Rengoku Kyojuro, the current Fla Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps.
It was said that the Rengoku family had long been a mainstay of the Corps—one of its enduring lineages. Countless Fla Hashira had erged from their bloodline.
The current Fla Hashira, Kyojuro, and the forr Fla Hashira, Shinjuro, were both mbers of this distinguished family.
It was truly a household rooted in the art of demon slaying.
The Rengoku family was also responsible for the region encompassing Tokyo, which happened to be quite close to where Asato and Takeo were currently located. That was why Asato had recomnded Takeo to the Rengoku household.
Since he had already decided to join the Demon Slayer Corps, Takeo didn't hesitate for long.
Once he had recovered, he set out imdiately for the Rengoku residence.
Before leaving, he made sure to bid farewell to the wealthy rchant and even taught the little boy a few basics of swordsmanship.
Only after that did he part ways with Yoshizuru Asato and begin his journey to et the Rengoku family.
Asato did not accompany him.
Since he hadn't been seriously injured, he still had to continue with his demon-slaying missions.
The Demon Slayer Corps didn't have many mbers to begin with—and with so many powerful demons still roaming the land, their forces were perpetually stretched thin.
Every Demon Slayer was expected to work as though they were two people instead of one.
As long as they weren't wounded, Corps mbers were almost always engaged in the relentless fight against demons… until the day they died.
This was what Yoshizuru Asato had told Takeo—and it revealed, in no uncertain terms, just how brutal this world truly was.
In the shadows, far from the eyes of ordinary people, the Demon Slayer Corps had been locked in a deadly war with demons for hundreds of years.
No one could even guess how many lives had been lost in the process—all to maintain the illusion of peace in the world.
This was nothing like the sowhat peaceful ani world Takeo had originally imagined.
This was a world steeped in cruelty.
"…No wonder Kiba kept ranting about sothing called 'Hashira Slayer.'"
After learning from Asato what the Hashira were, and what demons really were, Takeo finally began to understand what his college roommate, Kiba, had ant when he used that nickna — Hashira Slayer.
The pinnacle of the Demon Slayer Corps was the Nine Hashira.
And for the series to earn a nickna like Hashira Slayer…
It could only an that, in the end, the Hashira were all killed!
Maybe one or two survived—but most of them must have died. Otherwise, no one would've co up with such a grim nickna.
Even the powerful Hashira would eventually fall…
This world was far more dangerous than he had imagined.
Because of that, Takeo knew he had to master a complete Breathing Technique as soon as possible, and obtain a Nichirin sword capable of killing demons. Only then would he have even the slightest chance of surviving.
On the way to the Rengoku residence, Takeo didn't encounter any unexpected trouble.
There were occasional rumors about demons, but they were all vague and unfounded—nothing concrete enough to think about. So, Takeo didn't pay them much attention.
It took him about half a month, but he finally stepped onto the Rengoku family's land.
"Whoa… they're rich, huh…"
The Rengoku estate was located in the Ebara District, Tokyo Prefecture. The area was filled with grand, impressive buildings, just like the kind of residences you'd see in historical dramas, the hos of powerful and influential families.
As he walked through the area, Takeo felt like he'd stepped into an ancient palace.
"Damn.. This should be the Rengoku estate… it's huge…" (A/N: That's what she s—anyways..)
Standing in front of the gate, Takeo couldn't help but mutter in awe.
Compared to the modest seventy-square-ter house he had first woken up in, the mansion before him felt unimaginably vast.
In both his past life and this one, this was the first ti Takeo had ever set foot in a place like this.
After taking a mont to collect himself, Takeo finally rembered why he was here. He turned his gaze toward the wide-open gate of the Rengoku estate, eyes scanning the grounds until they landed on a boy sweeping the courtyard.
The boy looked to be around Takeo's age.
He had a head of bright orange hair, like flas, with red streaks at the tips—it didn't look like the kind of hair a normal human would have.
Then again, with his own fiery red hair, Takeo probably wasn't in any position to judge.
Seeing that fla-like hair, Takeo imdiately assud the boy must be from the Rengoku family—he had heard that all mbers of the Rengoku bloodline shared that distinctive hair color.
With that thought in mind, Takeo stepped forward and lightly knocked on the open gate, calling out to the child sweeping inside:
"Um, excuse —is this the Rengoku residence?"
The boy paused and looked up, his eyes the sa fiery hue as his hair, gazing at Takeo with a puzzled expression.
"Yes, this is indeed the Rengoku household. May I ask who you are…?"
The boy spoke politely, using formal language.
His courteous manner helped put Takeo at ease—it didn't seem like the Rengoku family carried the arrogance often associated with noble houses.
"Hello, I'm a Demon Slayer Corps recruit who was recomnded to co here in search of a cultivator. My na is Kamado Takeo, and this is my letter of recomndation."
Takeo responded just as politely, offering the introduction letter that Yoshizuru Asato had given him to the boy in front of him.
He made sure not to be dismissive just because the other person was a child—after all, Takeo himself didn't exactly look like an adult either.
When the Rengoku boy saw the letter of introduction in Takeo's hand, his eyes widened in shock. He took the letter and looked Takeo up and down in disbelief, glancing between the letter and Takeo several tis.
"Wh-What…? A Demon Slayer Corps recruit? But you look so young… Ah! I'm sorry, I didn't an to be rude, it's just that—"
Realizing his words were impolite, the boy quickly waved his hands in a flustered apology.
Takeo offered a gentle smile and shook his head, unbothered.
"It's alright. I do look young, but I wasn't lying—I really was recomnded as a Corps recruit."
"I-I see… In that case, please co inside and have a seat. I'll go inform my brother right away."
The boy ushered Takeo into the house, then hurriedly ran off deeper inside.
Not long after, he returned—now carrying a tray of tea. He placed it down as he spoke:
"Luckily, my brother is ho right now. If he weren't, you might have had to wait quite a while. Oh—sorry! I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Rengoku Senjuro, the second son of the Rengoku family."
"Kamado Takeo."
Takeo repeated his na once more.
"Kamado-san, you really do look young…"
After handing Takeo his tea, Senjuro hesitantly asked a question.
Takeo didn't hide anything. "I'm twelve years old."
"W-What? That ans we're the sa age!"
Senjuro couldn't help but cry out in surprise.
Takeo didn't respond—he simply sipped his tea calmly.
He said he was twelve, but honestly, that was just an estimate. Takeo didn't actually know this body's real age. Without his original mories, and with Grandpa Saburo only vaguely familiar with the Kamado family's circumstances, no one could recall exactly how old the Kamado children had been.
So Takeo could only rely on how others perceived him, along with his current physical developnt, to roughly gauge his age.
He figured whatever his actual age was, it probably wasn't far off from his guess.
"Then… Takeo-san, what made you want to…"
Senjuro, still astonished, was about to ask another question.
But before Senjuro could finish his question, a rough voice suddenly cut in:
"…Where'd this brat co from?"
A strong stench of alcohol hit Takeo's nose almost imdiately. He rubbed his nose, trying to clear it, then turned toward the doorway.
…A super-sized Senjuro?
That was the first—admittedly rude—thought that flashed through Takeo's mind.
But to be fair… the man really did look like a grown-up version of Senjuro. A drunk, middle-aged version at that.
And judging by his appearance, even without Senjuro's explanation, Takeo could already guess who he was.
There were said to be very few direct descendants left in the Rengoku family. Aside from the current Fla Hashira, Rengoku Kyojuro, the only one who could match this description was likely the forr Fla Hashira—Rengoku Shinjuro.
Takeo just hadn't expected the forr Fla Hashira to be… a drunkard.
That part had definitely caught him off guard.
________
A/N:
For the ones that find it difficult to rember similar nas:
Shin-juro = The drunkard father
Kyo-juro = Our flaming donut (Which you'll know and love.)
Sen-juro = The lil bro
_____
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