One Piece: With Sign-in System

Ron, who had been recounting the story of Yoriichi Tsugikuni, suddenly fell silent.

Butterfly Shinobu also turned her head, alert, and looked toward the outside.

Bang!

The wall was blasted open without warning.

Before Tanjiro and Yushiro could even react—

—they saw a temari ball, infused with tremendous force, hurtling straight toward them.

Kanao drew her blade in a flash and sliced the incoming ball apart.

The split temari instantly evaporated into mist, dissipating as demon aura.

"Two demons. Blood Demon Art users, huh..."

Butterfly Shinobu murmured, her hand gripping the hilt of her Nichirin Blade at her waist as she stared at the two shadowy figures outside the broken wall.

"It must be demons sent by Kibutsuji,"

Tamayo said softly.

At that moment, Yushiro was clearly furious.

"Tamayo-sama, I told you from the start! We shouldn't have gotten involved with the Demon Slayer Corps! My Blood Demon Art becomes easier to break the more people there are... and now look what's happened! Kibutsuji found our hideout!"

Ron, still completely unhurried, took a sip of his tea.

"Calm down."

"You're the last person who should say that!"

Yushiro snapped, glaring at Ron.

"This is all your fault! Tamayo-sama and I were living peacefully here before you barged in—!"

"Yushiro." Tamayo's voice suddenly turned stern.

"No rudeness toward Mr. Ron."

Yushiro bit his lip hard, fists trembling, his face full of resentment.

"It's fine."

Ron smiled gently as he helped Nezuko to her feet and turned toward Tamayo and Yushiro.

"After tonight, you two won't be able to stay here anyway. If he wants to blame me, let him. I don't mind."

Whoosh!

Another temari came whistling through the air, smashing toward the interior of the house.

Butterfly Shinobu tilted her head to narrowly dodge it, her small smiling face now laced with a cold and chilling killing intent.

"Looks like they're not interested in talking."

The temari hit the floor with a heavy thud, then began ricocheting around the room with terrifying speed, heading straight for Tamayo.

Seeing this, Yushiro rushed forward and shoved Tamayo aside.

"Tamayo-sama, look out!"

The ball, brimming with deadly power, was now headed straight for Yushiro's head.

Just as it was about to smash his skull—

—a hand suddenly stretched out and caught the ball mid-air.

"Ron!"

Tanjiro cried out in alarm.

He had already seen the destructive power of those balls firsthand. They could easily smash through solid walls—there was no way a human body could withstand that!

But the next scene left him completely stunned.

That terrifyingly powerful temari was caught—casually—by Ron's bare hand, as if it were nothing more than a child's toy.

Yushiro could only gape in disbelief at the sight of Ron standing there, effortlessly gripping the ball.

"You..."

"I told you, didn't I?"

Ron smiled warmly.

"I'm invincible. Everything that's happening right now is exactly as I expected."

With a slight clench of his fingers, the temari exploded into mist within his grasp, vanishing without a trace.

Everyone stared at Ron's calm and collected figure, standing amid the dissipating demon aura, his expression as nonchalant as if he had just crushed a piece of fruit.

Tanjiro, Yushiro, Shinobu, and Tamayo were all visibly shaken.

A body tougher than a demon's... Could this really be a human physique?

"Oh?"

The Temari Demon frowned as yet another ball was launched into the house, swallowed up as if into the void, with no reaction afterward.

Beside her, the Arrow Demon—his eyes closed—smirked.

"Need my help?" he asked lazily.

"Not yet," the Temari Demon replied, shaking her head. "I'll force them out first, then you can step in."

She raised both hands, and two more handballs materialized in her palms.

With a powerful swing, she hurled them straight at the battered house.

Hearing the telltale shriek of the air being torn apart once again, Shinobu instinctively reached for her slender Nichirin blade, preparing to intercept—only to be stopped by Ron.

"Don't," he said calmly.

Shinobu gave him a puzzled look.

"These are just low-grade demons with tricks. Not worth your effort," Ron said lightly before turning his gaze to Tanjiro and Kanao. "You two handle them. Show me how your sword skills have matured."

Tanjiro blinked, momentarily startled, then his eyes lit up with determination. He nodded vigorously.

"Yes, sir!"

Kanao glanced at Shinobu. After a moment's thought, Shinobu gave her a small, encouraging nod.

The two handballs came screaming into the house.

Tanjiro and Kanao moved as one.

"Water Breathing, First Form!"

Water Surface Slash!

"Flower Breathing, Second Form."

Honorable Shadow Plum!

Accompanied by the water-blue arc of Tanjiro's black Nichirin blade, and the peach-colored arcs from Kanao's sword, as delicate as falling plum blossoms, the two devastating handballs were cleanly sliced in midair.

Without hesitation, both of them, breathing techniques fully activated, charged out of the house toward their enemies.

"Two Demon Slayers?!"

The Temari Demon froze in surprise.

The Arrow Demon slowly raised his hand, an eerie eyeball swirling in his palm.

"Doesn't matter," he said coolly. "Just kill them all."

The Temari Demon bared her teeth in a wild grin.

"Sounds good to me."

Meanwhile, Ron, Shinobu, Tamayo, and Yushiro calmly stepped out through the gaping hole in the wall into the courtyard, watching the clash unfold.

Kanao, who had already achieved the state of Full Concentration Breathing, seemed to handle the Temari Demon with ease. Her body was light and agile, dodging every deadly ball hurled at her.

Tanjiro, however, was clearly struggling against the Arrow Demon, tossed around the battlefield like a leaf caught in a storm, unable to find his footing.

Shinobu frowned slightly.

"He can't see them? Those arrows."

"Looks like he hasn't realized it yet," Ron said, smiling faintly.

"That idiot!" Yushiro snapped irritably.

"There's no helping it," he muttered, pulling a thin charm paper between his fingers.

"I'll lend you my sight, brat! Now, show that bastard what you've got!"

"Huh?!" Tanjiro exclaimed as the charm floated through the air, landing neatly on his forehead.

Instantly, the battlefield around him became crystal clear—the strange, invisible arrows were now visible, swirling through the air.

"I can see them! So that's it!"

A gleam of understanding flashed in Tanjiro's eyes.

As another volley of arrows raced toward him, he tensed, dodging with sharp, practiced movements, and counterattacked with swift sword strikes.

"Hmm…" Ron rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he watched the courtyard battle. His other hand rested gently atop Nezuko's head as he muttered to himself:

"The girl's Flower Breathing has matured to Full Concentration. Tanjiro's Water Breathing… around sixty percent mastery."

"In terms of physical strength, Tanjiro is superior. But in a real fight, he wouldn't be a match for her. Still too green."

Beside him, Shinobu listened, her heart pounding slightly.

Just by observing... he could tell that much?

How deeply did this man understand the art of Breathing Techniques?!

"Dammit! DAMMIT!"

The Temari Demon, now having sprouted six arms, screamed in frustration as she watched Kanao close in effortlessly, dodging every attack she launched.

"Why is she so fast?!"

Expressionless, Kanao charged forward.

In the Temari Demon's widening pupils—

Her blade flashed.

Flower Breathing, Fourth Form.

Crimson Hanagoromo!

The peach-hued blade carved two sweeping arcs through the air, striking downward in a dazzling double slash, severing all six of the demon's arms in an instant.