Chapter 220: Pillars 3 Years Later

Tokyo, as lively as ever. Even after nightfall, the city remained bustling.

Even though the shogunate system had collapsed, the emperor had moved from Kyoto to Tokyo, making the city an important port for foreign trade. The thick black smoke rising from the factories was a clear sign that this place would never be quiet.

Even in its current state, Tokyo had the makings of a city that never slept.

When Li Mo reappeared on the streets of Tokyo, his modern clothes had been replaced by attire more fitting for the current era. He had visited a clothing store to purchase a new outfit.

The money he used was from the Demon Slayer world, leftover from his last visit. Back then, he had stored many of his belongings in the system's inventory. Time had proven that the inventory was the safest place.

After changing his clothes, Li Mo headed toward a familiar location. Tokyo was vast, and along the way, he didn't see anyone he recognized.

In truth, he didn't know many people in this world.

He wondered how many of them were still alive.

He could have gone to find Miss Tamayo, who was conducting research in Tokyo. But now that Tamayo was collaborating with the Demon Slayer Corps, it was uncertain whether she was still in the same place.

This was a more reliable option.

The ramen shop that served as a Demon Slayer intelligence hub was located in a small alley. Though the area was secluded, it saw a fair amount of foot traffic, connecting the bustling streets to the residential district. It was a convenient shortcut for those without private transportation.

Looking at the shop's door, the patterns on it seemed unchanged from his last visit. After a moment's pause, he pushed the door open.

"Customer, we're about to close. You see—"

"What, are you going to turn away a customer without even looking to see who it is?"

Li Mo interrupted the owner's words.

The owner, who had been wiping down the counter, looked up.

His expression was complex.

Surprise, confusion… various emotions flickered across his face.

It was as if he had seen a ghost.

"You're really not dead."

That was the first thing he said.

Seeing the owner's expression, Li Mo found it amusing. He used his foot to close the door behind him and then walked over to the middle-aged owner. "What, were you hoping I'd died?"

"No, I'm just… shocked. Who wouldn't be happy about the return of a Pillar? Back then, you really did just disappear," the owner said, having regained his composure.

Li Mo replied, "For Kanaho-san, it was indeed a disappearance."

"Would you like something to eat?"

"Of course. I haven't had dinner yet. The usual is fine, right?"

"No problem."

The familiar rhythm returned.

Li Mo sat down in his usual spot. The environment was exactly as he remembered it, unchanged in every detail. The initial unease he felt had now subsided.

He asked, "How's the Demon Slayer Corps been lately?"

"What do you want to know?"

"How's the Master's health?"

The owner stood in front of the pot, where the broth hadn't yet cooled. He bent down to add some coal, reigniting the flame that had nearly gone out. The broth, still warm, would need a moment before noodles could be added.

"The Master's health hasn't worsened in the past three years."

"Three years, huh…"

Li Mo seized on the key detail.

Three years.

That was a long time. His previous stay in the Demon Slayer world had only been three years as well.

His fingers traced the cracks on the counter as he fell into thought.

How many three-year periods did a person have in their life?

Perhaps in the future, he would scoff at the idea of three years, as a long-lived species might consider it no more than a nap. But at this moment, Li Mo wasn't even thirty years old.

"How many Pillars are there now?"

Li Mo asked.

Against the Twelve Kizuki, only Pillars stood a chance. The other Demon Slayers were little more than blood bags, sent to their deaths. Li Mo hadn't forgotten how, in the manga, during the final battle against Muzan, Tamayo's poison had immobilized him, only for ordinary swordsmen to rush in and become his food.

He tapped the table. The Corps likely didn't have many Pillars left. When he left, the older generation had dwindled, leaving only Kyojuro Rengoku, the Flame Pillar. Among the newer generation, aside from himself, there was Gyomei Himejima, the Stone Pillar.

Demon Slayers started fighting in their teens. Even if they miraculously survived every battle, by their twenties, their physical abilities would begin to decline. For someone like Kyojuro Rengoku, who was still active in his late twenties, it was rare.

Every battle was a life-or-death struggle…

"Seven."

"Huh? How many?"

"The Stone Pillar, Gyomei Himejima-sama. He's an old friend of yours, right?"

Li Mo nodded. "You could say that. I relied on his recommendation letter to become a disciple."

The owner continued, "Then, there's the Sound Pillar, Tengen Uzui-sama."

"That flashy ninja with the wives? I remember him. The Kakushi were so jealous when they talked about him," Li Mo said.

"The Flow Pillar, Makomo-sama."

"Wait!"

Li Mo raised his hand, stopping the owner.

That name… was a bit odd. Had Makomo created her own Breathing Style based on Water Breathing in these three years? But I remember her mastering Water Breathing…

After a pause, he lowered his hand, signaling for the owner to continue.

"Flow Breathing. Makomo-sama created it based on Water Breathing over the past three years. You should know more about this, right? I remember Makomo-sama is your senior sister, and you both came from the same selection."

"Next!" Li Mo said.

He couldn't admit that he didn't know. After becoming a Pillar, he had rarely discussed training with Makomo.

"The Rust Pillar, Sabito-sama."

"What, did Sabito create his own Breathing Style too?"

"No, Sabito-sama still uses Water Breathing."

"Then why…? Never mind, keep going," Li Mo said.

He had a rough idea why Sabito wasn't called the Water Pillar.

"The Water Pillar, Giyu Tomioka."

So… in this era, there were two Pillars who used Water Breathing? The Master must be overjoyed. It seemed the two had become Pillars around the same time, and Sabito had let Giyu take the title of Water Pillar, using his own name as his alias instead.

He fell silent. Thinking about it, what kind of achievement was it for Urokodaki-sensei to have trained four Pillars? Among the cultivators, where did that place him?

"And the rest?"

"The Flower Pillar, Kanae Kocho. The Wind Pillar, Sanemi Shinazugawa. Both of them are connected to you."

"I'm familiar with Kanae-san. But Sanemi Shinazugawa… I've never heard of him."

That was a lie. Having read the manga, Li Mo knew who he was. But as a Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps, he had no personal connection to the man.

"Shinazugawa-sama's senior and partner was Masachika Kumeno. During a battle with one of the Twelve Kizuki, Masachika died, and Shinazugawa-sama became a Pillar."

Masachika Kumeno… a familiar name.

Li Mo paused, then said, "I see…"

Another familiar face was gone.