Demon Slayer: The Forest Pillar

"Eizo, where is this place? It looks like the scenery is pretty good." Shinichi looked at the island he had just landed on with interest.

Eizo on his shoulder combed the feathers on his wings, and then answered loudly: "This is Hachijo Island in the Izu Islands!"

"Hachijo Island? The name is quite special, but there are also evil spirits on such an isolated island?" Shinichi touched Enji in his arms and said curiously.

"Not really! It's just that many caravans or fleets disappeared for no reason near Hachijo Island, so you need to investigate, Shinichi!" Yingsan said loudly.

Shinichi shrugged indifferently. He had experienced similar things before. The Demon Slayer Corps is not omnipotent. Many times, it is impossible to judge whether there are really evil spirits causing trouble, so most of the time, it depends on the active investigation of the Demon Slayer Corps members.

But at this point, Shinichi suddenly remembered something, "Eizo, I remember there seemed to be a teammate this time? I wonder where he is now?"

Hearing this, Yingzo also flapped his wings, took off from Shinichi's shoulder, and flew into the sky, as if to find the teammate who had not yet met up.

At the same time, on Hachijo Island, which was shrouded in the night, under the dim moonlight, a thin figure was staggering and running away in the mountains and forests.

The boy's pure white Confucian robe was covered with dust and sweat, and there were many small cuts on his bare calves and feet. Although his black hair was tied up, it still looked messy because of his embarrassing escape.

On a face half covered by a bandage, there were a pair of yellow and blue-green eyes. The most peculiar thing was that a pure white slender snake was coiled around the neck of the fleeing boy, spitting out scarlet snake tongue from time to time.

"Run! Run out of here! I don't want to die, I don't want to be eaten, I want to live well!" The boy screamed frantically in his heart, and the huge free body like a nightmare was torturing his spirit all the time.

The rustling sound above his head at night was a hypnotic magic song, the dim dungeon was a suffocating coffin, and the cold greed of the tribe was a murderous blade.

The cold touch of the partner named "镝丸" on his neck made the boy barely come back to his senses from fear. He didn't dare to look back. He only knew that he had to run forward desperately! Escape from this cruel family, escape from that terrible...evil ghost!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Shinichi soon saw his teammate, but was a little surprised, because he didn't expect his teammate to be this one.

The black uniform of the Demon Slayer Corps, the white cape with flowing fire patterns, the golden red hair, the face of an owl, the spirited face, is the Flame Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps - Rengoku Makijuro.

"Mr. Rengoku, it's you? No, there are already Pillar-level swordsmen, so why do I need to come here?" Shinichi said with a smile.

Makijuro crossed his arms and also smiled, "Long time no see, Shinichi, I have heard about your deeds recently, very good, of course, you don't have to be surprised to see me.

A few days ago, the Water Pillar retired, and the Pillar-level swordsman was vacant again, so my jurisdiction has also become larger. A person's energy is limited, so even a Pillar will sometimes need help."

During the days in the Demon Slayer Corps, the Pillar-level swordsman Shinichi had only seen the Flame Pillar in front of him and the newly promoted Rock Pillar.

As for other Pillar-level swordsmen, Shinichi had never seen them before. When he heard Makijuro mention other Pillar-level swordsmen, Shinichi became interested.

So he asked, "How many Pillar-level swordsmen does the Demon Slayer Corps have now?"

Makijuro said with a serious face, "After the Water Pillar retired, the only Pillar-level swordsmen in the Demon Slayer Corps are me, the Rock Pillar, and the Wind Pillar. However, if nothing unexpected happens, an outstanding junior will soon be promoted to the Pillar."

"What?" Shinichi was shocked. He didn't expect that the Demon Slayer Corps, which is so big, now has only three Pillar-level swordsmen. Isn't this a joke? Even if you count the one who will be promoted that Makijuro just mentioned, there are only four Pillar-level swordsmen.

Too few. Compared with the evil spirits, the Demon Slayer Corps has too few high-end combat forces. Shinichi shook his head. There are twelve demon moons on the evil spirit side.

Shinichi didn't know the strength of the upper-rank demons, but judging from the lower-rank demon that he met that day, the strength of the lower-rank demons was far beyond that of ordinary swordsmen, not to mention the mysterious upper-rank demons. At least for hundreds of years, the Demon Slayer Corps has never killed an upper-rank demon.

With the current strength, can the Demon Slayer Corps really defeat the ancestor of demons, Muzan? Shinichi's face was a little heavy.

"However, although there are not many pillar-level swordsmen now, there are many excellent juniors like you, Shinichi. I believe that the future of our Demon Slayer Corps will definitely be even stronger!" Seeing Shinichi's face,Makijuro spoke to comfort him.

That's right, who can predict the future? Shinichi cheered up and continued to ask, "Who is the pillar to be promoted?"

"Uzui Tengen, a very outstanding junior, is said to have been a very powerful ninja from a long-standing ninja family." Makijuro said loudly.

Shinichi's eyes widened, "Who!?" Uzui Tengen? A figure covered in "jewels and gems" instantly appeared in his mind. That gorgeous middle school guy, he became a pillar? It was really unexpected.

While Shinichi was thinking, Makijuro walked to his side, patted his shoulder with his hand, and said with encouragement: "Come on, Shinichi, your excellence is also admirable. I believe that it won't be too long before our Demon Slayer Corps will have another powerful pillar-level swordsman."

Shinichi smiled, "I will."

The condition for becoming a pillar is to kill fifty demons or successfully kill one of the twelve demon moons, either of which is quite difficult.

However, if we count the first evil demon Karasuma killed by Shinichi, Shinichi has killed nearly fifty demons until today, but Shinichi's pride did not let him rely on these to negotiate with his lord Yoya to become a pillar.

In Shinichi's view, to become a pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps, you must start from the day you join the Demon Slayer Corps, either kill fifty demons or kill the twelve demon moons! This is Shinichi's own persistence and pride.

In this way, Shinichi and Makijuro started their investigation on Hachijo Island while talking all the way.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Ahhh!" Yuanji, who was originally staggering on the road, suddenly stood up straight, and then suddenly howled in one direction.

The sudden situation also made Shinichi and Makijuro stunned for a moment.

Suddenly! !

In the shadow of the forest not far away, a huge figure suddenly rushed out!

Oily black hair, scarlet eyes, hideous and ugly face that did not look like a human, the corners of the mouth were grinning all the way to the roots of the ears, sharp fangs were exposed, and the long scarlet sticky tongue was like a snake tongue, spitting and sucking.

What was terrifying was that below the belly button was a huge snake body like a python, covered with fine scales, and its sharp green claws were grabbing a thin boy, and it was about to open its mouth and bite the boy.

"Breath of the Forest·Type 3·Thorn Thorn!"

"Breath of the Flame·Type 1·Shiranui!"

In a flash, two slashes faster than lightning were swung out in an instant!