"A Demon that even the Flame Pillar couldn't defeat." Kanae looked at the sunlight bathing the ground, finding it strangely harsh, and her mood grew somewhat irritable.
Watching the Kasugai Crows fly away, Kanae desperately wished they would return and tell her it was just a bad joke, but the Kasugai Crows ultimately flew further and further away, without looking back.
Shinjuro Rengoku was, among the current Demon Slayer Corps Pillars, the strongest besides the Flame Pillar. As the head of the Rengoku Family, he was also quite experienced and knowledgeable. When the Kocho Sisters were first introduced and joined the Demon Slayer Corps by the Stone Pillar, Shinjuro Rengoku had even offered to take them as his successors and take good care of them.
It was just that the Kocho Sisters weren't suited for Flame Breathing, and in the end, they only found ordinary Cultivators. But the Flame Pillar's warmth and straightforwardness had always left a deep impression on Kanae, and even after she became a Pillar, her respect for him never diminished.
Unlike Kanae, who was currently lost in unspeakable sorrow, Kurozawa chewed over the Kasugai Crow's news, his focus entirely on the four words "red-clothed female demon."
"There are probably only a handful of Demons capable of killing the Flame Pillar, and one wearing red... Hongyue?"
Thinking of this, Kurozawa felt a headache coming on.
When Hongyue had asked him where he lived back then, he seemed to remember saying Mount Fujikasane.
Nine times out of ten, Hongyue had genuinely gone to Mount Fujikasane, and she had suppressed her inherent aversion to Wisteria Flowers. After she discovered that Mount Fujikasane was actually a prison for Demons, destroying the place would have been a trivial matter for her.
So, it seems... I was the one who caused Shinjuro Rengoku's death? After much thought, Kurozawa came to this conclusion.
Although he had only met him once, he had a very good impression of Shinjuro Rengoku. He was a strong individual, full of a sense of justice, yet not overly bothered by minor details.
He remembered that in the original timeline, Shinjuro Rengoku had given up his demanding work as a Swordsman after his wife's death. The passionate Swordsman had become a decadent and weathered old man, spending his days drowning in alcohol. If the current Flame Pillar could see his future self, he would definitely find it absurd and unbelievable. Perhaps dying in Mount Fujikasane was a better end for him.
"You actually went to Mount Fujikasane to find me."
A sense of urgency arose in Kurozawa's heart. It seemed Hongyue wasn't joking about him; she genuinely valued him a great deal. Mount Fujikasane was not close to Asakusa. Her traveling over mountains and rivers to get there indicated that he held significant weight in her heart.
But what was the reason? Kurozawa didn't believe in love at first sight, nor did he believe Hongyue was attracted to him physically. So, what was the reason for Hongyue treating him like this? Kurozawa didn't know and had remained vigilant accordingly.
If they met again, he would definitely ask for a clear explanation.
"Kanae, do you want to go back to the Demon Slayer Corps?"
"The Flame Pillar will probably have a funeral. Do you want to go pay your respects?"
Temporarily pushing the matter of Hongyue to the back of his mind, Kurozawa looked at the somewhat dazed Kanae and patted her shoulder.
The death of a Pillar in the Demon Slayer Corps was a big event, and usually, there would be a significant farewell funeral. However, participation wasn't mandatory, as Swordsmen were constantly busy traveling around. Only those who happened to have free time would attend.
Seeing Kanae's absentminded state, Kurozawa thought she might want to go back and see her former comrades and colleagues.
Kanae snapped back to reality, forcing a smile, then said softly, "No need. We are people who walk on the edge of a blade. This day was bound to come sooner or later."
"I just didn't expect that a strong person like the Flame Pillar would also die so suddenly, without any warning."
Everything was too abrupt. Just hearing the news of his death was already difficult for her to accept. Going to the funeral would only be greater torture.
Nodding, Kurozawa didn't bring up the Flame Pillar again, but naturally shifted the topic. "How much further is it to Lotus Town? I haven't been there and don't know the location."
Kanae thought for a moment, then said, "Lotus Town is located at the foot of Mount Oodake. If we travel at full speed, we should be able to reach it in about four days."
Lotus Town was in a remote location, with no train service and no direct main road. One had to traverse many secluded mountain paths and even cross several mountain forests to reach it. The chance of encountering other Demons along the way was extremely high. For ordinary Swordsmen, just reaching Lotus Town would require a great deal of effort.
"Alright, we're walking too slowly right now. How about we use our Breathing Techniques and have a competition? I'd quite like to see a Pillar's speed."
Turning her gaze to Kurozawa's sturdy and resilient physique, Kanae smiled. "I probably can't beat you."
She specialized in nimble footwork and exquisite Sword Forms. Her physique was far inferior to Kurozawa's.
"How will you know if you don't try? I won't hold back. You being a Pillar and letting me win wouldn't be a problem, would it?" As soon as he finished speaking, Kurozawa didn't activate his Breathing Technique but simply ran forward using his strong physique.
If he activated his Breathing Technique, Kanae would never catch up, even if she ran herself to death.
With Kurozawa's current strength, a Pillar of average ability like Kanae might not be his match. Kurozawa's physical strength was already enough to compensate for any shortcomings in his Sword Forms, and its effect on humans was clearly better than on Demons.
After all, Kurozawa was also a Swordsman and understood Sword Forms, while Demons were mostly ignorant when facing them.
His steps were heavy and powerful, each footfall causing the ground to tremble slightly and kicking up large clouds of dust. Soon, Kurozawa was trailing a long "dust dragon" behind him, rolling forward.
Seeing Kurozawa's actions, Kanae couldn't help but laugh. "What a contradictory person."
She knew Kurozawa was just trying to distract her and help her move past her sadness.
To those who knew him well, Kurozawa had always been easy to get along with, a thoughtful and loving figure. Every Swordsman on Mount Sagiri respected and admired him as their senior brother. But he could also swing his sword with emotionless cruelty at some of his own kind, leaving Kanae wondering what kind of heart lay beneath Kurozawa's tall frame.
Whoosh. Fine streams of air gathered and took shape from the atmosphere, being inhaled by Kanae.
She activated her Breathing Technique. Unlike Kurozawa's steady and powerful strides, Kanae's body seemed weightless, as if it could be lifted by a gust of wind. With a light touch of her toes on the ground, her body would cover a distance of over ten meters. Her footwork was agile and graceful, not touching a single speck of dust.
Soon, she transformed into a flowing purple figure and chased after Kurozawa.
After two or three minutes, Kanae bypassed the long trail of dust Kurozawa had created and caught up to him from the side.
Seeing Kanae catch up, Kurozawa turned his head and smiled at her. His bright and dazzling smile caused Kanae to pause for a moment, then she stared intently at Kurozawa's face, forgetting that she was still moving at high speed. The next second, her steps faltered, and she almost lost control of her body and fell forward.
Fortunately, her Breathing Technique adjusted in time, and she regained her balance.
Ah, right. I forgot I can't just smile casually. This is practically a spell attack. Kurozawa quickly put away his smile and then sped up, always staying a few steps ahead of Kanae.
After recovering from Kurozawa's smile, Kanae's face flushed slightly, feeling a bit embarrassed by her actions just now.
However, upon seeing Kurozawa accelerate again, and knowing he wasn't even using his Breathing Technique much while she couldn't keep up, Kanae ultimately felt a little competitive. She took a deep breath, fully activating her Breathing Technique.
At this moment, her body was like a purple Butterfly dancing in the sun, graceful and beautiful, facing the light and dust.
-----------
Machine Translation by: https:// randomtranslator.com/
Read 777+ original & fanfic translations in English, Español, Português, Deutsch, Français, or Русский at: https:// randomtranslator.com/
Join our Discord: https:// discord.gg/NSWvfN7vua
-----------