"Where is this? Why is it so... different?" A man dressed in coarse linen clothes, his hair tied in a topknot with a hairpin, held a sharp awl in his hand, looking around at the surrounding skyscrapers in bewilderment. His name was Tayano Heiji, and he had been sent by the Nightmare demon to kill the corps members trapped in the Blood Demon Art.
Keen-sensed, powerful individuals, if danger approached and they sensed killing intent or a demon nearing them, would awaken directly from deep sleep. Therefore, after Uchiha Nagi and his group fell victim to the Nightmare demon's Blood Demon Art and fell asleep, the Lower Moon One had sent several ordinary humans over.
These ordinary people were either impoverished and destitute or gravely ill. Simply because they could obtain a beautiful and happy life in their dreams, they became addicted and were controlled by Lower Moon One.
Lower Moon One, Nightmare. A newly promoted demon, its ability was dreams. Its Blood Demon Art was so powerful that even the "Big Brother" Flame Hashira could fall victim to it. Everything in the dream was like paradise, utterly intoxicating, more captivating than any potent drug. It could be said that if it didn't die prematurely, Nightmare was destined to become the most powerful Upper Moon. Even Kokushibo, ranked first, had desires, and as long as one had desires, one could have sweet dreams. However, if the spiritual core within a dream was destroyed, it was equivalent to soul damage—certain death.
Tayano Heiji wandered through the modern city, surrounded by strange gazes that made him feel extremely uncomfortable. "No, I have to find his spiritual core quickly." Tayano Heiji began to jog, rapidly searching for Uchiha Nagi's spiritual core. Because once the owner of the dream sensed danger, the infiltrator would be hunted by the dream's master. As for how they would be hunted, it depended on the content of the dream master's dream... Relying on the information given to them by Lower Moon One, Nightmare, Tayano Heiji eventually found the spiritual core: an amusement park.
"Aaaahhhhhh..."
Tayano Heiji rode the pirate ship and was completely wrecked by it, because Uchiha Nagi's spiritual core was right there in the amusement park. Pirate ship, roller coaster... Just as he "cleared" the pirate ship and was about to open the gate to the spiritual core, music suddenly blared through the amusement park.
[I roam the world as I please, admired by the masses,] [Dominating the scene, I never need to look back.] [Turning the world upside down, I write my own laws,] [This fierce wolf with gleaming eyes.] [Born to love singing.]
Then, before Tayano Heiji's terrified eyes, a large group of Guwazai (Young and Dangerous gangsters) with dragon and tiger tattoos appeared from nowhere, wielding machetes, steel pipes...
"Dat's da punk! Chop 'im, everyone!" "Dare ta come to our Hung Hing turf?! Chop dat punk!" "Charge~"
Tayano Heiji could no longer care about any mission; escaping with his life was paramount. Utterly terrified, he dropped his awl and fled. "Help me—"
"Punk, don't run! Let us chop ya once~" "Brothers, get him! One chop each, kill him!"
And so, an unbearable scene unfolded. No matter where Tayano Heiji ran, he was pursued. And yet, each time, the watermelon knives (cleavers) wouldn't kill him, just cause excruciating pain. Hiding in the crowd, Hirano Jiro (Tayano Heiji), in his coarse linen clothes and topknot, was instantly recognized, and another gang of Guwazai rushed over to hack at him.
"Sigh~ It's been a while since I played. I'm a bit rusty~" Uchiha Nagi stretched lazily, then glanced at Hirano Jiro being chased outside and sneered. He knew the moment the man entered. With this level of skill, he thought he could destroy my spiritual core, damage my soul and brain? Dream on— If it weren't for wanting to play King of Fighters a bit longer, he would have annihilated him long ago. A mere ordinary person dared to enter the Mangekyo Sharingan's spiritual world? He wasn't even afraid of death. Sasuke, with just his three-tomoe Sharingan, had once entered Naruto's inner spiritual world and met the Nine-Tails. How could that compare to the Mangekyo?
"Time to go..." Uchiha Nagi looked around reluctantly. This world was created by Nightmare, but it was within his own spiritual realm. If he created it himself, it wouldn't be as interesting, just like a person awake, constructing a world in their mind, versus constructing one while dreaming at night. But it was time to leave. Uchiha Nagi closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they were the pinwheel pattern of the Mangekyo. Without even needing to commit suicide, he directly broke free from the dream world and returned to reality.
Crack—
Returning to the real world, Uchiha Nagi directly reached out and snapped the neck of Hirano Jiro, the man who had just tried to assassinate him in the dream world, granting him a painless death.
"Wuu wuu wuu..." Nearby, the sound of a young girl's soft sobbing could be heard. Uchiha Nagi turned his head. It was Tanjiro's sister, Nezuko. She had sensed her brother was in danger, crawled out of her box, and then tried to wake her brother by headbutting him. As a result, Tanjiro didn't wake up, but Nezuko's head started bleeding. Her skull was truly hopelessly hard. Everyone had a rope tied to their hand, connecting them to the assassins. And intuition told Uchiha Nagi that cutting these ropes would cause spiritual damage to both sides.
"Don't worry, I'll wake him up. It'll be alright," Uchiha Nagi smiled, comforting Nezuko. Then, looking at the few ordinary people sent by Nightmare to assassinate them, he sneered. Whether they were forced or addicted to the dreams, it wasn't an excuse to forgive them for trying to kill his group.
"Mmm... Mmph~" One of the women was suddenly grabbed by the neck by the Flame Hashira, Rengoku Kyojuro, who then stood up. Veins bulged on Rengoku Kyojuro's forehead, his face contorted as he gripped the woman's neck, looking as if he would snap her cervical vertebrae in the next second.
"As expected of the Demon Slayer Corps' Big Brother Flame Hashira. When faced with mortal danger, even if his mind doesn't react, his body defends automatically," Uchiha Nagi praised. Uchiha Nagi walked over to Flame Hashira Rengoku Kyojuro and opened his eyelids. [Mangekyo Sharingan]
In Rengoku Kyojuro's world, he was having a sweet dream. His father, once the previous Flame Hashira, had lost heart and motivation after his wife's death from illness, spending his days drinking. Rengoku Kyojuro had worked desperately to become the Flame Hashira to gain his father's approval, yet his father wouldn't even look at him. He wanted to be his younger brother's pride and, at the same time, earn his father's praise... Then, in this dream world, everything became perfect. His mother hadn't died, and the family lived happily ever after. Rengoku Kyojuro was in the courtyard, teaching his younger brother swordsmanship and Breathing Styles, when he suddenly saw a person with red eyes appear in the courtyard and kick his brother away.
"Careful! Who are you?! Don't think of harming my brother!" Rengoku Kyojuro hugged his brother, drew his sword, and glared angrily at the intruder.
"Wake up, Rengoku Kyojuro. You've fallen under a Blood Demon Art. Stop indulging in this illusory dream. I'm going to wake Tanjiro and the others," Uchiha Nagi said calmly. Then he withdrew from the other's spiritual world and returned to reality.
"That was... Uchiha Nagi? That's right..." Tears streamed down Rengoku Kyojuro's face. "Mother died long ago. I know that."