Crossover: The Problematic Deity of Arcadia

— — — — — —

The Hinokami Kagura was made up of twelve forms. When these forms were linked together in sequence, they created a fluid, complete sword dance.

Each form could stand alone as a sword technique—lethal, yet beautiful. Watching it, one might genuinely believe it was a sacred fire god dance being performed.

But Ryo Yagami, ever observant, quickly noticed something else. When all twelve forms were strung together flawlessly, they became a single, continuous chain of sword strikes.

It wasn't some invincible, god-tier swordsmanship—but it also wasn't useless. In the end, a move's power depended more on the person using it than the move itself.

In close combat, Ryo believed this dance held considerable value.

As for long-range energy blasts or ability-based attacks? Well, the creator of the Hinokami Kagura had likely never imagined such "cheat-like" moves, so it wasn't built to counter those.

Yoriichi Tsugikuni... The strongest swordsman of the Sengoku era, without a doubt. Ryo couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

If he'd lived five hundred years earlier, Ryo would've absolutely tried to recruit Yoriichi into his Community. But now, the genius was long gone—leaving behind only a legacy for others to admire from afar.

After that brief moment of reflection, Ryo pulled a pocket watch from his collar. He looked at the number on the dial: 8. His eyes narrowed slightly, a small smile tugging at his lips.

In just a few short days, he had pushed his Influence Score up to 8—just four points shy of the max value of 12.

That kind of progress? Way better than what he managed in the Bleach world, where he barely hit 9.

Of course, the danger levels between Bleach and Demon Slayer were on completely different scales.

At that moment, Tanjiro's father, Tanjuro Kamado, finished a round of the dance. He stepped aside, grabbed another ritual stick from a nearby bag, and casually tossed one over to Ryo.

"Mr. Ryo?"

Ryo caught it with a smile, understanding what Tanjuro meant. Without hesitation, he slipped off his shoes and stepped forward to dance alongside him.

Nezuko, watching from the side, gasped. "He really learned it after just one look? Mr. Ryo, you're amazing!"

Mitsuri Kanroji stared at Ryo with sparkles in her eyes.

Kyōjuro couldn't help but clap in admiration. "Perfect!"

He knew full well that he himself couldn't master it just by watching once—so seeing someone else do it left him in awe.

"Ah~"

Shinobu Kocho opened her mouth, wanting to say Ryo was dancing even better than Tanjuro... but decided to keep that thought to herself.

After another round of the dance, Tanjuro turned to Ryo with a surprised look in his eyes.

"Maybe shut out your extra senses. Dance with me like that."

Hearing this, Ryo narrowed his eyes. He mimicked Tanjuro's movements—and something shifted.

Suddenly, the world changed.

Tanjuro in front of him, and even Shinobu and the others in the distance, began to lose their colors. It was as if the world had become translucent—he could see the flow of blood beneath their skin.

This is... the Transparent World?

Ryo's eyes widened for a moment. Then he returned his senses to normal and looked at Tanjuro, who had stopped dancing.

"Huh... That's a pretty interesting technique," he said casually.

Tanjuro caught his breath and looked utterly stunned.

Ryo raised a brow. "You just used the Transparent World to observe me, didn't you?"

"Y-Yes," Tanjuro nodded.

"So... what did you see?" Ryo asked, genuinely curious.

"Fire. A golden flame... No—wait. Not just pure fire. It felt more like the sun itself."

Tanjuro shook his head, trying to process the shock, then stared at Ryo with a look of awe.

"Mr. Ryo... no, who—what are you?"

Ryo only smiled and asked a question of his own: "This dance—who was it originally meant for?"

Tanjuro froze.

Who was the Hinokami Kagura meant to be shown to?

Understanding dawned on him instantly, and he looked at Ryo as if struck by lightning.

Then Ryo reached into his sleeve and pulled out a small bag from his Gift Card. He handed it to Tanjuro.

"What's this?" Tanjuro asked, surprised.

Even through the bag, he could smell a faint, sweet aroma.

That scent alone seemed to lift a weight off his shoulders—as if two giant stones had been removed from his back.

"It's payment. A special kind of rice," Ryo said, pressing the bag into his hands with a smile. "It won't be as effective on regular soil, but if you eat it consistently, it should help with the physical weakness caused by your breathing technique."

It was mid-grade rice from the Little Garden world. Technically, ordinary folk ate it daily, even if they were beastmen or elves.

With enough time, this food would easily fix the lingering issues in Tanjuro's body. This was Ryo's reward for the dance.

"Wait, something this precious—!" Tanjuro began to protest.

But before he could finish, Nezuko rushed over and grabbed his hand.

"Father!"

Looking into his daughter's pleading eyes, Tanjuro let out a long sigh. His expression softened, filled with gratitude.

"You're being far too generous."

Ryo chuckled. "And you taught me quite a bit."

After all, just reaching Influence 8 had already brought Ryo immense benefits. Giving Tanjuro a bag of rice in return? That was nothing.

Honestly, if he didn't think Tanjuro would reject the offer, Ryo might've asked if he was interested in becoming a demon-type being.

"Well then... I guess this counts as a fair trade," Tanjuro said, carefully tucking the rice away. He gently patted Nezuko on the head. "Sorry for worrying you."

Nezuko shook her head, feeling a bit embarrassed about how impulsive she'd just been. But deep down, she didn't regret it.

If she hadn't spoken up, this 'medicine' that could heal her father might've been taken back.

So no—she didn't regret it at all.

A moment later, Tanjuro handed Ryo a small slip of paper.

"This is everything I know about the dance. If you ever have questions, you can find me at this address."

Ryo took the note and nodded with a smile.

With that, Tanjuro took Nezuko's hand and turned to leave.

As they passed by Shinobu and the others, Kyōjuro stepped forward and bowed deeply.

"Thank you for your guidance."

Tanjuro returned the smile. "And thank you all for your efforts."

Then he gave a polite nod and continued on toward the inn with Nezuko.

Just as they walked away, Nezuko glanced back—her eyes lingering on the handsome young man standing beneath the white clouds.

Tanjuro gently squeezed her hand.

"Take a good look, Nezuko."

"That man might just be the greatest person we'll ever meet in this life."

Nezuko's eyes widened, and she silently engraved Ryo's image deep into her heart.

— — —

Once the father and daughter had gone, Ryo turned his gaze to the sky.

Above, a crow circled, cawing loudly:

"Hashira meeting! The Hashira meeting is about to begin! All participants, please proceed to the designated location and await further instructions!"

Shinobu clenched her fists tightly at the sound.

The final war...

It was about to begin.

.

.

.