Trader In The World Of Pirates!!!

(Please add it to your Library! Please send Power Stones! Thank you! 

For more chapters, visit my patreon.com/LazySeeker)

---

!!! 

The long blade, gleaming like the moon, sliced through the night, transforming into a water-colored arc as it cut through the air.

In an instant! 

A spray of blood erupted into the sky.

A moment later, the sound of a body hitting the ground followed.

The poor soul, who was about to be devoured by the demon, collapsed onto the ground. 

Alongside him fell the giant hand that had held him captive.

However, as the blade's light severed the hand, it began to disintegrate, as though consumed by invisible flames. The massive hand slowly turned to ash, vanishing before the naked eye.

Tanjiro stood grimly.

Driven by his innate kindness, he couldn't bear to witness someone being eaten by a demon in front of him. Whether it was impulse or instinct, he had acted. With the Nichirin sword in hand—a weapon that could vanquish demons entirely—he had saved the stranger.

But now...

He had to consider how to survive the looming danger.

However, just as Tanjiro was preparing for the worst, the hand demon across from him suddenly fixed its gaze on the Tengu mask atop Tanjiro's head.

"Here we go again, my cute little fox."

"Hey, fox boy, what year is it in the Meiji era now?" the hand demon asked.

Its tone was soft, a far cry from the deranged frenzy it had exhibited while chasing humans. 

Yet, in its eyes, there was an unsettling, predatory hunger, as if it could devour Tanjiro at any moment.

"Again!?" Tanjiro's brow furrowed, sensing something amiss. 

But he answered honestly.

Immediately after...

The hand demon, which had seemed calm, suddenly went berserk, clawing at its own body and screaming wildly.

After a frantic exchange, Tanjiro finally understood.

This demon had been captured by his master, Sakonji Urokodaki, and imprisoned on Mount Fujikasane as part of the Demon Slayer Corps' final selection process, where demon hunters were trained among the wisteria flowers.

The hand demon had been trapped there for 47 years!

In that time, it had devoured no fewer than 50 humans.

Of those, 13 had been former disciples of his master.

And these weren't just ordinary people.

They were seasoned trainees, on the verge of becoming demon slayers!

With the strength it had gained from consuming these formidable individuals, the hand demon's power now exceeded that of most regular members of the Demon Slayer Corps.

The aspiring hunters stood no chance against it!!!

And driven by its hatred for Urokodaki, who had imprisoned it, the hand demon had vowed to devour all of his disciples!!!

The demon recounted its heinous deeds with twisted pride, especially delighting in revealing that even Sabito and Makomo—who had once helped Tanjiro train—had fallen prey to it.

Tanjiro's usually gentle eyes blazed with fury.

"I... will kill you right here!!!"

Gripping his Nichirin sword, he lunged at the hand demon!

Seeing that it had successfully stoked Tanjiro's rage, the hand demon grinned wickedly.

In the next instant! 

A dozen arms shot out like cannonballs, aiming to seize Tanjiro's body.

'Slash!!!' 

The sharp blade of Tanjiro's sword cut through the flying arms one by one, severing several giant hands.

However...

This was merely a minor setback for the demon, which could regenerate its arms infinitely!

'Boom!!!' 

At the moment Tanjiro was momentarily blinded by his own anger, a hidden hand in the forest lunged at him from the side as he leaped into the air.

"Not good!!!" 

Tanjiro's expression shifted drastically.

But just then, a voice suddenly called out from behind him:

"Hey, kid!"

"Don't lose focus during a fight!!!"

A rock shot from behind, striking Tanjiro squarely in the back.

Though the force of the blow wasn't strong enough to harm Tanjiro, it provided just enough push to propel him forward.

In the next moment, Tanjiro's body dipped, causing him to fall forward.

The giant hand, which had been poised to strike, barely missed him, smashing into a thick tree instead.

"Who's there!?"

Instantly, both Tanjiro and the hand demon turned toward the source of the voice behind them.

One of them filled with anger; the other, with gratitude.

"Don't worry about who I am! Just finish it off!!!"

Enel, who had helped Tanjiro dodge the attack, looked authoritative as he raised his hand and shouted.

"I risked my life to save you from that hit! If you don't stay calm, we're both going to die here!!!"

Originally, Enel had sensed Tanjiro's strong life force and, noticing that he had saved the unfortunate victim, decided to stop running.

This forest was far too dangerous, and running blindly would only lead to certain death.

Rather than rely on luck, he figured it would be smarter to stay near someone like Tanjiro.

In Enel's perception, Tanjiro's aura was clearly much stronger than the hand demon's.

Instinctively, Enel assumed that sticking close to Tanjiro would keep him safe.

However...

He hadn't expected this kid's combat skills and mental fortitude to be so lacking. Just a few taunts from the hand demon, and Tanjiro had lost his composure.

With no other choice, Enel had to step in. Seeing that Tanjiro was about to be ambushed by the hand demon, Enel intervened.

After all, without Tanjiro as his "shield," Enel would have no sense of security in this perilous forest.

Thanks to Enel's timely warning, both Tanjiro and the hand demon remembered that their battle was far from over!

While the hand demon's focus was momentarily distracted, Enel swiftly dodged into the woods and quickly disappeared from its sight.

"Did he run away?"

The hand demon frowned, recalling Enel's scent before muttering in dissatisfaction.

But soon, its attention shifted back to Tanjiro.

A coward who appeared out of nowhere was far less interesting than the "Disciple of Urokodaki" standing before it!

The battle was about to resume!

Its many arms thrashed wildly, causing havoc in every direction, clearing a wide swath in the forest.

The sharp, cold light of Tanjiro's blade, like moonlight, cut through the chaos, slicing away all impurities.

The intensity of the battle was undeniable, with both fighters pushing themselves to the limit. The clash was fierce, relentless, and exhausting.

In the end, it was the hand demon's arrogance and overconfidence in its regenerative abilities that led to its downfall. Tanjiro, relying on his skills and resolve, managed to drive his Nichirin blade into the demon's neck...

...and swiftly severed it!!!

And just like that...

The Demon that had terrorized Mount Fujikasane for 47 long years was finally slain by a young boy with a sword.

Scarlet ashes slowly floated into the air.

As death closed in, the hand demon's mind began to spin like a revolving door, recalling flashes of the time before it became a demon.

Back then...

He had been just a boy, separated from his younger brother after failing to hold his hand.

And then, inexplicably, he had become a demon—driven by an insatiable hunger for human flesh...

He had forgotten all traces of his humanity, knowing only how to devour others to grow stronger.

The first human he ever consumed...

Had been his own brother, who had been desperately searching for him.

"What a sorrowful scent."

Suddenly, Tanjiro's voice broke through the hand demon's haze.

The demon looked at him...

And for the first time, saw a pair of eyes filled with tenderness and grief.

Was he...

Was he feeling sorrow for the demon?

A few tears fell from the hand demon's eyes, just as its form began to disintegrate.

Tanjiro, step by step, approached the remains of the hand demon's body. His keen sense of smell, far beyond that of an ordinary human, had given him insight that few possessed.

Even from hundreds of meters away, Tanjiro could detect the faintest of emotions through scent.

Now, it seemed as though he had caught a whiff of the demon's long-forgotten anguish. Tanjiro reached out, placing his hand gently on the demon's forehead, and whispered a quiet prayer:

"God, please..."

"Let this soul be reincarnated in peace. Please don't let him become a demon again."

"This is... my brother's hand..."

As the hand demon's final thoughts faded, its body vanished completely into the air.

Tanjiro stood alone on the chaotic battlefield, tears silently streaming down his face.

But then, a familiar voice broke the silence behind him:

"Instead of begging to God, why not turn to me?"

"God doesn't have time for your trivial requests."

Enel emerged from the shadows of the dark forest, walking slowly toward Tanjiro.

Before Tanjiro could process his grief, Enel slapped him on the shoulder with a smirk and said:

"Young man, how about making a deal with me?"