Sign-In System: One Piece, Demon Slayer & Beyond

Fear.

The moment the Scythe Demon met the gaze of the young man before it, a wave of indescribable, bone-chilling terror surged through its entire body.

"Am I… going to die?"

"So this… is what death feels like?"

Its pupils quivered violently as it stared at that man, body trembling uncontrollably. Every single cell screamed in dread, completely paralyzed.

The two Demon Slayer members stood in stunned silence, staring at the Scythe Demon, whose fear was so intense it shook visibly… and then at the young man in front of it.

Was he really… human?

They couldn't tell anymore. He bore no features of a demon—no scent, no markings, nothing that gave off the aura of a demon.

But no human should possess the power to control ice in such a terrifying way.

So what… exactly was he?

With the silver-blue gourd still in hand, Ron took a lazy swig of wine, then glanced at the frozen Scythe Demon with an indifferent look.

"Too scared to even talk now? Fine, I'll choose for you."

Snap.

With a casual flick of his fingers, a rush of white mist burst forth, chilling the air around the Scythe Demon.

Before it could react, the mist solidified into a crystal-clear, vertical block of ice—a glimmering coffin of frost that sealed the demon inside completely.

Trapped inside the frozen prison, the demon's face was twisted in despair. Its vitality was nearly snuffed out, yet its demonic cells still thrashed in resistance.

"Still not dead?" Ron muttered to himself. "Weak in strength, but tenacious like a roach."

He clipped the gourd back onto his waist, and under the wide-eyed gaze of the two demon slayers, bent down and picked up the slender Nichirin Blade that the female member had dropped.

"So this is a Nichirin Blade, huh…" he weighed it casually in his hand, "Nothing remarkable in sharpness or hardness… just designed to kill demons?"

He examined it for a moment, unimpressed.

"Nowhere near the level of those fine swords I had before."

Before the demon slayers could even make sense of his words, Ron turned casually and, without even taking a stance, swung the blade toward the frozen coffin several meters away.

Swish—

A faint flash of sword light sliced through the dim air.

A clean, seamless line appeared on the ice.

The top half of the frozen demon's head slid off along that flawless cut, hitting the ground with a soft thud before crumbling away.

The Scythe Demon's body followed, disintegrating into ash under the moonlight—gone without a trace.

"Demons… weak creatures who love picking on the helpless," Ron said with disdain, brushing a stray strand of hair behind his ear.

Behind him, the two Demon Slayers lay on the ground, dumbfounded.

He didn't even touch the demon. The blade didn't even reach it… So how?!

What was that flash just now?!

Ron turned to face them. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the Nichirin Blade back beside the female slayer.

Crossing his arms, he leaned forward slightly and said with a casual tone, "Since I saved your lives, you owe me an answer."

"Do either of you know someone named Tanjiro?"

...

"You don't?"

Ron walked through the quiet streets of the town under the night sky, sipping from his gourd, deep in thought.

"Don't tell me… the story hasn't started yet?"

"Or maybe… Tanjiro hasn't joined the Demon Slayer Corps?"

"Hmm… whatever."

"I'll go check out another town."

...

After he left the town—

Just before dawn broke through the dark sky—

One of the Hashira—Shinobu Kocho—arrived at the scene.

Inside a small house, the female slayer, Yukita, who was less injured, tended to the wounds of the short-haired male member Shuichi and the tall, skinny one.

She looked up and, spotting Shinobu, immediately brightened.

"Lady Shinobu!"

The tall male slayer lying on the bed opened his eyes and greeted respectfully, "Lady Shinobu…"

The short-haired slayer remained unconscious.

Clad in her butterfly-patterned haori and gripping her slender Nichirin Blade, Shinobu Kocho looked at the three survivors in front of her. A subtle breath of relief escaped her lips—but what she felt even more strongly… was confusion.

"I was told an enhanced demon appeared here. Are you the ones who drove it away?" she asked gently.

The female demon slayer shook her head. "No."

"That demon… was killed. A mysterious man appeared and took it down."

The tall male slayer, lying back and staring at the ceiling, spoke with awe still heavy in his voice—his eyes distant, as if reliving the shock of the previous night.

"A mysterious man?" Shinobu echoed, her confusion only deepening.

Then, as the female and tall male demon slayers began recounting everything that had transpired the night before, Shinobu's calm expression began to shift.

Control over ice.

Unfathomable swordsmanship.

A single strike to slay a powerful enhanced demon.

At the mention of ice-based powers, one name instantly flashed across Shinobu's mind—Doma, the Upper Rank Two demon of the Twelve Kizuki. The same monster who had murdered her beloved elder sister, Kanae.

But as the story continued, she began to doubt that assumption.

If it had been Doma, then none of them would've survived—not the tall male slayer, not the unconscious one… and especially not the young female slayer.

And based on their description… this mysterious person showed no signs of being a demon. He even wielded a Nichirin Blade.

Which meant there was a strong possibility—

That this wasn't a demon at all, but a human.

A human with overwhelming power, someone completely outside the Demon Slayer Corps.

Shinobu's amethyst eyes sparkled faintly with intrigue.

"Oh, right—" the female slayer said, as if suddenly remembering something. "As a way of thanking him for saving our lives… he asked us a question."

Shinobu turned toward her. "What kind of question?"

"He wanted to know if there's someone named Tanjiro in the Demon Slayer Corps."

Shinobu's eyes narrowed slightly.

"What did you say to him?"

The two slayers glanced at each other.

The female one replied first. "We told him no… we don't know anyone by that name."

The tall male slayer nodded in agreement. "Yeah… I've never heard of anyone called Tanjiro in the Corps."

Shinobu shook her head softly. "You're both wrong. There is someone by that name."

The two slayers stared at her in surprise.

"Really?"

Shinobu nodded gently. "Yes. During this year's Final Selection, five new demon slayers were recruited… and one of them is a boy named Tanjiro."

"The new recruits from this year…" the two exchanged glances, clearly startled.

Meanwhile, Shinobu lightly touched her chin with her fingertips, deep in thought.

Why was that mysterious man looking for Tanjiro?

What's the connection between the two of them?

And more importantly—

If he's human… how on earth does he wield the power of ice?

Shinobu looked up again, and in the soft morning light, her violet eyes shimmered with curiosity.

Her instincts were telling her—

This was something worth investigating.

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