Demon Slayer: I Level Up Alone

Chapter 21

"This team uniform is made of good material; it feels quite comfortable to wear..."

Akito put on the Demon Slayer Corps uniform that had been sent to him and remarked.

He then draped a silver-white kimono of equally fine material over it.

In an instant, Akito's already handsome face was further accentuated by a courteous noble demeanor.

"Akito, the uniform you are wearing is made from special fibers that are breathable, waterproof, and fire-resistant. Even the claws and teeth of weak demons can't tear this uniform."

Urokodaki Sakonji said seriously to Akito.

"No wonder in the anime I watched in my previous life, those intense fight scenes had their clothes intact; it turns out the material is this impressive..."

"If it were in my previous life, this kind of material could probably be applied in other fields."

Akito remarked as he touched the uniform.

"And then there's the Nichirin Sword you possess. It changes color according to its master; different colors have different properties, but the green Nichirin Blade is still quite good..."

Akito looked at his Nichirin Sword, which was a bright green that made his heart race, and his mouth twitched slightly.

"You are one of the most talented geniuses I have ever seen. This is your first mission; you must pay attention to safety and always remember that you are a demon slayer, so do not give up your humanity..."

"Okay, I understand."

Akito replied calmly.

"By the way, take this with you. I estimate you will want to keep Ritoruho close."

Urokodaki Sakonji took out a wooden box, similar to the popular pet carriers from his previous life, which could accommodate Ritoruho after it shrank and allowed for a view of the outside scenery.

"Master Sakonji, you are truly impressive to be able to create something like this."

Akito picked up the box and examined it carefully, expressing his admiration.

"Alright, Master Sakonji, I should be on my way. If I stay another minute, someone might lose their life to the demons."

Akito slung the box over his shoulder, picked up Ritoruho and placed it inside, then took the Nichirin sword and walked towards the cabin door.

Urokodaki Sakonji and Tanjiro followed him out to see him off.

"Wait..."

Urokodaki Sakonji called out to Akito, stepped in front of him to tidy up his appearance, and then nodded.

"Be sure... be sure to pay attention to safety!"

"Master Sakonji, I will!"

Akito sensed Sakonji's concern for him and nodded in agreement.

"Akito, be careful on your way. We will be waiting for your return here!"

Tanjiro ran up and gave Akito a hug as he spoke.

"Okay, but you need to do your best too!"

Akito smiled and patted Tanjiro on the shoulder before setting off.

"May Akito's luck flourish!"

...

After leaving the Mount sagiri, Akito suddenly felt a bit reluctant.

"After all, I've lived with them for over a year..."

Akito sighed.

Meanwhile, Ritoruho in the wooden box seemed to sense Akito's slightly downcast mood.

It climbed out of the box to Akito's shoulder, nudged his cheek with its head, and then licked his face.

As if to say,

"Don't be sad; you still have me, Master."

"Alright, alright, I know. I'm just reminiscing; I've been in this world for almost two years now, and I've realized that as people grow up, the most common thing is separation."

"But fortunately, I have you now..."

Akito smiled and patted Ritoruho's head, then turned his gaze to the Kasugai Crow, Kuro, who was flying freely in the sky.

"Kuro, come down; I have something to tell you."

Akito called for Kuro to come down.

However, Kuro was a bit hesitant to descend, feeling a little afraid of Ritoruho, but still forced itself to overcome its fear and flew in front of Akito, calling out: "Cow... Cow... Nakagawa Akito, what is it, what is it?"

Akito smirked slightly, "Do you want to eat this?"

A cleansing pill appeared in Akito's hand.

Kuro stared intently at the fragrant cleansing pill.

Just as Kuro was about to eat the cleansing pill, Akito's other hand appeared with a pet contract, quickly binding Kuro as a pet.

"Cow... Cow... Nakagawa... What did you do to me, what did you do to me..."

Kuro shouted.

"It's nothing, Kuro, these are all yours."

Akito took out five cleansing pills and placed them in front of it.

Kuro couldn't help but swallow, the cleansing pills not only had an enticing aroma but also attracted Kuro's primal desires.

A voice inside kept urging it to quickly eat the cleansing pills. Kuro's inner struggle continued, and the initial wariness towards Akito gradually disappeared with the ingestion of the cleansing pills.

"Akito... Master, Kuro wants more..."

After finishing the cleansing pills, Kuro grew visibly larger at an astonishing speed, and its claws and sharp beak became more menacing.

"Not bad, it seems the contract has taken effect..."

Akito thought.

"Don't rush, you should digest it first and fully absorb the effects of the cleansing pills."

Then he checked Kuro's profile.

Name: Kuro

Race: Kasugai 

Talent: Directional Sense, Human Speech

Description: This is a highly intelligent crow trained by a special organisation.

"Every Kasugai probably has this talent..."

Looking at Kuro, which had now grown to the size of a falcon, he couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.

"A bit small... It took five cleansing pills to get this big, it can't even carry me... Should I use the Beast Breathing Technique now..."

Akito thought for a moment but decided against it; after all, there were only two chances left for the Beast Breathing Technique. If it didn't work on Kuro now, he would be at a loss.

Akito thought he would use it on Kuro tomorrow.

"Alright, Kuro, Ritoruho, from now on you are companions. Ritoruho, you can also teach Kuro the Beast Breathing Technique to help it get familiar with it."

Ritoruho nodded and then began to communicate with Kuro, the crow and the white fox chattering away.

"Ying"

"Cow"

...

"What a pair of lively treasures..."

"But this is good; it won't be boring on the journey."

Thus, Akito followed Kuro's guidance and arrived at the small town.

As soon as he entered the town, 

Akito sensed that the people here seemed a bit different.

There was a hint of lifelessness; although the streets were lively, there was a lack of vitality, and the air carried a sense of sadness.

"Hmm? It seems many eyes are watching me..."

"Could it be that Demon?"

Akito thought to himself.

In this small town, many flowers could be seen; Akito didn't know what kind they were, but it was evident that people seemed to love these flowers, as every household planted them.

Suddenly,

A little boy rushed out of the crowd and bumped into Akito.

"Big brother, hurry... hurry and leave... otherwise, you'll end up like them..."

The little boy was filthy, pulling at Akito to leave.

"It's okay, tell me, did you see something? Don't worry, I'm here to get rid of that thing..."

Akito said slowly.

"Really, big brother, are you really here to kill that man-eating monster?"

The little boy asked in surprise.

"Hmm, but you need to tell me what happened here so I can think of a good way to kill that man-eating monster."

"Big brother, then come to my house."

The little boy led Akito home.

Along the way,

There was a strong floral scent, and Akito felt he was starting to find some answers.