In the video, the image of Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, appeared before the audience of the light curtain.
His gentle voice rang out, bringing a sense of pleasure to those outside the screen, almost making their heads feel light.
Although his ability as a leader was far inferior to a born leader of evil like DIO, from a leadership perspective, he was much more outstanding than the disgraceful Muzan Kibutsuji.
If nothing else, were it not for the massive power gap between the Demon Slayer Corps and the demons, it would be all too easy for Kagaya Ubuyashiki to defeat Muzan.
---o---
Light Curtain Commentary—
[Qin Shi Huang]: The leader of the humans who fight against the demons? He is passable, for now. But compared to DIO… he is still far too lacking.
In a Lostbelt of the Fate world, the fabled First Emperor of Qin watched the story on the screen with great interest. When it came to leadership, there was no one in the world more exceptional than himself.
It was a pity. Kagaya Ubuyashiki was a cut above Muzan Kibutsuji, but when compared to the demon named DIO, the gap was more than just a little. Even he was astonished by the evil charisma DIO possessed.
[Otto Apocalypse]: Kagaya Ubuyashiki? He can indeed be considered a competent leader, but… judging from the system of the Demon Slayer Corps, his talent is hardly anything to be admired.
In the Honkai world, Otto delivered his evaluation. There was nothing wrong with selecting outstanding talents to form an elite corps of demon-slaying swordsmen, but…
Such a trial was filled with accidents and uncertainty. Choosing demon slayers based solely on who survived was undoubtedly a foolish decision.
[Utaha Kasumigaoka]: The leader of the Demon Slayer Corps. Despite being disfigured, he's surprisingly a decent person. On the other hand… Jotaro Kujo is a bit…
In the world of Saekano, Utaha Kasumigaoka held no favorable impression of Jotaro's behavior in the video. She had originally thought the light curtain's description was ironic, but now it seemed that wasn't the case.
His treatment of demons was one thing, but to show such an impatient face even to a child… he didn't look like a good person at all. Why would someone like him be DIO's fated enemy?
[Super Loli-bot]: Do not be deceived by the surface of things and let it cloud your judgment. You may not think he is a good person, but that is merely an appearance. When DIO first appeared, many people also thought he was a good person. And what was the result?
[Sosuke Aizen]: A person's heart cannot be understood merely from outward appearances. This Jotaro's mind… is definitely not as simple as it seems on the surface. Otherwise, he could not possibly be DIO's opponent.
---o---
On the Light Curtain—
Within the Demon Slayer Corps station on Wisteria Flower Mountain, Jotaro Kujo was in a room with Kagaya Ubuyashiki.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki knelt on the floor, his wife Amane kneeling beside him, with a robust man standing guard nearby.
This massive, monk-like man had a long scar across his forehead and was completely blind. Over his Demon Slayer uniform, he wore a brown kasaya inscribed with the words "Namu Amida Butsu."
With his hands clasped together, he stood to the side, exuding an intimidating aura without any sign of anger. From his unique attire, it was clear that he had to be one of the nine elite Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Before arriving, Kagaya Ubuyashiki must have heard about the "evil spirit" possessing Jotaro. Yet, even when facing such a dangerous individual, the physically powerless leader had brought only this one man with him.
Besides his immense trust in the monk-like giant, this also showed his trust that Jotaro would not harm him.
Since the other party was human and was also killing demons, he was a friend to the Demon Slayer Corps. To be overly guarded against such a friend would inevitably cause dissatisfaction.
"Mr. Kujo, I have already explained the history of the Demon Slayer Corps and the demons to you. In short, for hundreds of years, our Demon Slayer Corps has been searching for Muzan Kibutsuji's whereabouts, seeking to slay him."
Slowly conveying the basic situation of their world, Kagaya Ubuyashiki glanced at Jotaro and continued:
"As for the DIO you mentioned, the Demon Slayer Corps has no knowledge of him. However, one thing is certain… Muzan Kibutsuji's recent actions have been extremely strange."
"Half a month ago, he withdrew all the demons from the vicinity of Asakusa, leaving that area exceptionally peaceful to this day. The Demon Slayer Corps has investigated for a long time but has not found a specific reason."
"But one thing is certain… he must be afraid of something. There must be something in the Asakusa area that he fears!"
"You have just arrived here. If you don't mind, you can stay with the Demon Slayer Corps for a while. We will certainly help you find that demon named DIO."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki laid out all the information and data he knew without reservation. He had a feeling, a peculiar feeling.
It was as if the man before him was a savior granted by the heavens to the Demon Slayer Corps… no, to all of humanity. He was certain that this man could defeat Muzan Kibutsuji and bring true peace to the world.
"Yare yare daze." Ubuyashiki's sincere gaze made Jotaro feel a bit helpless. He generally had little resistance to people like this.
Most importantly, Kagaya Ubuyashiki seemed to completely believe his story, even accepting something as incredible as interdimensional travel. This level of trust made Jotaro see him in a higher light.
"Fine. Trying to find DIO all by myself would take forever."
Jotaro adjusted his hat, as if it were his true body, and said to the man before him:
"However… to avoid unnecessary conflict, I think I should tell you everything beforehand."
"Don't think that just because I'm staying here for a while, you can order me around. I am Jotaro Kujo, seventeen years old. In my world, at an age when I should have been in school, I was labeled a so-called delinquent."
"When I fight, I hit especially hard; some people are still lying in the hospital. I taught a lesson to a worthless, pretentious teacher, and he never dared to return to school. When a restaurant's food isn't worth the price, I don't pay. Things like that are common for me…"
Speaking words that left everyone stunned, Jotaro glanced at Kagaya Ubuyashiki with his invincible-seeming eyes.
"In short, if I feel dissatisfied with anything here, I won't give you any face. Whatever consequences arise, or if my Stand does something uncontrollable, you'll have to bear it."
"Of course, although I, Jotaro Kujo, smoke, drink, assault teachers, dine and dash, participate in brawls, and have been to jail, I am not an unreasonable villain. On the contrary, I'm a good person. As long as you don't start trouble, I won't make a move."
As his voice fell, the room fell silent. Perhaps astonished by Jotaro's resume, Ubuyashiki and his companions all widened their eyes, not knowing what to say.
Amane glanced at her husband. She remembered his prediction about Jotaro—that he was someone who could lead them to victory against Muzan.
Looking at it now, forget Muzan; it seemed the Demon Slayer Corps had just found itself a new patriarch. Who on earth could proudly proclaim themselves a good person right after listing a series of their own crimes?
---o---
Light Curtain Commentary—
Although this wasn't the first time they had heard Jotaro's resume, it was still an experience that demanded commentary.
[Yukino Yukinoshita]: Is he really seventeen? No matter how you look at it, he doesn't seem seventeen. And… he's sure he's a high school student? A high school student like me?
Looking at Jotaro on the screen, then at herself and the other students around her, Yukino Yukinoshita felt that Jotaro must have some misunderstanding of what "high school" was. What kind of school could produce such an individual?
[Elysia]: Oh my, how naughty. But is he already so formidable as a seventeen-year-old high school student? The last one who was this strong was Kevin.
[Kevin Kaslana]: …I did not do such things when I was in high school.
[The Dignified Lord of the Scarlet Devil Mansion]: Hmph, only seventeen? That age isn't even a fraction of that gap hag's.
[Yukari Yakumo]: Fufufu, what are you talking about? I should be the same age as him…
---o---
On the Light Curtain—
After careful consideration, Kagaya Ubuyashiki decided to have Jotaro temporarily settled at the Butterfly Mansion.
There was a simple reason for this. Jotaro's personality would likely clash with the front-line demon slayers. Although their interaction was brief, Ubuyashiki could tell that Jotaro was not good at dealing with women.
In his own words, women were a pain. By the same token, under normal circumstances, Jotaro would not attack a female.
Furthermore, the Butterfly Mansion not only served as a medical facility, providing treatment and rehabilitation for injured members, but it was also an intelligence-gathering hub that could help Jotaro collect information about DIO's whereabouts.
Of course, the fact that it was predominantly staffed by women was also an important factor. Thanks to Shinobu Kocho, there was no one in the entire Butterfly Mansion who was likely to provoke Jotaro.
Although they maintained the utmost respect and trust for Jotaro, it had to be said that Kagaya Ubuyashiki and the Stone Hashira were still completely mystified by the "evil spirit" that the survivors of the Final Selection spoke of.
Jotaro called it a "Stand," a power that was clearly not human, perhaps not even of this world. At least, nothing like it had ever been recorded in the history of the Demon Slayer Corps.
The only things that could achieve something similar were the Blood Demon Arts of high-ranking demons. However… Jotaro was not afraid of sunlight, nor did he possess the foul stench of a demon, so that possibility could be directly ruled out.
"Yare yare, an intelligence agency, huh? As long as I can find that bastard DIO's tracks quickly, I don't care where I go."
Sitting up, Jotaro had no objections. Although he found women to be a hassle, if the Butterfly Mansion was full of girls like the one beside him, it wouldn't be unacceptable.
He glanced at the girl who hadn't said a single word since the beginning, then quickly looked away to avoid any misunderstanding. He was not the kind of man who would have improper thoughts about an underdeveloped little girl.
"..." The silent girl stood there blankly, her large, watery eyes looking at the people before her. After a quick scan, her gaze locked onto Jotaro.
Although she wasn't one of the swordsmen Jotaro had saved, his name had already spread throughout the demon slayers who had participated in this Final Selection. Even she, who was poor at speaking and interacting with others, had heard of him.
The man possessed by an evil spirit. A ruthless character so cruel that he had eliminated all the demons on Wisteria Flower Mountain in a single night.
Kanao didn't care how Jotaro had done it. Her own sister could have also eliminated those low-level demons in one night.
What she cared about was Jotaro's power, the one he called a Stand. To be able to do so much without a Nichirin Blade or the sun… just by relying on this Stand, Jotaro already possessed the power of a Hashira.
Just as Kanao was staring at Jotaro, lost in thought, Kagaya Ubuyashiki's voice interrupted her.
"Kanao Tsuyuri… is it? The Insect Hashira's adopted sister. I didn't expect you to participate in this Final Selection behind her back."
His gentle voice rang out. As a competent leader, Ubuyashiki was well-aware of the situation of his subordinates. He naturally knew who Kanao was and why she had come to participate in the Final Selection.
However… it was precisely because he knew that he felt a sense of helplessness. Shinobu Kocho did not want Kanao to be involved with the Demon Slayer Corps, but Kanao did not think the same way. She had even come to Wisteria Flower Mountain secretly, attempting to go through the trial without Shinobu's knowledge.
It must be because of the Flower Hashira, he thought. Does this child… wish to avenge her sister, the Flower Hashira, Kanae Kocho?
Kanao gave no response to Kagaya Ubuyashiki's words. She simply stood there like a doll, her eyes continuously fixed on Jotaro. Jotaro, for his part, showed no signs of discomfort. He was used to being watched by women; as long as they didn't get in his way, it was fine.
Just as the atmosphere was growing awkward, a crow slowly flew down from the sky and circled inside the room.
Is that… Shinobu Kocho's Kasugai Crow?
In an instant, everyone present except Jotaro recognized the crow's identity. The markings were too obvious. But… why was Shinobu's crow here?
"Asakusa district! Asakusa district! The Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho, has been injured in battle with a demon! She has been knocked unconscious and abducted! Knocked unconscious and abducted!!"
After delivering its message, the Kasugai Crow, exhausted from its long flight, fainted…