While Tanjiro and Zenitsu continued deeper into Mt. Fujixi, they chatted and got to know each other better along the way.
Little did they know, Shin Arashi—who was moving alone—had unknowingly changed the course of fate. Because of his actions, Tanjiro and Zenitsu met earlier than they were supposed to, and from this moment on, the timeline began to shift from its original path.
Shin, already deep within the mountain, soon came face-to-face with a demon blocking his way.
This demon had been trapped on Fujixi Mountain for a long time, starving and craving human flesh. The moment he saw Shin drool began dripping from his mouth. His whole appearance was so revolting, anyone would instinctively feel disgusted.
Shin stopped and frowned. "What a disgusting creature," he said plainly.
"The Demon Slayer Corps finally sent me a snack," the demon growled hungrily, licking his lips. "You smell delicious!"
But in the blink of an eye, the demon's grotesque grin froze.
Shin was no longer in front of him—he was already behind him.
"Water Breathing: First Form – Water Surface Slash," Shin said calmly, sheathing his sword.
A split second later, the demon's head fell from his shoulders. As his body crumbled into ash, the look in his eyes was filled with shock and fear.
"H-How are you… this strong?" were his final words before vanishing completely.
After finishing the fight, Shin walked over to a nearby tree and carved a simple water pattern into the trunk—his way of marking where a demon had been slain.
Without wasting any time, he checked the mini-map provided by the hyper-dimensional system and dashed toward the nearest red dot—another demon.
The mini-map marked all the demons on Fujixi Mountain as red dots, allowing Shin to track them efficiently without wandering around aimlessly.
However, the radar map wasn't always active. It only appeared during the night when demons roamed freely.
Shin figured it was a system limitation. After all, demons fear sunlight and hide during the day. If the radar worked 24/7, he could wipe them all out with zero resistance. That would make things too easy.
Clearly, the system didn't want him clearing the mission without a challenge.
Technically, he could still move during the day—but without the radar, finding demons would be nearly impossible. Even if he did stumble upon one, it would probably just be a weak straggler.
So, Shin had no reason to overwork himself during the day.
Suddenly, a terrified voice rang out. "No! Don't come any closer! I don't want to be eaten!"
Shin arrived to find a demon sinking its teeth into a young man's neck.
Without hesitation, Shin jumped high into the air and shouted, "Water Breathing: Second Form – Water Wheel!"
His sword spun in a circular arc, shimmering with water-like ripples as it sliced clean through the demon's neck. The creature dissolved into ashes before it could take another bite, sparing the boy from a gruesome death.