Demon Slayer: Muzan, will you dance too?

"Would you believe me if I told you that it was a raven mimicking my speech just now?"

Kiyokawa Izumi pointed to the ravens outside the window and said with a serious expression.

This little guy is just too outrageous!

How dare they slander the beautiful Ninja Sister! They must be dealt with severely!

This utterly shameless behavior left Kanzaki Aoi, who was carrying the food, speechless.

I've never seen a swordsman so disrespectful to a pillar.

"Yeah?"

Shinobu Kocho is not a girl who can be easily fooled; she just silently watched Izumi Kiyokawa.

I'm not afraid of her fake smile, I'm afraid of her looking at me expressionlessly.

Seeing this, Chuan Quan felt a little guilty.

"Your soda!"

A small hand, hidden under her sleeve, held two bottles of lemonade and placed them in front of Qingchuan Quan. A familiar voice rang in her ears.

"There won't be any honey in the medicine afterwards, okay? Because I'm a bad-tempered and ruthless woman, you know?"

"No! I was wrong! I'll die if I don't add honey!"

Kiyokawa Izumi said subconsciously, revealing a pitiful expression.

That medicine tastes awful!

Sister Ren just smiled slightly and ignored him.

They came in a hurry and left just as suddenly.

"How dare you speak ill of Shinobu-nee behind her back? She's so gentle."

Kanzaki Aoi put down her plate and couldn't help but put her hands on her hips and scold Kiyokawa Izumi.

That's absolutely outrageous!

"I admit my mistake, I am guilty! I apologize!"

Kiyokawa Izumi lowered his head meekly, not daring to speak.

I was just making a casual comment, I never expected it would be heard.

That's a bit awkward!

Seeing that Kiyokawa Izumi was remorseful and had a good attitude, Kanzaki Aoi snorted and didn't bother to argue with him.

……

"Soldier Xin, Kiyokawa Izumi, listen to my orders: rest and recover until fully fit!"

Only then did the raven cautiously fly into the house. Seeing that no one was around, it lowered its voice and whispered.

The little guy's words weren't complete, but I could understand the general meaning.

Kiyokawa Izumi is no longer the lowest-ranking swordsman. Having risen two ranks, he is now only one step away from becoming a Pillar—just one Lower Moon away.

If you can kill one of the Twelve Demon Moons, you'll definitely become a Pillar.

See, isn't it simple?

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were just one step away.

In this generation of the Demon Slayer Corps, there's not a lack of Pillar-level swordsmen, so becoming a Pillar by slaying fifty demons might not be so easy.

"Sin-level, ah—"

Kiyokawa Izumi rubbed his forehead with a somewhat complicated expression.

Looking at the soda that Shinobu Kocho brought, I had mixed feelings.

Why would the Butterfly Mansion have soda? It might be because Shinobu Kocho likes to drink it, or it might be because they bought it for Kanao.

It was only then that Kiyokawa Izumi realized that she didn't actually know the other person that well.

He didn't know whether the little girl liked to drink soda.

He didn't know what he would do when he wasn't on a mission.

Kiyokawa Izumi grasped the cold glass soda bottle, flicked off the cap, and heard a popping sound, involuntarily triggering memories of her past life.

He tilted his head back slightly and took a big gulp. The bright, sharp bubbles danced in his mouth, carrying the aroma and tartness of lemon. The slight tingling sensation as it slid down his throat made him miss it even more.

To be fair, the taste of lemonade these days is actually very, very average.

It was far inferior to the sodas we drink in later generations.

But Kiyokawa Izumi inexplicably grew to like this flavor.

It might be because drinking it evokes memories of a past life.

After a brief moment of reminiscing, the cold reality told him that there was no going back.

He is now Kiyokawa Izumi!

"What I said earlier was indeed a little excessive. It's all your fault, you little rascal. You have to take the blame for me, you understand?"

Kiyokawa Izumi gently stroked the small head of the yaksho.

"?"

The raven looked up in confusion and shook its head impatiently.

The highly intelligent creature vaguely sensed that something seemed to be changing about Kiyokawa Izumi.

That carefree, "anything goes" attitude seems to be gradually disappearing.

"Let's give it a try!"

"Let's see just how far I, Kiyokawa Izumi, can go."

It wasn't entirely because of that bottle of soda that I was moved.

He discovered that since coming into this world, he had been suppressing himself, with too many thoughts and concerns, and he could not make up his mind until he had no other choice.

"I have to try it just for this bottle of soda!"

I have these eyes, an imperfect but perfectly suited self-created breathing technique, and enough time to improve. My sword is not bad, so why can't I give it a try?

Perhaps, my limits are still far below Muzan's.

But what if you just want to save one person? What if you just want to change one person's fate?

Fighting requires a reason to back it up, and mental strength is also extremely important.

He firmly believes that mental strength is indispensable in breaking through physical limits.

A tenacious will and a firm determination, when combined, can create a miracle.