Tokyo Prefecture, Ikebukuro District.
In a daze, Kamihara Tetsuya gazed at the blood-red moon in the sky, a chilling aura pervading the land.
It had been over half a month since he arrived in this world.
In his previous life, he had spent seven or eight days cooped up at home during his vacation, when he suddenly felt like going for a walk.
Mentally exhausted, he ran a red light and was instantly sent to the afterlife by a fully insured semi-trailer truck.
There was nothing to miss about his previous life; he was an orphan.
Heaven had unexpectedly given him a chance to transmigrate.
As a web novel enthusiast in his past life, Kamihara Tetsuya quickly accepted reality, but he never expected to arrive in this world.
Demon Slayer!
A dangerous world where demons roam at night, devouring humans relentlessly.
If an ordinary person isn't careful, they might just have to be more careful in their next life.
As for how Kamihara Tetsuya knew this was the Demon Slayer World, it all started with the demon outside the door.
Peering through a crack in the wooden house, Kamihara Tetsuya saw what was happening outside the dwelling.
It was a male demon with short peach-pink hair, golden eyes, pale skin, and countless dark blue tattoos representing criminals etched all over his body, with blood-red fingernails. He wore a magenta short-sleeved shirt and prayer beads on his ankles.
In his eyes, the words 'Upper Rank' and 'Three' were clearly etched.
Kamihara Tetsuya's hands and feet turned ice-cold. Encountering Upper Moon Three Akaza right at the start—what kind of insane luck was this?
"Do you recognize this flower?"
Akaza grabbed a Middle-aged Man by the neck with one hand, shoving a yellowed drawing in his face.
"I don't recognize it, please, I still have a mother and child to support…"
The Middle-aged Man struggled desperately, his face contorted in indescribable fear, but before he could finish his sentence, a faint 'crack' sounded, and his neck bones were directly crushed by Akaza's immense hand strength.
His eyes rolled back, and he died on the spot.
Kamihara Tetsuya's pupils constricted; a vibrant life had just ended so simply before his eyes.
"How boring. The weak have no right to live." Akaza made no attempt to hide his disgust. Then, his gaze shifted to the wooden house.
This made Kamihara Tetsuya's heart leap into his throat.
The next moment, a mechanically stiff voice echoed in his mind.
"Suicide Mission Activated!"
Kamihara Tetsuya's mouth twitched, a bad premonition rising in his heart. "Please don't mess with me at this time!"
As a transmigator, he also had a golden finger.
The Infinite Suicide System!
It regularly issues suicide missions, and completing them grants rewards, making him the strongest little suicide expert.
Previously, the missions he encountered were nothing more than minor tasks like kicking in a widow's door at night or secretly digging up ancestral graves.
Thus, in just half a month since arriving in this world, he had already made a notorious name for himself in the vicinity; even the old stray dogs on the street would get a kick from him when they passed by.
The current situation was different.
That was Akaza, one of the Twelve Kizuki under Kibutsuji Muzan, ranked Upper Moon Three.
What, I'm fighting Akaza?
Will I win?
"Congratulations, Host, on encountering Upper Moon Three Akaza of the Twelve Kizuki. His killing intent has surfaced, and the threat of death is imminent. A suicide mission has been issued!"
"Please provoke Akaza. Based on his rage, you will receive a special ability reward!"
"Mission Failure: System will self-uninstall!"
...
Kamihara Tetsuya's heart was utterly against it, but he couldn't stop this damn system from issuing missions.
His face was as black as the bottom of a pot. "Damn it, what's so congratulatory about encountering Akaza?"
He couldn't even protect himself, and now he had to deliberately provoke Akaza? Did he want to die or not want to live?
And what was this mission failure penalty, appearing for the first time?
"Buddy, are you sick?!"
The systems of other transmigator seniors always resulted in the host's obliteration upon mission failure!
Why did it change when it came to you?
If the mission fails, you just run away, leaving me alone to wander this dangerous Demon Slayer World?
Good heavens, I even have to treat you like a lord and serve you, afraid you'll run away, right!
You're amazing, you're pure. You brought me here, but did you ever think about taking me back?
Kamihara Tetsuya roared frantically internally. When a person is unlucky, even drinking cold water can get stuck in their teeth!
But thinking of Akaza outside the door, Kamihara Tetsuya instantly calmed down, entering super sage mode.
"Should I be a cold dish or scrambled eggs?"
Kamihara Tetsuya steeled his heart. With a wolf in front and a tiger behind, to achieve glory, he had to gamble his life!
Crack!
Kamihara Tetsuya pushed open the door.
A flicker of surprise crossed Akaza's eyes. He had long noticed this person hiding inside the wooden house. If nothing unexpected happened, the other party should have witnessed the entire process of him killing someone.
Yet, he still had the audacity to appear before him.
"Do you recognize this flower?" Akaza again pulled out the yellowed drawing.
Kamihara Tetsuya's pupils reflected the peculiar flower on the drawing: Manjushaka, which was abundant in the suburbs of his previous life, also known as the spider lily.
And what Akaza was looking for was the blue spider lily.
In this world, sunlight was the bane of demons; any demon exposed to sunlight would instantly turn to ash, even Kibutsuji Muzan.
The blue spider lily was a legendary special flower said to help Kibutsuji Muzan overcome sunlight.
Although Kamihara Tetsuya knew some information about the blue spider lily, he didn't plan to use it to secure his survival, because explaining it would be too troublesome.
Kamihara Tetsuya gently shook his head, "I don't recognize this flower…"
Kamihara Tetsuya's answer was also within Akaza's expectations. How could a blue spider lily, which had been sought for hundreds of years without success, be known by just randomly grabbing a passerby?
"Oh, then you can die!" Akaza's eyes showed no ripple of emotion as he casually threw a punch.
Whoosh!
A strong whooshing sound came, and an enormous fist filled Kamihara Tetsuya's entire vision.
Bang!
In the nick of time, Kamihara Tetsuya agilely lunged forward. Akaza's destructive punch landed on the wooden house behind him, and ripples appeared in the void as the entire wooden house was torn apart by the terrifying punch wind.
A loud bang came from behind him, and Kamihara Tetsuya looked back, adrenaline surging wildly.
The small wooden house he had used for hiding had vanished without a trace, leaving only a deep pit with a radius of seven or eight meters.
The incoming gale was like sharp knives, leaving scratches on his cheeks, body, and clothes.
"Hmm?"
Akaza frowned, truly surprised this time. Although it was just a casual punch, most Demon Slayers would have died. Who was this young man?
Kamihara Tetsuya managed to force a smile. Half a month of suicide attempts had not been wasted; the physical enhancements he received from the system had made his physical abilities outstanding among humans.
But it wasn't enough; he needed stronger power.
Kamihara Tetsuya said in a deep voice, "Please let me become one of your companions!"