The carriage trundled along the road, marking the second day of their journey towards the Honjo district of Tokyo Prefecture.
During this time, Yohan had not been idle. He began passing down his knowledge of Tekkai to Mitsuri. After all, the battles ahead would likely be even more dangerous. While Yohan had confidence in his ability to handle everything, there was no harm in strengthening their overall power.
Moreover, Mitsuri's innate talent allowed her to progress at an astonishing pace. Even with just a rough explanation of the principles, she had already managed to produce a faint metallic sheen on her arm. It was a reminder of just how gifted she was.
"Alright, Tekkai mainly relies on consistent practice. Keep at it."
Yohan was at ease, letting Mitsuri continue her training on her own. With her talent, he had no doubt she would master it soon. Besides, he was there to help if any problems arose.
"Hehe~ Thank you, Yohan." Over the past two days, Mitsuri had become even more like her cheerful, energetic self from the original story. She was especially motivated to learn Tekkai. After experiencing the battle in the forest, she understood that the man before her would never stop moving forward. And if she wanted to stay by his side, she had to keep up with his pace. She couldn't afford to fall behind.
The thought made her cheeks flush a deep red.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, Host!]
[Task Complete: Help Mitsuri Kanroji regain her confidence.]
[Reward: Skill - Revitalizing Art]
The cold mechanical voice of the system rang in Yohan's mind.
Oh ho, the Revitalizing Art finally arrived!
Glancing at the dedicated Mitsuri beside him, Yohan couldn't help but smile. So the system had determined that Mitsuri had regained her confidence? This little girl...
With this, he now had enhanced defense, self-healing, regeneration, and counterattacks. It seemed he was stepping ever closer to becoming the ultimate defensive force.
He imagined a future scenario where he was surrounded by countless demons, yet they couldn't kill him—only to eventually collapse from exhaustion while trying. The thought alone almost made him laugh.
But... was he getting too used to being beaten up? If he kept this up, would he start enjoying it?
He recalled some... questionable rumors from his past life regarding people with certain masochistic tendencies.
No, no! That was impossible! He was a respectable man!
As if reading his thoughts, the system chimed in again.
[Ding!]
[New Mission: Spread the Doctrine of Defense.]
[Mission Objective: As the host of the Ultimate Defensive System, you have an obligation to spread the greatness of absolute defense. Gain recognition from five individuals (0/5).]
[Reward: Dark Night Reflection (Shield Tower).]
Dark Night Reflection? Wasn't that the shield tower from the anime "BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense"?
Holy crap, this was an amazing reward! Not only was the shield aesthetically sleek with its black design—so it didn't look overly flashy—but more importantly, it had an empty skill slot and the powerful ability [Destruction Growth].
[Destruction Growth] meant that whenever the shield took damage, it would instantly regenerate and grow stronger each time.
Most crucially, this regeneration was instantaneous.
With this shield, he could charge straight at anyone he didn't like. If they resisted, he'd simply hit them with Shield Bash over and over until they gave in!
Just imagining his future self using sheer defensive power to dominate battles made Yohan eager to begin his "missionary work"—ahem, that is, to spread the philosophy of absolute defense.
Seeing Yohan suddenly stand up in excitement, then sit back down again, all while giggling foolishly, Mitsuri began to worry.
Oh no, Mom...
How do I communicate with an idiot?
…
Meanwhile, deep within a hidden forest grove...
Clusters of wisteria flowers swayed in the breeze.
This was the Ubuyashiki estate—the headquarters of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Ubuyashiki Kagaya, the current leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, sat in quiet contemplation, a report in his hands.
"So, the demons in the Tokyo Prefecture have become significantly more active?"
"Yes, our stationed Demon Slayers in the Tokyo district have suffered severe casualties. The number of demon appearances has surged unnaturally."
A Demon Slayer responsible for intelligence communication handed him a letter from the leader of the Tokyo division.
"This suggests the demons are searching for something... Something must have happened recently."
"Increase surveillance. Investigate every region surrounding Tokyo Prefecture. We need to determine what exactly is going on."
One command after another left the lips of the frail yet resolute leader, setting the Demon Slayer Corps into rapid motion like a well-oiled machine.
"Additionally, inform Rengoku Kyojuro. Wasn't he preparing to succeed as the next Flame Hashira?"
"This mission will be his first assignment. Send him to Tokyo."
…
Within the Infinity Castle.
Kokushibo stood in silent observation as Muzan Kibutsuji gazed down at Akaza, who knelt in reverence before him.
"Akaza, do you know why I summoned you?"
Muzan's voice carried a clear trace of irritation.
"My Lord, I do not know. I only know that I am always ready to serve you."
Akaza kept his words brief. He understood that in Muzan's presence, they had no secrets.
The only thing that mattered was combat.
Seeing through Akaza's thoughts, Muzan gave a small, cold smile.
"Good. Your loyalty is unquestionable."
"I have a mission for you. Head to the Tokyo district and find a pair—a man and a woman."
"Kill them."
"Tokyo district, understood, my Lord."
Akaza didn't ask why. He didn't care about the reason. He only cared about the battle.
As he turned to leave, Muzan's voice rang out once more.
"Remember, they do not seem to be Demon Slayers."
"Yes!"
At that moment, a flicker of excitement flashed through Akaza's eyes.
New strong opponents?
Battle.
He craved battle!