On Muzan's Cowardly Retreat and the Tragedy of Kagaya's Genius
Muzan Kibutsuji resided in the central core of the Infinity Castle, lost in silence.
Of the three demons sent out to investigate, only one had died. Although it was the strongest of the three, Lower Rank Six, his death was unremarkable, failing to provoke the same sensation as before.
Was the previous feeling an illusion? Or had that person already left?
"Lord Muzan, these are the Demon Slayer Corps members who appeared during the last few days of surveillance—one is an ordinary corps member, and the other is a suspected Hashira."
Nakime presented everything her eyes had observed to Muzan.
Looking at the cold-faced young man wearing the two-toned haori, Muzan Kibutsuji furrowed his brow.
He doesn't seem any different, does he?
"Besides those two? Has anyone else been there?"
"There was also an ordinary person, likely someone they rescued and are planning to take back to the Demon Slayer Corps for training."
Muzan merely glanced at the plainly dressed Suzuki Makoto, who held a wood-chopping axe, before returning his attention to Giyu Tomioka.
"Lord Muzan, it seems they are about to leave. My surveillance can no longer keep up. Shall I use the Infinity Castle to pursue them?"
"No, leave it. First, find out the identity of this young man who appears to be a Hashira."
Muzan Kibutsuji, who had always placed "survival" as his highest priority, would never probe a situation with unclear intelligence.
After all, he had truly come close to death once before.
So what if it was Yoriichi Tsugikuni? Didn't he die before me in the end?
It doesn't matter. I can just lay low for another eighty years.
And so, Suzuki Makoto's group of three left the town without incident.
"Kanzaburo has returned with a letter from the Master. He hopes you will join the Demon Slayer Corps—if you are willing, the Master wishes to meet you at the estate. If you are not willing, just tell me your specifications for the Nichirin Blade, and someone will deliver it to you later."
The style of this Demon Slayer Corps Master suited Suzuki Makoto's tastes. Besides, the previous actions of Murata and Giyu Tomioka had already proven that the Demon Slayer Corps was a relatively pure organization.
Since he was going to be killing demons anyway, it was naturally better to have an organization backing him.
"I am willing to join the Demon Slayer Corps. When can I meet your Master?"
"If you're ready, we'll head north first, and then the Kakushi will come to pick us up."
A fiery light suddenly ignited in Murata's eyes.
Could it be that I, too, will have the honor of meeting the Master?
"Murata, you will proceed with your demon-slaying missions as normal."
A bolt from the blue.
The corps member nodded listlessly, his Kasugai Crow just as dejected.
Who knows why a Hashira's Kasugai Crow would be an old bird with no sense of direction—this round trip had completely exhausted it.
He's going straight to his mission?
"Are you that short on manpower right now?"
Only after watching Murata leave did Suzuki Makoto ask.
"The Demon Slayer Corps is always short on manpower. Most members are people who joined seeking revenge after their lives were ruined by demons; Murata is one of them. Some are trained internally, but very few people are qualified to cultivate new corps members. Furthermore, all our operations must be conducted in secret, avoiding the demons' pervasive surveillance."
Giyu Tomioka explained as he led the way.
"This is especially true for the Master's estate. Unless you're a Hashira, ordinary corps members cannot go there directly. That's why the Kakushi unit will come to guide you. You may need to be blindfolded during the process, please forgive us for the inconvenience."
"Uh, of course. To fight against such a swarm of vicious demons for hundreds of years, these measures are indispensable."
Suzuki Makoto blinked, thinking it was probably best not to burst their bubble by revealing that a blindfold wouldn't be enough to keep the estate's location a secret from him.
--------------------------------------------------
"This is the Master's estate."
As the blindfold was removed, Suzuki Makoto squinted slightly. After his eyes adjusted to the sunlight, he began to observe his surroundings.
It was a very ordinary estate, not particularly large, and without any luxurious decorations. It seemed very... practical.
And in front of the main hall, a group of people was already standing.
"Those people are..."
"They are all Hashira. Because of your arrival, the Master has convened a Hashira Meeting."
"Oh? To discuss whether to allow a strange person like me, who just appeared out of nowhere, to join?"
"No."
Giyu Tomioka pressed his lips together.
"—It's to discuss whether to make you a Hashira."
Suzuki Makoto was stunned.
"Wait, wait, wait. Murata told me that within the Demon Slayer Corps, the rank of Hashira is second only to the Master—can such a title and position be casually bestowed upon someone with an unknown background like me?"
"You can walk in the sun, you were able to kill Lower Rank Six, and you are willing to kill demons. Your background is not important."
Giyu Tomioka, for his part, saw no issue with it. After all, he had previously wanted Suzuki Makoto to replace him, someone he felt was unworthy of being a Hashira. It was just a shame that Suzuki Makoto didn't seem to care much for Water Breathing.
"What a simple and direct set of criteria."
Suzuki Makoto was now very interested in this Master. He quickened his pace, eager to see what kind of person could possess such boldness and be capable of managing an organization like the Demon Slayer Corps.
Then, he saw the young man sitting inside the main hall, a gentle smile on his face.
The man's nose twitched, and he let out a soft sigh.
"What's wrong?"
"It's always a pity to witness a brilliant life cut short by fate."
This Master of the Demon Slayer Corps was already terminally ill.
"Master, I have brought Suzuki Makoto."
Giyu Tomioka's voice drew the gazes of the Hashira. Then, Giyu nodded to Suzuki Makoto and returned to the ranks of the Hashira.
"Please come forward, Mr. Suzuki."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki offered a faint smile.
"My name is Kagaya Ubuyashiki. I am the one who leads the Demon Slayer Corps, and the one who invited you to join."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ubuyashiki."
Suzuki Makoto gave a slight nod as a sign of respect.
"Here is the situation. Because you have slain Lower Rank Six of the Twelve Kizuki, and your strength has been confirmed by Giyu, I would like to promote you directly to the rank of Hashira, in accordance with our rules. What are your thoughts on this?"
"Is that really a good idea? After all, I'm a person of unknown origin. Just for killing a single demon, wouldn't a meteoric rise like this be hard for others to accept?"
Suzuki Makoto looked toward the line of Hashira and was surprised to find that, aside from a gray-haired man covered in scars, none of them seemed to show any hostility toward him. The girl with pink hair even waved at him happily.
Hmm... Why did the weirdo covered in bandages next to her suddenly seem unfriendly toward me after she waved?
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