Chapter 191: Chapter 190: Butterfly Shinobu (Part 2)
"I won't let you die so easily," the blade demon said with a cruel grin, swinging the blade of his right arm toward Daniel's right shoulder, seemingly aiming to sever his arm first.
"There's no one around," Daniel noted, using his keen senses to ensure there were no other people nearby. He quickly formed hand seals, and golden chains shot out toward the blade demon.
Bang.
Daniel, pulling the chained blade demon, used a swift technique to appear beside a pre-prepared Philosopher's Stone transmutation array, then forcefully dragged the demon into it and kicked him inside.
Anticipating the presence of someone due to sensing a human aura, Daniel had already drawn the transmutation array. On a night with many disappearances, deep in the mountains, it was unlikely to be anything other than a demon.
Clang, the Nichirin Blade at Daniel's waist was unsheathed, and he swiftly cut off the demon's left and right arms, then planted the blade into the ground and activated the transmutation array.
Despite the blade demon's vigorous struggle and considerable strength, he couldn't overcome the magical chains. His mouth was also bound, preventing any sound. As the transmutation array activated, under the red alchemical glow, the demon's frantically struggling body gradually stilled and finally turned into a crystalline, transparent Philosopher's Stone.
"Bigger than the last one. This demon must have consumed more people," Daniel observed as he collected the Philosopher's Stone and used earth alchemy to destroy the transmutation array.
"Too bad there's no way to extract blood. I remember Tanjiro could extract demon blood; how did he manage that?"
Watching the bloodstains on his Nichirin Blade slowly disappear, Daniel pondered another problem. Drawing Nezuko's blood was no issue since she was alive, but with other demons, their blood disappeared upon death.
This posed a problem for Daniel. To conduct research, he couldn't kill the demons.
"A special method for extracting blood or perhaps a unique tool," Daniel mused. If he were alone, he would capture demons for study, but with Giyu around, he had to kill them outright.
Fortunately, there were many demons. Even if Daniel wanted to study their peculiarities, he wasn't in a hurry. There were still the Twelve Kizuki to deal with.
"Finished?" Sitting cross-legged on a tree, Giyu was slightly surprised when he sensed Daniel's presence. Giyu had trusted his teacher Urokodaki's judgment in leaving Daniel to guard one side alone. A student highly praised by Urokodaki should be capable of handling even the Twelve Kizuki, at least until help arrived.
Though Giyu hadn't explicitly said so, both knew that if they encountered an undefeatable demon, they would call for help rather than stubbornly fighting alone.
However, Daniel's quick resolution of a demon that had thwarted the Demon Slayer Corps twice was impressive. Giyu knew Daniel must have dealt with the demon since he appeared.
Nighttime demon hunting and daytime resting was the norm for most Demon Slayer members, as demons only emerged at night.
"Yes, it was a blade demon," Daniel said calmly.
"Rest now." The two found a clean spot to rest, and Giyu fell silent, practicing constant breathing concentration.
Constant breathing concentration was a prerequisite for becoming a Pillar. It meant maintaining a breathing technique state 24/7, replacing regular breathing with technique-enhanced breathing.
This technique significantly boosted basic physical attributes—strength, speed, balance, and even controlled blood circulation for stopping bleeding when injured.
Breathing techniques were excellent for physical conditioning and longevity if not used in intense combat.
Daniel had quickly mastered constant breathing concentration during his training but gradually increased the usage time to avoid shocking others.
Achieving constant breathing concentration was incredibly challenging for an ordinary person. Even the protagonist team succeeded only after intense practice.
Human blood vessels, internal organs, and muscles have limits. Exceeding them could cause blood vessel rupture or organ damage. Historically, many Demon Slayer members who rushed their breathing technique training suffered fatal injuries.
Breathing techniques wouldn't typically cause such harm, like holding one's breath; eventually, one would have to breathe. However, some people used extreme methods to extend breath-holding time, sometimes fatally.
For Daniel, who had trained in the world of One Piece, such issues were nonexistent. His blood vessels, organs, and muscles were far stronger than ordinary people's.
Training in breathing techniques had given Daniel impressive lung capacity. Blowing up a giant gourd would be child's play for him.
"If Luffy learned this breathing technique, his strength would increase significantly," Daniel thought. Luffy's rubbery constitution, including his internal organs, blood vessels, and muscles, already allowed him to use Gear Third by inhaling. Adding breathing techniques would further enhance his power.
"If Nick Fury knew about this technique, he'd stop at nothing to obtain it," Daniel mused.
"Killing another one feels like such a waste," Daniel thought regretfully as the demon's body crumbled to dust after being decapitated by his Nichirin Blade.
Giyu didn't always separate from Daniel, possibly to train him, so Daniel had to kill the demons quickly.
On their journey, Daniel had already slain three Blood Demon Art demons.
As a Pillar, Giyu never lacked missions.
In a secluded manor deep in the mountains, a young man with strange, terrifying markings on his forehead sat on the floor, reading a report delivered by a Kasugai Crow. His face showed a gentle smile.
"Seems like good news," a beautiful woman in a shrine maiden's outfit said as she sat beside the young man, holding his hand gently despite the marks on his forehead.
"The Demon Slayer Corps has gained another powerful swordsman. Maybe this generation can finally defeat Muzan Kibutsuji." The previously gentle young man's voice turned cold when mentioning Muzan.
"We will succeed," the woman said softly, holding his hand tightly.
This young man was Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the head of the Demon Slayer Corps. Due to Muzan's curse, his family had suffered from illness and early death for generations. Most children didn't survive infancy until the Ubuyashiki family intermarried with shrine maidens, allowing the family to continue.
Despite this, no Ubuyashiki had lived past thirty, most dying painfully around twenty-five or twenty-six due to the curse.
The Ubuyashiki family founded the Demon Slayer Corps to eradicate demons and protect humanity, but also to break their family curse. Unfortunately, since Muzan's escape over four hundred years ago, they had found no trace of him despite mobilizing all their resources.
Muzan was the king of survival.
Each head of the Ubuyashiki family died with unfulfilled ambitions. Kagaya, now severely afflicted by the curse, had little hope of finding Muzan. His wife shared his doubts.
Kagaya's curse had worsened, leaving him with few years to live. The Ubuyashiki family curse manifested as severe weakness before age twenty, so debilitating that even breathing techniques couldn't be practiced.
The Ubuyashiki family was too frail to withstand even a single breath of the technique.
"I hope so," Kagaya said, recalling Urokodaki's report on Nezuko. A demon among the Demon Slayer Corps might be the key to change.
Kagaya had personally recruited most of the current Pillars, making this generation the strongest in a century. If they didn't encounter Muzan in their lifetimes, the next generation might not have such strength.
As the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, Kagaya knew from ancestral records that most Pillars could barely solo a Lower Rank demon, a prerequisite for becoming a Pillar.
Another requirement was slaying around fifty demons. Meeting either criterion sufficed for becoming a Pillar.
This generation was different. All Pillars could easily kill Lower Rank demons, with some capable of fighting Upper Rank demons.
If this generation aged without encountering Muzan, future Pillars might not match their strength.
In recent years, the Demon Slayer Corps had killed many Lower Rank demons, though Upper Rank demons remained unchanged.
Lower Rank demons were the most pitiful among the Twelve Kizuki, either killed by the Corps or culled by Muzan in periodic purges.
Muzan treated Upper Rank demons well, as they were veteran members, allowing them freedom. Lower Rank demons, however, had to meet performance targets or face elimination.
Performance meant killing Pillars. Muzan didn't care about ordinary Demon Slayer members, much like he didn't care about ordinary demons. They were replaceable.
Pillars were different. Lower Rank demons used to have a chance to kill Pillars, relying on their immortality to wear them down. But today's nine Pillars couldn't be worn down.
Muzan forbade large gatherings of demons, making killing Pillars even harder. Most demons feared death and preferred to avoid risks.
Many demons even ceded their Lower Rank positions to avoid danger.
The Twelve Kizuki's prestige attracted many demons, but only those who became Lower Rank members knew how harsh the conditions were. They were stuck between Muzan's demands and the Corps' attacks.
Lower Rank Five was an exception, allowed to gather demons and spared from killing Pillars. Muzan favored him, making him the envy of other Lower Rank demons.
After Lower Rank Five's death, Muzan's mood soured, leading to a major purge.
Besides killing Pillars, another way for Lower Rank demons to please Muzan was to challenge Upper Rank demons. But the vast power gap made such battles suicidal.
Even though demons couldn't die from internal fights, being shattered was still painful. Killing a demon was possible by incapacitating them and exposing them to sunlight.
On their journey, Giyu explained the plight of Lower Rank demons, known for their powerful Blood Demon Arts, beyond the reach of ordinary Demon Slayer members.
"The head Pillar once solo
ed a former Lower Rank demon. Lower Rank demons are exploited laborers under Muzan," Daniel thought, recalling Muzan's ruthless culling of Lower Rank demons.
"This is Insect Pillar Shinobu Kocho," Giyu introduced at another Fuji Family house where they rested and met Shinobu Kocho.
With black hair and purple eyes, Shinobu wore a butterfly-themed haori and a mint green butterfly hairpin with dark purple edges. She was petite, with a gentle smile, her eyes narrowed.
Beside her stood a young girl with a similar smile and an identical hairpin, except for its pink edges. She was Shinobu's successor, Kanao Tsuyuri, although her real name was Kanae Tsuyuri. Most knew her as Kanao Tsuyuri, with few aware of her true name.
"Kanao" wore a similar smile to Shinobu's.
"Who is this?" Shinobu asked, surprised to see someone with Giyu. She knew Giyu's personality well and was astonished he was traveling with someone. They had worked together before, making her even more surprised.
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