The night in the metropolis was bustling, to say the least. At least, that was what Li Mo thought as he stepped out of his house, now dressed in modern clothes, and saw the streets filled with people.
The neon lights illuminated the streets, and convenience stores lined the sidewalks, their radios playing softly. The smell of car exhaust filled the air, and many people passing by wore headphones, holding their phones in their hands. Women dressed in fashionable clothes formed a vibrant and eye-catching scene that brought a sense of joy.
Standing by a vending machine, Li Mo used a coin to buy a can of coffee. He gazed at the familiar yet unfamiliar surroundings.
He had really returned...
This wasn't a dream.
Li Mo was now standing in a metropolis called "Tokyo," as evident from the towering skyscrapers around him. This was the "21st century."
Having grown accustomed to the architectural style of the Taisho era, seeing the concrete jungle of skyscrapers felt... strangely surreal.
Unconsciously, he finished the coffee in his hand, only snapping back to reality when he realized the can was empty.
After returning home, Li Mo changed out of his tattered clothes and disposed of the blood-stained bandages Kochou Kanae had given him. Then, he went out.
Such a scene was unimaginable in the Taisho era... At least, in Tokyo during that time, women preferred wearing yukatas, using fabric to cover their figures. Unlike now, where one could see plenty of exposed legs.
In the first year of his journey to the demon-slaying world, Li Mo had constantly thought about returning. Using electrical appliances was far better than relying on charcoal. But that same year, after meeting the Kamado family, his desire to return gradually faded.
Perhaps he had grown accustomed to it? Or perhaps he felt no sense of belonging to that world.
After all, to that world, he was also just a traveler from another time.
But now that he had truly returned, seeing the familiar glow of electric lights brought him a sense of relief.
At least, he wouldn't have to worry about a demon jumping out from a dark corner to attack him.
Peace was truly wonderful.
Casually tossing the empty can into a trash bin, Li Mo patted his cheeks to wake himself up.
"First, what should I do? I guess I'll buy a new phone and then grab something to eat."
The phone he had taken to the Taisho era had still worked after the first night, even after being chased by a bear. But after two or three years, the battery had long since died. Now, it was just collecting dust in his system's inventory.
—This was a function he had discovered later. He could store his belongings in the system's inventory.
Li Mo needed a new phone.
This was where money came in handy. When Li Mo walked out of a Sony store, he was holding a brand-new Sony phone.
At first, the process of turning it on felt unfamiliar, but once the interface appeared, his movements became smooth again.
How many years had it been since he last touched a phone? Two? Three? Thinking about it, it felt like a lifetime ago.
Entering a ramen shop, Li Mo ordered a bowl of tonkotsu ramen. In truth, he was starving, his stomach growling fiercely. Leveling up could heal all his injuries, but it couldn't fill his hunger.
He had fought Akaza for most of the night, and before that, he had spent an hour or two traveling. It had been nearly half a day since his last meal.
He had really been through a lot.
Having not eaten for so long, combined with the exhaustion from the battle, made Li Mo feel like he could eat an entire cow. He suddenly regretted not going to an all-you-can-eat buffet. His appetite was much larger now, and he could definitely get his money's worth at a buffet.
In the end, Li Mo ate nearly ten bowls of different types of ramen before leaving the shop.
In the Taisho era, he ate ramen. Now, back in the 21st century, he was still eating ramen... Why hadn't he gone for Chinese food? It had been so long since he last had it!
Walking down the street, Li Mo saw a shop labeled "Spicy Hot Pot" and couldn't help but ponder this question.
Was his thinking too rigid?
"That won't do."
...
...
Li Mo's residence in Tokyo was once again filled with light. The young man stretched lazily at the entrance before changing into indoor slippers. He shuffled into the living room and collapsed onto the sofa, not wanting to move.
—He was so tired.
For some reason, now that he had relaxed, Li Mo suddenly felt too lazy to do anything.
Thinking back on the past two or three years, he wondered... how had he been so diligent?
In the demon-slaying world, he had worked so hard it didn't even feel like himself.
How strange...
"Right, I still need to figure out what that so-called treasure chest key is for."
Li Mo opened the system interface. It was neat and tidy, much better than the jagged, broken appearance it had at the beginning. The treasure chest key should be in the inventory. But the moment he opened the main interface, his attention was drawn to the line at the bottom.
—"Dungeon."
Seeing these familiar words, Li Mo immediately thought of a way to return. His first experience in the demon-slaying world had been a dungeon, right?
System?
Unfortunately, this rigid system was a piece of junk and couldn't hear his thoughts.
Li Mo clicked on "Dungeon".
A new interface appeared, mostly blank. Li Mo's attention was drawn to the text.
—"Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Two Rounds)".
A strange unit of time had appeared. Why "rounds"? Was this some kind of turn-based RPG game?
The system had been repaired, and a new function allowed him to return to the demon-slaying world to drag Muzan out into the sunlight. This should have been a joyous occasion.
But why, why? Why was the unit "rounds"?
"It must be broken, this system. Oh, wait, the system was already broken... Did something go wrong during the repair? No, probably not... right?"
Considering he knew nothing about the system, it was possible something had gone wrong.
Then, Li Mo quickly pushed the thought aside. The cart would find its way when it reached the mountain. No need to panic; he'd just go along with it.
"Next, the treasure chest key. Please don't tell me it's just a key, and I'll have to go find a golden treasure chest. If that's the case, I'll kill the system."
Of course, he was just talking. How could he even kill the system?
Could he bite the panel or something?
That would be too stupid.
Soon, Li Mo dismissed this bold idea and opened the inventory. The beautiful key lay there.
System, key—following game logic, the key was for opening a treasure chest. It couldn't be for opening a door, right? In most games, doors weren't even locked. For example, the first thing a hero does is loot villagers' houses. Have you ever seen a locked door in those?
Of course, the more important thing was that the key was called the "Golden Treasure Chest Key."
Fortunately, the Golden Treasure Chest Key didn't require a chest to open. Seeing the pop-up screen, Li Mo rubbed his hands together, curious about what he might get.
"「Secret Sword: Swallow Reversal」"
"Category: Skill Book."
"Quality: Rare."
"Effect: Swallow Reversal is a sophisticated sword technique developed by the swordsman 'Sasaki Kojiro' to kill swallows in mid-air. It is a precise technique that involves three simultaneous slashes."
"Note: So, what kind of swallow requires a sword technique that reaches the realm of the Second Magic, creating a dimensional folding effect, to kill?"
Looking at this, the image of an old gatekeeper samurai appeared in his mind.
What luck.
Li Mo stroked his chin, deep in thought.