Kagaya felt a bit helpless regarding Musashi's stubborn idea.
"There's no need to worry about our safety… the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters hasn't been found by demons for over a thousand years… they surely won't be able to discover this place in the final period…
Wasn't I safe before when all the Hashiras went out on missions?"
After hearing the Master say this, Musashi had nothing more to say; he was also aware of the headquarters' level of concealment.
"Miss Tamayo has surely already informed you about the subsequent plans… just follow her arrangements… I will have Amane tell the other Hashiras about this matter at the Hashira Meeting in three days… At that time, in addition to the Hashiras, I will also have the other individuals participating in the final battle come as well…"
Kagaya continued.
Perhaps the continuous good news had given him hope, as his body seemed much better than when they last met.
"Understood, I understand." Musashi nodded upon hearing this.
As for the other individuals besides the Hashiras, Musashi could actually guess who they were; among the Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen of this generation, only a few were qualified to participate in the final battle, and they were all quite familiar to him.
Tanjirou, Zenitsu, Inosuke, Kanao, Genya.
All of them, except Kanao, had fought against Upper Moon; there was no need to mention Tanjirou and the other two.
While talking with Kyojuro earlier, Musashi learned that Genya had also participated in the battle against Upper Moon Four.
And although Kanao didn't have such a battle record, she was indeed the first in this generation to master Total Concentration Breathing, Constant, and he believed she would not be inferior to the others.
Of course, Musashi didn't include himself in that assessment.
After Kagaya finished speaking, he rested for a while.
Just as Musashi thought there was nothing else and was about to say goodbye and leave, Kagaya spoke again.
"Musashi… weren't you curious before about what illness I had… and how I contracted it?"
Kagaya lay on his back, the part of his face above his nose completely wrapped in bandages, but even so, a smile still hung on his lips.
"Yes, I did ask Lady Amane about it before. I wanted to see if, after knowing this, I could help Master find a cure.
Perhaps the method of treatment just hasn't been found yet? If one is willing to spend the time, maybe Master's illness can be cured?" Musashi nodded and replied upon hearing this.
"It's no use… Musashi… this isn't an illness… it's a Demon…" Kagaya said, recalling the ancient events passed down through generations of his family, which were also the reason they established the Demon Slayer Corps and dedicated generations of their lives until now.
"A Demon?"
Musashi was somewhat shocked upon hearing this, and also very puzzled. He didn't understand why someone like the Master would be afflicted by this so-called Demon, and such a severe one at that.
"Yes… you must be curious why I'm afflicted by such a Demon… this is actually not just a Demon targeting me alone… but our entire family has been cursed…
In the beginning, because of this Demon, all infants born within the family died prematurely due to their frail bodies… not even one could live long enough to walk…"
Kagaya's words made Musashi realize the severity of this Demon even more.
"And the reason our family is afflicted by this Demon… is because the first demon in the world… Kibutsuji Muzan came from our family…
Because such a monster appeared within our family… the entire family, from top to bottom, was cursed…"
Kagaya felt a sense of relief when he said this, because after all, this was a stain on their family, and he had never told anyone outside of his wife and children.
He also didn't know how the children of the Demon Slayer Corps would view him after he revealed this; whenever he thought about it, his usually composed self would feel a little uneasy.
"At that time, our family almost went extinct because of this… but fortunately, we finally received advice from a Shinto priest… telling us to dedicate ourselves to the cause of eradicating Muzan…
Our family followed the Shinto priest's advice… pouring all our efforts into eradicating Muzan… establishing the Demon Slayer Corps to fight against Muzan… and marrying into the family of Shrine Maidens for generations…
After that, newborns in the family no longer died prematurely… but even so, no one in our family has lived past thirty…"
Kagaya revealed the truth of the matter.
"Speaking of which, our family also did this for ourselves… I often wonder whether I did these things to make the family's Demon disappear or to prevent people from being harmed by demons in the world… which of these reasons weighs more heavily in my heart…
Are we selfish for dedicating ourselves to the cause of eradicating Muzan just to make the family's Demon disappear… will we ever receive forgiveness from Heaven for being like this…"
Kagaya rarely used a tone tinged with a hint of confusion, which was the only thing that remained unclear to him.
Musashi listened to the Master's words from the side, somewhat surprised that the Master, who in his eyes could see through everything, would one day also feel lost.
"Master, I don't think you need to dwell on the starting point of doing this.
There's a saying, "A gentleman judges by deeds, not by intentions." Regardless of your starting point, the work that your family members have dedicated their entire lives to has helped countless people harmed by demons. This is undeniable, and absolutely selfless.
No matter the purpose, it cannot erase these merits of your family, so you absolutely do not need to be confused about this matter.
Moreover, the kind of person you are can be seen from everyone's sincere respect for you. Regardless of the starting point, you are the Master whom we respect."
Musashi shared his insights with Kagaya.
This scene was like when he first met the Master and felt immense self-reproach for indirectly causing the death of a human on his first mission, and the Master guided him. However, this time, the person being guided was the Master, and he was the one doing the guiding.
"So that's how it is…"
Musashi's words warmed Kagaya's heart, and at the same time, he emerged from his confusion, feeling much lighter.
"Thank you… Musashi… I understand…"
Kagaya smiled, his state of mind improving at that moment.
"Master, you're too kind. When I was lost, didn't you also guide me?"
Musashi smiled upon hearing this, and then he thought of another matter from the truth he had just learned.
"If it's a Demon, then after Muzan is eradicated, will your illness also disappear?"
"It's unlikely… after all, I'm already in this state… but my descendants should no longer be tormented by this Demon…"
Kiriya, standing nearby, heard Kagaya's words and saw his severely ill appearance, almost unable to hold back his tears.
"Even if there's only a glimmer of possibility, you must hold onto hope. I will definitely slay Muzan."