Conquering Heroines: Starting From A World Of Zombies

Ryuji never liked this kind of role. Playing the Hero? What a pain. But sometimes, he had no choice but to take up the part, even if just temporarily.

"I wonder how the Demon Slayer Corps is doing in this world. Hopefully, they're not all dead already…"

As he walked out of the city, Ryuji pondered the situation.

He hadn't watched much of the anime itself—most of what he knew came from fanfiction. The general gist? A guy with a very hentai-sounding name, Muzan, got sick a thousand years ago. A doctor gave him a mysterious medicine, but due to the harsh side effects, Muzan thought the doctor was messing with him before the treatment was done and killed him in a fit of rage. Classic case of medical malpractice turned horror story.

After that, Muzan discovered he had superpowers. His blood could create powerful demons with superhuman strength, regenerative abilities, and immortality. The catch? He—and his demons—had to eat humans to survive and grow stronger.

They could only be killed in a few ways: exposure to sunlight, wisteria poison, or decapitation with a special ore-forged blade.

So Muzan began spreading his blood in search of the final ingredient of that mysterious medicine—the elusive Blue Spider Lily, which the Demon Slayer protagonist's family just happened to be pickling for dinner.

Naturally, people began hunting demons, and so the Demon Slayer Corps was born. Eventually, a genius named Yoriichi appeared—he created the breathing techniques and, thinking himself unbeatable, went toe-to-toe with Muzan and kicked his ass so hard that Muzan had to explode into chunks just to escape. Traumatized, Muzan went into hiding.

The grudge between Muzan and the Demon Slayer Corps continued for generations, right up to the moment Muzan killed Tanjiro's entire family and sealed his own fate.

So, most of the Demon Slayer Corps were genuinely good people. And right now, with literal demons running rampant across the land, this should've been their time to shine.

Given their resources and power, they were definitely more than a rogue faction. The Ubuyashiki clan clearly held a lot of privilege, even if unofficial. After all, no family alone could contain a threat like Muzan for centuries without some form of institutional backing.

And if someone like Muzan could exist in this world, Ryuji wouldn't be surprised if true immortality was real. Besides, this world clearly had an underworld, possibly even gods.

"But if there's an underworld, then there must be gods too. So why isn't anyone cleaning up these monsters? No divine intervention against Muzan either? Whatever—he's not my main concern right now."

Ryuji found that odd.

Sure, Japan had plenty of wild local deities. But it was still a civilization, and it had proper gods—Shinto kami, Buddhist temples, you name it. There should be no shortage of exorcists and spiritual experts.

"Interesting…"

He strolled along the road, scanning for remaining zombies.

But despite wiping out every zombie in the area, he couldn't sense any World Fragments. Unlike in the Minecraft world, these ash-covered corpses didn't yield anything. It seemed he needed to kill those Cthulhu-like abominations to earn a World Fragment here.

Ryuji, confident in his own strength, headed in the direction those creatures had gone. Along the way, he kept his Observation Haki active to avoid sneak attacks.

Even Mai had been tied securely to his back so he could move freely. His massive sword was strapped beneath her butt, so she wouldn't be too uncomfortable.

Besides, she was soft. With each step, he could smell her fragrance and feel the sway of her curves against his back. He couldn't do anything for now, but just this much was… delightful.

His steps were quick. Following the main road, he soon reached a village.

Under the moonlight, the village sparkled with a gentle glow. A faint aroma of roasting meat tickled his nose.

In the distance, he saw a bonfire in the village square. A strange song echoed through the darkness, lending the place a warm, eerie charm.

For a moment, Ryuji was curious—what smelled so good?

But in the next instant, he drew his sword Kashu without hesitation.

Because in that meat… was the scent of human flesh.

Without pause, Ryuji charged into the village. What he saw shocked even him: villagers laughing gleefully as they devoured food from a massive cooking pot—filled with human heads.

And they kept laughing.

Ryuji felt no fear. The moment he grasped the situation, he no longer saw these things as people.

As he approached, the villagers turned to him with wild grins, holding up their meat-filled hands in welcome.

"Want some? It's delicious! Or maybe… become our food instead!"

As they spoke, tentacles sprouted from their backs, writhing grotesquely.

Ryuji inhaled deeply. Flames coiled around him. The fire under their cauldron roared to life.

There was no name for the technique. Just raw power. Fire engulfed Kashu. He didn't even use dragonfire—he wanted to test how much these so-called Lovecraftian monsters could withstand.

He unleashed a searing jet of flame that swept through the crowd, and slashed at the nearest villager.

As his blade struck flesh, the villager's skin exploded—bloody tentacles surged at Ryuji, and from the body emerged a grotesque creature full of writhing limbs.

Ryuji instantly sensed the malice in that flesh.

He summoned dragonfire. A second later, the mass of meat was vaporized.

His blazing blade sliced the tentacle beast clean in half.

It let out a horrible screech before dissipating into black smoke mid-air. He now had a sense of their durability—these monsters couldn't defend against a 7.62 caliber bullet. A sharp blade? Dead in an instant.

The rest of the villagers didn't fare any better. As flames wrapped around their tentacles, they exploded into clouds of blood. Even the creatures inside them were reduced to charred mist under a few hundred degrees of fire.

Soon, under Ryuji's Observation Haki, no monsters remained nearby.

"So these are the things that guy was talking about—the ones that crawl out of people…"

Black smoke lingered across the battlefield. He could sense it transforming into a strange energy.

He extended his hand instinctively.

Golden light began to sparkle within the black mist, gradually converging in his palm. His stamina recovered rapidly, and his mind surged with vitality.

Then, as the black mist cleared, translucent figures began to appear around him. They looked just like the villagers—some he had seen, others unfamiliar.

They nodded, bowed, or offered silent thanks, then disappeared into the golden light in his hand.

"So there really are ghosts in this world…"

Ryuji clicked his tongue in awe. He'd only suspected before. But seeing them with his own eyes? It was… different.

The feeling of witnessing the dead was strange, but he wasn't afraid.

The golden light didn't form a World Fragment. Instead, it etched itself into his right hand, forming a strange glowing mark. His physical strength rose slightly. Within the golden mark, he could faintly sense the energy of the world power.

He also felt a strange instinct:

If I gather enough of this power… this golden mark will become a World Fragment.

That meant the strength boost was temporary. Once it crystallized, the bonus would disappear.

"So World Power can be used like this… interesting. Too bad I still can't control it."

He studied the mark—streamlined lines running up his arm. It looked cool. With a thought, he hid the markings beneath his skin.

Clenching his fist, he prepared to move on. If slaying monsters could heal and power him up, this mission wouldn't be too bad.

His flames could handle most of the small fry.

But just as he set fire to the rest of the village and prepared to leave, he saw a group of people approaching along the road—from the same city he'd first arrived in.

They were riding horses, armed with blades, and wearing wisteria emblems. Through his Haki, Ryuji could feel their long breaths and dense physical structure.

"Samurai?"

He paused and looked at the horsemen. They saw the flames in the village and rushed toward him.

Upon spotting Ryuji, they hesitated, then stopped their horses and stared at him.

Now that they were close, Ryuji could see them clearly. Leading the group was a cheerful-looking man—shorter than Ryuji, though everyone here seemed short by comparison. With his flaming red and golden hair, he was already considered tall for this world.

"Hey there, brother. Did you set this village on fire?"

The man looked at Ryuji—and the unconscious woman on his back—and couldn't help staring a few extra seconds. Ryuji's muscular build was beyond anything he'd seen, even compared to his own comrades. The sheer power radiating from him was unmistakable.

Image (Here) of how MC looks now.

"Yeah. This place was crawling with monsters, so I cleaned it up. Figured a cremation was the respectful thing to do. Judging by your outfits, you're part of the Demon Slayer Corps, right?"

Ryuji used his Observation Haki to gauge them—only to be surprised. They all carried faint traces of World Power, barely noticeable… but it did exist.

The golden-haired man studied Ryuji. Everything he said felt honest. There was a pure aura about him—nothing like a liar. And more than anything… the man felt familiar, like the other members of the Corps.

So he smiled warmly.

"You're right—we're with the Demon Slayer Corps. Since you've taken out the monsters here, I doubt you're one of them. Mind if we introduce ourselves?". "I'm Kyojuro Rengoku, Flame Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps. It's good to meet someone fighting on the same side. May I ask your name… and where you're headed?"

Ryuji had guessed correctly—they were from the Corps, and this was a squad led by a Hashira. Just as he treated them with caution, Kyojuro also watched him carefully. They had seen far too many monsters to be careless now.

"My name is Ryuji. I'm a traveler. As for where I'm going... in times like this, it's only natural to look for somewhere still halfway normal. After all, while I can protect myself, my family can't."

Ryuji probed cautiously—he wanted to understand what kind of state this world was in.

Hearing his words, Kyojuro couldn't help but sigh.

Ever since these monsters—and the undead capable of infecting the living—had appeared, the whole of Japan had descended into chaos. The Demon Slayer Corps, once hidden in the shadows, had been forced into the light. While they had gained public support and resources, what they now faced were far more dangerous threats.

Kyojuro gave Ryuji a firm nod.

"Indeed. The world is in turmoil, and everyone is searching for a safe place to settle. If that's what you're looking for, Mr. Ryuji, then follow the main road to where the railroad is. Before long, you'll come upon a port. Most of the survivors are gathered there. If our mission goes well, we might just meet again there."

With that, the ever-spirited Kyojuro waved to him.

"We've got pressing matters, so I'll take my leave here. Remember—just follow the tracks!"

Ryuji nodded in response. Given how little trust existed between strangers these days, this polite yet distant exchange was probably the best outcome.

"Thank you! Until we meet again."

"Until we meet again!"

And just like that, Ryuji watched as the Demon Slayer known as Rengoku Kyojuro dashed off into the unknown.

Tightening his hold around the still-unresponsive Mai, he began walking in the direction Kyojuro had pointed out.

He hadn't sensed anything malicious intent from the man, so he figured it was worth giving it a shot.

Besides, even if it turned out to be a trap, with his Observation Haki always active, Ryuji was confident he could handle it.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before he saw the railroad Kyojuro had mentioned, and he followed it. As he walked, he realized this wasn't some primitive version of the past. Soon enough, he saw electric streetlights—and a crowd gathered for medical inspections.

This didn't surprise Ryuji. Given how both zombies and the monsters he had just fought were capable of infecting humans, a screening checkpoint was only natural.

He had no issue being checked, and the station even had female staff assigned to inspect women. Through his Observation Haki, Ryuji ensured that Mai passed inspection without any inappropriate interference from men.

When the dull-eyed Mai was kindly escorted back by one of the female inspectors, Ryuji had already pieced together the current state of this world.

Most cities had already fallen. Only a few fortified zones remained. The authorities had quickly moved in to clear cities near railways and turned them into survivor camps.

No one knew where those monsters had gone—only that their numbers seemed to be growing.

And the once-dismissed rumors of "demons" were no longer ignored. In fact, the Demon Slayer Corps had now become a publicly recognized organization.

The world had fallen apart... but not entirely.

"Fascinating... The official government still functions. And money... still works—though everything's expensive."

He looked down at the cash he'd received in exchange for a single gold coin and shook his head with a wry smile.

He led Mai into a nearby hotel. After checking in and getting a room, he gently pushed her to sit on the bed and then sat down in front of her.

"This world is extremely dangerous. So please… don't stay like this. Even if it's about Andy, you need to survive first if you ever want a chance to fix things."

Ryuji looked at her, his voice soft but firm.

He understood Mai's feelings for Andy. It was canon, after all—childhood friends, long-standing bonds. He had no intention of denying that. But sulking in grief in a place like this was reckless.

If Mai really wanted to get back with Andy, he wouldn't stand in the way. After all, he wasn't the kind of man to play the third party in someone else's relationship.

Unless the guy was already dead... or completely unworthy.

And Andy...

Well, truth be told, Ryuji didn't like the guy. He even suspected the man was impotent. Still, Ryuji had to admit—Andy was a good person.

Sure, he'd laugh at how indecisive and overly sentimental Andy was. But he wouldn't slander the man's character just because he was attractive to women. That would be too low, even for him.

In fact, from a certain perspective, Ryuji was the real obstacle here—the unwanted third party. Though it wasn't his fault; pure coincidence had thrown him into the mix.

And he didn't feel guilty about it, because he hadn't done anything wrong. Feeling guilty would just make him pathetic.

But perhaps he should've kept quiet.

Because the moment those words left his mouth, Mai buried her face in her arms on the table—and broke into tears.

"Andy… he got married!!"

...Ah.

Ryuji scratched his head awkwardly.

He really didn't see that one coming.