'Let's get back to the demon slayer corps then. Plus, I need to interact with people to know how many months it has been since I left...' Ishida thought, as he closed the door behind him of his house and walked out, as it was dark outside the house, '... I can possibly ask the system, which I haven't done yet, for some reason... But, I wonder if it will even answer... Hell, I don't even know what or who the system is yet...' Ishida thought with a slight hinge of frustration, "Okay... Let's try, How much time has it been since I left for the quest?" He asked, 'Cause, If I go and meet them, I have to give a proper explanation of where I was, so, I have to know...'
[Time Elapsed: 9 Months & 27 Days]
Ishida stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening in shock. "Nine... nine months!?" he stammered, his usual composure completely shattered. His hand unconsciously gripped his sword hilt tighter as he processed this information. "And twenty-seven days on top of that? I was gone for almost ten months?"
He leaned against a nearby tree, feeling slightly dizzy as the implications hit him. What had felt like perhaps a few weeks in the quest space had been the better part of a year in the real world. No wonder his house had gathered so much dust.
"Ten months..." he whispered again, running a hand through his hair. "Sakura, Kazuki, everyone... they must have..." He trailed off, his mind racing with thoughts of how much might have changed during his absence. The weight of lost time settled heavily on his shoulders.
After a moment, he straightened up, his expression settling back into determination. "Well, this explanation just got a lot more complicated," he muttered, resuming his walk toward the Corps headquarters. "Nine months and twenty-seven days... I wonder if they'll even believe me when I tell them where I've been."
[Message From System: No explanation needed. The Demon Slayer Corps has been informed of your "special mission." Your absence has been officially documented and explained. Continue as if you've simply returned from a long-term assignment.]
Ishida blinked in surprise, then let out a short laugh. "Of course," he muttered, shaking his head. "You've thought of everything, haven't you? Even covering my tracks." He pushed himself away from the tree, feeling somewhat relieved. At least he wouldn't have to fabricate some elaborate story about where he'd been.
"So I just... act normal? Like I've been away on a mission this whole time?" He ran his hand through his hair again, this time in amusement rather than stress. "Well, that makes things simpler. Though I have to wonder what kind of 'special training mission' you told them about."
The moon cast long shadows across his path as he resumed walking, his steps lighter now that he didn't have to worry about explanations. "Nine months and twenty-seven days of 'special training,'" he mused, a slight smile playing on his lips. "I suppose that's not entirely untrue."
Ishida's steps halted as a low, menacing growl cut through the night air, followed by a terrified human scream. His lips curved into a slight smile as he turned toward the sound.
"This is exactly why I chose to travel at night," he murmured, his hand already on his sword hilt. "All those months in that quest space... I need to see how much stronger I've really become against real demons." His eyes gleamed with anticipation as he moved swiftly toward the source of the commotion.
---
A short while later, Ishida stood among the dissipating ashes of what had been three demons moments before. His breathing was steady, unchanged from before the brief encounter. The moonlight caught the edge of his blade as he smoothly sheathed it, not a single drop of blood marring its surface.
π EXPERIENCE GAINED π
βββββββββββββββββββββ
π EXP REWARD
β₯ Total: 1,200 EXP
βββββββββββββββββββββ
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" A middle-aged man bowed repeatedly, his wife and young daughter clutching each other nearby. "We thought we were going to die! Those demons appeared so suddenly, but you... you moved so fast we could barely see what happened!"
Ishida nodded quietly, noting how different this felt from his quest battles. These demons had been significantly weaker than his recent opponents, making their defeat almost effortless. Still, seeing the relieved faces of the family made it worthwhile.
"Be careful traveling at night," he advised them, his voice carrying the authority of a Hashira despite his youth. "The demons are growing bolder lately."
After ensuring the family had safe passage to their destination, Ishida resumed his journey toward the Corps headquarters. "Well, that was... interesting," he mused. "Those demons felt so slow compared to KyΕki and the others. I guess that quest really did change everything... Plus, I haven't used the new sword I got as reward, I'd probably use it later in a mission,"
"Plus, I learned something new... or perhaps I already knew it," he mused, walking forward along his path. His eyes lifted to the moon above, its light seeming to respond to his thoughts. "Defeating demons for gaining strength and defeating them for saving lives... they're quite different." He paused briefly, remembering the grateful faces of the family he'd just saved. "In the quest, every victory was about becoming stronger, about reaching the next level. But here..." A soft smile touched his lips. "Here, every demon defeated means another family gets to go home together, another child gets to see tomorrow."
His hand rested lightly on his sword hilt as he continued walking, the weight of it feeling more meaningful now. "Maybe that's what true strength is about. Not just the numbers or the levels, but what you choose to do with that power."
The night breeze carried the scent of nearby flowers as Ishida continued his journey toward the Corps headquarters, his purpose feeling clearer than ever before.