Two days later, at the Ubuyashiki Estate.
This was the heart of the Demon Slayer Corps, the residence of the Master.
To reach this place, one had to be blindfolded and escorted in relay by multiple Corps members.
The reason was simple. If someone were to betray them and turn into a demon, at the very least this method would mislead them and prevent the estate from being discovered immediately.
At this moment, Asuka sat quietly in a secluded tatami room, waiting for the trial in the front courtyard to conclude.
After the escort battle two days ago, he had learned the red-haired boy's name from other Corps members—Kamado Tanjiro.
From what he had gathered, Tanjiro was a fellow disciple of the Water Hashira, Giyu Tomioka, and the inheritor of Water Breathing. That puzzled Asuka.
What he had sensed that night had clearly been a blazing sword form.
The girl Tanjiro carried in his arms was his sister, Nezuko, who had turned into a demon.
A demon that did not eat humans was unusual, and it gave Asuka pause, though it was not entirely unacceptable.
As he had always believed, demons were merely creatures that fed on humans. An occasional deviation in diet was not impossible.
In any case, Tanjiro had ultimately been taken away by the Corps and was now being questioned by the Hashira in the front courtyard. In the end, the Master would decide his fate.
Unlike the dignitaries who were weighing life and death, Asuka rested a hand on the Asauchi at his waist and thought:
If Tanjiro is truly sentenced to death, can I at least keep a copy of that sword form to study first...
Just as he was lost in thought, the sliding door opened.
"Asuka-sama, the Master requests your presence."
The Kakushi member's attitude was unexpectedly respectful, both hands placed humbly on the tatami. It made Asuka slightly uncomfortable.
What happened?
He did not ask. He simply followed in silence.
Before long, they arrived at the front courtyard.
Several swordsmen of varying appearances, all seemingly young, were kneeling respectfully on one knee in the yard.
Aside from Shinobu Kocho and Giyu Tomioka, whom Asuka had already met, he also saw a fellow disciple—the Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa.
At the moment, Sanemi's forearm was bleeding. He held his Nichirin Blade toward Nezuko, the demon girl before him.
Did they argue?
"Asuka, you have arrived."
The voice that spoke was gentle and calm.
The speaker looked young, with medium-length black hair and a handsome, pale face. His voice sounded light, almost weightless.
Unfortunately, whether from illness or injury, from the bridge of his nose downward his face was covered in twisted purple scars, and his eyes had turned a cloudy gray.
He knows me?
"Asuka-sama! Please bow. This is the Master!" the Kakushi member reminded him.
The Master? So this is the one my teacher always spoke of?
With that thought, Asuka stepped into the courtyard and knelt properly on one knee like the others.
"Master, I wish you a good day."
"Haha, you are still not quite used to such formalities, are you, Asuka?" the Master chuckled.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the current leader of the Demon Slayer Corps—someone Arisaki-sensei had called 'a man worthy of respect.' Presumably, he was not a bad person.
Without lingering on that topic, Kagaya turned slightly, gesturing toward the tense scene between Sanemi and Nezuko.
"I have heard that you once protected Tanjiro and his sister, and that you witnessed Nezuko's battle against a member of the Twelve Kizuki. Is this true?"
"According to Tanjiro, Nezuko is a demon who does not harm humans. Are you willing to testify?"
Asuka glanced at Tanjiro, who was pinned to the ground by a gloomy swordsman, then at the questioning look Shinobu cast his way. He nodded without hesitation.
"Yes. Before covering Tanjiro's escape, I personally witnessed the Kamado siblings fighting a member of the Twelve Kizuki. During the brief time I spent with them, Nezuko never harmed anyone—"
"Kid! Open your eyes and look carefully! That is a demon!"
His words were cut off by Sanemi's sharp shout.
"A demon is a demon! Even if she doesn't eat humans now, she will eventually! Don't be naive!"
As he spoke, he tempted Nezuko with his bleeding arm, his gaze filled with killing intent.
"Come on, demon! Eat! This is your favorite—human flesh!"
Though rudely interrupted, Asuka's mood remained unchanged.
He knew Sanemi's temperament well. He also knew that Sanemi's entire family and close friends had been slaughtered by demons. It was only natural for him to harbor hatred.
Sanemi possessed the rare Marechi blood type, irresistibly alluring to demons. Nezuko stared at the fresh blood dripping from his arm, her eyes unfocused.
"Ne... Nezuko..."
Struggling to breathe under the weight pressing him down, Tanjiro still fought to call out his sister's name.
"Young man, if you force yourself to use Breathing techniques while being restrained like that, your lungs will burst," Shinobu said gently, unable to watch in silence.
"Let them burst! That sounds flashy!" declared a white-haired swordsman adorned with jeweled headpieces and dual blades strapped to his back. He was the Sound Hashira, Tengen Uzui.
Seeing Tanjiro refuse to give up, Shinobu added with concern, "Iguro-san, you are pressing too hard. Please loosen your grip a little."
"If he wants to struggle, I will press him down. What of it?" replied the swordsman with heterochromatic gold and green eyes. A pure white snake coiled around his shoulders.
This was the Snake Hashira, Obanai Iguro.
"How pitiful. Such a weak and sorrowful child..." murmured the tallest among them, the Stone Hashira, Gyomei Himejima, tears streaming down his face as he clasped his hands in prayer.
Just as Shinobu was about to speak again, Asuka, kneeling at her side, moved on his own.
He grabbed Iguro's wrist and pulled it back slightly, easing the pressure on Tanjiro's lungs.
"What are you doing?" Iguro demanded. As the Snake Hashira, he had not expected this newcomer to lay hands on him.
Tanjiro still owes me something. He cannot die here.
"You brat—"
"Ah, Iguro-san's glare is so dangerous. Like a real snake, so troublesome," came an excited voice from the side.
A voluptuous young woman with long pink hair watched the confrontation with sparkling eyes and flushed cheeks.
She was the Love Hashira, Mitsuri Kanroji.
Freed from the pressure thanks to Asuka's intervention, Tanjiro seized the opportunity. With a burst of strength, he snapped the rope binding his wrists and rushed toward the Ubuyashiki Estate.
The Hashira's expressions changed at once, wondering if he intended to harm the Master.
But Tanjiro merely ran beneath the eaves and shouted toward the room where Nezuko was held.
"Nezuko!!"
That cry of familial love steadied her mind. In her heart, she repeated to herself:
[Humans must be protected and helped. They must not be harmed.]
In the end, even before Sanemi's fresh Marechi blood, she drooled but turned her head away, refusing the temptation.
Sanemi froze, clearly not expecting this outcome. He bit down hard, disbelief in his eyes.
"It seems the conclusion is clear."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki's voice rang out, warm as sunlight on chilled ears.
"This should be sufficient proof that Nezuko will not harm others."
He turned his sightless eyes toward Tanjiro.
"Tanjiro, remember this: even if I and the nine Hashira acknowledge her, there will still be those who doubt Nezuko. So you must strive."
"Strive to prove it. Prove that the Kamado siblings can fight alongside the Demon Slayer Corps. Prove that Nezuko is a kind demon."
"Hunt down the Twelve Kizuki. Your words will carry more weight, and everyone will acknowledge you."
Hearing this, Tanjiro felt lightheaded.
"Yes! I... Nezuko and I will defeat Muzan! We will cut down this chain of sorrow with our blades!"
"Haha, admirable spirit. But the current Tanjiro cannot achieve that yet. Try defeating one of the Twelve Kizuki first."
The Master's laughter eased the tension in the air, and even the Hashira could not help but smile.
Then he turned to Asuka, who had just released Iguro.
"Speaking of which, the Demon Slayer Corps may soon gain another Hashira."
"Nanajūhachi Asuka, you have done well."