Anime/Manga: Bankai Starting with Demon Slayer

He pointed to a majestic complex of buildings standing atop a small hill in the northwest of the city, shimmering with a dark gold luster in the afterglow of the setting sun, dazzling and captivating:

"That's Osaki Hachiman Shrine, the guardian shrine of our Sendai area! If you have time, you can go and ask for a blessing, it's very effective!"

"Just call me Asuka." Asuka moved forward, constantly using her spiritual pressure to probe her surroundings, trying to find any signs of something amiss.

The sky here is dark and oppressive, and the air is filled with the smell of chemical agents, which makes people feel very depressed.

The closer you get to the city center, the more pronounced the urban hustle and bustle becomes.

The wide main road begins to branch out, crisscrossing each other, with clothes hanging to dry like flags from all over the country in the alley.

The sounds of drinking games drifted from the small tavern, while housewives chatted about the neighborhood while washing clothes and vegetables at the public water taps, though the conversation always revolved around the soaring price of rice.

The bird had never seen anything like it before. The square-headed iron monster kept blaring its horn, usually targeting the long lines of rickshaw drivers who were competing with them for customers.

Gentlemen in suits, businessmen in kimonos carrying suitcases, rural women with huge bundles on their backs, and young women in modern Western-style dresses who still appear somewhat reserved...

People of all walks of life converged and diverged here, collectively composing the story of the largest city in the Tohoku region during the Taisho era.

"Which way do we go now?"

To be honest, this was Feiniao's first time traveling in a bustling metropolis.

Even in his previous life, he had never been to the central area of ​​Seireitei, so he was indeed somewhat unfamiliar with this scene.

"Let's go to the Sanmonji-ya in Higashi-6-bancho first! It's a used bookstore where workers often gather. The owner is a nice guy; he used to... he helped me a lot. We can contact Harada-nii through him!"

The bird nodded slightly, indicating that it was about to enter.

At the same time, his gaze shifted slightly towards the Osaki Hachiman Shrine on the high ground...

The air pressure there always feels a bit strange...

Chapter 25 Sanbimon Bookstore

"Mr. Asuka, this is the place."

The tadpoles darted about in the streets of Sendai, finally settling in front of an inconspicuous storefront.

He pointed to the weathered wooden signboard overhead, on which were carved three powerful Chinese characters—

Three words.

Asuka looked at the relatively desolate street, feeling somewhat lost.

Whether in Rukongai or Hayama, Asuka has never read a book, making her an absolute illiterate.

In his imagination, bookstores were places frequented by wealthy people in respectable long gowns or by refined young masters and ladies; they were certainly not places for a stray dog ​​like him to enter.

The door to the bookstore was half-open, and a strong smell of cheap tobacco, cheap tea, paper, and ink wafted out.

Shi Ba, with a gentle breeze, and the warm curtain, Asuka carefully adjusted the outline of her Nichirin Blade before peering inside.

The interior was dimly lit, and the walls were mostly occupied by huge bookshelves that reached almost to the ceiling, densely packed with books.

Inside the shop, wherever there was room to put something, there were a few rough, long wooden tables and many long benches, all crowded with people.

A look of bewilderment flashed in Asuka's eyes, because the "scholars" who appeared before him were very different from what he had imagined:

They were either men dressed in indigo or dark brown overalls, or students in patched uniforms with unhealthy complexions, and some looked more like ordinary citizens who were just there to join in the fun.

He's holding the book upside down; I have no idea what he's reading.

Some were drinking tea from rough porcelain bowls, others were gnawing on cold, hard rice balls, while many others were gathered together, their faces flushed, engaged in heated discussions, spittle flying everywhere.

Is this a bookstore? Asuka looks more like a roadside mobile liquor stall...

Shi Ba Er Xuan noticed Fei Niao's confusion and quickly explained in a low voice:

"It's quite different, isn't it, Mr. Asuka? Sanmonjiya isn't just a place for adults to read and relax; it's a very different kind of gathering place. The big boss... is a very different kind of rich man!"

He pointed to the large character "三" (three) inside the bookstore and said seriously, "I heard he has opened many stores in Tokyo and Osaka, all named 'Sanmonji-ya' (Three Character Shop), specifically to take in and help those of us who don't fit in with the 'mainstream voice'... who have no books to read, nowhere to go, and no one to listen to us..."

Although Shiba is older than the bird, he is always restless and easily agitated.

He excitedly pointed to the faces of those who were either indignant or focused on the discussion, "People like to gather here, vent their frustrations, and brainstorm solutions. Over time, the number of people has grown! Harada's articles were printed into pamphlets and distributed here!"

Asuka listened silently, her gaze sweeping over the people in the shop, her face expressionless.

It doesn't matter.

He didn't care what ideals or visions these people had; he came here to find Harada Tadaka, and his ultimate goal was to get rid of the demons in Sendai City.

Other things are not the point.

"Let's get down to business," he suggested.

Under the shade of the bamboo fence, he walked past several tables so crowded that there were almost no gaps between them, his eyes and attention constantly sweeping over the people reading books around him.

A well-mannered student wearing round-framed glasses was reciting in a low voice:

"...I flipped through the history books, but they had no dates. On each page, written crookedly, were the words 'benevolence, righteousness, and morality.' I couldn't sleep, so I looked closely for half the night before I finally saw the words between the lines: the whole book was filled with the two words 'cannibalism'!"

"This writing is powerful! It must be an article from overseas."

"Hmm, it's Zhou Jun's work. He studied abroad in Sendai before and has some connections with the big boss... Wow, it's really well written..."

The birds remained uninterested and continued to follow the bird.

In the innermost corner of the bookstore, in a relatively quiet spot, there was a small table that looked like a cashier's counter, and a young girl was sitting behind it.

She was about seventeen or eighteen years old, wearing a clean navy blue checkered kimono with a plain apron over it. Her hair was neatly combed back, revealing her smooth forehead and gentle eyes.

"Miss Yuka, excuse me."

He recognized her immediately, walked up to her, and bowed slightly respectfully.

The girl called Yuka looked up and saw the frozen man under the tree.

"Ah, it's Shibaren... Is your brother's illness any better?"

"My older brother...has passed away..."

"What! This...this is so sorry...please accept my condolences."

She looked towards Shi Ba with a hint of panic, then noticed Shi Ba and a young man in black uniform.

Suppressing her sadness, Shi Ba, holding back her tears, introduced the girl to Yuuka:

"This is Mr. Asuka, the... leader of the Demon Slayer Corps! We're here to see Harada Tadachi."

"The Demon Slayer Corps?" Yuka's eyes flickered as she carefully examined Asuka.

Although she was a well-read and knowledgeable young woman who already knew how vast the world was, she was not particularly interested in legends of ghosts and monsters.

But for some reason, she did not question Shi Ba Wu Nao Fa, but simply nodded slightly to the birds.

She understood their purpose, so she put down the booklet in her hand and placed her hands together on her knees.

Yuka looked at Misaki Shizuku and said, "Mr. Harada will be coming tonight. You should see him in a little while."

"As you know, rice prices have skyrocketed lately, and everyone's having a tough time. I heard there were even rice-grabbing riots in southern cities; it's really unsettling..."

"Mr. Harada is going to discuss countermeasures with everyone, to see whether to put more pressure on the rice merchants, or to put some pressure on the city hall to make everyone's lives a little easier..."

She looked up at the wall clock and added, "It should be in about an hour."

"Thank you, Miss Yuka!" Shiba breathed a sigh of relief and quickly thanked her. Asuka also nodded in acknowledgment, accepting the arrangement.

The two sat down on the bench that Ms. Yuka pointed out. Asuka habitually chose the side against the wall, where the view covered the entire store. She rested her hand on the knife handle and calmly scanned her surroundings.

Time passed slowly amidst the unique hustle and bustle of the bookstore.

The workers' discussions rose and fell, consisting entirely of topics that even birds couldn't understand...

"Have you heard? The situation in Osaka is even worse; the military and police have been mobilized!"

"Sigh, this life is unbearable! Mr. Harada is right, if we workers don't stick together, we'll just be treated like animals by those bloodsucking bosses!"

"The owner of Sanmonji-ya is such a good person, letting us talk here..."

"Of course! I heard that the boss's son, Mr. Nosaka, is even more active in Tokyo! The boss renamed all his bookstores Sanmonji-ya to support his son's business."

"So that's how it is! No wonder! Mr. Nosaka is truly an amazing person... These days are tough, I hope Mr. Harada can bring some good news tonight..."

These social issues were far removed from Asuka's understanding, as he only knew how to use a sword, but from the few words these people uttered, he essentially confirmed his judgment—

This Harada Tadaka is probably a thorn in the side of those behind the scenes.

While waiting, Asuka idly flipped through some ancient books he couldn't understand. The kind-hearted Miss Yuka pointed out the meaning of some of the poems to him and brought him two cups of coarse tea, placing them on the low table in front of him.

"Please have some. It's just a simple meal, nothing special," she said gently, her gaze lingering for a moment on the knife hidden at Asuka's waist before moving away.

Shiba7B hurriedly thanked him, but Fei Niao only glanced at the steaming cup of tea and didn't touch it.

He closed his eyes and focused more intently on activating his spiritual pressure perception, spreading his spiritual awareness outwards cautiously, like an invisible spider web, with himself as the center.

No obvious ghostly aura or malevolent spiritual pressure has been detected so far.

Those gathered here are either full of vitality or exhausted, but in essence, they are all just ordinary human soul fluctuations.

As for the girl named Yuka, her spiritual pressure was gentle and pure, carrying a reassuring tranquility.

However, just as his inspiration swept across a corner of the bookstore's back door...

He caught a faint, almost imperceptible, chilling aura.

The aura vanished in a flash, leaving only a ripple before disappearing without a trace.

Have they arrived?

The bird opened its eyes and gripped the hilt of the knife tightly.

Chapter 26 Ghostly Shadows

Feiniao didn't disturb the others; she simply got up quietly and walked silently toward the back door of the bookstore.

He gently opened the sliding door, feeling the bustling wind of Sendai, and further expanded his spiritual pressure, probing into those dark corners.

Cold and sticky...that was how I felt that night...

"It's a shadow again, the same ghost..."

But did they notice me? They seemed unusually alert, only lingering for a moment before disappearing...

Asuka adjusted the sword at her waist, mentally sketching out an image of the demon.

Sneaky and using only insidious methods to hunt... Their targets are not healthy humans, but the poor people struggling at the bottom of society... Are they really employed by others? Do ghosts cooperate with humans?

He wasn't quite sure that Arashi-sensei hadn't taught him these things.

Just then, an unusual commotion arose from the direction of the front door.

"Mr. Harada!"

"My goodness! What happened to you?"

"Quickly! Miss Yuka, bring some clean cloth and water!"

Upon hearing the sound, the bird's eyes narrowed and it immediately turned back.

Standing in the crowded crowd was a middle-aged man covered in mud and filth, with broken and injured knees.

The man was about forty years old, with a square face and a wide mouth. He was leaning against the door frame, panting heavily. His hair was wet, his lips were frozen and purple, and he was shivering uncontrollably.

"It's alright, you're not going to die!"

He clenched his fists in anger, staring at Xing Huan and Shun.

"These heartless capitalists either want to run me over with coal trucks or push me into the river to drown! Too bad! I'm lucky to be alive! They want my life, Harada Tadaka, but that's not enough!"

Harada Tadaka's voice trembled, his eyes burning with fire, his momentum growing stronger: "The more they act like this, the more it shows they fear our power! Brothers, we cannot give up!"

"Yes! These people are absolutely lawless!"

"Let's go find the police, or report them to the city hall!"

"What's the use! They're all in cahoots! Let's fight them!"

"That's right, let's go for it!"

The workers, already simmering with anger from the pressures of life, finally had their emotions ignited when they saw their leader, Harada Tadaka, being targeted!

They waved their arms, their angry shouts nearly turning the bookstore upside down.

"Everyone, calm down! Calm down!" Miss Yuka's anxious voice was drowned out by the rage. "Don't fall into their trap! If we really take violent action, they'll have even more reason to send in the military and police, and then things will get out of control!"

A student who looked thin but had a determined look shook his head at Yuka and firmly refuted her: