in western Utsunomiya Prefecture shook.

The apparent earthquake drew startled cries from the crowd, though some were curious as well. Within a few seconds, some people were moving away while others approached.

At the foot of the mountain, a thick-browed young man dressed in black with a sword at his waist raised an eyebrow and hurried in that direction.

Not far away.

Pingshong looked at the entire house, now compressed into a sphere, feeling somewhat bored.

"Poor Demon Slayer. You've probably been crushed to pulp. Why

did you have to come looking for me? I only eat someone once every few days. I've already shown so much restraint.

Sigh, time to move again.

Farewell forever, Demon Slayer."

He waved a hand and turned to leave.

Tap... tap... tap...

Before Pingshong had taken two steps, his pupils abruptly shrank to pinpoints. He spun around, feeling his hair stand on end!

"You don't think that could kill me, do you?"

The indifferent voice seemed to sound right beside his ear.

Before his eyes, the enormous wooden sphere, ten meters in diameter, was now covered in densely packed straight lines. It split apart as though sliced like tofu, and block-shaped fragments scattered.

Inside, Lu You held his sword in his right hand, with two fingers of his left hand pressed together and aimed at Pingshong.

His eyes were like ice.

"Lataib!"