Lesser Bounded Field and the Meeting of the Hashiras

"What are they doing?" Aoi asked, pressing her ears to the door.

Tsuguko, Kanao Tsuyuri, was also there, eying the door as if it had become a demon. Unlike Aoi, though, there was a red blush on her face.

Boom!

The wooden door suddenly rattled, dust fell from the roof, and Aoi stumbled back, her back pressing into Kanao's figure.

"Are… Are they fighting?!" Aoi asked, surprised. "Why fight in the room?!!"

Kanao couldn't take it any longer. For the first time in her life, she felt ashamed by calling Shinobu her master… The things she could sense ongoing behind that door… Tch!

No wonder Sir Giyu left the moment her master put herself between the two men… Kanao thought, her lips pressing into a thin line.

Boommmmm!!

"Let's…" Kanao murmured, holding Aoi's shoulder.

"But!"

"Let's go."

"…"

*

*

After a few hours,

"How did you awaken your Spirituality without the Nichirin swords?" Shinobu asked.

They were lying on the bed, a thin sheet of silk covering their naked bodies. After asking her question, Shinobu lifted her head off Kai's chest and looked up into his hazel eyes.

"Follow the plan." The Ad Infinitum beeped into Kai's mind, reminding him of the preset task like an alarm.

Regardless of the world he was into, Kai only had 3 hours of Identity Period to exist as himself. Once the Identity Period was over, he would involuntarily become Darcie Malfoy.

Moreover, for every 1 day in the Verse Fusion Random World, 10 days would go by in the Darcie's Harry Potter World.

With these two points in mind, Kai had spent nearly a million Mission Credits to stretch the current Side Mission's Time Limit to 3 days, making sure that when he returned, he would still be within his Identity Period.

Not to mention, even though the Side Mission's objective this time was to get the Demon Slayer Title, there were just too many things Kai needed to do during this visit. Things that were impossible without ample time in his hands. Because once he returned, Kai believed he might not return here for a long time.

Black was a different matter altogether.

Kai smiled and kissed Shinobu's forehead. "I…" he hesitated, took a deep breath, and continued, "I have something to tell you."

The casualness on the Insect Hashira's face vanished. She sat up on the bed and looked at her man, demanding an explanation.

"Wait a second," Kai said, smiling. "First, I need to do something about our surroundings."

"Surroundings…"

Shinobu couldn't voice her doubts, though.

Kai, still buck naked, sat up on the bed and waved his hands.

Unlike the case during the Tournament of Worth, Kai could freely access his Inventory.

A hundred papers, full of runic letters and magical imprints, came out of his MRB (-Miscellaneous Rent Box-) and glued themselves to the walls, roof, and the floor, completely surrounding the two of them.

Shinobu marveled at the sudden display of magic, and Kai nodded inwardly seeing her expression.

This was why Verse Fusion Random Worlds were the most prized possession, even when one counted the King-level Contestants.

No Abnormality Limiter. Fusion of Abilities. Multiverse Interdependencies.

It was like a haven for a Contestant. And Kai wanted nothing but to turn this Random World into a real Haven for him to step back and rest whenever he wanted to, forging paths for plans and destinations.

Before Shinobu could ask what was happening, a monstrous burst of Mana exploded out of him, sending a shiver running down Insect Hashira's spine.

Bam!

Kai slammed his palms together.

Specific. Belief. Intention.

The runic markings on hundreds of papers shone together, letting out a blinding yellow light.

200 MP out of his current hoard of 260 MP vanished on the spot.

Thrummmmmm!!!

The space buzzed as a yellow sheen surrounded Kai and Shinobu, originating from the papers.

…

[

Contestant Kai Stormborn, you are now temporarily cut-off from the gaze of the Timeline.

Time Limit: 15 minutes

WARNING: Instant eradication of Contestant's existence upon mentioning Systems or the Primordial Tower to any in-world Character.

]

…

Lesser Bounded Field!

Kai grinned inwardly.

The current Lesser Bounded Field wasn't on the scale of the one they had cast in the Harry Potter World within the suitcase. The principles and the procedure were the same, though.

As long as the magic contained within the papers lasted, the Bounded Field will remain in affect.

Kai's Mana was nothing but a trigger point to start the process.

"What is this, Arlen?"

"Kai."

"Hmm?" Shinobu's brows rose as Kai named himself, sitting by her side.

The 1st Rule the Systems had introduced Kai to was - You must reveal nothing about the Systems or the Primordial Tower to any character within the random world.

"My name is Kai, Shinobu," Kai introduced. "And…"

The Rule said nothing about any other dimension, though.

"… I do not belong to this world…"

*

*

Next day,

HQ - Demon Slayer Corps

Kai followed Shinobu, now dressed in her Insect Hashira kimono, their steps light and indistinguishable from each other.

The leader of the Demon Slayer Corps had summoned them here, along with all the Hashiras.

If it was any other Demon Slayer based Random World, then merely stepping here would have given him a Milestone, Kai knew. However, this was Verse Fusion. It provided unbelievable opportunities. It also made it hideously impossible to get the Milestones and Titles, otherwise most commonly available, too.

"Are you alright?" Kai asked, sensing the fluctuations in Shinobu's emotions, his voice gentle.

Meanwhile, the Ad Infinitum prepared at least a thousand more questions and answers for Kai to follow up with the current one.

Shinobu… dared not look over her shoulder, lest she lose her focus.

The things that Kai had told her were nothing short of outrageous… and, yet, they made sense.

More than anything, they promised… hope.

If that was all, then Shinobu might have ignored these things. However, it was he who had told her all this; there was no one in this world whom she believed more than him. Not now, not ever.

Sigh…

"Hmph!" Instead of the sigh, anger flashed across Shinobu's face. "Just follow my lead, Ar… Tch! Kai."

Kai laughed.

Bang!

A fist landed on his stomach.

"That hurt…" Kai complained, bending his waist.

Shinobu rubbed her fist, frowning at the pain in her knuckles. "Monster!" she cursed.

…

The couple reached the mansion's gathering area, bickering loudly.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, was already sitting there. Two of his four daughters attended him like always.

Lined up in front of him, on the outer grounds, were the Hashiras, all of their gazes narrowing hard on the white-haired man.

"So that's him," Tengen Uzui, the Sound Hashira, remarked, lifting his chin. "He deflected Tsuguko's blade with his finger? Now that's flashy! And he wields dual swords… flamboyantly flashy!!"

Giyu Tomioka, the Water Hashira, took one look at Shinobu and averted his eyes.

Ah! Mitsuri Kanroji, the Love Hashira, screamed in her mind, her cheeks going red. He's so handsome! I am rooting for you, Shinobu!!

"I sense…" Obanai Iguro, the Serpent Hashira, mumbled, "… a touch of familiarity from him…"

"Namu Amida Butsu," Gyomei Himejima, the Stone Hashira, prayed, crying. "If it doesn't work out, let's put his poor soul out of misery…"

"Let's do it flamboyantly!" the Sound Hashira stated in between.

Was that a paper bird? Muichiro Tokito, the Mist Hashira, asked himself, looking at somewhere far in the sky.

"Oi! Oi!" Sanemi Shinazugawa, the Wind Hashira, shouted, grinning and holding the handle of his sword. "Once a demon, always a demon! Why aren't we killing him already?!"

"There's no need for that!" Kyojuro Rengoku, the Flame Hashira, declared. "I trust her judgment!"

Kagaya Ubuyashiki heard their words and smiled gently. "It's…"

The leader of the Demon Slayer Corps was about to put a hold on a few Hashira's boiling emotions when he sensed something and paused.

What's this?!

***********

AN: Break Tomorrow!

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