Demon Slayer: Upper 0 seems to be a waste

It was several years later that Muzan saw Rinko again.

After throwing Douma out and telling him not to come back unless he had something important to do or received any news, they hadn't seen each other for a long time. As a result, Rinko, who always stayed with Douma, hadn't appeared in front of him for a long time. However, Muzan could always sense Rinko's condition, so he didn't worry about anything happening.

Although Douma is not likable, he is strong enough to protect Rinko.

After many years, Douma contacted him again and proposed to initiate a bloody battle in exchange for his position. This was considered an important matter. Muzan happily agreed.

Douma, having received permission, approached him after a long absence, accompanied by Rinko, whom he hadn't seen for a long time. The boy spread his legs the moment he landed, and in three or two swift steps, he jumped to Muzan's side and hugged his legs without hesitation.

Although Muzan was surprised by Rinko's initiative, he gladly accepted the intimacy that he had never experienced before.

Some are happy and some are sad.

Douma, who came with Rinko, did not look so happy. The man was touching his chin with his arm, with a fan against his face, looking completely troubled.

"We've been together for so long but you've never taken the initiative to hug me like this. It's so sad——Rinkou——"

Douma's tone was extremely pitiful. Rinkou turned his head at his call, but his face did not show the reaction he expected.

"You didn't come here for something like this, did you, Mr. Douma?"

Rinko, whose head was being stroked by Muzan, tilted his head and looked at Douma with a flat tone and no expression on his face. Although his eyes did not show any emotion, Douma felt that he felt that kind of pride from Rinko.

Just like a cat lying on its owner's lap, looking at the roadside with its head raised, wanting to reach out and touch it but not getting the owner's permission, it feels proud, tired, and complacent.

"Of course... Lord Muzan, as I told you, I want to initiate a bloody battle with the current... Upper Two."

Douma really wanted to talk to Rinko for a few more words, but the third person present was someone he couldn't ignore. When those eyes swept over him, Douma lowered his head obediently and put the idea of having a good chat with Rinko aside for the time being.

Muzan gave a look to the silent Koto girl kneeling in the corner, plucked the strings once, and after the sound of the pipa, the fourth guest appeared in Rinko's sight.

Lin Guang still remembered this face, although not deeply, but at least he hadn't forgotten it. They had only met once, which was normal. Lin Guang was not very good at remembering people he had never met and who had no special features, and the same was true for ghosts.

The battle began after being allowed, and the world was divided into two parts, one side was a life-and-death struggle, and the other side was peaceful and quiet.

"How does it feel to follow Douma?"

Rinko was sitting on the ground, still sitting cross-legged in an awkward manner. The bad habits he learned from Akaza showed no sign of correcting after all these years. It seemed that no one had ever restrained him. Muzan noticed this small detail, but did not give any instructions or corrections.

"Yeah. Not bad. Douma's place is very, leisurely and comfortable...but...Douma-sama himself, he is really...not very...likable..."

The slow enunciation, drawn-out tones, deliberate pauses, each word showed Muzan the changes in Rinko. As he had imagined, the unpopular Douma would sooner or later cause the usually gentle Rinko to develop a temper. It's just that he hadn't thought that Rinko would change so quickly. He had been planning to stay for a while longer, but now he could prepare to consider the next temporary guardian.

"Why do you want me to follow Mr. Douma? What exactly am I supposed to learn from him?"

Rinko still asked the question. The boy raised his head, his eyes blinking, expecting Muzan to give an answer, until the hand that was touching his head pressed it down.

“You don’t need to learn anything, just be yourself.”

Is it more appropriate to call it experiment or observation... But in fact, there is no difference between the two. Experiments require observation, and observation is also part of the experiment.

-

There is no doubt about the uniqueness of Rinko. Even Douma is infinitely curious about Rinko, but in fact the answer is right in front of him. It’s just that Douma has never thought of using the most direct method to verify it.

Perhaps it's not just Douma. Most ghosts that have come into contact with Rinko will have this awareness. Rinko is different, but no one can accurately say where the difference is.

Lin Guang is good at attracting the attention of people around him, gaining their attention, and then quietly leaving a seed in their hearts.

In this way, I can hide smoothly under the shadow, like a child hiding behind an adult to enjoy the shade.

It sounds like a parasitic relationship, but ghosts are not willing to make sacrifices and take the initiative to protect, so it is slightly different. Lin Guang provides his own value. For ghosts who are always alone, a pet-like existence that does not require vigilance is just a matter of convenience, whether it is brought around or protected behind.

So rather than saying that the stronger beings are protecting the weaker ones, it's more likely that the possessiveness of the stronger ghosts is at work, an instinct to assert sovereignty over what they own.

This was Muzan's guess. Rinko didn't notice it, and Muzan didn't intend to let him notice it.

He found this behavior very interesting, and his conjecture needed more experiments to verify, so he gave Rinko to different ghosts for testing.

Muzan's thinking proved correct. Rinkou possessed unique characteristics. He was weak enough to prevent the demons from being wary of him, yet brave enough for a weak opponent. His indifference to death made the hunters lose interest in him. His remarkable recovery ability, emotional stability, and unique self-preservation skills prevented him from becoming a burden, and he had different behaviors for different people.

The tiny contrasts and inconspicuous advantages eventually led to the creation of Rinko, a companion who was very suitable for entertainment and a toy that would not be easily scrapped.

A very unique existence. He turned his weakness into his own advantage, relying on this weakness to find a place to stay.

And if Lin Guang is really seeking shelter as a weak person, then it is only a matter of time before he proves his worth to his protector...

Rinko couldn't think of this, but Muzan knew exactly what to do.

Why does a hunting dog chase relentlessly? It is simply because it sees the prey right in front of it. As long as it chases and intercepts it, it will get a reward.

Tangible interests are always the best motivation.

-

"Ah, I win."

Lin Guang let out an "Ah" after seeing the woman fall to the ground. He wasn't too surprised, nor was he shocked. He just sighed in cooperation.

This was the ending Muzan expected. Douma wasn't very popular, but he did have some strength, and he was getting visibly stronger over time.

It's just that the time is different from what I expected. Douma's progress is faster than expected... Come to think of it, Akaza was also like this before... It took him less time to challenge the Upper Moon than to fight from the Lower Moon upwards...

What are the similarities?

Muzan lowered his eyes and saw Rin sitting cross-legged on the ground, holding his ankles with both hands, shaking his head back and forth. Unlike when he was with Akaza, the boy was always less enthusiastic when he was with Douma. At this time, he just watched Douma devour the corpse of the predecessor Upper 2 casually, and didn't even consider asking him if he could go over to take a look.

Can it still have an impact on the surroundings without consuming flesh and blood...?

This sounds like an unexpected gain.

----

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"Lord Muzan. Although it may be a little rude, can I take a bite of Rinko? I have always wanted to try that, but Rinko has always refused to let me do it, which makes me very regretful."

The blood on Douma's mouth was not wiped off, and the numbers in his eyes changed silently. When his name was mentioned, Rinko raised his head expressionlessly. This time, Douma did not come over to hug him directly, but knelt down politely and made a sincere request with a smile.

Rinko looked at Muzan, but he didn't look at him. Instead, he looked down at Douma and was silent for a moment.

"can."

What a surprising answer.

Whether it is for Rinko or Douma.

Receiving a glance from Muzan, Rinko stood up from the ground, walked to Douma, knelt down, and stretched out his arm very decisively.

Although he didn't understand why Douma was so determined to eat him, Muzan had already agreed, and all he could do was cooperate.

"Thank you, Master Muzan. I'll be more than welcome then. Rinko."

Lingguang has actually never been bitten by anyone.

At least there is no such scene in his memory. Muzan once swallowed him directly.

That is a completely different experience from having sharp teeth pierce your skin and flesh, causing blood to gush out, and then losing a piece of flesh from the brute force of tearing and the collision of sharp teeth.

The wound healed very quickly. The moment Douma's mouth left, only the blood on the arm proved that he had caused damage with his sharp teeth.

And it was also the first time for Lin Guang to face such a look.

How to describe it.

Lin Guang had only seen similar looks when watching wild beasts hunting, but the degree of that look was far inferior to what he saw now.

Those colorful eyes stared at him, and in an instant, his heart beat faster, as if it was ringing in his ears, making his eardrums numb. He had no doubt that Douma really wanted to eat him at this moment.

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[Tips: I have been debating whether or not to talk about this in detail. In fact, it would be more appropriate to write this kind of thing in the main text, but after much deliberation, I still feel that it is not enough and my level is not enough, so I will add some special notes.

Why was Rinkou visited by Muzan? Actually, this is quite simple. One reason is that Rinkou is also weak and sickly, just like Rui. Then, regarding his characteristics, the reason why flesh and blood can add buffs is because Rinkou has relatively pure rare blood. After becoming a ghost, the buffs are retained. This is considered a private setting and I don’t know if this setting can be used. The materialistic part is because of the rare blood, and the idealistic part is because it is consistent with the so-called hidden characteristics. Because when he was a human, he was never used, and no one cared about him or needed him. What he wanted to do was not even revenge, but just to leave. He has a very gentle personality, so even if Muzan killed someone that year, all he wanted was to leave. Because he had seen worse, he felt that even if a person died or was a ghost, it didn’t matter. It was nothing more than death.

When she was a human, Rinkou had a strong tendency to self-destruct, so after becoming a demon, she is not too afraid of death and is also very resistant to pain. It is not that she cannot feel it, but that she can endure it. This is because she was used to the pain when she was a human.

Then let me talk about my understanding of why Rinkou is more popular with ghosts. To Kokushibo, Rinkou is a good kid who is very well-behaved, obedient, sensible, and will listen when told, and works hard. Such a kid will not be regarded too badly by Kokushibo, who values rules. In addition, Rinkou is not a complete waste, it's just that his skill points were not used properly. After Kokushibo realized that he has strengths in other areas, he is considered to have passed.

Akaza is easy to understand. Akaza likes to deal with normal people. Rinkou is a lively child, very obedient, never cries or makes a fuss, and is very well-behaved. But actually he has some bad intentions of his own, and he will make some harmless jokes. Moreover, his age is very close to the others, so their relationship is not too bad.

As for Douma, Douma thinks Rinkou likes him. Look, this kid goes to eat when he says he wants to, and goes out to play when he says he wants to, and agrees to everything you say. If this isn't love, then what is this? He even plays and fights with him and acts like a spoiled child every day (referring to Rinkou pushing his head away or expressing rejection, which is the kind of feeling that in the eyes of strong enough people, even if you are angry, you are still cute).

At the beginning, they were all hovering around the passing line, but after Muzan verified with them the characteristics of Rinko, which is the characteristic of adding buffs, the passing line moved up.

Although I used the word "like", I actually think that ghosts have a different understanding of "like". They say they like, but it is more like possessiveness, a feeling of declaring sovereignty, that is, this is my prey, you are not allowed to touch it. To put it bluntly, it is "protecting food", because Rinkou's own characteristic is to add buffs, Muzan's blood makes Rinkou stronger, and the steadily increasing strength that he cannot exert will make his buff higher.

However, Muzan misunderstood a little. Rinko has not yet developed to the point where she can become a mobile WiFi. She will become stronger as long as they get along. This part can be understood as, because of Rinko's own weakness, people will pay more attention to her, and then in non-combat periods, Rinko herself is easy to find, so she becomes a suitable sparring partner.

When it comes to concealment, Rinko is a talent acquired through experience, but he has never been taught. When he was learning from Kokushibo, he only had a superficial understanding of it, and the focus was not here at the time, so he didn't understand what he was looking at. Later, when he learned from Akaza, he became confused.

Mixing up the concepts of fighting spirit and the world of transparency, Akaza felt that Rinkou was talking nonsense. But in fact, the child was learning quite seriously.

In terms of combat power, the child currently has all his skill points in stealth and evasion, and when in doubt, he simply runs. Because he rarely eats humans, doesn't appear intimidating, and prefers human food, he can even deceive some of the Demon Slayer Corps in the later stages. In the later stages, when he ran into the three little ones, he was mistakenly thought to be targeted by demons and cast into a blood demon spell. This is because his combat ability is ridiculously poor. Aside from his recovery and physical strength for escape, his strength and everything else are completely useless.

In the later stages, she will develop some self-protection skills with assistance as the center, but she is not a combat type in nature. She will probably become a fragile physical nurse who plays the role of a bird-watcher and a part-time nurse.

The main storyline is supposed to have a normal ending, where everyone dies in the dungeon, but there might be some if-lines that stir things up. Sorry, but I really want to write out some of the gags, like the butterfly that got misassigned colliding with Three, turning into Fist Pillar Akaza, Flame Pillar One-Eye surviving, and some legitimate groupings I saw in the comments. In short, I want to write a lot of random stuff for fun (feel free to tell me anything you want to see, and I'll write down anything I'm interested in for fun)]