This brief down period had absolutely nothing to do with a baseline lack of physical stamina; it was simply the natural, fleeting exhaustion that invariably followed the unleashing of a monumental breath attack.
It was an unavoidable biological reality; the fundamental architecture of a man was simply engineered that way. Much like a high-caliber firearm that required a deliberate manual reload after firing each heavy round, a slow fire rate was never a design flaw—sheer, devastating destructive power and absolute precision tracking were what truly mattered!
Indeed, if a man's rifle possessed an output that was far too overwhelming or accurate, it could paradoxically transform into a source of deep-seated tragedy!
A tragedy of human existence and romantic longevity.
Particularly when it came to a weapon that never missed its mark, such precision could occasionally manifest as the absolute peak of existential sorrow for the wielder.
The exact microsecond Li Ke completed his sensory recovery, he immediately summoned the soothing embers of his Red Dragon Fire to safely cleanse and revitalize Shinobu Kocho's exhausted physique. Right then, Shinobu abruptly reached out and grabbed a thoroughly stunned Mitsuri Kanroji. Mitsuri was currently staring with a flaming, hyper-vibrant blush at the residual white fluids painting Shinobu's skin, completely paralyzed. Shinobu hadn't even found a spare second to wipe the viscous white residue from her own fingertips before gripping her colleague's arm.
"Mitsuri... if you are genuinely, absolutely committed to becoming Lord Li Ke's wife... then you must commit every single word I am about to say to permanent memory..."
Although the specialized magical properties of the Red Dragon Fire wouldn't inflict actual thermal burns upon her flesh—and felt incredibly soothing to her exhausted muscles—the ambient core temperature remained exceptionally taxing to endure. Compounded by the massive physical exertion of their previous marathon, Shinobu was completely drenched in a heavy layer of perspiration. As a result, her gasping delivery carried the distinct, heavy weight of a dying general passing on a final solemn decree on their deathbed!
Mitsuri was entirely out of her depth. While her exceptional physical perception allowed her to deduce that Shinobu had been profoundly invested and wrapped in absolute, euphoric bliss during the act, she had never anticipated that the actual structural intensity of the encounter would escalate to such an incredibly violent degree!
She offered Shinobu a highly anxious, trembling gaze. Feeling the slick, highly dense lubrication coating her own fingers from where she had helped steady her friend, she sub-consciously nodded her head, her expression snapping into a state of absolute, dead-serious concentration.
"Y-Yes, please tell me...!"
She was completely failing to comprehend the broader tactical situation!
"To put it bluntly, Lord Li Ke's capabilities in this specific discipline are staggeringly potent—to the point where it borders on an absolute biological anomaly. If we harbor any hope of maintaining operational synchronization with him, let alone satisfying his baseline desires, we must continuously deploy the precision assistance of our Breathing Styles alongside several advanced mechanical techniques. The specific physical katas you just witnessed... represent the opening forms of my custom Coitus Breathing Style..."
As she forced those preposterous words past her lips, Shinobu felt her internal thermometer spike to absolute maximum shame. Her internal pelvic muscles involuntarily clenched with such sudden, crushing force that Li Ke's fingers—which were currently navigating her flooded lower pathways to help evacuate the fluids—were nearly clamped completely in place, unable to move.
Maintaining her deadpan, instructional delivery right in front of an attentive Mitsuri, she grabbed a nearby damp linen cloth to begin manually wiping the thick white fluids from her torso. She systematically itemized various physiological principles, positional leverage advantages, and structural core concepts, gradually pulling herself up to a standing position with the steadying assistance of Li Ke's hands.
Li Ke, however, wasn't absorbing a single syllable of her lecture. His biological acceleration systems had already completed their reload cycle, and a massive surge of primal excitement was forcefully surging through his veins once more.
Having fully committed herself to this path of absolute corruption, Shinobu refused to falter. The exact moment she felt Li Ke's heavy hands slide down to grip her hips from behind, fully intending to launch a savage, unrelenting frontal assault from the rear, she utilized her core martial strength to forcefully twist around, throwing him flat onto his back. Straddling his torso with an unyielding grip, she took a long, stabilizing deep breath before continuing her live-action lecture.
"Lord Li Ke... doesn't naturally prefer to occupy the bottom position; his baseline instincts drive him to exert absolute, dominant force from above. However, we can actively exploit this psychological preference. By intentionally taking the superior position on top, we can systematically weaponize his masculine pride to stimulate a faster biological response..."
Just like how he forced you to witness my submission right before your eyes.
Shinobu thought internally as she delivered the instruction, drawing an exceptionally deep, ragged breath into her lungs.
"This is my Breathing Technique," Shinobu explained softly, her voice slightly breathless. "Even though it's not yet perfect, it can greatly protect my heart, lungs, and help my body stay calm…"
As she spoke, she slowly lowered herself onto Li Ke, taking him back inside her tight, welcoming warmth. Her unique breathing rhythm resumed — deep, controlled, and graceful.
Mitsuri watched with wide eyes as Shinobu's massive, snow-white breasts began to rise and fall with every movement. The two heavy, soft mounds swayed and bounced hypnotically, their smooth curves catching the light with every rise and fall.
Li Ke's hands soon joined the dance. He reached up and cupped her generous breasts, kneading the warm, plush flesh with slow, appreciative strokes. His fingers sank deep into the silky softness, gently squeezing and lifting them, watching how they overflowed his palms. He occasionally pinched her sensitive pink nipples, rolling them between his fingers and tugging lightly, causing the heavy mounds to jiggle enticingly.
Mitsuri couldn't help but press a hand against her own chest. She knew very well how eye-catching her own breasts were — most men only approached her because of their size. Even her friendship with Shinobu had partly formed because they shared this particular trait.
Watching Shinobu's breasts being lovingly fondled and reshaped by Li Ke's hands made Mitsuri's own chest feel strangely warm and itchy. A soft, tingling heat gathered between her thighs as well.
As Shinobu's movements grew more intense, she instinctively placed her small hands over her breasts, holding them steady so Li Ke could caress them more freely. Mitsuri's breath quickened. Without realizing it, her own hand slipped beneath her clothing, gently cupping one of her soft, heavy breasts. The moment her fingers brushed against her stiff nipple, a sharp jolt of pleasure ran through her body, making her tremble.
"Ah…"
A soft sound escaped her lips. She quickly covered her mouth, cheeks burning with embarrassment. She was both afraid and strangely curious about experiencing the same overwhelming sensations Shinobu was enduring.
As Shinobu's pace began to slow from exhaustion, Li Ke gripped her slender waist firmly. He lifted and lowered her onto his length with strong, steady motions, causing her full breasts to bounce even more dramatically. The sight was mesmerizing.
"I… will I end up like this too…?" Mitsuri thought, her heart pounding faster.
Before long, Shinobu's strength gave out completely. Her breathing became chaotic once more as she collapsed forward onto Li Ke's chest. At the same moment, Li Ke reached his limit. He pulled out of her with a low groan and released thick, warm streams of his essence across her smooth, pale back and the soft curves of her breasts.
Even some of it landed near Mitsuri.
The pink-haired girl stared with a mix of fear and fascination as Shinobu, still breathing heavily, gently took Li Ke's length into her mouth. She began to clean him with quiet, devoted care, her tongue moving softly along his shaft.
Mitsuri's mind felt hazy. Guided by a strange mixture of curiosity and the heat spreading through her body, she reached out with a trembling finger and touched a small drop of the pearly fluid that had landed nearby. She brought it to her lips and tasted it.
It wasn't pleasant at all…
And yet…
For some mysterious reason, she felt an odd urge to try it again.
She looked at Li Ke's back and at Shinobu's focused expression, her heart stirring with complicated emotions.
Naturally, Li Ke didn't make a direct physical move to claim Mitsuri just yet. He could read the battlefield perfectly; Shinobu was putting in this level of exhausting, frantic effort specifically to afford her dear friend a tiny bit of extra tactical breathing room. After all, Mitsuri had surrendered her allegiance to him at absolute warp speed. And while her underlying motivations technically seemed entirely sound on paper, in practical reality...
Well, they actually were entirely sound.
The only hitch was that Shinobu's traditional moral compass hadn't quite completed its internal recalculation yet.
However, experiencing Shinobu's fiercely protective, overcompensating mindset provided Li Ke with an immense, deeply satisfying sense of amusement, so he saw absolute zero reason to disrupt her performance by pointing it out.
Regardless of the bedroom theater, structural objectives still required execution.
Li Ke had by no means forgotten the true, overarching purpose that had brought him to this specific dimension in the first place—which was to sleep with many unique girls...
No, rather, it was to systematically save the world and successfully secure the stray dimensional shards of 7 Days to Die!
He was genuinely, profoundly curious to see what kind of game-breaking reward trait or utility skill the cosmic laws of the universe would bestow upon him once he officially absorbed that specific shard. After all, there was absolute zero chance the grand design of the cosmos would force an Endless Traveler to perform premium manual labor for free, right?
Consequently, by the time the late morning sun filled the sky, Li Ke stepped out of his master quarters. He was accompanied by a thoroughly dazed Mitsuri, whose sluggish movements made it glaringly obvious she hadn't caught a single wink of proper sleep, alongside a sleep-deprived but remarkably alert and radiant Shinobu. Waiting for them in the courtyard was Mai Shiranui, who had already immaculately packed her travel luggage and weapons. She was currently seated on a stone bench, holding a ninja scroll in one hand, scanning the text while waiting for their arrival.
"Morning!"
Li Ke offered her an immensely enthusiastic, cheerful wave.
"Morning your foot, you absolute degenerate! Do you possess a single shred of operational memory regarding our travel schedule today?! It is literally eleven o'clock in the morning! Are you seriously planning to consume a full domestic lunch before we march?! Or better yet, are you planning to take a lengthy post-lunch siesta right after that?!"
Having spent the entire evening having her auditory senses violently assaulted by the muffled, high-frequency echoes traveling through the estate's thin walls, Mai exploded into pure fury. The initial tactical plan had dictated a sharp 6:00 AM departure. Yet, when 6:00 AM rolled around, Shinobu's vocal cords were still locked in a state of high-intensity melodic breathless vocalization. Even the kunoichi wives of Tengen Uzui, who had briefly shown up to deliver a logistical departure reminder, took one look at the baseline situation and immediately fled the perimeter, clearly deducing exactly what kind of marathon was being executed.
To a disciplined ninja like Mai, this level of complete structural breakdown was utterly intolerable!
"You know, that actually sounds like a phenomenal idea."
Li Ke nodded in profound agreement. He hadn't quite caught up on his own biological rest cycles, Mitsuri was operating entirely on pure adrenaline with zero actual sleep, and Shinobu definitely required a recovery window. Delaying the march was an absolute win-win scenario!
"phenomenal my ass!"
Driven to the absolute brink of irritation, Mai launched herself through the air, executing a fierce, lightning-fast flying kick aimed straight at Li Ke's head.
Naturally, despite her aggressive physical protests, the party ultimately conformed to Li Ke's demands—eating a hearty mid-day lunch before immediately transitioning straight into a collective afternoon siesta.
For this specific resting cycle, Li Ke refrained from initiating any additional high-intensity bedroom exercises. He simply gathered both Shinobu and Mitsuri securely within his arms, laying down beneath the warm, comforting rays of the afternoon sun on a peaceful rooftop terrace. The absolute peak of his provocative behavior amounted to nothing more than lazily reaching into Shinobu's uniform to gently play with her delicate chest contours.
Though Shinobu's face flushed a deep crimson at the public display, she chose to treat the casual touch as a harmless piece of romantic affection.
After all, once they formally departed for the central headquarters, their schedule dictated a hard two-day march where any intimate contact would be structurally impossible. She could easily tolerate a tiny bit of possessive indulgence before the deployment.
Yes, a hard two days.
…
The hidden headquarters of the Demon Slayer Corps was by no means a short journey from their current location. Furthermore, no modern railway system penetrated these deeply secluded mountain ranges, forcing the group to travel entirely by horseback.
Under these conditions, Li Ke harbored absolute zero interest in attempting any outdoor, open-air intimate encounters with his companions.
Executing that specific brand of outdoor martial arts required an immense amount of deliberate logistical equipment. At the very least, maintaining access to a pristine, abundant water supply and securing a clean, safe perimeter to rest afterward were luxuries that simply did't exist in the wild frontiers of this era.
Unless a person was perfectly content to spend the next several days smelling completely foul while executing their duties, crossing that boundary under these rugged conditions was an incredibly terrible idea.
Though Mai Shiranui voiced a mountain of vocal complaints regarding the delayed timeline, she ultimately chose not to push the issue. She was well aware that Li Ke possessed complete evolutionary immunity to the dangers of traveling through the dark, meaning a night march wouldn't compromise their safety. Taking advantage of the brief delay, she simply scaled a massive oak tree right above Li Ke's head, leaning against a thick branch to catch up on her sleep and restore her physical stamina.
As for the actual journey that followed...
"Man, this is unbelievably boring..."
Li Ke adjusted the modern wireless earbuds nestled in his ears, listening to the continuous loop of English vocabulary lessons playing in the background, unable to suppress a heavy sigh of complaint.
Traveling via horseback through the wilderness was arguably the absolute peak of monotony. In this underdeveloped historical era, the natural landscape offered very little in terms of engaging visual aesthetics. To make matters worse, despite their path cutting through completely isolated, god-forsaken mountain passes, not a single demonic entity manifested to offer him some basic combat entertainment.
It was as if the exact microsecond he executed that high-tier female demonic entity, the foundational life-support soil sustaining the supernatural parasites across this entire geographic region had been violently ripped away, causing them to completely vanish overnight.
Along the trail, the party even crossed paths with several refugee farmers who had fled deep into the woodlands to escape the chaos. After providing them with clear directions and guiding them toward the nearest secure human settlement, Li Ke and his team managed to extract a few critical pieces of intelligence.
"The monstrous threats plagueing these valleys truly have evaporated ever since you slaughtered that high-tier female entity, Lord Li Ke," Shinobu remarked, her eyes lighting up with genuine, profound relief. If this baseline operational assessment held true across the remaining territories, their overall mission simply required them to track down and eliminate the final two prime targets.
Li Ke harbored zero logical doubts regarding that tactical conclusion.
After all, if the multidimensional trial truly assigned him an absolute impossible-tier mission that defied his mechanical capabilities, the selection matrix of the 7 Days to Die dimensional shard would have forcefully summoned a reality-shattering entity like Rias Gremory to his side, rather than a street-level martial artist like Mai Shiranui.
However, the moment his mind drifted back to reflect on the utterly twisted, borderline homicidal recruitment protocols and selection mechanics native to the 7 Days to Die universe, a sudden, deep-seated layer of structural suspicion blossomed in his chest.
"Then again, nothing is guaranteed with that system. Whatever the case, our immediate directive is to hunt down those two remaining bastards and put them in the dirt first."
Li Ke tightly clenched his fist, feeling the immense raw kinetic power humming beneath his skin. Although the systemic interface made it glaringly obvious that the specialized structural stat boosts native to this world would completely evaporate the moment he exited this dimension, his baseline physical capacity was already several times more potent than it had been before he stepped through the dimensional portal.
The sheer operational maturity he had achieved with his Lightning-Fire manipulation and his Water-Control arts alone was more than enough to multiply his functional combat efficiency exponentially—and that wasn't even factoring in the unique world-blessings currently weaving through his biological frame.
But amidst all these tactical upgrades, a singular glaring anomaly remained...
"Where on earth is the actual canon timeline going?"
Li Ke was deeply, intensely curious. Based on his modern knowledge of the original narrative, Tanjiro Kamado should have already formally burst onto the scene by this specific chronological marker, right?
Furthermore, the bizarre biological anomaly he had previously encountered on Mount Natagumo—the creature that appeared to be a horrific, fused hybrid of a standard Blood Demon and a native supernatural Yokai—had yielded absolute zero follow-up developments. To complicate matters further, the Upper Moon demon Daki, whom he had personally slaughtered earlier, had displayed zero structural signs of Yokai hybridization. In fact, she had been desperately trying to weaponize human administrative authority to hide from the Yokai.
So, when it came down to the absolute truth—
What was the exact, underlying relationship between the traditional Blood Demons and the invading supernatural Yokai in this fractured timeline?
Li Ke was profoundly, intensely curious to unravel the mystery.
But right as his mind was spinning through those structural calculations, a sudden, explosive surge of raw instinct violently slammed into his sensory network. No, to be entirely precise, it wasn't a mere gut feeling—it was a literal, undeniable—
Guidance!
Li Ke violently snapped his head around, forcefully unleashing the full, unbridled perimeter of his Observation Haki. In that exact microsecond, his spatial perception zone exploded outward, multiplying its functional detection range several times over. Illuminated within his mind's eye, his sensory field locked onto a young boy carrying a distinct, jagged scar across his forehead.
And running right alongside him was a young girl, a singular demonic horn protruding from her brow, her jaws firmly clamped around a hollow bamboo muzzle!
The main characters!
They had officially arrived!