Why Are There So Many People Who Hate Me?!

Sometimes, Kiyohiko really wondered if there was something wrong with his luck.

If you asked Kiyohiko whether anything could be worse than waking up tied to a bed, with a woman whose bond value was negative playing with a Nichirin Blade beside you every now and then,

Kiyohiko's answer was: yes. You bet there was, bro.

At that moment, Kiyohiko knelt in the middle of a room, his hands pinned behind his back.

And there in the shadows before him stood a row of figures.

Nine of them.

They all looked different and wore different expressions, but the fighting spirit radiating from each of them was like a solid blade, aimed straight at his throat.

Kiyohiko glanced at them, and system notifications kept appearing in his mind.

[Obanai Iguro's bond value detected: -15]

[Kyojuro Rengoku's bond value detected: -23]

[Gyomei Himejima's bond value detected: -28]

[Mitsuri Kanroji's bond value detected: 15]

Wait, what did I just see? A positive number! Is there actually an angel among this bunch of vicious-looking people?

Kiyohiko looked toward the person indicated by the notification. She was a cute girl with an adorable smile and braided hair, its distinctive brilliant cherry pink and grass green especially eye-catching in the sunlight.

Apparently sensing Kiyohiko's gaze, Mitsuri Kanroji turned toward him, and their eyes met.

"Oh my, why does that strange demon keep staring at me?"

A little embarrassed by his stare, Mitsuri cupped her bright red cheeks in both hands.

She's so cute.

Watching Mitsuri's reaction, Kiyohiko sighed inwardly.

She's so much better than that nasty woman who only knows how to feed me poison tea.

[Obanai Iguro's bond value detected. Current bond value: -30]

What?!

How did it drop so much all at once?!

Did I do something wrong again?

Kiyohiko looked over. The killing intent around the Serpent Hashira had practically solidified. If looks could kill, Kiyohiko would probably have died a dozen times over and been chopped into mincemeat by now.

Right, I forgot about him.

If I keep staring, this is going to turn into a bandaged freak murder case.

Kiyohiko lowered his head, looked at no one, and silently said nothing.

He had noticed that ever since he transmigrated, nothing had gone right for him, from the Hand Demon to Shinobu Kocho and now this. He clearly hadn't done anything, yet everyone else's bond values kept plunging like a roller coaster.

If I don't do anything now, surely nothing can go wrong, right?

According to Shinobu Kocho, the Master had accepted him, so his goal was clear.

All he had to do was wait for the Master to arrive, and every problem would be resolved. The only problem was that hothead, Sanemi the Wind Hashira. Kiyohiko wasn't afraid Sanemi would suddenly slash him; he was afraid Sanemi would cut his own hand over the slightest disagreement and do something with his Marechi.

Kiyohiko was genuinely afraid he wouldn't be able to resist the temptation.

But for now, he was keeping his head down and ignoring everyone. Surely Sanemi had no reason to do that.

Just then, a piercing wail rang out through the room.

"Waaah! Why?! Why did you tie up Mr. Kiyohiko?! And who are all these people?! Their eyes are so scary!"

To his left, Tanjiro was kneeling with a serious expression. Although cold sweat beaded on his forehead, his back was ramrod straight, and his gaze was fixed resolutely ahead.

To his right, Zenitsu was practically sprawled on the floor, clutching Tanjiro's haori in both hands, his face smeared with tears and snot as he made noise loud enough to burst eardrums.

"Quiet down, Zenitsu."

Tanjiro reminded him in a low voice, then raised his head and called out loudly:

"Please let me explain! He may be a demon, but he really hasn't eaten anyone! On Mount Fujikasane, he even sacrificed himself to take the Hand Demon's attack to save me and the other candidates! If he were an evil demon, he could easily have eaten us to regain his strength then!"

"Shut up, you red-haired brat."

An ice-cold voice cut Tanjiro off.

The speaker was the man covered in scars-the Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa.

His eyes were fierce, a cruel smile played at the corner of his mouth, and he toyed with the hilt of his Nichirin Blade as he walked toward Kiyohiko, one step at a time.

"A demon that doesn't eat people? I've heard that joke so many times my ears have calluses."

Sanemi stopped in front of Kiyohiko and looked down at him, his eyes filled with undisguised disgust.

"If he's a demon, he should be killed."

"Please wait, Mr. Shinazugawa!"

Tanjiro sprang to his feet to stop him, only for the Kakushi members behind him to pin him down.

"Even a Hashira can't just do whatever he wants without knowing the facts! I won't accept a Hashira like that!"

"What?! What are you saying, brat?!"

Tanjiro had thoroughly enraged Sanemi Shinazugawa.

The crisp sound of a blade being drawn echoed through the room as Sanemi unsheathed his green Nichirin Blade.

"I'll show you his true nature right now."

He waved the blade with his left and right hands and slashed it fiercely across his own left arm. Bright red blood welled up instantly and dripped onto the tatami.

"Come on, evil demon!"

Sanemi held his bleeding arm out in front of Kiyohiko, a savage, crazed grin on his face.

"Don't you want to eat? This is Marechi, you know. Show us your true nature, and then-I can cut your head off fair and square!"

Kiyohiko: "..."

Kiyohiko sometimes really wondered if he was cursed with bad luck. Tanjiro was the one who'd insulted him, while Kiyohiko had been kneeling there without doing or saying a thing, yet he still got caught in the crossfire.

Kiyohiko squeezed his eyes shut and jerked his head to the side. The veins on his neck bulged like writhing earthworms, and his body trembled violently.

"You can actually resist looking?"

The violence in Sanemi's eyes grew more intense. He clearly hadn't expected this demon's willpower to be so strong. He shot out a hand, grabbed Kiyohiko's hair, and forcibly turned his face back, making him face the bleeding arm.

"Stop pretending! Look at it! This is what you want most!"

The blood was almost touching Kiyohiko's lips.

In that instant, Kiyohiko's pupils contracted sharply to pinpoints, and the whites of his eyes instantly became bloodshot and crimson. At that moment, the defenses of his reason gave a crisp crack as they began to collapse.

"You've gone too far, Mr. Sanemi."

At some point, Shinobu Kocho had come to stand beside Sanemi, her signature haori swaying gently. Though the same perfect mask of a smile remained on her face, ripples now spread through her violet eyes.

She took hold of Sanemi's arm and pulled it a little farther away.

"If you bring it any closer, your Marechi will drip right into his mouth."

Just as Kiyohiko's reason was about to snap, two young yet solemn voices washed over the air in the room, which had been stretched to its limit, like a clear spring.

"The Master has arrived."