Zenitsu's New Attachment
The journey with the newly formed trio was predictably loud. Zenitsu Agatsuma, smelling the immense, steady power of Kanami Reire, immediately switched his terrified attachment from Tanjiro to the more reliable source of strength.
"WAAAAAH! Kanami-san! Don't walk so fast!" Zenitsu sobbed, clutching the hem of Kanami's dragon-patterned uniform. "You smell like a solid rock, you must be the bravest! Tanjiro-kun is too soft, and his sword is a bad color! Please, protect me!"
Kanami, now with high Charm (13), found that his quiet, firm commands were surprisingly effective. "Zenitsu, I will not let a demon touch you. You will walk on your own, and you will stop yelling. Understood?" Zenitsu could only nod weakly, too intimidated by the sheer aura of Kanami's strength to disobey completely. Kanami had become his new, exasperated comfort blanket.
The Plot Accelerates: Kyogai's Mansion
The sound of terrified sobbing led them to the massive, ornate Tsuzumi Mansion. Tanjiro confirmed the presence of demons and the missing children. Kanami immediately sensed the air was wrong—the energy inside was too volatile.
"This isn't just Kyogai," Kanami thought, gripping the hilt of his sword. "The plot has definitely changed again. The demons here are stronger than they should be."
They moved toward the mansion. The plot demanded they enter, but a sudden flash of movement caught Kanami's eye: a smaller demon, a henchman, lunged from the shadows before they could get inside.
> SYSTEM (New Mission): Critical Threat Elimination (Henchman).
> Goal: Kill the Enhanced Henchman Demon before it exposes the group.
> Reward: Half-Jaw Golden Dragon Mask x1 (Stats: STR +7, SPD +12); Active Skill: Illusion Conjuration (Status Ailment: Confusion; Cooldown: 15 min).
>
Kanami shoved Tanjiro and the two children back as the demon attacked. Zenitsu, predictably, fainted.
Kanami: Heavenly Demonic Devouring Breathing, Form 1: Devouring Gale - First Fang!
The golden-eyed Kanami moved with brutal efficiency. The strike hit the demon's neck, and the Devouring force instantly ripped the head clean off. The consumed essence flowed into Kanami, fueling his growth.
> SYSTEM (Reward): Half-Jaw Golden Dragon Mask x1 (STR 18 + 7 = 25
SPD 17 + 12= 29);
Active Skill: Illusion Conjuration.
Kanami quickly secured the Half-Jaw Golden Dragon Mask. The mask settled on his face, giving him an intimidating, near-mythical look, and the massive stat boost made him feel practically invincible.
Kyogai's Domain: The Drum Demon
With the initial threat gone, Tanjiro and Kanami entered the mansion, only to be separated immediately by the sound of a drum being struck within the walls.
Inside, Kanami quickly handled two of Kyogai's lesser minions before his Luck (9) seemed to guide him into a massive room where the drumming sound was deafening. This was the core: Kyogai, the Drum Demon, sitting with drums protruding from his body.
Kyogai was enraged, not only because of his constant internal struggle to become stronger but also because the scent of the powerful Devouring Slayer had contaminated his home.
Kyogai's Domain: A Grinding Battle
With the initial henchman demon quickly dispatched by Kanami's new power, Tanjiro and Kanami entered the Tsuzumi Mansion, only to be separated immediately by the rhythmic beat of a drum.
Kanami quickly cleared his section of lesser minions, his golden mask a blur. His Luck (9) then guided him directly into a massive, ornate room where the drumming was deafening. There, sitting amidst drums embedded in his flesh, was Kyogai, the Drum Demon. Kyogai's eyes blazed with a manic fury, his aura significantly more powerful than Kanami remembered from the manga.
Kyogai: "Another one of you pests! And you reek of something... consumed! You dare defile my domain?!"
Kyogai: "Blood Demon Art: Spinning Hell!"
A drum on his shoulder boomed, and the entire room violently flipped 180 degrees. Kanami, with his impressive Speed (29), managed to stick to the ceiling, but the disorientation was immense. The room began to twist and turn with dizzying speed, making it nearly impossible to pinpoint Kyogai.
Kanami grinned beneath his golden mask, but internally, he knew this was going to be tough. "His drumming is faster, the rotation is more complex than in the manga! This isn't just a challenge; it's a test of survival!"
Kanami tried to use Illusion Conjuration to confuse Kyogai, but the demon's heightened senses, fueled by his increased power, allowed him to quickly pinpoint the true Kanami amidst the flickering mirages. It bought Kanami only a few precious seconds.
Kyogai continued his relentless drumming, constantly shifting the room. Kanami found himself slammed against walls, disoriented by sudden floor shifts, and barely dodging razor-sharp claw attacks from the constantly moving demon. He was struggling, taking shallow cuts as he tried to find an opening.
Kanami: "I need more power! This brute is too strong for just my basic forms!"
> SYSTEM (Prompt): User has 5 Devouring Points. Additional Heavenly Demonic Devouring Forms can be unlocked. Would the user like to unlock new forms? (Y/N)
Kanami mentally screamed, "YES! Unlock as many as I can!"
> SYSTEM (Confirmation): Unlocking Heavenly Demonic Devouring, Form 3: Soul Cleansing Veil (Cost: 20 DP). Not enough Devouring Points for next form.
> SYSTEM (Devouring Points): Devouring Points: 5 (Insufficient).
"Damn it! I miscalculated!" Kanami cursed, dodging another violent room rotation. He only had 5 DP. He needed more. He needed to cut and consume.
Kanami: "Focus! Use what you have!"
Kanami saw a brief opening. As the room stabilized for a fraction of a second, he launched himself forward, using Heavenly Demonic Devouring, Form 2: Crimson Soul - Blood Feast, aiming for Kyogai's arm. He landed a flurry of shallow cuts, not enough to kill, but enough to draw significant blood.
The blood was immediately consumed. Kanami felt an incredible surge.
> SYSTEM: Blood Devoured. User Strength +2%. Devouring Points: 5 + 15 = 20 DP.
> SYSTEM (Prompt): User has 20 Devouring Points. Additional Heavenly Demonic Devouring Forms can be unlocked. Would the user like to unlock new forms? (Y/N)
"YES! Unlock!" Kanami roared internally, feeling the power surge through him.
> SYSTEM (Confirmation): Unlocking Heavenly Demonic Devouring, Form 3: Soul Cleansing Veil (Cost: 20 DP). Devouring Points: 0.
A surge of knowledge flooded Kanami's mind. Form 3 was a defensive, evasive technique that allowed for fluid movement through confusing spaces. It was exactly what he needed!
Kanami: Heavenly Demonic Devouring, Form 3: Soul Cleansing Veil!
Kanami's movements became incredibly fluid, almost ghostly. He moved with the room's rotations, not against them, becoming a blur that was impossible for Kyogai to track. The demon's frantic drumming, which once disoriented Kanami, now just made him faster.
Kyogai roared in frustration, unable to land a hit. Kanami saw his chance. Using the new form's momentum, he closed the distance with terrifying speed, striking from multiple angles as the room spun.
Kanami: Heavenly Demonic Devouring, Form 1: Devouring Gale - First Fang!
The devastating decapitating blow landed, clean and final. The powerful essence of the enhanced Kyogai rushed into Kanami's blade, finally bringing the battle to an end.
The room settled. Kanami stood panting, his Golden Dragon Mask concealing a triumphant, if weary, grin. He had struggled, but he had overcome.
The Clashes: Inosuke and Kanami
Kanami exited the room just as Tanjiro and Inosuke Hashibira arrived, having handled their own battles. Inosuke, seeing the mysterious box, reacted instantly.
"I smell a demon! Let me slice her up!" Inosuke roared, kicking the box.
Zenitsu, who had woken up and stumbled into the room with the terrified children, reacted with furious, uncharacteristic courage. "STOP IT! Don't you dare touch Nezuko-chan's box!" He threw himself over the container causing him to be covered with bruise.
Tanjiro immediately engaged Inosuke, but the System intervened:
> SYSTEM (Side Mission): Prevent Protagonist Injury.
> Goal: Stop the fight between Tanjiro and Inosuke within 60 seconds.
> Reward: Map to Unknown Weapon (Unlocked).
Kanami shot forward, his Golden Dragon Mask making him an intimidating, unmoving force. With his godlike Strength (25), he delivered a crushing blow with the flat of his sword against the back of Inosuke's boar mask.
THWACK!
Inosuke staggered, reeling from the raw force. "Who did that?! Who hit the boss?!"
Kanami stood between the two. "The enemy is finished. You will not hurt a Corps member's kin." His voice was low and commanding, the mask adding an authoritative echo.
Kanami's display of strength was too overwhelming for Inosuke to ignore. The savage swordsman, focused only on fighting the strongest person, shifted his challenge.
"You! Mask guy! You're the strongest! Fight me!"
Kanami simply looked down at him. "Not yet. We have children to escort."
> SYSTEM (Side Mission Complete): Prevent Protagonist Injury successful.
> Reward: Map to Unknown Weapon
Kanami felt the new information settle in his mind: Ancient Map Fragment. He briefly glanced at the terrifying strength he now possessed and the map that promised even more.