บท 187: Chapter 187: Demon Slayer (Part 2)
After the strange masked man left, Daniel, Tanjiro, and his sister Nezuko briefly explained the situation to the couple he had saved and then left with Tanjiro and Nezuko.
"Nezuko may have turned into a demon, but she doesn't eat people."
"I will definitely find a way to cure Nezuko."
On the way, Tanjiro recounted what had happened to his family. Their situation wasn't much different from that of the family Daniel had just saved: living deep in the mountains, away from people, making a living by selling charcoal, and then being attacked by demons. His entire family, except for himself who wasn't there, was killed, and only his sister, who seemed to have turned into a demon, survived.
Tanjiro said he was heading to Mount Sagiri because a swordsman he met told him that there he could learn the skills to kill demons and possibly find a way to cure his sister.
"Such a familiar plot." Tanjiro's story gave Daniel a strong sense of déjà vu, but he couldn't immediately recall where he had encountered it.
"Never mind, maybe I'll remember it later, just like I eventually remembered Wanda's name." From Tanjiro's words, Daniel roughly knew the current era, but unfortunately, it was a time period he was unfamiliar with, so he didn't understand the specifics.
"Demons are somewhat like infected by a bio-virus, and somewhat like vampires." Although Tanjiro didn't know much, Daniel deduced that demons had a specific method for creating new demons, similar to vampires, rather than infecting people randomly like zombies.
Moreover, demons had an immortal body and couldn't stand sunlight, making them quite similar to certain vampire legends, except they couldn't turn into bats.
"The ability to change size at will is interesting." Nezuko would revert to her original size and travel with her brother Tanjiro at night. When sunlight appeared, she would shrink. Interestingly, when she shrank, her weight also decreased proportionally.
Mount Sagiri and Sakonji Urokodaki were the people Tanjiro was told to find by Giyu Tomioka, the swordsman he met. The journey wasn't far for Daniel, but it was quite a distance for Tanjiro and Nezuko. Nevertheless, Tanjiro persisted.
Daniel, who accompanied Tanjiro, didn't speed up their progress. Although it slowed him down a bit, it wasn't a big deal. He took the opportunity to communicate with the dimensional space of this world.
This was something Daniel did whenever he arrived in a new world. Exploring different worlds was essential for him.
"You've arrived." At the foot of Mount Sagiri, in front of a small wooden house, the man with the strange mask came out as soon as they arrived.
"So he is Sakonji Urokodaki." Seeing the man step out of the house, Daniel confirmed his earlier guess.
"Giyu wrote to me. I have a question for you. What will you do if your sister kills someone in the future?" As soon as they entered the house and sat down, Sakonji Urokodaki asked Tanjiro this unexpected question.
"Uh." Tanjiro hadn't anticipated this question and hesitated. Urokodaki immediately slapped him on the left cheek and said sternly, "If she kills someone, you must kill her and then take your own life. So you must ensure this never happens."
"I will never let Nezuko kill anyone." Tanjiro responded with unshakeable determination.
"May I ask a question? What exactly are demons, and what is the Demon Slayer Corps?" Daniel interjected during the silence.
"This is something you should not be told now, but since you want to know, I'll tell you." Urokodaki said after a moment of silence and then began to explain the origins of demons.
"No wonder it seemed so familiar. It's Muzan, the demon slayer's worst nightmare." As Urokodaki spoke, Daniel suddenly realized which world he was in.
Demon Slayer, or as it might be more aptly named, Demon Killer. The ultimate outcome was that everyone except the main characters was wiped out.
Although this story had been quite popular at one time, Daniel hadn't watched it. He knew about it only through conversations, chat groups, and some videos.
Daniel's impression was mainly due to the fact that Muzan was considered the most cowardly boss in history, killing more of his own subordinates than the main characters did.
With so many anime in his previous life, Daniel couldn't watch them all. He had planned to watch this one later, but then he found himself transported to another world.
"Turns out he's the protagonist." Now realizing the context, Daniel identified Tanjiro and his sister Nezuko.
"The Demon Slayer Corps is an organization of swordsmen dedicated to hunting demons." After explaining the demons, Urokodaki also gave a brief overview of the Demon Slayer Corps.
"Do you want to become a demon-slaying swordsman?" After finishing his explanation, Urokodaki turned his attention to Daniel.
Because of Daniel's intervention, Tanjiro's original experience had been completely altered. Although Urokodaki hadn't given up on Tanjiro, his main focus was now on Daniel.
Considering Daniel's physical prowess and actions, Urokodaki believed that with proper training, Daniel could become a pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps. This was why Urokodaki explained everything to him early on.
People who didn't understand might think the Demon Slayer Corps and the demons were evenly matched. But in reality, the strength difference was vast. If Muzan weren't so cowardly, he could have wiped out the current Demon Slayer Corps by himself.
He didn't even need to fight. Just ordering his Upper Moon and Lower Moon demons to attack together would suffice. However, Muzan feared that his subordinates might unite against him, so he never allowed them to gather in large numbers.
"This world seems to have breathing techniques." Daniel thought for a moment, curious about the breathing techniques and the nature of demons. So, he nodded in agreement.
"Rest well today. Training begins tomorrow."
The next day, Urokodaki woke the two of them early and took them up the mountain, instructing them to run back down.
This training was child's play for Daniel. However, to avoid appearing too extraordinary, he held back his strength, making himself seem just a few times stronger than Tanjiro.
This approach served two purposes: allowing Urokodaki to notice something, and preparing for Muzan. Muzan, being extremely cautious, might retreat for centuries if he heard about a formidable swordsman in the Demon Slayer Corps, just as he feared the man who originally wounded him.
Despite Daniel's efforts to restrain his strength, the mountain training ended in just three days. On the fourth day, Daniel began learning swordsmanship and breathing techniques.
Urokodaki taught the Water Breathing technique. Though it wasn't as powerful as Flame Breathing or as swift as Thunder Breathing, it was balanced, excelling in both offense and defense.
In simple terms, Water Breathing was the most enduring.
Although Daniel's performance was remarkable, Urokodaki wasn't too shocked. After all, the Demon Slayer Corps had a current pillar who reached that level after only two months of training.
"These breathing techniques are impressive." Holding his katana, Daniel couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. After learning it was the Demon Slayer world, he hadn't expected to gain much from it. But the breathing techniques proved otherwise.
The breathing techniques allowed one to use their full strength in an instant, enabling the Demon Slayers to cut through the tough necks of demons.
Most of the Demon Slayers were ordinary people. They relied on breathing techniques to defeat demons. If demons could use these techniques, the Demon Slayer Corps would have been wiped out long ago.
Of course, breathing techniques weren't easy to master, especially at advanced levels. It required talent. No one had surpassed the original creator of these techniques, and all current forms were derived from Sun Breathing.
Each person's unique personality and style led to variations, resulting in the many forms of breathing techniques over generations.
"If I bring these breathing techniques to the Pirate World, they could produce a batch of elite fighters." In a world focused on physical skills, adding breathing techniques would definitely enhance some people's abilities.
However, breathing techniques also had drawbacks. While providing great power, they also had significant side effects, such as reducing one's lifespan.
For those who activated their Demon Slayer marks, none except the original creator had lived past twenty-five.
"These cells are fascinating. This is what demons are made of. They don't need food and can survive by just sleeping. I must capture Muzan."
During this time, Daniel wasn't only training in Water Breathing. He also analyzed Nezuko's blood while she slept.
Demons created from Muzan's blood gained strength by eating humans. As they grew stronger, they developed unique abilities called Blood Demon Arts. Daniel was most intrigued by the spatial Blood Demon Art.
Even a single drop of Muzan's blood had such miraculous effects. Naturally, Daniel was very curious. However, he knew this couldn't be replicated, as even Muzan couldn't control what Blood Demon Art a demon would develop.
"First form, Water Surface Slash." With a whisper, Daniel split a five-meter-diameter rock in front of him with a single slash.
Urokodaki, watching from the side, seemed very satisfied, though his expression was hidden behind his tengu mask.
Though the Water Breathing techniques didn't actually produce water, nor did Flame Breathing
produce fire, they were visual effects.
"Muzan's appearance is tied to the protagonist. Without Tanjiro, it's almost impossible to encounter Muzan. Given Tanjiro's current progress, it might take him a year or two to graduate."
While Daniel trained in Water Breathing, Tanjiro continued his mountain runs. Urokodaki had also started teaching him the Water Breathing techniques.
Despite Tanjiro's high aptitude, his physical limitations meant his progress couldn't match Daniel's.
Daniel's physical strength allowed him to disregard the issue of the Demon Slayer mark.
"You've passed. However, since the annual selection for the Demon Slayer Corps has ended, you'll have to wait until next year for the official test. I'll write a letter for you; go find Giyu."
"I understand."
Daniel's relationship with Urokodaki differed from Tanjiro's. They weren't master and apprentice, which Daniel had clarified from the start.
Urokodaki didn't mind. He was more concerned with having a strong swordsman in the Demon Slayer Corps to eliminate demons.
Not all Demon Slayers were trained by former pillars like Urokodaki. Most received basic training and breathing techniques before undergoing the selection test.
If everyone received the same treatment as Tanjiro, there wouldn't be so many cannon fodder in the Demon Slayer Corps.
"Finally, I can test the strength of demons. If demons can gain power and longevity from eating humans, what would their souls be like?"
Daniel quickly packed up, receiving a regular Nichirin Blade, essential for killing demons. Without the test, he couldn't get a customized blade, only a standard one.
Different breathing techniques required different weapons, which is why there were specialized Nichirin Blades.
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