The overwhelming demonic aura released by Ren Kuroda spread outward like a crushing tide, instantly engulfing the surroundings and bearing down on the three youths.
Among them, Inosuke and Tanjiro held up comparatively well. Their unyielding willpower allowed them to endure the pressure, though both were forced to hunch forward, bodies trembling beneath the sheer weight of Ren's presence.
Inosuke, being the direct focus of that terrifying gaze, began to shake uncontrollably. Yet he was ruthless even toward himself.In order to resist the invisible pressure bearing down on him, he drove his Nichirin Blade straight into his own thigh, using the sharp pain to anchor his consciousness and crush his fear.
That act alone earned Ren's quiet approval.
Zenitsu, however—the weakest of the three—fared far worse.
He had already been slammed flat against the ground, limbs splayed, completely pinned in a humiliating prostrate position.
Yet as Ren's earlier words echoed in his mind, Zenitsu's trembling eyes shifted toward the wooden box on Tanjiro's back.
Slowly, he stretched one hand toward the air.
His fingers shook violently, but his expression hardened with rare determination as he struggled against the overwhelming pressure, refusing to give in.
Just as all three poured every ounce of strength they had into resisting the crushing force—
—the terrifying pressure vanished all at once, like a receding tide.
The warlike presence that had surrounded Ren moments earlier disappeared without a trace.
In the blink of an eye, Ren Kuroda was once again the gentle, approachable older brother next door, watching the three boys sprawled on the ground with mild amusement.
Tanjiro and the others gasped for breath, chests heaving, their backs drenched in cold sweat.
"Your performance just now didn't quite meet my expectations," Ren said calmly."But… it was barely acceptable."
"A truly strong person's power isn't limited to brute force alone. I wanted to give you a taste of this now—so that if you ever face an enemy far beyond your current level, you won't lose your fighting spirit before the battle even begins."
Seeing that the three were far too exhausted to respond, Ren simply shook his head and turned toward Mount Natagumo.
"You can come in after you've recovered," he added over his shoulder."Though by the time you arrive, there may not be any demons left to see."
Leaving the three boys staring at one another in stunned silence, Ren vanished into the depths of Natagumo Mountain.
What had started as a spur-of-the-moment test had another reason behind it.
Ren was wary of his target being intercepted.
While he didn't believe Tanjiro and the others were currently capable of defeating one of the Twelve Demon Moons, they were still protagonists—and under the influence of that terrifying protagonist aura, logic often ceased to apply.
With a shout and a last-second power surge, they might just accomplish the impossible.
Frankly, Ren wouldn't have been surprised if they suddenly awakened some hidden potential and killed Muzan Kibutsuji on the spot.
Not long after Ren disappeared into the mountain, the three youths—still seated on the ground—began quietly talking among themselves.
Inosuke Hashibira was seething.
He was filled with resentment toward his own weakness. The enemy had been standing right in front of him, yet he hadn't even possessed the courage to swing his blades.
Under that invisible pressure, he'd been no different from a lamb awaiting slaughter—unable to resist, unable even to turn and flee.
"Even before officially joining the Demon Slayer Corps," Tanjiro said gently, trying to comfort him,"Brother Ren already possessed strength on par with the Pillars."
"My former mentor once told me that Brother Ren's talent was absolutely terrifying. Once he perfected his own Breathing style… among the current Pillars, there's probably no one who can truly match him."
The implication was clear.
Inosuke's failure hadn't been shameful—the existence they had encountered was simply far too overwhelming.
"So that's it… 'the strongest Pillar,' huh?" Zenitsu muttered.
"No wonder I always felt like that big brother was even scarier than the master who taught me Thunder Breathing. If I had strength like that, I wouldn't be terrified of dying at any moment… or never getting a wife…"
Zenitsu had only met Ren twice before. The previous encounters hadn't subjected him to this level of pressure, so he'd never realized just how monstrous Ren truly was.
"Actually," Tanjiro added, scratching his head,"the Demon Slayer Corps prefers another nickname for Brother Ren."
"They call him 'The Hundred Demon Slayer.'"
"That's because he once faced over a hundred demons at the same time—and killed every single one by himself."
Tanjiro spoke of Ren's exploits with complete familiarity, utterly unaware that his words had just created two more fervent admirers.
Meanwhile, Ren Kuroda was already deep within Mount Natagumo, leaping from tree to tree at blinding speed.
The forest here was unnaturally dense.
Towering trees blocked out nearly all sunlight, plunging the mountain into perpetual gloom. The air was damp and heavy, creating the perfect environment for demons to roam freely—even during the day.
The moment Ren entered the mountain, he caught the overwhelming stench of demons—
—and beneath it, an even stronger, more pungent smell of fresh blood.
There was no doubt about it.
The Demon Slayer Corps members sent here were either already dead… or teetering on the brink.
Ren's hypersensitive sense of smell, usually an advantage, became a hindrance in this place saturated with demonic odor. Pinpointing specific targets was difficult.
Still, one thing was certain.
Where the scent of blood was thickest, the demons would surely be lurking.
With his objective clear, Ren followed the strongest trace of blood and surged forward through the forest.
Suddenly, he caught the scent of several living humans.
At first, he assumed they were surviving Demon Slayer Corps members.
That assumption shattered the moment they attacked him.
"They're still alive… no signs of death," Ren realized as blades flashed toward him."They've lost consciousness, yet they can still fight?"
"Control over others, then… Is this mental manipulation? Or direct physical control?"
Ren stood at the center of the clearing, surrounded by five or six Demon Slayers clad in uniform, all wielding Nichirin Blades as they attacked him without hesitation.
"This is troublesome," he muttered.
"If they were demons, I'd just cut them down."
"But killing fellow members of the Demon Slayer Corps… that's probably more than a simple pay deduction."
Faced with their coordinated assault, Ren focused on evasion while rapidly analyzing their condition.
He refrained from drawing his sword, using only his fists to counter and disable them.
After several precise strikes, one of the Demon Slayers suddenly cried out in pain, his consciousness snapping back.
Recognizing Ren at once, the man shouted hoarsely:
"Don't hold back…!"
"We were too afraid of hurting our comrades… and that hesitation got us all killed."