Crossover: The Problematic Deity of Arcadia

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Raindrops began to fall in a slow, scattered rhythm.

The sun disappeared behind a blanket of gloomy clouds, casting a dim shadow over the mountains. As the sky darkened, those undergoing the trial—who had been using the daylight to regroup—now found themselves gripped by fear and unease.

The demons... were waking up.

Boom!

A loud crash echoed as a tree was violently uprooted and slammed into the ground.

Then, from beneath the earth, a single-horned demon burst through the soil with a twisted grin.

"So the sun's finally gone," it said, crawling out of the ground one limb at a time.

Then, with a dull thud, its head rolled off and hit the ground.

"…Huh?"

The horned demon stared at its own decapitated body collapsing to the dirt, utterly confused.

Then came the searing, soul-crushing pain.

"AAAAAAAARRRGHHHH—!"

It howled in agony as its body slowly disintegrated, like paper catching fire—shriveling and burning away.

Clang.

The sound of a sword being sheathed broke the silence.

Standing calmly with a sun umbrella in hand, Ryo slid his Zanpakuto back into its scabbard, his gaze cold and steady as he looked toward the horizon.

"Even demons die when cut by a Zanpakuto. Spirit-based attacks really can't be defended against."

He chuckled faintly, almost mocking. "When compared to other demon types, this one was pitifully weak."

"A seven-digit? Nah, more like an unranked eight-digit… whatever. Not even worth the effort of estimating an insect's tier."

Behind him, Shinobu followed under the umbrella, smiling with satisfaction as she watched the demon's remains dissolve.

Then she turned and asked casually, "Didn't you say we needed a live one for the experiment?"

So far, Ryo had already killed over 35 demons.

He used everything from wisteria poison and Nichirin swords, to Zanpakuto, spirit bows, demonic gifts, Kido, Hollow powers, and even his fire-based Divinity. Techniques she'd never even heard of were casually employed to exterminate demons. It left Shinobu awestruck.

She had never imagined there were so many ways to kill demons.

But alongside that awe, a bit of concern crept in.

There were only seven demons left. Would Ryo even find one that met his criteria for a proper test subject?

Ryo tilted his head toward her and smiled. "Even test rats have to be healthy if you want accurate results."

Shinobu nodded, getting the message.

In other words, none of the demons so far had even qualified to be test rats.

Holding the umbrella in a relaxed grip, Ryo strolled forward like he was on a walk in the park.

"Let's keep going. The one up ahead should be the strongest on this mountain. Hopefully, it won't disappoint me."

For some reason, Shinobu found herself hoping the demon really would be strong—strong enough to satisfy Ryo.

Trailing behind them, Makomo remained silent, observing both of them closely.

Her instincts were screaming that something was off about the way Ryo and Shinobu acted—but she felt no desire to stop them.

As long as they were killing demons, they were allies. There was no reason to be wary of them.

As for the trial… Makomo glanced over at Shinobu.

Noticing the look, Shinobu smiled softly, then turned toward Ryo and asked, "Say, aren't we completely ruining the Final Selection at this point?"

With nearly all the demons wiped out and most of the candidates still alive, this was shaping up to be the highest survival rate in years.

But was that really a good thing? Wouldn't it be dangerous for rookies with little combat experience to skip the trials and join the Demon Slayer Corps directly?

Walking ahead, Ryo chuckled. "There won't be any Final Selection in the future."

Shinobu blinked in surprise—then her eyes widened as the truth hit her.

Of course.

If Ryo, this godlike figure who descended from the heavens, killed every demon in existence… then what need would there be for a Final Selection?

That… might just be the future she was hoping for.

Their conversation fell silent as the three of them arrived at the entrance of a cave.

Makomo wrinkled her nose and frowned. "Ugh. It smells terrible in there."

Shinobu's expression turned grim. "That stench… How many people has this demon eaten?"

Demons gave off a unique odor after consuming humans—the more they ate, the stronger the stench.

The demons used in the Final Selection were usually captured early by Corps members, often after they'd only eaten one or two people.

But this cave…

Just from the smell alone, Shinobu could guess the one inside had devoured at least fifty people.

Her face went pale with rage.

"There's no way a demon like that should be in Mount Fujikasane!"

"Oh my~?"

A strange, lilting voice echoed from within.

Footsteps, heavy and slow, thudded against the ground.

Then it emerged.

A grotesque creature, its entire body olive-green, tangled in countless similarly colored arms. A distorted abomination.

Just looking at it made both Shinobu and Makomo feel sick. That's how ugly it was.

That creature, the Hand demon, walked out of the cave with a bizarre smile.

"My hunt was over last night," it said in a creepy tone. "And yet… three snacks walk right up to my door?"

"What do I do, what do I do? If the Demon Slayer Corps finds me after I've eaten this many people, I'm screwed."

"But they came to me. If I don't eat them… isn't that rude?"

The Hand demon mumbled to itself, twisting its body unnaturally—then spotted the fox mask on Makomo's head.

Its golden eyes gleamed. Then it narrowed them with amusement.

"I've got it! Let's play rock-paper-scissors."

"The three of you will play. The first to lose twice gets eaten. That means two of you survive."

"So… wanna play?"

"You bastard!!"

Shinobu's hand shot to her sword hilt, eyes blazing with fury.

Beside her, Makomo glanced at Ryo, quietly measuring the power gap between him and the monster.

Then, without saying a word, she calmly stepped aside.

To her, Ryo was stronger—far stronger—than this grotesque demon.

Ryo raised his head slightly, eyes fixed on the Hand demon in front of him.

"Your voice… reminds me of someone. Very similar pitch."

The creature turned its gaze toward him, then slowly smiled. "Oh? Want a closer look at my throat then?"

"Great idea."

Ryo clapped his hands with a grin.

"You mentioned a game just now, right? Why don't we play another one instead?"

As he spoke, he pulled item after item from his Gift Card.

A scalpel. Forceps. A bone saw. High-frequency cutters. A chainsaw.

A whole toolbox of horrifying implements emerged one by one.

While putting on gloves at a leisurely pace, Ryo turned to Shinobu.

"Shinobu, have you ever performed a craniotomy?"

"…Craniotomy?" she replied with a shake of her head.

"In that case, just assist me."

"Of course," Shinobu said casually, completely unfazed. If it was just assisting, she saw no problem at all.

Ryo gave a gentle tug on his gloves, then smiled at the demon.

"Don't worry. As long as you last two hours, I'll make sure you find peace in the afterlife."

"But just so you know—if your soul shatters in the middle of it, I will piece it back together."

"Get ready."

"…Huh?" The Hand demon blinked in confusion, then let out a mocking laugh. "What the hell are you even talking about? You're the one who's gonna—"

And just like that, the Hand demon's personal hell… began.

Uh... and to note, craniotomy is the surgical removal of the skull to expose the brain.

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