"Men are strongest when protecting someone!"
— Metal Bat, One Punch Man
[ Push the Story Forward with your Power Stones ]
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The other Hashira, not yet familiar with Roy, their new leader, remained silent.
Except for Sanemi Shinazugawa, the Wind Hashira.
"Hey! You, Roy, is it?!" Sanemi shouted, pointing at Roy with a rude gesture.
"What makes you think you can just waltz in and become the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps?!"
Despite his notoriously aggressive, bloodthirsty, and volatile nature, Sanemi held deep respect for Kagaya Ubuyashiki.
Therefore, he naturally harbored animosity towards Roy, who had seemingly usurped Kagaya's position.
"Your name is Sanemi Shinazugawa, correct?" Roy asked calmly, unfazed by Sanemi's outburst.
"That's right. I'm the Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa!"
"Are you curious why I've become the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps?" Roy asked, then turned to Saeko. "Saeko, take him aside and teach him a lesson."
"With pleasure," Saeko replied with a sly smile.
"Shinazugawa-san, please follow me." Saeko gestured with a playful smirk.
"What? You want to fight? I'm always up for a brawl!" Sanemi's bloodlust surged. He never backed down from a fight.
They moved to an open area outside the Butterfly Mansion, followed by Roy and the others.
"Shinazugawa-san, please," Saeko said with a bow.
"Hmph! You first," Sanemi scoffed, crossing his arms.
"Very well. Then please be careful, Shinazugawa-san." Sanemi's dismissive attitude angered Saeko.
She drew her sword and vanished in an instant.
Sanemi blinked, surprised by her sudden disappearance.
He looked around but couldn't find her.
Then, he felt a cold blade pressed against his neck from behind.
Sanemi froze, cold sweat trickling down his back.
"My, my, Shinazugawa-san, you're quite careless, aren't you?" Saeko chuckled from behind him.
"Perhaps you weren't prepared," she added playfully, retracting her sword and returning to her original position. "This time, Shinazugawa-san, you may attack first."
The other Hashira knew that Sanemi was no match for Saeko.
However, they weren't fond of his aggressive and bloodthirsty nature, so none of them spoke up in his defense.
Saeko's words enraged Sanemi, his eyes bloodshot.
As a proud and fierce warrior, he couldn't accept defeat.
"Hmph!" Sanemi grunted, as if to warn Saeko of his incoming attack.
He charged towards her, wielding a Nichirin Blade in each hand.
Saeko simply chuckled at his straightforward assault.
With a few casual sidesteps, she effortlessly evaded his attacks.
Sanemi's attacks were far too direct and predictable.
After his first attack missed, he swung his other sword.
Saeko dodged again with ease.
Sanemi's two swords whirled around him like a whirlwind, but Saeko effortlessly evaded every blow, occasionally placing her blade against his neck without striking.
This tactic, though not physically harmful, was incredibly humiliating.
Sanemi, due to his love for battle, was covered in scars.
He wasn't afraid of being cut, but being unable to land a hit and constantly taunted was unbearable.
"Stop dodging, coward!" Sanemi roared as he continued his assault.
Clang!
A crisp sound echoed through the air.
Sanemi's Nichirin Blade had been sliced clean in two.
Saeko's sword was once again at his neck, a thin line of blood trickling down.
Sanemi, however, ignored the blood and stared at his broken sword in disbelief.
"I lost..." he muttered, really defeated.
Saeko chuckled softly and returned to Roy's side.
With the troublemaker dealt with, Roy addressed the other Hashira. "Prepare yourselves. We depart for Asakusa in one hour."
"Yes, Roy-sama!" the Hashira replied and dispersed to make their preparations.
An hour later, Roy set off with the Hashira and over a hundred Demon Slayers.
By the time they arrived in Asakusa, night had fallen.
"Roy-nii-san, will Muzan Kibutsuji really appear here?" Tanjiro asked excitedly.
Roy had informed Tanjiro beforehand, so he was already waiting for them in Asakusa.
To find Muzan Kibutsuji in the bustling city, they needed Tanjiro's keen sense of smell.
"Yes, Tanjiro. We're counting on you."
"Yes!" Tanjiro was thrilled to be entrusted with such an important task.
"Hashira, stay behind us. Do not engage without my orders," Roy instructed. "The rest of you, remove your Demon Slayer uniforms and blend in with the crowd. If you find Muzan Kibutsuji, evacuate the civilians immediately."
Roy assigned their tasks, then entered the bustling streets of Asakusa with Tanjiro.
The girls accompanying them wore beautiful kimonos over their Demon Slayer uniforms, ready for battle if needed.
They strolled through the streets, searching for Muzan Kibutsuji, blending in with the crowd like ordinary people enjoying a night out.
Of course, to Roy, it wasn't much different from an evening stroll.
"Excuse me, could we have some dango?" Roy stopped at a food stall with the girls.
"Coming right up!" the vendor replied, quickly preparing several skewers of dango.
Roy took the skewers and handed them to the eager girls behind him, Makomo and Nezuko among them.
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If you're interested. you can read 18 advanced chapters, Up to Ch 71+ :
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