The next morning, at the Ubuyashiki Estate.
This was the location the Kasugai Crow had spoken of.
The estate lay submerged in an ocean of blooming wisteria. Even before Raiden stepped through the entrance, the clean, calming fragrance filled his lungs. The sheer scale of the flowers made one thing clear, the Demon Slayer Corps spared no effort in protecting Kagaya Ubuyashiki.
As Raiden entered the grounds, the wooden box on his back stirred slightly.
He reached up and gently patted it. Nezuko was likely reacting to the wisteria's scent. After calming her, Raiden shifted his gaze toward Tanjiro, who remained bound beside him.
The events of Mount Natagumo had concluded the previous night, shortly after the Kasugai Crow delivered its orders.
Inosuke Hashibira and Zenitsu Agatsuma had been carried away for treatment. Tanjiro had been escorted here for judgment.
Nezuko was also meant to be taken in, but Raiden had refused.
He knew that if Corps members escorted her, she would never survive the encounter with the Wind Hashira.
There had been objections at first.
Those objections disappeared the moment Raiden drew his Nichirin blade and released a surge of crackling lightning that engulfed nearly five meters around him. The thunder was violent, overwhelming, and undeniably real.
Even without knowing the full extent of Raiden's strength, the Demon Slayers present understood one thing clearly, this was not someone they could restrain by force.
When Kocho Shinobu and Giyu Tomioka arrived, neither attempted to stop him. Instead, they observed him in silence.
Raiden's feat of defeating Lower Moon Five alone had already proven his capability. Within the Demon Slayer Corps, strength spoke louder than anything else.
Besides, someone with Raiden's power could have fled at any time. His willingness to comply made his intentions unmistakably sincere.
As Raiden followed the stone path deeper into the estate, he felt multiple gazes settle on him.
Those eyes lingered briefly before shifting to the box on his back.
Unbothered, Raiden calmly surveyed the Hashira gathered ahead.
Empowered by his unique aura, his presence did not fall short of theirs. If anything, it pressed back just as heavily. Even without it, Raiden had never been the type to shrink under scrutiny.
He stopped beside the assembled Hashira.
Their expressions flickered with subtle surprise.
"Is that the swordsman who defeated Lower Moon Five? He looks decent, but not as handsome as me!"
"Oh my, what a polite young man."
"When will that cloud finally drift away…"
"To defeat a Twelve Kizuki alone is remarkable. But why is he carrying a demon?"
Nearby, the Demon Slayer assigned to Tanjiro shook him awake.
Tanjiro's eyes snapped open, quickly taking in his surroundings.
"Where's Nezuko? Where is she?"
"Don't speak," the Slayer hissed, covering his mouth. "The people in front of you are Hashira."
"Hashira?" Tanjiro repeated, stunned.
"They're the strongest swordsmen in the Corps."
"The strongest?" Tanjiro's voice trembled. "Then where's Nezuko?"
At any other moment, Tanjiro might have tried to understand what that title meant. Now, none of it mattered.
Only Nezuko did.
"Tanjiro, over here."
Raiden's voice cut through his panic.
Tanjiro turned sharply and saw Raiden step aside, clearly revealing the box on his back.
"Raiden!"
Relief crashed into him all at once. The weight crushing his chest finally eased. Nezuko was alive.
But the relief lasted only a moment.
Tanjiro swallowed hard as he faced the Hashira. Each of them radiated terrifying strength. Any one of them could end him without effort.
Was it really safe for Raiden to bring Nezuko here?
If they rejected her, could Raiden stop them?
Their presence felt overwhelming, even heavier than Raiden's.
Before Tanjiro could spiral further, a voice rang out.
"There's no need for a trial, is there?" the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku, declared energetically. "Harboring a demon violates Corps rules. The swordsman and the demon should be executed immediately!"
Raiden glanced at Rengoku.
The man had not blinked once since Raiden arrived. It made Raiden briefly wonder if he even needed to.
Noticing the stare, Rengoku turned toward him.
Raiden smiled.
He liked Rengoku. He was the kind of man worth calling a friend.
In the original course of fate, Rengoku would fall on the Mugen Train. Now that Raiden was here, he had no intention of letting that happen.
As long as his strength allowed it, Rengoku would see the next sunrise.
Kocho Shinobu soon questioned Tanjiro, who answered honestly.
Meanwhile, Raiden subtly scanned the area.
The Serpent Hashira was perched in a tree. Seven Hashira stood before him.
One was missing.
The Wind Hashira.
Raiden remained alert.
A sharp sound cut through the air.
Raiden sidestepped instantly.
Sanemi Shinazugawa appeared where he had been standing, blade half-drawn, lips curled into a feral grin.
"That speed," Sanemi muttered. "Thunder Breathing?"
He licked his lips. "Doesn't matter. Anyone who shelters a demon deserves to die."
"Wait, Shinazugawa," Kocho Shinobu interjected quickly. "He isn't the one harboring the demon. That would be Tanjiro."
"No," Raiden said calmly, drawing his blade. "I am too."
Silence fell over the courtyard.
The Hashira stared at him in disbelief.
Harboring a demon was a crime punishable by death.
Shinobu froze, shock evident on her face. She could not understand it.
Raiden could have stayed out of this. With his growth rate, becoming a Hashira was only a matter of time.
That future, so bright in her eyes, vanished the moment he spoke.
And yet, Raiden stood there unflinching.