Kumamoto City, Ashikita Town.
Carrying a wooden box on his back, Hardy walked into the Fujiya Inn.
Inside the box was a set of simple armor-type puppets he had created to enhance strength, speed, and defensive capabilities.
Reflecting on his previous battle with Tengen Uzui, where they fought to a draw, Hardy now had a fairly accurate assessment of his own combat strength.
Relying solely on the Breathing Technique, he was stronger than all of the Lower Moons, but if he faced an Upper Moon, things would be much less certain.
Fortunately, the Breathing Technique was not his only skill.
With the armored puppet equipped, his combat power would rise another level. Combined with the Scarlet Iron Musket and the ninjutsu he had mastered, as long as he didn't run into Muzan or Kokushibo—the current pinnacles of power—he was confident he could survive.
If he did encounter them, he'd just have to consider himself unlucky and hope for the best.
But that shouldn't be the case this time.
"It was a demon with incredible speed—so fast that I barely had time to react before one of my teammates was killed. The rest of us had to stand back-to-back just to fend off its attacks."
"It was only then that we got a clear look at the demon's true form: a fiend with pointed ears and a body covered in scars. The words 'Lower Moon Three' were written in its eyes. Once we realized we were facing a Lower Moon, we all agreed—the older swordsmen would cover the retreat so the younger ones could escape and bring back news."
A sixteen- or seventeen-year-old rank D Demon Slayer, with one arm missing, spoke to Hardy in tears.
There had already been casualties among swordsmen here before, so Kagaya Ubuyashiki had dispatched four swordsmen from nearby—each of high rank and considerable strength.
Two rank D, one rank C, and one rank B.
This lineup was more than enough to handle any demon except the Twelve Kizuki, yet they still ran into Lower Moon Three.
Fortunately, they were strong enough that this young man managed to escape with his life.
"Senior Hardy, I know you're a rank A swordsman, but this is one of the Twelve Kizuki. Shouldn't we ask the Master to summon a Hashira for extra safety?"
"No need. A Lower Moon demon shouldn't be a problem for me."
Hardy sat upright on the tatami, pouring a cup of tea for the young swordsman in front of him, who was destined to retire so young.
"Tell me, how did you find this demon?"
"Alright. At first, according to information passed on by the Butterfly Mansion's hidden agents, this demon was unusual—it only liked to eat human hearts, and the people it killed all showed wounds that looked like they'd been sliced by a sharp blade..."
Hardy's head snapped up.
That cause of death... it seemed so familiar.
Lower Moon demons... they could turn humans into demons too, right?
He thought of the spider family on Natagumo Mountain, turned into demons by Lower Moon Five.
It seemed he'd found his enemy.
That night.
The night was dark and windy, the sky full of dim, lifeless stars.
Hardy sat cross-legged on the roof of a house, already clad in his armored puppet. He laid his Nichirin sword flat in front of him, closed his eyes, and sensed his surroundings.
Suddenly, Hardy's eyes shot open, looking toward a certain street.
"So it's appeared after all?"
A blurry shadow was carrying two young women, fleeing the city.
"Whoosh!"
In the span of a single breath, a blue sword flash streaked by.
"Hm?"
The shadowy demon quickly retreated, glancing at its severed arms and the two young women who had fallen not far ahead.
"A year ago, did you ever go to the Koga region?"
Hardy glanced at the unconscious women on the ground and strode forward.
Lower Moon Three, Diseased Leaf, stroked his chin with a freshly regenerated hand, looking at Hardy with interest.
"That long, steady breathing... Are you a Hashira? If I eat you, I should become even stronger, right? If I kill more Hashira, Lord Muzan will surely grant me more blood. Then I'll soon become an Upper Moon."
Another sharp sword flash sliced through the air.
"I asked you a question."
Hardy spun his sword, glancing at the three faint claw marks on his armor, and spoke coolly.
"Impressive! As expected of a Hashira. A year ago, you say? Oh, I remember now. There was a man who looked a bit like you. When he ran into me, he actually dared to resist. I thought he had some backbone, so I rewarded him with a drop of blood. No idea if he survived or not.
What, was he your family? Did you join the Demon Slayer Corps and become a Hashira to avenge him? What a touching story~"
Diseased Leaf touched his neck, thinking of the sword strike that had nearly taken his head just now. Though his words were mocking, his gaze grew more serious.
His fingernails rapidly lengthened, turning into ten sharp claws.
"So it was you. That's all I needed to know."
Hardy's eyes were icy as he stared at Diseased Leaf.
After all, Uesugi Shirakawa was the older brother of this body. In the world of Demon Slayer, he had often relied on the Uesugi clan's power. Debts owed had to be repaid, and vengeance taken.
"Breath of Separation, Second Form: Flowing Separation Dance!"
A dazzling blue light flashed down the street, aiming straight for Diseased Leaf's head.
"So fast!"
Diseased Leaf was startled, hastily retreating, crossing his claws in front of him—only to have them sliced apart again.
Luckily, he'd bought just enough time to avoid being decapitated.
Hardy frowned slightly.
His frontal combat strength could suppress Diseased Leaf, but the demon was fast—difficult to kill outright.
"Breath of Separation, Second Form: Ion Slash."
Another blue slash, smooth as a mirror, swept out. Diseased Leaf decisively let part of his body get cut in order to lunge toward the two young women lying on the ground.
A classic diversion!
"Bang!"
A shot rang out—the Scarlet Iron musket bullet struck Diseased Leaf in the neck.
But as one of the Twelve Kizuki, his body was—
Du Yuan is far from being an ordinary demon you can compare yourself to. Even though his neck had been blasted open into a huge crater, there was still some flesh and blood remaining.
This time, Bing Ye was truly terrified. In the blink of an eye, he vanished from Hardy's line of sight.
*Clang!*
With a single gesture, Hardy summoned Su Qin's sword from his back, blocking Bing Ye's attack from behind.
"How interesting, a blood demon art of invisibility?"
There was almost no movement around him. Hardy only reacted because he heard the sound of the air being torn as Bing Ye launched his attack.
At other times, even Hardy couldn't detect any disturbance.
He shifted his stance slightly, positioning himself beside the two unconscious women. Closing his eyes, he focused his senses.
With a series of precise sword swings, Hardy blocked every one of Bing Ye's attacks.
"How is this possible?!"
Bing Ye was stunned.
But Hardy just curled his lips into a slight smile.
This "Score Reading" technique is actually quite useful.
By the way, there was a bit of a bug in the previous content: it's not just the Upper Moons who can turn people into demons; the Lower Moons can do it too. A typical example is that family turned by Lower Five, Rui.
...
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