Chapter 141: The Beginning

Words : 1155 Updated : Oct 5th, 2025

Chapter 141: The Beginning Actually, within the current Demon Slayer Corps, while there were certainly high-ranking people who supported and valued Tanjirou, many others didn't acknowledge him. It was because of a simple reason—Tanjirou had violated the rules of the Demon Slayer Corps. As a Demon Slayer of the Demon Slayer Corps, Tanjirou not only sheltered a demon, who was considered their enemy but also kept this demon by his side. Yes, the wooden box that he carried around so carefully actually contained a demon. As a result, he faced hostility from many Hashira within the Demon Slayer Corps. Only the Water Hashira and the Insect Hashira could be considered to stand by his side, choosing to support him. As for Kyoujurou, the Flame Hashira, although he did not show hostility toward Tanjirou because the Master acknowledged his situation, it was still a bit early to say that he had fully accepted Tanjirou and chosen to support him. Kyoujurou's current attitude toward Tanjirou could be described as one of temporary observation, as evidenced by when he told Tanjirou that he wanted to observe him. Tanjirou was aware of this, which was why a hint of gloom appeared on his face. Fortunately, he recovered from this gloom very quickly. "I believe in Nezuko." Tanjirou declared firmly, placing a hand on the wooden box beside him as he looked at Kyoujurou. "She will surely gain Mr. Rengoku's approval." "Umu!" Kyoujurou nodded, maintaining a smile. "Naturally, I hope so too!" Hearing that response, Tanjirou smiled. Generally speaking, Kyoujurou was actually quite benevolent toward Tanjirou. He was not like some of the Hashira who blatantly acted hostile toward Tanjirou for sheltering a demon. Perhaps realizing this, Tanjirou began to relax his expression. "Umm... Are you also a member of the Corps?" Tanjirou finally shifted his attention to Riezel. This mysterious young man, who looked only one or two years older than him, seemed to have a good relationship with the Flame Hashira, but he was not wearing the uniform of the Demon Slayer Corps, leaving him somewhat uncertain about this young man's identity. Tanjirou's question was soon answered by Kyoujurou. "This Bento Boy is going to be my Tsuguko!" Kyoujurou declared loudly. 'Ahh, I see! So this big brother is Mr. Rengoku's successor?' Tanjirou thought, finally understood. The term 'Tsuguko' didn't refer to an adopted child but rather to the apprentice and successor of Hashira. They were usually direct subordinates of Hashira, with lower rank but considerable status and influence within the Demon Slayer Corps. They were often regarded as proxies for the Hashira. 'When Mr. Rengoku said this big brother is his Tsuguko, does that mean he is Mr. Rengoku's apprentice? So, he is also a user of Flame Breathing?' Tanjirou pondered inwardly. 'Miss Shinobu mentioned that only someone like Mr. Rengoku who understands Flame Breathing as a Flame Hashira might know something about the technique I used against the Lower Five last time. Does Mr. Rengoku's Tsuguko also know something about it?' With those thoughts in mind, Tanjirou couldn't help but want to know. But before he could ask, Riezel spoke first. "No." Riezel denied it briefly. "Wh-What do you mean by no?" Tanjirou was taken aback. "I am not Tsuguko of the Flame Hashira." Riezel glanced at Kyoujurou, who was smiling beside him, then turned his head to Tanjirou. "We just met on this train, and before this, we were strangers and had no idea of each other's existence." "Eh?" Tanjirou's eyes widened as he turned to Kyoujurou, surprised. "I-Is that true, Mr. Rengoku?" "Don't worry about these minor details!" Kyoujurou said confidently and firmly. "This Bento Boy will be my Tsuguko! This is my decision!" Upon hearing that adamant answer, Tanjirou couldn't help but be dumbfounded, while Zenitsu, who was currently engaged in a fierce battle with Inosuke, couldn't help but chime in. Precisely because of this, these three became this world's main characters, forming a group not only because they were like-minded, but also because they were equally special. As Riezel was about to say something else, someone walked into the carriage. "Please show your tickets." A train conductor dressed in a train staff uniform spoke weakly and without strength. Everyone in the carriage then noticed the conductor of the train approaching, seeming a bit lackluster, not only speaking sluggishly but also with a weary expression on his face. "Please show your tickets..." Undoubtedly, this conductor was here to check passenger tickets. "Yosh, let's get the tickets checked first." Kyoujurou said to everyone. "We'll deal with the rest later." ""Yes!"" Agreeing, the three youths nodded. One by one, the passengers presented their tickets, handing them over to be hole-punched by the conductor. Seeing this scene, Riezel's eyes flickered. As someone familiar with the original work, he knew that this was not a good idea. Neither Kyoujurou nor the three main characters knew that the tickets for the Mugen Train had been tampered with by a hidden demon onboard, with demon blood mixed into the ink on the tickets. Once the conductor hole-punched the tickets, the hidden demon would use the blood on the tickets to cast an illusion, hypnotizing all the passengers holding tickets. For this reason, this ticket checking was actually dangerous. Nevertheless, Riezel had no intention of stopping it. Because he knew not only the tickets but the entire train had been tampered with by the demon. If the members of the Demon Slayer Corps were not hypnotized but instead took action immediately, it was very likely to provoke an extreme reaction from the hidden demon, leading the demon to attack the entire train directly. Since there were still two hundred passengers on this train, if something unexpected happened, it would definitely be a big trouble. In that case, it was better to take matters into his own hands while everyone was hypnotized and asleep so he could defeat the demon without any nuisance. "Please show your ticket..." Before long, the conductor had now approached Riezel, asking him to show his ticket. Riezel calmly took out his ticket and handed it to the conductor, allowing him to hole-punch it. He wasn't afraid of being hypnotized. Being completely immune to mental interference from Self-Redemption and possessing the highest rank development ability of Abnormal Resistance from Endless, he was impossible to hypnotize. Unfortunately, as he thought like that, Riezel forgot one thing. Within the skill effects of Self Redemption, there was an effect that said—Can accept and enhance the effects of friendly buffs on oneself. In other words, if the hypnosis had no negative effects on him but instead benefited him, he would still be affected, and it would also be enhanced. *Ding—ling—* In this calm, Tanjirou's hanafuda earrings adorned with sun symbols gently swayed, emitting a barely perceptible pleasant tinkling sound.

Chapter 141: The Beginning

Comments (0)