Chapter 136: Chapter 136: World Travel, Aoki Leaves
[T/N: This chapter is really long, like almost 4000 Words long so I hope you like it]
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Chapter 136: World Travel, Aoki Leaves
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The colorful flowers formed a vibrant sea, glowing brilliantly under the golden sunlight.
"It's beautiful," Tamayo sighed, then asked, "Is the blue spider lily here?"
"That's right" Aoki replied, pointing to the ground beneath them. Amidst the beautiful flowers, a few "weeds" were growing.
"Which one is it?" Tamayo's face showed confusion. She didn't see any blue flowers.
"It's this one" Aoki pointed directly to one of the "weeds."
"This is the blue spider lily?" Tamayo's mouth opened slightly in disbelief. She had considered this possibility but found it hard to accept.
Muzan Kibutsuji had searched for thousands of years for a treasure that could allow demons to withstand the sun, only for it to turn out to be just a few "weeds"?
"Though they look unremarkable, they are indeed blue spider lilies," Aoki explained. "The blue spider lily only blooms briefly when the sun is at its peak, and it may not bloom every year due to factors like temperature and climate."
Tamayo stared at the blue spider lily for a few moments. "It wasn't easy for you to find it, Mr. Aoki."
"I just took a few shortcuts," Aoki replied with a shake of his head. Without activating his third eye, finding the blue spider lily would have been extremely difficult.
Tamayo held down her skirt with one hand and steadied her sun hat with the other as she squatted down. "Hopefully, it will bloom this year."
"It didn't bloom last year, but there's still hope for this year," Aoki said.
He wasn't sure of the exact conditions needed for the blue spider lily to grow and bloom, but he knew one thing for certain: it required intense sunlight. In the Kumotori Mountain area, it had been sunny for half a month straight.
Tamayo carefully began collecting data. Naturally, she also wanted to overcome the sun's effects so she could walk in daylight without fear.
Aoki moved to a nearby open area and stretched out his hand.
Bang!
With a loud noise, a large sofa appeared.
Startled by the sound, Tamayo turned to look and was taken aback. "What is this?"
"A sofa" Aoki smiled, patting the seat beside him. "Miss Tamayo, please sit down. We may have to wait several days. While the blooming time of the blue spider lily is short, it's not just a matter of a few minutes or seconds. We don't need to stare at it all the time."
As he spoke, he took out a gourd filled with demon wine and a small table. Smiling, he said, "Just in time, this batch of demon wine is ready. Let's drink while we wait."
Tamayo walked over, sat down next to him, and asked curiously, "Mr. Aoki, where were you hiding this big thing before?"
She thought about it and realized that Aoki had previously pulled out items unexpectedly, but they had never been this large or caused such a commotion.
"Do you know about the Infinity Castle?" Aoki asked.
Tamayo nodded. "Yes, it's an alternate dimension that was once controlled by Muzan Kibutsuji."
Aoki explained, "I have a similar space, though it's a bit smaller. But it's still more than enough to store some everyday items. Would you like to take a look inside, Miss Tamayo?"
Tempted, Tamayo hesitated but ultimately declined. "Let's focus on getting the blue spider lily first."
"Alright," Aoki agreed, not pressing the matter. He poured two glasses of the wine, and a unique aroma filled the air.
Tamayo's curiosity deepened. "What kind of wine is this?"
"Champagne, a foreign wine," Aoki answered. "I specifically asked the head of the Ubuyashiki family to get it for me."
The Ubuyashiki family wielded great influence and had significant business connections in the outside world.
Incidentally, Aoki had also visited a shrine with the help of the Ubuyashiki clan to see if it could help him obtain a new profession.
When the Ubuyashiki clan was on the brink of extinction, a god had guided them to form the Demon Slayer Corps, which ultimately preserved their bloodline.
And that method had indeed proven effective.
After Muzan Kibutsuji's death, the Ubuyashiki clan's curse was lifted.
In the original story, Ubuyashiki Kagaya's son, Ubuyashiki Kiriya, even went on to become one of the longest-living people.
In this timeline, after Muzan Kibutsuji's death, the curse on Ubuyashiki Kagaya also disappeared. While the injuries he had already sustained were not directly healed, they no longer worsened.
With the treatment provided by Ms. Tamayo and Kanae Kocho, his health condition improved significantly.
According to Ms. Tamayo, the changes after the curse's removal were more substantial than she had anticipated. As long as nothing unexpected occurred, Ubuyashiki Kagaya should have no problem living past the age of forty.
Additionally, the Ubuyashiki clan had always married women from priestly families, which made their offspring less likely to die young.
All these facts suggested that the priestly family was not simple, and the head priest was particularly exceptional.
There seemed to be a connection to the supernatural.
Alongside pursuing extraordinary careers, Aoki also wanted to explore whether gods existed in this world through the priestly family.
However, the head priest flatly rejected his request.
It wasn't out of selfishness. As he explained, it wasn't that they could communicate with the gods; rather, the gods chose them.
In simple terms, they could not decide who could communicate with the gods. The priests were selected directly by the gods through a ceremony when they were young.
Aoki even observed one of these selection ceremonies.
Unfortunately, he learned nothing from it.
Based on his observations, there seemed to be no self-aware gods, but perhaps something resembling a global consciousness.
Sadly, he couldn't make contact with it.
After repeated attempts without any results, he finally decided to give up.
Time passed slowly, and two days went by in the blink of an eye.
Aoki sat on the sofa, flipping through a medical book, while Tamayo was bent over a table, writing and drawing, recording numerous modern medical terms in her notebook.
Despite having lived for hundreds of years, she was neither unfamiliar with new concepts nor resistant to them; she actively sought to learn and update her knowledge base.
As Aoki finished reading a page, he turned it and glanced up.
Among the flowers, those "weeds" had suddenly disappeared, replaced by several brilliant blue flowers, stretching their beautiful petals to their fullest.
Crash!
Aoki jumped up suddenly.
"Ms. Tamayo!"
Tamayo reacted immediately, turning her head. When she saw the stunning blue flowers, she gasped softly.
"The blue spider lily!"
She had seen pictures and had even seen the artificial flowers Aoki made when they were hunting Muzan Kibutsuji.
Visually, they were identical.
"We finally found it!"
The two exchanged smiles.
"We're fortunate," Tamayo's eyes sparkled.
As an excellent doctor, she was very intrigued by unknown medicinal herbs.
The blue spider lily, a magical plant that could help demons overcome sunlight, had always been one of her most desired subjects of study.
"Ms. Tamayo, go ahead and pick them," Aoki said.
Tamayo nodded, stood up, and carefully picked several flowers, placing them into a pre-prepared medicine box.
After collecting the blue spider lilies, the two returned to the laboratory without delay.
Fortunately, Tamayo had studied the notes about the blue spider lily left by the doctor who had helped Muzan Kibutsuji become a demon.
These notes were shown to her by Muzan Kibutsuji while he was still controlling her, so she could research a drug to overcome the effects of sunlight.
With this guidance and reference, Tamayo made rapid progress in creating the potion.
Aoki couldn't be of much help and might even interfere with her efforts, so he returned to Asakusa Town.
Takina and his master's wife were not at home. He sat alone in the yard and, on a sudden impulse, activated the system.
"The conditions are right; it's time to make a decision."
"You can choose any skill and strengthen it to the extreme!" He had never used this reward from "The Road to the Demon King."
Strengthening "Demon Blood" would allow him to transform again, while strengthening "Demon Devouring" might break his current dilemma of being unable to gain experience.
Strengthening "Transparent World" would likely enhance his perception capabilities.
Aoki traveled through "space."
He had obtained a stronger profession, but he couldn't level up because there were no sufficiently powerful monsters.
The current levels of science, technology, and extraordinary power are highly insufficient, making it impossible to fully explore the nature of power.
The other three skills are all impressive and powerful in their own ways, but "Space Shuttle" is the only one with the potential to break through the predicament he faces.
"Alright, system, show me your power!"
Aoki made his choice without hesitation.
He chose to maximize the enhancement of "Space Shuttle."
He had hesitated countless times before, but this time he had already decided before opening the system.
A cool sensation spread through his body and quickly vanished, leaving only a message and...
Aoki raised his left hand, and a silver flower began to take shape. The flower had nine petals, but only one was solid while the others remained ethereal.
"Is this the ultimate enhanced Space Shuttle?"
Aoki silently contemplated it, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.
It was just as he had suspected, or perhaps even more perfect than he had imagined.
"Space Shuttle" was his blood demon art, born from his obsession with traveling through time.
At level 1, he could only teleport within his line of sight.
At level 2, he gained the ability to teleport anywhere in the world.
But that still wasn't true time travel.
If he could enhance it once more, could he reach the point where he could travel between worlds?
This was the only chance he could think of to achieve interdimensional travel.
He had made the right bet.
After "Space Shuttle" was enhanced to its limit, it gained the ability called "World Shuttle," represented by the silver flower on the back of his left hand.
Each petal of the flower could record the coordinates of one world.
The coordinates of the Demon Slayer world were automatically recorded, which was why only one petal was real while the others were virtual.
The silver flower could also store energy. Once fully charged, it could enable travel between worlds.
There were two forms: one allowed travel to a world whose coordinates were recorded in the petals, while the other enabled random travel based on the connections between worlds.
After traveling to another world, the energy in the silver flower would be depleted and would need time to recharge.
As for the charging time...
It was undecided.
The speed of recharging varied depending on each world.
Level 1 was "Space Shuttle," Level 2 was "Space Coordinate Shuttle," and Level 3 was finally the true "World Shuttle."
Aoki looked at the silver flower on the back of his hand.
At that moment, the silver flower was fully charged and ready for "World Shuttle."
However, to truly travel through time and space, there was one more thing to do—finding the extreme point of the world's crystal wall.
Based on the information he received from "World Shuttle," each world was surrounded by a crystal wall, isolating time and space, blocking cause and effect, making it almost impossible to cross.
But there were always exceptions.
There was actually a tiny hole in the otherwise indestructible crystal wall that no one could cross, known as the pole.
Only at the pole could one travel between worlds.
However, the poles were very small and shifted over time.
Aoki turned his head and looked northwest.
Although the exact coordinates of the pole weren't provided, when the silver flower was fully charged, it gave a sense of the pole's general location, greatly reducing the difficulty of finding it.
The current polar coordinates in the Demon Slayer world were located to the west.
After a brief hesitation, Aoki activated "Space Coordinate Shuttle" and instantly arrived at a field of flowers.
He and Ms. Tamayo had just left this place.
"It's a coincidence that the pole is actually here."
Through the silver flower on the back of Aoki's left hand, he could clearly feel he was standing at the pole, ready to activate the "World Shuttle" and leave at any time.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni's wife was buried here, the blue spider lily was here, Tanjiro's family lived nearby, and now, the pole was here as well.
This truly was a place chosen by destiny.
"Everything is ready; only the final piece is missing."
Aoki looked in the direction of Asakusa.
A week later.
Aoki and Takina were enjoying the cool breeze in the yard.
Suddenly, a strange sensation surged in his mind. Before he could say anything to Takina, Aoki's figure suddenly disappeared.
Takina glanced over but quickly returned to her own tasks.
Meanwhile, Aoki found himself in Miss Tamayo's laboratory.
"I must have activated the space coordinates directly. Miss Tamayo, what happened…?"
He trailed off before finishing his sentence.
Miss Tamayo was standing in front of a laboratory bench, where a medicine box rested. It was filled with crushed ice, emitting a cold mist. Ten blue potions lay silently on the ice.
"Is that the blue spider lily?" Aoki asked.
The blue spider lily was both the name of a flower and a medicine.
Tamayo nodded slightly. "Yes, this is the blue spider lily, but I'm not sure if it will help demons overcome the sun."
Aoki suggested, "Let's find a demon to test it on."
"No!" Tamayo shook her head. "I'll try it myself!"
"Wait a moment!" Aoki quickly interjected. "We don't know if there might be any side effects yet. Why not test it on a death row inmate first?"
Tamayo smiled softly. "This potion is too precious to waste. Besides, I've studied the production process thousands of times. At most, it won't work. There shouldn't be any harm."
Given a demon's unique physiology, there was little risk of side effects unless it caused instant poisoning.
Aoki sighed and said, "Then why not let Yushiro try it first?"
Tamayo gave him a reproachful glance, rolled up her sleeve to reveal her slender, pale wrist, and picked up a syringe, injecting herself without hesitation.
Swish!
The blue potion quickly disappeared into her veins.
Miss Tamayo's wrist remained smooth and white, unchanged.
Aoki watched her nervously. "Ms. Tamayo, how do you feel?"
"Very well!" Tamayo replied, looking momentarily dazed before quickly regaining her composure. "It feels like my body has undergone a transformation."
Aoki glanced at the clock on the wall. The hands pointed directly at twelve.
It was exactly noon.
"Let's go outside and test it!" Aoki suggested.
The injection was the most dangerous stage, but the test was less risky. Even if Tamayo couldn't endure the sunlight, he could bring her back to safety immediately.
Tamayo nodded with a hint of excitement.
They hurried outside, not noticing when someone greeted them.
When they reached the door, Tamayo grabbed the handle with both hands but paused.
Aoki didn't push her, waiting silently.
After only two seconds, Tamayo suddenly opened the door.
The blazing sun of August noon—the most feared time for demons—shone down upon her. But at that moment, there was no fear in Tamayo's heart. Instead, a warm sensation spread from her skin to her core.
Aoki watched as Miss Tamayo stood safely in the sunlight, a smile forming on his face.
Miss Tamayo turned around.
"Congratulations, Ms. Tamayo," Aoki said warmly.
Tamayo smiled back. "Thank you, Mr. Aoki."
A great experiment ended just like that, without even a third person witnessing it.
After returning to the laboratory, Aoki took three of the blue spider lily potions, leaving six behind.
Tamayo looked puzzled. "Mr. Aoki, just keep one for Yushiro. What about the others…?"
Aoki interrupted her, "I have a very important request, Miss Tamayo."
Seeing his serious expression, Tamayo replied earnestly, "Mr. Aoki, please tell me. As long as it's within my ability, I will not refuse."
Aoki took out a bottle filled with blood.
"This is my blood. I want you to keep it safe, Miss Tamayo. If things get dire, I hope you can use it to turn some people into demons."
Although his "world travel" ability was flawless, he wasn't certain when he'd be able to return. This bottle of blood was his insurance. Even if something went wrong, he hoped his loved ones wouldn't turn into mere bones in a grave by the time he came back.
Tamayo's beautiful face showed concern. "Mr. Aoki, why not handle this yourself?"
Aoki did not hold back. "I have to go on a long journey soon and may not return in time."
Tamayo was stunned.
Mr. Aoki's relatives and friends were mostly in their twenties, which meant they had several decades left to live. Yet, he was worried they might not be able to wait for his return. What kind of journey would take decades?
Aoki said, "I can only rely on you for this, Miss Tamayo."
"I understand."
Though worried, Tamayo agreed, put away the blue spider lily potions, and said firmly, "I promise that when you return, all your loved ones will still be alive and well!"
Aoki smiled. "Don't stress yourself, Miss Tamayo. This is just a precaution."
Traveling between worlds had its dangers, but he had anticipated them, and it was within his tolerance.
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Meanwhile, in Igura, at a restaurant…
Mitsuri Kanroji, the chef, was busy and dressed in her uniform. A steady stream of diners filled the place, and praises could be heard in every corner.
Every compliment fueled her motivation.
Although she didn't have the stamina of a demon, her unique physique and breathing techniques gave her endurance beyond that of most humans.
As dusk settled and the day wound down, Mitsuri finally found a moment of rest just as the shop was about to close.
At that moment, footsteps were heard.
"Sorry, sir, today's ingredients are… Mr. Aoki!" Mitsuri sat up with a surprised expression.
Aoki chuckled, "Looks like business is doing well!"
Mitsuri flushed slightly as she brushed a strand of hair back, smiling. "Hehehe, yes, thankfully everyone seems to enjoy it."
"Is it hard?"
"It's hard, but it's also fun!"
"That's the spirit!"
Suddenly, Mitsuri jumped up and hurried off. A moment later, she returned with a plate of sakuramochi.
"Mr. Aoki, please try this. It's my special sakura cake."
Aoki did not refuse and picked up a piece to taste.
Hmm… still feels like sand.
Mitsuri's expectant expression fell, but before Aoki could say anything to comfort her, her enthusiasm returned.
"It doesn't matter! If I fail this time, I'll just keep trying. I'm determined to make food that demons can eat!"
After closing the shop, they walked side by side to Mitsuri's house. Mitsuri eagerly recounted her experience of preparing to open the restaurant and only stopped when they reached her doorstep.
"Mr. Aoki, please come earlier next time."
"I will!"
Aoki waved, watching Mitsuri enter her home before turning to leave.
At the Butterfly House, Kanae Kocho yawned.
Ever since she had stopped hunting demons, life had become too leisurely for her. She felt her body growing sluggish and had even overslept that morning.
As she stepped outside, she immediately noticed that under the cherry tree named "Must Victory" in the yard, Kanao was "fighting fiercely" with a young man.
With a hint of surprise in her eyes, Kanae quickened her pace and walked over. "Mr. Aoki."
Aoki stopped what he was doing and greeted her. "Ms. Kanae."
Kanao's eyes were wide, and her breathing was a little rapid.
Kanae gently ruffled her hair and smiled. "No need to fight demons anymore. I haven't asked Kanao to practice lately, but she doesn't seem to be slacking off."
Aoki considered for a moment. "Becoming stronger is never a bad thing, but I could also find something else for Kanao to do."
Kanae nodded slightly.
At that moment, Shinobu Kocho entered from outside.
"Sister, I bought—eh?" She stopped short, noticing Aoki.
"Long time no see." Aoki waved.
Shinobu glanced at him and said, "How can you say that? I just saw you at your house three days ago!"
"Is that so?" A smile appeared on Aoki's face.
He stayed at the Butterfly House until evening before returning to Asakusa.
As he arrived, a figure in the yard caught his eye. Takina, who was washing clothes, looked up.
"Aoki, you're back!"
Aoki looked at Takina.
The eighteen-year-old had completely shed her childishness. Now she had bright eyes, white teeth, and a graceful figure.
"Takina, where is Lady Rie?"
Rie stepped out of the room. "What's the matter, Aoki?"
"I have something to say," Aoki began, then paused. "I'm going to be gone for a while."
Rie and Takina's expressions changed slightly. They sensed that this time was different from his usual trips.
Before they could speak, Aoki continued, "I plan to solve my problem. It may take some time."
Rie looked slightly lost.
Takina, however, asked seriously, "Is there any danger?"
"There is some danger, but it's manageable," Aoki admitted. "However, if something unexpected happens, I might be delayed for a long time."
The charging time of the silver flower was his biggest concern.
Takina responded calmly, "It's okay. I'll always wait for you to come back."
Aoki looked at them and said, "Lady Rie, Takina, if I'm gone too long, you can go to Asakusa to find Miss Tamayo. Ask her to help you become demons."
"Become a demon?" Aomura Rie was shocked.
Takina nodded without hesitation. "Alright!"
Aoki smiled. "It probably won't come to that. It's just a precaution."
That night, he carefully explained the demon matter and his plan to Takina and Rie.
Of course, he didn't mention that he was leaving this world.
After hearing this, Aomura Rie, who had been a little overwhelmed, seemed to calm down.
Aoki didn't leave immediately but stayed with Takina and Rie for another week.
Seven days later, before dawn, he quietly slipped out before they woke up.
Looking back, Aoki activated the "space shuttle" and instantly crossed the sky and earth, arriving at Kumotori Mountain.
The pole had not shifted yet.
Aoki raised his left hand, feeling a little restless.
Life over the past year had been leisurely, but also a bit dull.
He had to admit that he still preferred a life with twists and turns.
Even without the current difficulties, he might have made this decision eventually.
"Let's get started!"
Aoki's mind focused, the silver flower on the back of his left hand glowed slightly, and his figure disappeared silently.
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[T/N: This is the End of volume one or demon slayer world, I hope you liked it as much as I did, any idea which world is next ]
T/N: There is a patreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early chapters.
Patreon link:- patreon.com/ANelite
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