"The price? You probably already know what it is, don't you?"
Ryuji didn't even glance at Mai, instead turning with interest to Shinobu. Her expression made it clear—she was prepared to do anything.
"That's right! No matter what you ask of , as long as it doesn't require betraying the Demon Slayer Corps or siding with demons, I'll do it!"
Shinobu's voice was calm but resolute. She had joined the Demon Slayer Corps to avenge her sister. But after her sister's death, she realized that slaying more demons couldn't fill the void. What mattered most was family—being with the people she loved.
She had failed to protect her sister. That was her greatest regret.
"Good. Then let's head inside. Take off your clothes—I'll make you a real woman today. But just so you know, I don't intend to have only one wife."
Ryuji flashed a radiant thumbs-up in the sunlight, his grin dazzling. His words, however, nearly made Mai fall over.
Shinobu was stunned for a mont—then nodded.
"Alright."
To her, her body had never held particular value. She had long made peace with offering it up if it ant defeating the demon who had killed her sister.
That demon had called her sister "delicious." If he ever saw the younger sister, he'd surely try to devour her too.
And as soone weaker than her sister, Shinobu believed she could at least succeed where she had failed—by poisoning herself, turning her own body into a trap. She had infused herself with wisteria poison so that when she was eaten, she could kill the demon from within. She even took ti to make herself look more "tempting," knowing that might help lure the monster in.
Health? Longevity? Those had never been in her calculations.
If Ryuji wanted her body—so be it. She likely wouldn't live past thirty anyway. And if, before that, she could give her sister another chance at life... then wasn't it all worth it?
"Hey! You're agreeing way too easily!"
Mai jumped between them, exasperated, her expression nearly breaking.
"Are you serious right now?! Since when were won in the Taisho era this... progressive?! Isn't this supposed to be a conservative ti?! You're seriously going to marry a guy who openly says he wants a harem?! And look—he's staring at my breasts right now!"
She tugged at Ryuji's collar, attempting to reveal his perverted nature to Shinobu.
Shinobu blinked at Mai's exaggerated reaction. To her, they looked more like a bickering couple than anything else. Despite her own conviction, she was still from a conservative era—and yes, a bit shy. But when it ca to her sister, she was determined to secure Ryuji's cooperation, no matter the cost.
"I'm sorry, Mai-san. But this is a deal I have to make. And to be honest... n with multiple wives aren't so rare anymore. So n even marry entire families of won at once. This is no longer the age of samurai—it's a new era."
She bowed slightly to Mai, her tone polite but firm.
The reforms of the Taisho era had shattered the old social order. The rchant class now held power, while forr nobility struggled. Shinobu had seen it herself—sisters, even mothers and daughters, all wedded to the sa man out of necessity.
For her, this wasn't about personal desire. It was pragmatism.
Even if Ryuji-sama can't revive my sister… just binding him to our cause is worth it.
Of course, without his resurrection ability, winning over a woman like her—a woman who had given up on life—to accept any man's pursuit would have been nearly impossible.
Which was why she had to apologize to Mai. From the way Ryuji and Mai interacted, it was clear they were already intimate. That casual closeness spoke of mutual affection.
If Ryuji had heard her thoughts, he'd have burst out laughing. Sure, he and Mai were friendly, but their closeness was just standard modern physicality. In a world like this one, it only looked intimate.
"Huh? Why are you apologizing to ?"
Mai tilted her head in confusion. She didn't quite understand why Shinobu wanted to apologize to her.
Ryuji, however, had no patience for this.
Grabbing Mai's ponytail, dragging her aside before wrapping an arm around Shinobu.
"Hey now, look at and Shinobu—we're clearly a match made in heaven! Who are you, so kind of third wheel? We may be allies, but if you keep blocking from pursuing love, I'll give you a flying kick. Keep interrupting, and I might just lock you in a basent and do all sorts of this and that!"
Ryuji made no effort to hide his motives. He was here to flirt, collect energy, and get stronger. Fixing the world? That was a bonus.
If Mai kept interfering, he really would hit her. He believed in equal rights—regardless of gender, he'd beat up anyone who got in his way.
"You've completely given up on being a decent human being, huh?"
Mai muttered, narrowing her eyes.
"Well, that's just who I am!"
Ryuji's hand slid downward—trying to grope Shinobu's chest. Unfortunately, she was too short. It was like trying to wrap an arm around a basketball at waist level… or maybe a bowling ball.
Damn, she's too short.
The attempt looked less like a seduction and more like Michael Jordan palming a… shot put.
He gave a playful squeeze.
Shinobu instantly felt sothing surge through her body—emotions and sensations she couldn't na. Her hand moved instinctively to the hilt of her Nichirin Blade, and a razor-sharp killing intent erupted into the air.
She was still smiling… but he could feel it—she had seriously thought about cutting him down.
Realizing this, Shinobu awkwardly scratched her cheek, her face a little red from embarrassnt and his touch.
"M-My apologies, Ryuji-sama. I'm... not quite accustod to this. If you could give a mont to adjust, then... you may use as you wish." Her voice remained sweet, but there was a brittle edge to it. "It's just... in my experience, being touched so familiarly by a stranger usually ans I'm about to die."
Her voice trembled slightly. She had never thought about romance—never thought about n. In her world, a man touching her body so casually ant one thing: a demon was about to devour her.
"I get it. Totally understandable."
He imdiately withdrew his hand, recognizing the trauma behind her reaction. Shinobu's killing intent slowly dissipated, but the tension lingered—This wasn't sothing she could control—this was the trauma of a girl who'd never been allowed to be a girl.
"PFFT—HAHAHAHA!"
Mai burst out laughing at the awkward sight of Ryuji being forced to let go. So much for the all-powerful reviver doing as he pleased!
He shot her a glare. "Keep laughing and I'll deduct your repatriation fees from your ass."
He stomped off toward Mai, leaving a red-faced Shinobu quietly blaming herself for being unprepared.
Mai instantly realized that leaving this world would require Ryuji's help to return ho—but rather than panic, she crossed her arms and chuckled coldly.
"Hmph, you think that scares ?"
Still, she wisely chose not to argue further. Instead, she turned her attention to Shinobu.
"More importantly, shouldn't we focus on figuring out what's really going on in this world?"
Ryuji looked toward Shinobu as well, intrigued.
By now, Shinobu had finished adjusting her clothing. Upon hearing Mai's question, she gave a small nod.
"Very well. Let explain what's been happening."
She led the two of them back into the room. After serving tea and setting out so light snacks, Shinobu looked at them both seriously.
"You're both aware of demons… and the strange monsters we've been facing lately, right?"
Ryuji and Mai nodded. Shinobu continued, her expression now solemn.
"It started not too long ago. Several Hashira gathered to address the issue surrounding Nezuko, a demon girl. After much discussion, we allowed her to stay within the Demon Slayer Corps under surveillance. But it was after that… that the other monsters began to appear."
Her tone darkened.
"These creatures are imnsely powerful. Conventional attacks don't work on them. Only fire, steel, and explosives seem to inflict any damage. Even then, average swordsn can't pierce their skin. Worse, these monsters have bizarre abilities. When we fought demons, we could often retrieve survivors. But with these new monsters? A single scratch, or a prolonged battle, is enough to cost soone their life."
As she spoke, her face grew more serious.
"They release spores and parasitic tendrils. Once they enter a body, they cannot be removed. No matter how refined our breathing techniques are, they can't purge the infection. The tendrils consu the host from within—transforming them into grotesque creatures. Even prolonged exposure without physical contact causes ntal deterioration. If a person stays isolated too long, without interacting with others, they begin to mutate—or go mad, descending into mindless slaughter."
She sighed, the weight of the situation clearly pressing down on her.
"Our breathing styles slow the process, help preserve clarity, but even that has its limits."
"That's horrifying…" Mai murmured.
"But it gets worse," Shinobu added grimly. "After these monsters appeared, nightti changed. Every night, new types of beings would roam the streets. Not the parasites. These were the kinds of spirits and yokai from folklore—will-o'-the-wisps, specters, and other malicious entities. And the more people there were, the more of them showed up."
"While they're not as strong or invasive as the other monsters, they can still infect or drive people insane. They move in packs, parading through cities like a festival of nightmares. Anyone who witnesses them, or leaves their lights on, or simply wanders the streets after dark—disappears. We've tried to investigate them, but even we Hashira are hesitant to confront them directly. Several of our best have gone missing while tracking these Night Parades."
"But… there are rules. As long as you don't break certain taboos—like peeking through your legs, looking between your fingers, or observing them through the 'fox's window'—you'll be fine. And as long as you pretend not to see them, and keep your windows and doors shut at night, you won't be hard. Smaller villages rarely experience incidents, but…"
She paused. Her voice dropped.
"In recent weeks, several of those nearby villages have gone quiet—taken over, turned strange. So now, despite knowing that crowded places attract danger, people are still gathering. Out of fear. Out of desperation."
With her explanation done, Shinobu quietly poured herself and Ryuji a cup of tea, sipping it with a weary breath.
Ryuji frowned deeply, digesting everything.
From the sound of it… this world was being fard.
The monsters weren't just attacking. They were cultivating humanity. Herding them. Preparing them for so greater purpose.
"These things… they ca from the '7 Days to Die' world, didn't they?" he muttered. "It all reeks of eldritch horror. Typical Cthulhu-level shit."
He had always been a purist when it ca to cosmic horror—and he hated it.
But the current situation was exactly what that lore described.
The ssages I received from the fractured 7 Days world... said it was incomplete—damaged—because of outside interference. It hinted at other forces invading, consuming it. So of the monsters I faced there match Shinobu's description exactly.
His mind raced, connecting fragnts of knowledge and observation.
"That ans… these creatures may be the sa ones that shattered the 7 Days world in the first place," he muttered.
Mai, anwhile, had been pondering sothing else—sothing about this world.
"So… if that's true…"
She trailed off, the rest of her thought too dreadful to say out loud.
She stopped mid-sentence. The thought that had just crossed her mind was far too grim to voice aloud.
Shinobu noticed and finished it for her—with a forced smile.
"You were thinking it's like… they're farming humanity, right? We've thought the sa. That's why the Demon Slayer Corps has been investigating nonstop, even at great cost."
She sighed quietly, the weight of frustration and helplessness evident in her expression.
The most troubling part? The wisteria flower poison—once so effective against demons—was completely useless against these new creatures. Her own combat effectiveness had dropped by at least seventy percent. That's why she'd been reassigned to patrol and monitor for demonic activity instead of fighting on the frontlines.
And yet… she'd still let one slip by.
Just earlier, a noble who had lent them a location for investigation had co to hold her accountable for that failure.
Even if she couldn't bring her sister back, Shinobu still had a clear reason for recruiting Ryuji: if he could resurrect fallen mbers of the Corps, they might obtain valuable intelligence from the dead.
In truth, the mont she confird that Ryuji had the power to revive the dead—and possessed overwhelming strength—she realized sothing.
Ryuji might be just like Yoriichi Tsugikuni… a divine anomaly, a warrior sent by Gods to tip the scales in a collapsing era.
"So… you're in a really vulnerable position, then?" Ryuji asked, genuinely curious how they were holding on under such circumstances.
But Shinobu shook her head.
"Not entirely. It's strange, but it seems the Gods themselves disapprove of these creatures. Every ti soone manages to slay one of those creatures, they feel stronger afterward. Their breathing techniques beco smoother. Old wounds heal. Illnesses fade."
She paused, then added carefully.
"It's not without cost—our casualties are high—but we can fight. That much is certain."
That statent alone revealed another closely held secret.
Because the truth was—these monsters were far beyond what any normal human could handle. If that information spread unchecked, it would only attract reckless avengers or glory-seekers. They'd seen it all before. Every year, new recruits who barely learned breathing techniques would try to take on powerful demons… and their ends were never good.
"I see…" Ryuji murmured, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
It made sense—most likely, the monsters contained residual "world power." When they died, that energy transferred to the one who killed them. It could also be so form of blessing from this world's will, rewarding those who fought to preserve it.
As for anything else Shinobu might be hiding, He didn't pry. He hadn't earned that level of trust yet.
"Well then, I don't have any more questions," Ryuji said, giving Shinobu a respectful nod.
He glanced out the window. The sun was beginning to set.
A thin smile curled at the edge of his lips.
"But I would like to see this 'Night Parade of a Hundred Demons' for myself."
~~~~~~~~~~
You can support by subscribing on Patreon and read upto 10 chapters ahead.
patreon/Ranabir_20
User Comments
0 comments from readers