Demon Slayer: Start With Heroic Spirit Legacy System

In the west lies a simple and peaceful village called Takinogawa Village.

At the edge of the village stands a tranquil and secluded mountain.

Deep within the mountain:

"Big Sister! Come here quickly and see what I've found!"

A young girl, with a smudge of dirt on her face, held a small hoe in one hand and a black medicinal herb in the other, proudly showing it off to her elder sister.

Nearby, unlike the excitable younger girl, her sister, a gentle and graceful young woman, looked at her with a mix of fondness and mild reproach.

"Shinobu, girls need to maintain their appearance. Look at your dirty face."

"And remember, don't shout in the mountains! It might attract wild beasts…"

"Yes, yes, Father already told me this a thousand times!" replied the younger girl, Kocho Shinobu, half-heartedly brushing off her elder sister, Kocho Kanae.

Kanae didn't mind Shinobu's dismissive response. Smiling, she crouched down beside her and gently wiped the dirt off her sister's face.

Her delicate and beautiful features became even more enchanting.

"This seems to be He Shou Wu (fleeceflower root). It's good for promoting hair growth!"

Kanae, being well-versed in herbs, quickly identified the plant her sister had found.

"Is it valuable? Can we sell it to buy you a new hairpin?" Shinobu's eyes sparkled with hope as she clutched the herb tightly.

"Unfortunately, no," Kanae said, shaking her head. "It's just an ordinary herb, not worth much."

Hearing this, Shinobu deflated like a balloon, her enthusiasm fading. She started poking the ground with her little hoe.

"Ugh, I can never find anything valuable! I don't want to come here again!"

Her sister chuckled softly at her complaints. Smiling mysteriously, Kanae pulled something from behind her back—a closed fist holding a surprise.

"Then how about a gift for little Shinobu? Guess what it is?"

"A gift? For me?" Shinobu's eyes lit up immediately. Without hesitation, she exclaimed, "Candy!"

In those days, candy was a rare and precious treat, controlled by the authorities and sold at high prices.

Kanae shook her head.

"A comb?"

Still wrong.

"…?"

After a series of failed guesses, Shinobu pouted, realizing her sister was teasing her.

"I don't want to guess anymore! Hmph, I don't even care about it!"

Seeing Shinobu's flushed and frustrated face, Kanae finally stopped teasing. She opened her hand, revealing a delicately crafted hairpin in light purple, adorned with floral patterns and tinged with pink.

"It's beautiful!"

Humans are naturally drawn to beautiful things. The exquisite hairpin immediately captured Shinobu's attention.

"Well, since little Shinobu doesn't care about it, I suppose I'll give it to someone else."

"No way!"

Shinobu snatched it up in a panic and quickly pinned it into her hair, as if afraid her sister might change her mind. Her radiant smile was brighter than any flower.

Kanae gently touched the small scars on her hand, marks from her clumsy attempts at sewing. It had taken her weeks to weave clothing for a wealthy family in exchange for enough money to buy this hairpin.

Originally, the hairpins came in pairs, and Kanae had loved the other one. But with limited funds, she could only afford one, so she chose the design her sister would like most.

Kanae was not one to dwell on regret. The thought passed fleetingly through her mind.

Smiling warmly, she said to Shinobu, "Alright, let's head back!"

"No way! I'm going to find some valuable herbs and buy you another hairpin!"

Receiving the gift rekindled Shinobu's determination, and she set to work digging with renewed vigor.

"Oh? But I heard…"

Kanae lowered her voice, creating a spooky atmosphere.

"What did you hear, Sister? Don't scare me!" Shinobu clung to her sister's arm, trembling slightly.

"I heard there are man-eating demons in these mountains."

"AHHHHH!!!"

Before Shinobu could finish pretending to be brave, her sister's words sent her screaming. Her shrieks echoed through the mountain.

"S-Sister, I just remembered… Mother must've finished cooking. Let's hurry home."

Blushing, Shinobu tugged at Kanae's arm and whispered.

"Alright."

"I'm not scared! I'm super brave!"

"Of course, of course! Little Shinobu is the bravest!" Kanae said with a laugh.

At that moment, the noonday sun filtered through layers of leaves, casting dappled light on the sisters' hair. The golden glow made them look even more beautiful.

As they walked farther away, a shadow emerged from the dark forest.

"Such lovely girls!"

"If I offer them to Master Dōma, he'll reward me with more blood!"

"Power! I need greater power!"

The figure memorized their scent and prepared to strike later that night.

...

Beyond this mountain lay another. The entire region was mountainous, shrouded in mist. Occasionally, wild animals peeked curiously from behind the towering trees, watching a girl trudging through the woods.

"Ugh, this is so far! I wonder if Junior Brother's destination is the same as mine. It's all just mountains and forests!"

The girl, Makomo, flicked her sleeves to shake off the water droplets clinging to her clothing.

At noon, the mountain mist began to evaporate, creating a humid atmosphere. Travelers often found themselves drenched, just like Makomo.

Fortunately, the Demon Slayer Corps uniform was waterproof.

"Junior Brother! Junior Brother!"

The annoying Kasugai crow began repeating Makomo's words.

With a dark expression, Makomo leaped up and grabbed the parrot-like Kasugai crow mid-air. She placed her greenish-black blade against the crow's thin neck.

"Shut up!"

"Understood! Understood!"

The embarrassed crow barely managed to preserve its life.

Having dealt with the chatty crow, Makomo's mood lightened significantly. With a single leap, she jumped over a small pit left behind by someone who had been gathering herbs.

"There are traces of herb gathering here. Looks like I'm close."