Chapter 20: Astonishing Insight
The night was as dark as ink, and the moonlight was like a white silk ribbon.
Tatsu and Kanae Kocho walked side by side on the mountain path.
"Phew..."
Tatsu gently exhaled a breath of turbid air, and with a thought...
In an instant, a translucent white light screen, visible only to him, appeared before his eyes.
Tatsu stopped in his tracks, his gaze locked tightly onto the text on the light screen.
Name: Tatsu
Race: Demon (Variant)
Physique: Immortal Body (Pseudo)
Weaknesses: Sunlight, wisteria poison, Nichirin Sword
Skill: Astonishing Insight
Strength: 6 (Normal adult human is 1)
Agility: 6 (Normal adult human is 1)
Energy Source: Human food (low conversion rate), human flesh (extremely high conversion rate, currently not ingested)
Looking at these lines of data, Tatsu's brow furrowed slightly.
"Are my strength and agility only six times that of an ordinary person..."
Tatsu sighed inwardly.
Although for an ordinary person, a physical constitution six times the norm could be considered superhuman, enough to be invincible on an ordinary battlefield.
But for the truly top-tier powerhouses of this world.
Whether it was the Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps or the Twelve Kizuki, these values were simply not enough.
Forget about the Upper Ranks; even if he encountered a Lower Rank,
his six-fold stats would only barely allow him to protect himself, and even escaping might be a pathetic struggle.
His gaze shifted down, falling on that glaring line of [Weaknesses].
Sunlight, wisteria poison, Nichirin Sword.
These were like three Swords of Damocles hanging over his head, liable to fall at any moment,
ending his hard-won "Demon Life."
Especially sunlight—that was the nightmare of all demons, an absolute fatal flaw.
No matter how special he was, the moment that golden light touched him, he would turn to ash in an instant, with not even a speck remaining.
"Immortal Body (Pseudo)... that 'Pseudo' is really an eyesore."
Tatsu smiled bitterly to himself, his fingertips gently stroking his chin as a trace of unwillingness flashed in his eyes.
"If I don't get rid of that 'Pseudo,' I'll forever be forced to live in the shadows, dodging the sun like a rat."
But then, his gaze fixed on the column [Skill: Astonishing Insight].
Astonishing Insight.
This was his greatest reliance.
"Mount Kumotori..."
Tatsu looked up, his gaze piercing through the layered shadows of the trees toward the distant north.
There lay the opportunity for him to grow stronger, the hope that would allow him to break free from the shackles of his "weaknesses."
"As long as I can see that person, as long as I can see that dance with my own eyes..."
Tatsu clenched his fists.
As long as he saw it once, even if the movements were incomplete,
with this [Astonishing Insight], he would surely be able to reconstruct it and even comprehend the true meaning contained within.
While Tatsu was immersed in his thoughts, Kanae Kocho, who had been walking beside him, suddenly thought of something.
She stopped, turned around, and gazed gently at Tatsu.
"Tatsu?"
She tilted her head slightly, a hint of confusion in her eyes.
In her impression, Tatsu was an extremely special demon.
Not only did he not eat people, but he could even sustain his life by eating ordinary food like a human.
In the hundreds of years of records of the Demon Slayer Corps, this was simply an unheard-of miracle.
But because of this, she was puzzled by the path Tatsu wanted to take to become stronger.
For a typical demon, the most direct and cruel way to grow stronger was to eat people.
The more people they ate, especially those with Marechi blood, the faster their power would grow.
This was the instinct of a demon, and also a demon's curse.
But what about Tatsu?
He refused to eat people and even showed an instinctive repulsion toward human flesh.
So, what did he intend to rely on to become stronger?
Although that food could restore his physical strength and even allow him to live like a normal person,
trying to increase a demon's physical strength through the intake of carbohydrates and proteins...
that sounded like a fairy tale.
"Tatsu, what are we going to Mount Kumotori for?"
Kanae Kocho finally voiced the doubt in her heart.
She blinked, her long eyelashes fluttering like the wings of a butterfly.
"Is there something on Mount Kumotori that can make you stronger?
As far as I know, there are no special herbs there,
nor are there any hidden masters...
If it's for training, the dojo at the Butterfly Mansion would actually be more suitable for you."
At this point, she seemed to think of something, and a hint of worry entered her tone.
"Moreover, if a demon wants to become stronger... it's usually through... that...
Although I know you wouldn't do that,
can relying solely on human food really give you enough power to face the Twelve Kizuki,
or even Muzan Kibutsuji?"
Her voice grew smaller and smaller, as if she were afraid of touching a sore spot for Tatsu, or perhaps she was worried about his future.
Tatsu looked at the woman before him, who was so gentle it was heart-wrenching, and a warm current rose in his heart.
He knew that Kanae was truly considering his well-being.
He closed the panel, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly in a confident smile.
"Kanae."
Tatsu called her name.
"I want to go there to find someone."
"Just to find someone?"
Kanae Kocho was slightly stunned, clearly not expecting this answer.
"No, not just to find someone."
Tatsu shook his head and looked at Kanae with bright eyes, saying word for word:
"I want to go there to learn a dance from a certain person."
"A dance?"
This time, Kanae Kocho was completely bewildered.
Her beautiful large purple eyes widened instantly, her face full of disbelief.
"Dancing?"
She instinctively raised her hand, gently covering her lips as if to hide her loss of composure.
"Tatsu... are you joking?"
She couldn't help but let out a laugh.
"What does dancing have to do with getting stronger?
Are you going to dance for the demons and make them die of laughter?"
After saying this, she seemed to feel the joke was a bit dry; a slight blush rose on her cheeks, and she quickly waved her hands to explain.
"Sorry, sorry, I'm not mocking you.
It's just... it's just too bizarre.
As a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, I've seen countless ways to get stronger.
There's tempering the physical body, honing sword skills,
even using drug stimulation...
But getting stronger through dancing?
That really is unheard of."
She looked Tatsu up and down, as if trying to find any sign of a joke on his face.
But Tatsu's expression was exceptionally serious, without the slightest hint of a joke.
"Kanae, that is no ordinary dance."
Tatsu didn't get angry at Kanae's doubt; instead, he explained patiently,
"That dance is called the Hinokami Kagura."
"Hinokami... Kagura?"