Rewinding to the moments before Horne stepped into the shrine…
Horne had anticipated the aerial strike long before it landed.
Never underestimate the utility of a Stand.
Aside from rare autonomous units, humanoid Stands share visual feedback with their masters.
On top of that, a Stand can phase through solid walls to conduct reconnaissance, remaining entirely invisible and undetectable to anyone without spiritual awareness.
Against enemies without Stands, it was the ultimate scout.
From the very beginning, every breath she took was monitored by Horne.
His Stand, [One-Man Army], was built for function, snapping into [Army into One] mode the moment he commanded it.
The piercing flurry struck with pinpoint accuracy, just as Horne predicted.
In the span of a millisecond, the black armor enveloped his flesh, completely deflecting the kinetic assault.
Thrusts capable of shattering solid granite shattered harmlessly against the armored shell forged from Horne’s raw spiritual energy.
The defensive threshold of [Army into One] scaled directly with Horne’s mental fortitude; cracking it from the front required an attack with Rank A Destructive Power.
Her lightning-fast strikes had speed in spades, but lacked the raw mass to penetrate.
“What?!”
The attacker gasped in genuine shock.
“Insect Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, Shinobu Kocho.
Let’s talk.”
Horne had zero interest in throwing down with her, which would only waste precious time and create needless animosity.
“Talk?
I’m afraid I have nothing to discuss with a filthy demon.”
The petite girl sporting a butterfly hairpiece and a fluttering butterfly-patterned haori over her dark uniform smiled politely, stepping back to create distance after her initial assault bounced.
“Even if it’s a demon who never lost his humanity and has never tasted human flesh?”
Facing Horne’s question, Shinobu’s pleasant smile remained fixed.
“If such a creature existed, perhaps we could share a cup of tea…
But that’s a fairy tale, isn’t it?
No demon can override the primal hunger for mortal flesh.”
Her eyes were completely devoid of warmth, cold and calculating as she stalled for time, analyzing how to put this monster in the ground.
“Ordinary folks can’t pull it off, but exceptional individuals can.
To my knowledge, aside from myself, there’s another demon whose unique constitution allows them to suppress the cannibalistic drive entirely.”
“Is that so?
Then I must be terribly uneducated.
And how do you propose to prove you’re so special?”
Shinobu asked coldly.
Without a word, Horne dismissed [Army into One], stepping casually into her lethal range completely unarmed.
“I’ve shown my cards.
What about you?”
He radiated zero hostility.
Yet Shinobu didn’t waste a breath, driving her stinger blade straight forward.
She anticipated the black armor would flash to life to deflect it, but it never came.
Shinobu’s blade plunged cleanly through Horne’s chest, piercing his heart.
The clean hit caught Shinobu completely off guard.
“Since you know I am the Insect Hashira, you should know—”
“I know you specialize in lethal poisons.
Your physical strength is too weak to decapitate a demon, so you compensate with thrusts and wisteria toxins.
Your scabbard is fitted with a specialized mechanism to alter venom mixtures on the fly.
And I know your older sister, Kanae Kocho, was murdered by Upper Moon Two, Doma.
Ever since her death, you’ve forced yourself to mimic her gentle smile and demeanor.”
Listening to Horne recite her most intimate secrets and trauma, a cold shiver crawled up Shinobu’s spine.
“You certainly know an awful lot about me, Mr.
Demon.
But since you’re so well-informed, you should also know this dose will kill you.
Toxin injected directly into the heart spreads through the circulatory system in seconds.
You’re already dead, mysterious stranger.”
Shinobu spoke flatly, trying to shake his composure and shatter his mask.
Her efforts were entirely wasted—this was Horne she was dealing with.
“Dead?
I don’t give a damn about dying.
If I feared death, I would have dropped to my knees and begged like a dog when I ran into the Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji, earlier tonight, only to be butchered on a whim.
Instead, knowing full well I was outmatched, I threw a punch right at his face.
Even if it didn’t land, my resolve had already conquered death.
He punished me with agony, pumping me full of enough blood to melt a human ten times over.
Yet my willpower endured.
My spirit held the line.
I didn’t beg, and I didn’t scream.
I showed that pathetic, death-fearing worm what true human resolve looks like.
And that resolve birthed a miracle—my biology adapted to the lethal blood, freeing me from Muzan’s control.”
Horne recounted the trial with calm, unshakeable certainty.
And despite her lifelong vow never to trust a demon, Shinobu found herself believing every word.
(Does a man like this really exist…?)
She couldn’t help but wonder, her conviction shaken to the core.
“Compared to having my cellular structure obliterated by Muzan’s blood, your wisteria concoction isn’t potent enough to take my life.”
Shinobu monitored his pulse through the hilt of her blade.
A full minute passed; against an ordinary demon, this dosage would have liquefied their organs already.
Yet Horne stood there completely unfazed.
Was the concentration too low?
Perhaps.
But that wasn’t the point—the point was that Shinobu was thoroughly bested.
Horne had every opportunity to rip her throat out while she was locked in close quarters, yet he hadn’t raised a finger.
His unyielding spirit commanded her respect.
This man was the living definition of an indomitable warrior.
Shinobu smoothly pulled back her Nichirin blade and slid it into its sheath.
“What is your ultimate objective?”
“Kill Muzan.
To do that, I need to grow stronger.
The demon inside that shrine is my meal—stay out of it.”
“Her abilities are exceptionally nasty.
Charging in blind might cost you your life.”
“Maybe.
But this is my hunt.
If I can’t even butcher a minor demon on my own, killing Muzan is a bad joke.
Besides, I have advantages you don’t.”
Horne had no intention of letting her assist; sharing the kill yielded zero benefits for his evolution.
If he needed a crutch for his very first hunt, he wouldn’t be Horne.
“Very well.
It just so happens I’d like to observe how demons fight amongst themselves.”
Seeing his stubbornness, Shinobu dropped the idea of an alliance.
Horne’s eyes lit up with a mischievous spark.
“Since you want front-row seats, I have an idea: I’ll play the lost demon looking to defect, and you can play the captive tribute I’m bringing as a gift.”
Hearing this, Shinobu narrowed her eyes, wondering if this pervert was playing her all along.
Yet she decided to take an unprecedented gamble on a demon.
“Fine.
I’ll take the VIP seat and enjoy your little performance, Mr.
Demon.”
“Deal.”
Horne flashed a wicked smirk.
Before Shinobu could react, he hoisted her up and threw her across his broad shoulder.
Shinobu’s plump, perfectly rounded ass was angled right in front of his face.
Horne promptly reeled back and slapped one of the juicy cheeks, sending a delectable ripple rolling across the tight flesh.
A massive throbbing vein popped instantly on Shinobu’s forehead.
“…Excuse me…
Mr.
Demon…”
Shinobu barely choked down her murderous rage, while Horne acted completely oblivious.
“Off we go~~”
(I showed you all the sincerity in the world and you still stabbed me through the heart!
You think I don’t have a temper?!
I’m gonna grope this gorgeous ass the whole damn way!)
All the way to the shrine, Horne squeezed and fondled Shinobu’s plump rear to his heart’s content.
Whenever Shinobu was on the verge of pulling her blade, he would casually shut her down with philosophical nonsense:
“Losing your temper is a sign of emotional immaturity.”
“Shinobu means endurance—a woman named Shinobu must endure.”
“He who cannot bear petty insults can never achieve greatness.”
“Patience, Shinobu.
Don’t ruin the master plan over a little spanking.”
He forced her to swallow her indignation every step of the way.
Snapping back to the present, Shinobu’s stinger rained down upon Horne’s armored back once again.
“If it didn’t work the first time, what makes you think it’ll work now?”
Horne chuckled.
“Your hands were wandering quite shamelessly earlier, Mr.
Demon.
Now I finally realize: you aren’t an evil demon at all, just a lecherous pervert.”
“YES!
I AM!!”
Horne owned up to it with absolute pride, his chest puffed out with total shamelessness, as if declaring a noble truth.
“Huh?!
Is being a degenerate something to be proud of?!”
Even Shinobu lost her composure.
“Hell yeah!
What crime is there in a red-blooded man appreciating fine ass?!”
Horne’s unrepentant attitude left Shinobu caught between raging fury and hysterical laughter.
She couldn’t fathom how the same mouth that preached transcendent warrior resolve could spout such utterly shameless filth seconds later.