I don't want to be an elf!

Burning away the old era?

To build one's own power?

Provoking the Demon Slayer Corps and demons?

Accelerate the final battle?

It feels like I'm being a troublemaker...

Shaking her head to dismiss the illusion, Kotori Itsuka began to think about her future plans.

In the original work, Kotori Itsuka serves as a bridge between spirits and humans.

As the commander of Ratatosk, she adheres to the principle of peaceful coexistence with the elves and tries her best to take in all the elf girls.

Ironically, the name Ratatosk comes from the name of a squirrel in Norse mythology that lives on the World Tree.

At the top of the World Tree lives the eagle Vidfolnir, and at its roots dwells the dragon Nidhogg. Ratatoskr usually travels between the top and the roots, and he tells Nidhogg the gossip he hears at the top, thus causing suspicion between the eagle and the dragon.

Therefore, rather than promoting peaceful coexistence between the two sides, Ratatosk's actions are nothing but sowing discord and creating trouble.

It's exactly what the system is asking her to do now.

"Furthermore, establishing a third organization that doesn't belong to the Demon Slayer Corps or demons is tantamount to asking me to rebuild Ratatoskr, isn't it?" Kotori Itsuka pondered. "According to the way Kotori Itsuka contained spirits in the original story, wouldn't I be... containing demons?"

As this thought crossed her mind, a bitter expression appeared on her face.

Elves and ghosts are fundamentally different.

Elf girls are mostly kind-hearted by nature.

Although there are also people like Kurumi Tokisaki who killed tens of thousands of people, Origami Tobiichi who caused a great disaster, and Miku Izayoi who treated girls as toys and men as cockroaches.

But they are not inherently bad.

Kurumi Tokisaki kills because she believes that once she fulfills her tragic wish, not only will the people she kills be resurrected, but those killed by other spirits will also be resurrected.

Origami Tobiichi caused a massive fire in Tengu City, killing not only her own parents but also causing numerous other casualties. However, Mio Takamiya bears half the blame, as Origami Tobiichi is also a victim.

As for Miku Izayoi, she is the type who believes that since the world has kissed her with pain, she will also make the world feel pain.

Although they are burdened with sin and evil regardless of their reasons, from their perspective, it is at least somewhat understandable.

But, a ghost?

Unlike the Spirit Mother Mio Takamiya, who only chose innocent girls to become spirits, the progenitor of all demons, Muzan Kibutsuji, chose 99% of those who were extremely wicked when selecting people to become demons.

The vast majority of ghosts are evil people who deserve to die anyway.

Recruiting someone like that into the organization? Let alone her, even the real Kotori Itsuka probably wouldn't do that.

"How many people in the Ghost faction are qualified to join my organization?"

Kotori Itsuka recalled the plot of the original work and counted on her fingers: "Tamayo counts as one, Yushiro counts as one, Akaza counts as half, Daki and Gyutaro... adding them together, they can barely count as half?"

Even with a lowered ethical standard, only five people could join Ratatosk.

Three of them are the type who wouldn't join even if asked.

If I had to name a few, it would really only be Tamayo and Yushiro.

"Ah, wait."

Suddenly, as if she had just remembered something, Kotori Itsuka clenched her fist and exclaimed in surprise, "How could I have forgotten about Nezuko?"

If there's anyone truly pure and innocent among the demons, it's Nezuko.

Most importantly, based on the current timeline, Nezuko and Tanjiro Kamado should have just been captured and are currently being escorted to the trial location.

She and her brother could both become among the first members of Ratatosk.

"Very good, very good. System, I misunderstood you. This is indeed a good time to travel to."

Kotori Itsuka's eyes crinkled into a smile.

"Tonight, let's go kidnap someone!"

Chapter Three: The Two Demons Bathed in Sunlight

Dawn, wasteland.

In the dim light, several men dressed in black, wearing hats and veils, were pulling a prison cart along a country road.

They were incredibly fast, even faster than ordinary horses, taking turns pulling the cart to maintain an extremely high speed.

They are the [Hidden].

The squad responsible for cleanup and support within the Demon Slayer Corps.

Although they were unable to perform demon-slaying duties due to their lack of swordsmanship, they were all proficient in breathing techniques, which gave them physical abilities that surpassed those of ordinary people.

In the morning glow, their figures moved silently, like nimble black cats.

Inside the prison cart was a young boy.

The boy had multiple injuries and looked like he had just been through a major battle; he was physically weak.

The constant vibrations of the prison cart aggravated the wounds inside and outside his body, causing his expression to twitch slightly unconsciously.

The boy's name is Kamado Tanjiro, a member of the Demon Slayer Corps.

However, at this moment, he was being escorted to Tokyo by the very people who were supposed to be his partners, to undergo the rare trial of the Pillars.

The reason was that the Demon Slayer Corps discovered his sister, Nezuko Kamado, was a demon.

It is absolutely unacceptable that members of the Demon Slayer Corps would collude with demons.

Because in the Demon Slayer Corps' history of slaying demons over the past year, all the demons were man-eating monsters that had to be eliminated.

It was already a great mercy that they did not execute him and his sister on the spot.

"It's almost there."

One of the hidden members looked at the faint outline of the city in the distance, and his vigilance relaxed slightly.

As a logistics unit, they are more like ninjas operating in the shadows than demon slayers who specialize in combat, carrying out covert work while trying to avoid attracting the attention of ordinary people and the government.

However, they also need to be wary of sudden attacks from ghosts.

Although their work is not as dangerous as that of demon slayers, it is just as troublesome.

"stop!"

However, at that moment, the leader of this hidden squad seemed to have sensed something and suddenly stopped.

Looking at a large tree by the roadside, as thick as three people could hug, the leader placed his hand on the pistol at his waist.

Although demons are the natural enemies of humans, the probability of encountering them is actually not high for Yin, who is in charge of logistics.

In their usual missions, they encounter more mountain bandits, samurai, and robbers and brigands.

Sensing the powerful aura emanating from behind the tree, the leader said in a deep voice, "We are simply in a hurry. If you are not here for our sake, please make way."

"You guys are really slow. I've been waiting here for ages. I thought we were on the wrong road."

Behind the big tree, a girl appeared in front of the road, dressed in a light cherry-colored feather gauze that seemed to be burning, with a black headband and two hair ornaments like demon horns on her head, and a demon mask on her face.

Although it looks like a real ghost, the fact that it can stand in the sunlight means that it must be a human.

However, since the girl blocking their way dared to stop so many of them all by herself, and there were no other signs of an ambush around, she must not be an ordinary person.

"May I ask your Excellency?"

The team leader, not daring to be presumptuous, bowed respectfully.

However, Kotori Itsuka, who was blocking the way, showed no intention of answering. With her arms crossed, she said in a cold and arrogant tone, "If you don't want to get hurt, then leave the prison cart here."

"I'm sorry, this is a prisoner who has violated the rules. We need to transport him to the place where he will be tried."

The team leader lowered his body slightly, adopting a defensive posture: "Although I do not know who you are, I am afraid I cannot grant your request."

"Trial? For whom? The government?" Kotori Itsuka chuckled. "Don't put yourself on such a high pedestal. What you're doing is nothing but vigilante justice. The Demon Slayer Corps has no right to judge others, much less to imprison them."

It seems the visitors have ill intentions.

The team leader and the other team members felt their hearts sink to the bottom.

Originally, they were accompanied by two Pillar-level members, but for some reason, the two Pillars left first.

The task of escorting criminals is not dangerous, especially when the target is seriously injured and unconscious.

However, I never expected that someone would hijack the car.

This is outrageous.

After all, the people they were escorting didn't have any powerful backgrounds, so it wouldn't be worth anyone spending a lot of money to kidnap them.

Normally, if they encounter a few roadblocks, they might only ask for a toll. This might be dangerous for ordinary people and caravans, but for Yin, who has mastered the breathing technique, taking on a dozen or twenty ordinary people by himself is no problem at all.

However, the girl blocking their way was clearly no ordinary person.

The purpose of blocking the road was not for money, but rather for the people they were escorting.

I've never encountered this situation before.

"Fine, it seems you guys are the kind of people who can't be flexible. Let's just get started."

Just as the team leader was pondering how to respond, Kotori Itsuka lost her patience.

Everyone immediately became wary, some touching the ordinary swords at their waists, others the pistols in their pockets.

However, their reaction was a step too slow.

With a slight movement, Kotori Itsuka appeared as if she had teleported from a tree dozens of meters away to the leader.

"you......"

The team leader looked astonished.

This speed is comparable to the speed at which a Pillar-level member runs at full speed.

It's not just about mastering the breathing technique to a high level of concentration; it's also about learning a higher level of breathing technique that only a select few are qualified to learn: concentration or normal concentration. Only then can one possibly achieve such speed through muscle bursts.

But now is not the time for astonishment.

A resolute glint flashed in the team leader's eyes.