"My name is Aoyama. Since I've entered a new land, I go by Aoyama Ren now. When I first transmigrated here, I accidentally smashed through an old man's roof and ended up being forcibly kept here as labor…"
"Well, not exactly labor. I don't do chores. I just run back and forth on a mountain where the air is thin and traps are everywhere. The old man calls it 'training.' He can call it whatever he likes. Right now, I just want to rest for a bit."
"Oh, right. The old man is a former demon slayer—his name is Sakonji Urokodaki…"
…
After spending several days here, he had already realized something important.
This world was no ordinary world.
It was the setting of the wildly popular anime—Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.
The era was Japan's Taisho period.
After sunset, demons roamed freely, devouring humans. Demon Slayers wielded their blades to cut down those demons and protect the innocent.
When Aoyama arrived in this world, he brought something with him—a Demon-Slaying System.
The system came with a Breathing Style of its own: Breath of Light.
At the moment, Urokodaki-sensei knew nothing about this. He was determined to teach him Water Breathing and cultivate him into a proper Demon Slayer. As for Aoyama—system or no system—cultivation aside, he was destined to hunt demons anyway.
Besides, having two Breathing Styles certainly wasn't a bad thing.
The final rays of sunlight gradually faded. Night descended.
Aoyama opened his eyes and stared into the pitch-black surroundings. He hadn't expected that lying down for a moment would lead him to fall asleep. No time to dwell on it—he had to get up and head back for dinner!
Rustle—
A strange sound came from the nearby bushes.
Aoyama instantly grew alert. Gripping his wooden sword, he stood still, eyes locked onto the source of the disturbance.
Suddenly, a dark figure leapt out from the bushes.
Upon closer look—it was just a rabbit.
He let out a breath of relief. Then a thought crossed his mind.
Braised rabbit… that would taste incredible.
With a light push off the ground, he sprang upward effortlessly.
And at that very moment—
Something coiled tightly around his ankle.
He looked down.
A long, wet tongue was wrapped around his leg.
"Gahaha! Caught another one—gahaha…"
Crawling along the ground, the Long-Tongued Demon laughed in a shrill, horrifying voice. Its tongue yanked hard at Aoyama's leg. If it devoured just one more human, it would grow stronger. Then even a Mizunoto-ranked Demon Slayer wouldn't be its match.
A wave of disgust flashed across Aoyama's face.
Twisting midair, he swung his wooden sword—
Swish!
The tongue wrapped around his ankle was cleanly severed.
He landed steadily on the ground. Demon blood stained the wooden blade, dripping slowly down its length.
He had known demons existed in this world. But he hadn't expected to encounter one here.
And it was disgustingly ugly.
Now wasn't the time for complaints.
His expression turned serious.
To kill a demon, one needed a Nichirin Blade—or sunlight. It was night. There was no sun.
He hadn't participated in Final Selection yet. He had no Nichirin Blade of his own.
All he had was the wooden sword the old man had given him.
"Kehkehkeh… brat, with a wooden sword? You're not even afraid. Not running either. Are you underestimating me?"
As the Long-Tongued Demon spoke, the severed tongue regenerated instantly—longer and thicker than before.
Aoyama gave a faint snort.
"Oh? I am underestimating you."
He tightened his grip on the wooden sword.
Total Concentration. Breathing.
His blood began to heat rapidly, flowing faster through his veins.
"Breath of Light—First Form: Flash."
Whoosh—
His body moved at blinding speed.
By the time the Long-Tongued Demon reacted, Aoyama was already standing behind it. The blood on his wooden blade flowed more heavily than before.
An S-shaped slash carved across the demon's body—from its face down to its legs. Blood sprayed from the wound.
"Kehkeh—stupid brat, did you forget what I just said? A wooden sword can't harm me. I can instantly—"
The words "heal myself" never left its mouth.
The wound began to glow.
Heat surged from within.
A beam of light burst outward from the gash, and starting from that wound, the demon's body disintegrated—spreading outward until it turned to ash.
"H-how… a wooden sword… how is that possible…"
The Long-Tongued Demon died with its eyes wide open in disbelief.
The "stupid brat" it had mocked had slain it—with a wooden sword.
Breath of Light carried the attribute of sunlight. Even without a Nichirin Blade, it could effectively kill demons.
Ding!
Host has slain a common demon. Reward: +5 Physical Enhancement. Bonus reward: One Explosive Physical Enhancement Serum!
The system's notification echoed clearly in his mind.
Aoyama felt subtle changes in his body—stronger, sharper. The enhancement had already taken effect. As for the serum, it had been stored in the system's inventory space, ready for use at any time.
What disappointed him slightly was that the rabbit from earlier had vanished without a trace.
There went his braised rabbit.
After wiping the demon blood from his wooden sword, Aoyama strolled down the mountain leisurely.
Urokodaki-sensei was probably waiting for him to return for dinner. His stomach was growling already. Hopefully there would be some meat tonight—he needed to replenish his strength.
At last, footsteps sounded outside.
Beneath the tengu mask, Sakonji Urokodaki's expression was grim. He had told Aoyama clearly—once the sun sets, return immediately.
Mount Sagiri was relatively safe.
But never absolutely safe.
"I'm back! Smells amazing—stewed meat tonight, huh?" Aoyama set down his wooden sword and sat, waiting eagerly for the meal.
"When night falls, you must—"
"Come back quickly! I know, I know. Let's eat!"
Cut off mid-sentence, Urokodaki fell silent.
They began dinner.
The reason he had decided to cultivate Aoyama was simple—he saw potential in him to become a Demon Slayer.
Yet the boy sometimes seemed unreliable.
Whether he could truly shoulder this profession remained uncertain.
That was what worried Sakonji Urokodaki.