Return

After the fall of Kibutsuji Muzan, the world that was once shrouded in darkness and terror from demons finally found peace. The demons scattered across the land, who had spread fear and chaos, now vanished without a trace. The Demon Slayer Corps, which had fought tirelessly to end Muzan's terror, was disbanded, and each member moved on with their lives.

Amidst this peaceful atmosphere, Shinobu Kocho visited the grave of her younger sister, Kanae. That day, she was accompanied by Haru. With a mix of happiness and sadness, Shinobu recounted everything that had happened after their victory. She spoke of how they had managed to exterminate all the demons and how her life now felt lighter, even though the loss she had experienced still hurt deeply.

As night approached, they returned to Butterfly Mansion. The atmosphere inside the house felt warm, yet within Haru's heart, a chill gripped her. They sat together at the dining table, enjoying a simple meal prepared by Shinobu.

Haru gazed at the transparent panel in front of her.

ID: 6666610

Name: Blank

*Bloodline: Senju (Mokuton)*

*Skills*: Absolute Memory (Passive) - allows the user to not forget what they have seen and learned

*Rank*: E+

Countdown: 3 days, 1 hour, 40 minutes*

She couldn't express what was truly in her heart. Her panel showed a ticking clock; only three days remained before she had to return to the reincarnation tower. Each second felt like a burden growing heavier on her shoulders.

She felt guilty for having to leave Shinobu behind. But the rules forbade any reincarnator from revealing their existence to anyone. There was no way to explain why she had to go, and no way to take Shinobu with her.

"Haru, something's bothering you, isn't it?" Shinobu asked, worried at seeing the vacant expression on Haru's face. She couldn't see Haru's panel, but she could sense the heaviness in her friend's heart.

Haru looked down, trying to gather her words.

"Shinobu, I..." her voice couldn't continue the sentence. She felt her throat tighten.

"Are you going to leave?" Shinobu asked calmly, but in her eyes, Haru could see a deep longing and sadness. Shinobu had sensed something was amiss since they defeated Muzan.

Haru was taken aback by the question. It was as if Shinobu could read her mind. She nodded slowly, guilt enveloping her heart. "I'm sorry, Shinobu..."

"Can't you take me with you?" Shinobu asked, her voice trembling, hope and fear mingling into one. She looked at Haru with a gaze full of longing.

"If I could do that, I would take you with me and never want to be apart from you, Shinobu," Haru replied, shaking her head in regret. "But I can't."

"Will you come back?" Shinobu asked, her voice barely audible. Tears began to flow down her cheeks, and Haru felt her heart break at the profound sadness in Shinobu's eyes.

"I will definitely come back to get you. No matter what happens, I promise," Haru said firmly, emphasizing each word with conviction. She pulled Shinobu into her embrace, gently wiping away her tears. She wanted to assure her that this was only a temporary farewell.

"Then I will wait for you. No matter how long it takes," Shinobu replied, resting her head against Haru's chest.

"I'm sorry, Shinobu," Haru repeated her apology, her guilt deepening. She didn't want to hurt Shinobu, but she also couldn't fight the fate that had been laid out for her.

"Spend your remaining time with me," Shinobu said softly, her eyes looking at Haru with hope despite the sadness within.

"Yes," Haru answered gently, determined to spend every remaining second with Shinobu, even though they knew their time was running out.

That night, they cherished their precious moments together, sharing stories, laughter, and warm embraces. Every moment felt invaluable, as if time would pause just to give them a chance to enjoy a companionship that might never happen again.

The third day arrived, and Haru felt the passage of time quickening. She stood before her panel, watching the countdown numbers dwindle. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

As the sun set, Haru and Shinobu sat together in the Butterfly Mansion garden. The surrounding atmosphere felt peaceful, but within their hearts, there was an unspoken tension.

"Haru," Shinobu called gently. "Are you ready to go?"

Haru shifted her gaze to Shinobu. "Yes, I will definitely come back. *I will never forget you."

"I know," replied Shinobu, smiling despite the tears at the corners of her eyes. "We will meet again, right? In a better place."

"Yes, in a better place," Haru repeated, trying to reassure both herself and Shinobu. They both knew this farewell was not an end, but the beginning of a longer journey.

That night, they spent their last moments sharing dreams and hopes, storing every memory in their hearts.

As the countdown displayed very little time left, Haru and Shinobu embraced tightly. "I love you, Shinobu," Haru whispered, her voice trembling.

"I love you too, Haru. Always," replied Shinobu, holding back the tears that continued to flow. In that embrace, they felt each other's warmth, as if the world around them had vanished.

When the final seconds arrived, Haru felt her body growing lighter, and in an instant, she knew the time had come. She looked at Shinobu one last time, trying to memorize every detail of her face.

"I will come back," Haru said once more before her body vanished in a radiant light, leaving Shinobu standing alone in the garden, her heart filled with hope and sorrow.

With tears streaming down her face, Shinobu gazed at the spot where Haru had disappeared. "I will wait for you," she whispered to the night wind. "No matter how long it takes, I will always wait for you."

...

Opening his eyes again, Haru found himself in a very familiar room—his private chamber in the Reincarnation Tower.

"Welcome back to the Reincarnation Tower, Reincarnator No. 6666610," the cold voice of the tower's AI echoed in his mind.

"Do you wish to calculate the dungeon completion?" the voice asked in a monotone.

"Yes, please start the calculation," Haru replied calmly. Although the reluctance to part from Shinobu still lingered in his mind, he knew that focusing on the Reincarnation Tower was his priority at this moment.

"Ding... Starting item count... Detected that the reincarnator is carrying a sample of demon ancestry. Will you sell it to the Reincarnation Tower?"

"No," Haru firmly declined. Although selling to the Reincarnation Tower offered a quick transaction, the profits gained were far lower compared to selling it to other reincarnators. He wouldn't engage in such a losing business.

"Ding... A green-ranked sword has been detected. Will you sell it?"

"No."

Weapons in the Reincarnation Tower are divided into nine ranks, starting from the lowest: white, green, blue, purple, black, gold, red, legendary, and mythic, which is the highest.

"Ding... Calculating plot change level... Detected participation of Reincarnator No. 6666610 with a plot change level of 80%... Calculation complete."

"Final completion ranking: S."

Dungeon completion rankings are divided into six levels: F, E, D, C, B, A, and S.

*F completion level: causes plot change of <5%. < p>

*E completion level: causes plot change of <10%. < p>

*D completion level: causes plot change of <15%. < p>

*C completion level: causes plot change of <25%. < p>

*B completion level: causes plot change of <50%. < p>

*A completion level: causes plot change of <75%. < p>

*S completion level: causes plot change of >75%.

"Rewards have been distributed. Please check your inventory."

Hearing that the calculation was complete, Haru felt impatient to see what rewards he had received.

**1000 Reincarnation Points**

**Level 5 Training Room Card for 7 Days**

**Perfect Healing Potion**

**Guild Establishment Permit Card**

**Mysterious Treasure Box**

Looking at the rewards, he couldn't help but check the descriptions of each item.

Of course, the reincarnation points didn't need further explanation. He moved on to the next reward.

**Level 5 Training Room Card for 7 Days**: Allows the reincarnator to use the Level 5 training room for 7 days for free.

Haru couldn't contain his excitement. The Level 5 training room is the highest tier in the Reincarnation Tower, where they can slow down time by up to ten times. This means that if Haru uses this card, he can train for free for 70 days! The cost to use this training room is very high—10,000 reincarnation points per day.

He held back his racing heart and continued to look at the descriptions of the other rewards.

**Perfect Healing Potion**: Heals all wounds, even regenerating severed limbs.

**Guild Establishment Permit Card**: With this card, the reincarnator can establish a guild. Establishing a guild in the Reincarnation Tower is not easy; they require this permit card, which is hard to obtain, as a reincarnator must complete a dungeon with an A evaluation alone.

Of course, this was not a difficult task for Haru, who understood the plot of the dungeon world.

Haru carefully examined the last item. The mysterious treasure box is a special item awarded to reincarnators with an S evaluation. As its name suggests, the contents of this box are unknown; it could be just reincarnation points or a legendary-ranked item.

When he opened the box, an ancient scroll made of unknown skin appeared inside.

Haru picked up the scroll and read its description carefully.

**Summoning and Contract Scroll**: By using this scroll, cross-world summoning magic will begin. Various entities from the limitless world can emerge from it, whether they be demons, gods, or ordinary humans; it all depends on luck. The Reincarnation Tower guarantees the reincarnator's safety during the summoning; the summoned beings cannot harm the summoner, but whether a contract can be formed or not depends on the reincarnator's ability to convince the summoned being.

Hearing this explanation, Haru felt excited. He imagined summoning Shinobu as the summoned being. However, just as he was about to activate the scroll, he hesitated. Taking a deep breath, he realized that the chance of summoning Shinobu was even slimmer than finding a needle in a haystack.

Nevertheless, he was satisfied with the rewards he had received. Except for the common reincarnation points, the other items were extremely useful. After spending half a year in the dungeon world, Haru decided to take a good rest before exploring the Reincarnation Tower. Additionally, he wanted to meet Sora; his longing for Sora was no less than his longing for Shinobu. It had been more than six months, and he couldn't wait to see her again.