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"Damn, you've really gotten a lot stronger! Looks like I won't even get a chance to beat you up for now!"
Tomioka Giyu walked over and spoke in his usual calm tone, as if he were simply making an observation.
Hearing this, veins popped on Renzo's forehead as he glared at him. "Hah? Even now, the first thing on your mind is still beating me up?"
"Giyu, listen up! You're done for! Every time you've hit me, I'm gonna pay you back double! Just wait!"
This guy... He still has no idea how to talk to people!
His eyes clearly showed concern, yet the words that came out of his mouth were nothing but annoying.
"Alright! Let's keep moving!" Sabito patted Renzo's shoulder. "The demons here shouldn't be too strong; otherwise, they wouldn't be used for the final selection exam. This is the perfect opportunity for us to gain some real combat experience!"
"So Renzo, don't hog them all to yourself. Leave some for us, or we'll have come here for nothing!"
Sabito had his pride and his own goals. He didn't want this trial to turn into a sightseeing trip.
"Exactly!"
"Agreed!"
Makomo and Giyu nodded in agreement.
"Fine, fine! I'll just be backup, alright?" Renzo shrugged.
He had no intention of running off on his own to clear out the entire mountain.
Killing demons didn't exactly give him experience points or rewards.
A few here and there would be enough.
If he really wanted to kill more demons, he could do so after passing the exam and taking missions.
That way, he could earn rewards while also climbing the ranks within the Demon Slayer Corps.
"If I remember correctly, several of the Lower Moons had pretty obvious locations in the original story. After the test, I should visit the old man first, then find an opportunity to take one out and claim a Hashira title!"
Renzo made up his mind.
Rising in status was one thing, but more importantly, it would make it easier for him to learn other Breathing Styles from the Hashira or even Ubuyashiki Kagaya himself.
"Also, I wonder if I can track down Tanjiro's family in time. If I can, I might be able to save them and learn the Sun Breathing technique!"
From that point on, Renzo followed Sabito, Makomo, and Giyu closely.
Most of the time, he just watched them fight the demons that attacked.
He only stepped in when the number of demons exceeded three or when Giyu was in real danger.
Even then, all it took was a single airborne slash from him.
The more he used his abilities, the faster he adapted to his newfound strength.
His movements became more fluid, and his control over his power more refined.
At the same time, he also tested the effects of Sword Intent and Sword Aura on demons.
They could inflict damage and slow down a demon's regeneration, but they weren't enough for an instant kill.
A clean decapitation with a Nichirin Blade was still necessary.
However, slashes infused with Fire Chakra had remarkable effectiveness—second only to the Nichirin Blade.
"That makes sense! Chakra-based fire should count as a supernatural flame. It's only natural that it would work against demons."
"If Eevee evolves into a Leafeon and learns moves like Solar Beam or Sunny Day... I wonder if those would be super effective against demons?"
Renzo's mind drifted into speculation.
It wasn't impossible!
Those techniques directly harness the power of the sun.
"Or better yet, if I could somehow obtain and absorb Ho-Oh's Sacred Fire, that would be even more effective!"
Sacred Fire was a natural enemy of all evil beings.
Demons, as undead creatures of the darkness, would be especially vulnerable.
Unfortunately, getting his hands on something like that wouldn't be easy. No point in getting Eevee's hopes up.
The little guy had already been through enough.
As Renzo casually followed behind Sabito and the others, acting as their guardian, his senses suddenly picked up on an enormous, sinister presence rushing toward them.
This aura was dozens of times stronger than any demon they had faced so far.
"The Hand Demon?"
Renzo's eyes narrowed as he reached for the Fox Mask on his waist.
A cold smirk formed on his lips. "So you've followed my scent here? Perfect."
One of the reasons he had stuck close to Sabito and the others was to make sure they weren't found by the Hand Demon before he could get there.
If he had been too late and something irreversible happened, he'd never forgive himself.
Even if the odds were low, he couldn't take that risk.
"Help! Someone help me!!"
Just then, a small figure burst out from the trees, frantically running toward them.
BOOM!
The sound of crashing trees echoed behind her, as if some massive creature was tearing through the forest in pursuit.
"You're Kocho Shinobu, aren't you?"
Renzo took two steps forward, grabbed the fleeing girl's hand, and helped her up.
"Damn, she's light!"
He couldn't help but comment.
Shinobu was ridiculously light—probably no more than 50 pounds.
No wonder her physical strength was so low.
Of course, her age played a role too.
Right now, she was about the same age as him—only around eleven or twelve.
"Uh..."
Hearing Renzo's remark, Shinobu's face turned bright red. She stammered, "H-how do you know my name...?"
Before Renzo could answer, she suddenly turned to look behind her with panic in her eyes.
"No, wait! This isn't the time for that! Can you fight that mutant demon? I saw you earlier—you took out five demons in a single strike!"
"If it's you, you should be able to handle it, right?"
"If not, we need to run!"
She had been completely stunned by Renzo's performance earlier.
Even her sister, Kocho Kanae—the Flower Hashira—might not have been able to deal with five demons so effortlessly.
"Oh, so that's what you were thinking. Here I was, wondering if you were just leading the demon straight to us to use us as bait."
Renzo grinned teasingly.
"W-what?!"
Shinobu's face turned red with anger. She glared at him and shouted, "I would never do something so selfish! I ran this way because I knew you could handle it! If you can kill that thing, fewer people will die!"
She was genuinely upset.
She was the sister of the Flower Hashira, someone who despised demons to her core. How could she possibly be that kind of person?
"Well, who knows? Step aside and let me handle this."
Renzo smirked and casually tossed her toward Makomo.
Then, he turned to the others and said, "Stay back! This one's mine!"
"Be careful!"
Sabito and the others didn't argue. They simply stepped aside, gripping their swords tightly, ready to step in if needed.
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