Chat group, become my wings!

With a decisive tap, Shinobu Kocho used all 88 of her points to enhance her physical body. Almost immediately, she felt a surge of heat rushing through her limbs, flooding her muscles, and fusing seamlessly with her being. The next moment, she nearly gasped an overwhelming strength exploded from within, to the point where it felt like her fragile frame might burst.

For a split second, she almost believed she could crush Muzan Kibutsuji with her bare hands well, that was definitely an exaggeration.

The reaction wasn't that dramatic. Still, Shinobu clearly felt a transformation. Her body felt revitalized, stronger than it had ever been. While she probably still wasn't as strong as the average person, the difference from before was undeniable. Her frail constitution, for the first time, felt sturdy.

She couldn't hide the delight shining in her eyes. The chat group this unbelievable system was truly capable of anything. Not only had the group's admin, Kevin Cross, given her crucial insight into Muzan's background and weaknesses, but now it had provided a way to strengthen herself.

If she could gather more points, who knew? Maybe one day she could match even Gyomei Himejima's monstrous strength.

Of course, that was just wishful thinking. Shinobu knew better than anyone that she'd been born weak. A girl who couldn't even lift a chicken properly had no right dreaming about inheriting the strength of the Stone Hashira.

And yet... the dream took root in her heart.

Yes. As the Insect Hashira, her specialty had always been speed. But what she secretly longed for, above all else, was raw power.

People always craved what they lacked.

@Group Leader, she messaged in the chat, thank you for letting me join this group. You didn't just share information about the demons in my world you gave me a way to become stronger. I'm truly grateful... A-Kevin.

She hesitated slightly before typing his name, deliberately choosing to follow the others' example and use "A-Kevin" instead of his full name. It was a subtle shift, but a meaningful one her way of showing she was willing to stand alongside the others as one of Kevin's companions.

Of course, this little gesture went right over Kevin's head. Subtle social cues and hidden meanings were never his strong suit. He much preferred straightforward deals and clear boundaries.

Like Izumi Uchiha, for example. Her conditions had been direct and non-negotiable. Once she laid them out, Kevin simply had to show up and handle things.

"No need to thank me. By the way, how are things over there? Has the main story started? Any news about the Twelve Kizuki? Have you made your move yet?"

"The story? Once I knew how it was supposed to unfold, the whole thing derailed," Shinobu replied. "As for the Twelve Kizuki, yes we've already taken action. Lower Moon Five, Rui, has been eliminated on Natagumo Mountain. The sibling demons in the Entertainment District have also been taken care of. Right now, we're preparing to target Doma."

Her eyes flashed with cold determination at the mention of that name. Of all the demons in existence, even above Muzan himself, Doma was the one she most wanted dead. Logically, she understood that killing Muzan would wipe out all demons, Doma included. But emotions didn't always follow logic.

"Doma, huh? He's no pushover. And since you've already eliminated two Kizuki, it's likely Muzan's taken notice. Going after Doma directly might spring a trap."

"We don't have a choice. The Demon Slayer Corps exists to eliminate demons. And Doma..."

"Alright, alright, I get it. By the way, if possible, could you capture a demon and send it over to me?"

"You want... a demon?"

"To run tests. The more we understand their biology, the easier they'll be to kill. I've got access to some decent tech over here. Creating an artificial sun might be a stretch, but storing and releasing concentrated sunlight or building devices that emit light similar to the sun's spectrum is within reach. If I can develop demon-slaying weapons, it'll make your job a lot easier. Maybe even allow you to kill Muzan without sacrificing anyone."

Shinobu's eyes lit up.

If Kevin could actually do what he claimed, their war against the demons would be far less hopeless.

"In my world, there are creatures similar to your demons vampires. They feed on blood and burn under sunlight. We've developed things like ultraviolet bullets and silver ammo to hunt them. Those UV rounds might just work on your demons too. But I can't be sure without a test subject."

"I see. Please wait I'll have someone capture a few. Do you need strong ones? Like one of the Twelve Kizuki?"

"No, no, let's start with the ordinary ones. If regular demons react to the tech, the Kizuki probably will too. Capturing one of them could be dangerous and isn't worth the risk for initial tests."

"Understood. I'll have a few standard demons sent your way. If those don't yield results, I'll consider capturing a stronger one later."

"Sounds good."

Their conversation wrapped up, and the others who had been quietly giving them space finally started chiming in again.

"In the modern world, knowledge really is power," said Kumoko with an exaggerated sigh. "Look at how useful it is against the demons in the Demon Slayer world. I just wish it worked in my world too. But nooo, I had to end up in a classic fantasy realm. All this modern science is basically useless here."

"Come on," said Kevin. "Didn't you use scientific principles to recreate magic formulas and beat some pretty powerful monsters?"

"Huh? Well, I guess technically... but that's not the same! I mean stuff like UV lights and demon-specific weapons. In my world, whether it's Earth Dragons or spiders, nothing reacts to that kind of tech. So I'm stuck grinding it out the hard way."

Kumoko flopped around in mock despair. "So pitiful! And to top it off, I barely got any points from my sign-in... though at least I wasn't dead last! Haha!"

Even in hardship, she stayed as lively as ever.