Where the wisteria flowers bloomed in abundance, their soft fragrance lingered in the air—
There lay an endless stretch of graves.
Before this vast cemetery stood a blind man.
His eyes were a pure, milky white, devoid of sight. The hair at the sides of his head was shaved short, while the top was left in a neatly combed sweep of black. His build was powerfully solid, his frame wrapped in the uniform of the Demon Slayer Corps. Around his neck hung a string of large red prayer beads, and over his shoulders rested a brown haori, upon which the words "Namu Amida Butsu" were inscribed.
He was the strongest of the Hashira—the Stone Hashira, Gyomei Himejima.
At his side stood another man, tall and dignified, supported gently by Gyomei's arm. The upper half of his face was marred by a purple, bark-like texture, while the lower half remained as refined and composed as any nobleman's. This was the current head of the Demon Slayer Corps—Kagaya Ubuyashiki.
"How many years has it been…" Kagaya's gaze lingered over the countless graves, his voice unusually fragile. "The Ubuyashiki family has devoted itself to eradicating demons for generations, and yet even now, there is no end in sight. That demon is far too cautious… it has never given us a single opening. And the number of those we've lost continues to grow."
His voice softened, weighed down by exhaustion and quiet despair.
"When… will this ever end?"
"Namu Amida Butsu."
Gyomei pressed one hand to his chest, murmuring the prayer under his breath before speaking solemnly,, "Oyakata-sama, that day will eventually come."
Kagaya gave a faint, almost imperceptible shake of his head.
"I fear… I may not live to see that day."
Gently, he stepped away from Gyomei's support and picked up a broom, personally sweeping the fallen leaves from before one of the graves.
"My body grows weaker with each passing day. Kiriya is still too young… I do not know whether he will be able to shoulder the responsibilities that await him."
"The young master is already very capable," Gyomei replied. "Every task you have entrusted to him has been handled with care. At present, Currently, he is overseeing the Final Selection at Mount Fujikasane, and by all accounts, everything is proceeding smoothly."
"He still has much to learn. It is not enough."
Kagaya sighed quietly.
"In the future, I will have to trouble you to guide him more. I know this is not easy for you, Gyomei. You have never liked teaching children… and what happened back then is still a burden you cannot set aside."
At those words, Gyomei's fingers tightened around his prayer beads.
That day…
No matter how much time passed, he could never forget it.
He had fought with everything he had to protect those children, holding the demon at bay until sunrise, until it was finally destroyed under the light of the sun. And yet, when the authorities arrived, the very child he had saved pointed at him—
"He... is... the killer."
Even now, that voice echoed faintly in his ears, refusing to fade.
Kagaya spoke again, his tone gentle.
"But you have already begun to change, haven't you? Back then, when Kanae and Shinobu came to ask you to teach them how to hunt demons, you refused—but you still directed them to a trainer at the Butterfly Mansion. That, too, was a form of change. In the past, you would never have guided children down such a path."
His voice lowered, carrying a quiet warmth.
"Now, one of them has become a pillar of the Corps, while the other has become an exceptional physician, saving countless wounded swordsmen at the Butterfly Mansion…"
"They must still resent me for refusing to teach them back then," Gyomei said softly, bringing his hands together in prayer once more.
Kagaya shook his head.
"Perhaps Miss Shinobu might… but Miss Kanae likely holds only gratitude toward you."
After a brief pause, he continued,
"Though… Kanae may now regret it. She never wanted her younger sister to walk the path of demon hunting. She only wished for Shinobu to live as an ordinary person. If you had refused them completely back then, perhaps…"
As those words lingered, memories surfaced in Gyomei's mind—of the day the sisters had come to him.
The younger one, Shinobu, burned with a hatred as sharp as a drawn blade, her resolve cutting and unyielding, as though she would sever anything in her path.
And the elder, Kanae… was as gentle as spring itself.
They were opposites in every sense—so different that it was hard to believe they were sisters at all.
He recalled the words he had once used to try to persuade Shinobu to abandon the path and return to a normal life—and the way she had responded, her retort as sharp and unforgiving as steel.
Bringing his hands together once more, Gyomei murmured,
"Even if I had refused them completely… I doubt they could have returned to an ordinary life."
He paused, his voice steady but heavy.
"Kanae's wish… was never destined to come true."
"Yes… indeed."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki tilted his head back, gazing over the endless sea of graves. His voice carried a quiet heaviness, as though weighed down by years of sorrow.
"The hatred runs too deep… far too deep. It has reached a point where it can no longer be set aside."
With that, he swept away the last fallen leaf before the grave in front of him. Only then did he turn, looking toward Gyomei Himejima.
"You came here in person this time… there must be something you wished to report."
"Yes, Oyakata-sama."
Gyomei set the broom aside and stepped forward, once again supporting Kagaya's arm with steady care.
"What could be so significant that it required your personal presence?"
"We captured a demon."
"Just a demon?" Kagaya's expression showed mild curiosity. "For you, Gyomei, that alone would hardly warrant special mention. There must be more to it."
"Yes," Gyomei's voice lowered. "These demons… seem to be searching for another demon."
"Searching for… a demon?" Kagaya's brows knit slightly in confusion.
"Yes. At first, I thought it was an isolated case, but reports from other squads confirmed similar sightings. To be certain, I personally captured another demon and interrogated it. Only then did I confirm… many demons are searching. It appears this is under the command of Muzan Kibutsuji."
At the mention of that name, Kagaya's hand tightened unconsciously. A flicker of excitement surfaced in his otherwise composed eyes.
Not long ago, there had finally been traces of Muzan's appearance… and now, he was actively searching for a particular demon.
At last, he was beginning to reveal more of himself.
Suppressing the surge of emotion in his chest, Kagaya spoke in a steady voice,
"Take me to the demon you captured."
…
Deep beneath the surface, in a dim and suffocating underground chamber—
A demon was bound tightly by heavy chains, its body restrained so thoroughly it could barely move. Around it lay an array of cruel instruments, each designed for torment. Nearby stood a young swordsman, gripping one of those tools, his face twisted with undisguised hatred.
As Gyomei guided Kagaya into the room, the swordsman immediately stepped aside, bowing respectfully.
"Wake it up," Kagaya said calmly, his gaze falling upon the demon, which had already been tortured into unconsciousness.
Without hesitation, the swordsman grabbed a basin of scalding oil and flung it over the demon.
The moment the burning liquid touched its flesh, the demon jolted awake, a piercing scream tearing from its throat as agony surged through its body.
No one moved.
Gyomei stood with his hands pressed together in prayer. Though he could feel the demon's suffering, tears slipped silently from the corners of his eyes—yet he said nothing.
The young swordsman, by contrast, wore a look of grim satisfaction.
As for Kagaya, his expression remained utterly calm.
"Please… please stop… don't torture me anymore… please…"
The demon sobbed and begged, its voice breaking.
Demons possessed near-immortality and terrifying regenerative abilities. Their capacity to endure pain far exceeded that of humans—but that only meant the suffering inflicted upon them could be prolonged, intensified, repeated without end.
Under normal circumstances, even the Demon Slayer Corps, despite their hatred, would not resort to such cruelty. A clean beheading was usually the end.
Only when matters involved Muzan Kibutsuji did such interrogations take place.
Yet, more often than not, they were futile.
No demon could speak even the slightest detail about Muzan. Even uttering his name was enough to trigger instant death.
Because of that, interrogations had long since become rare.
But now… a new lead had appeared.
"In recent days, you've been searching for a demon, correct?"
Kagaya's voice was measured, carefully phrased to avoid forcing the creature into speaking anything related to Muzan directly.
"Yes… yes, sir… I've been searching for a demon…"
…
It did not take long for the questioning to conclude.
Kagaya had already obtained the information he sought. The demon continued to sob helplessly, while the swordsman beside it seemed eager to resume the torture.
"Kill it," Kagaya said, closing his eyes.
"Yes, Oyakata-sama."
Though the young swordsman looked slightly reluctant, he still drew his Nichirin Sword and brought it down in a clean strike, severing the demon's head.
This particular demon had clearly clung desperately to life. Even after enduring such prolonged torment, it had refused to end things by speaking Muzan's name—a choice that would have granted it immediate death.
And yet, in the end, it was still executed without mercy.
"Namu Amida Butsu…"
Gyomei pressed his palms together, tears falling freely as he softly chanted a Buddhist prayer.
Meanwhile, Kagaya fell into deep thought.
"A demon… and a girl?"
This was the information obtained through interrogation.
In truth, there wasn't much of value—only that Muzan Kibutsuji was searching for a demon… one that was traveling with a human girl.
A demon, together with a human girl.
No matter how one looked at it, the situation felt deeply unnatural.
Was this search any different from Muzan's long-standing pursuit of Tamayo?
Perhaps… it would be worth asking Tamayo. What exactly had this demon done to provoke Muzan into actively searching for it?
After all, aside from Tamayo, every other demon remained firmly under Muzan's control. There should have been no need to search for them at all.
Unless…
This demon had somehow broken free from Muzan's control.
But was that even possible?
Could a demon truly escape Muzan's grasp? Other than Tamayo, there had never been such a precedent… had there?
…
In the past, the Final Selection at Mount Fujikasane had always been an extremely difficult trial for aspiring swordsmen. Every examination claimed lives, and only a small number would ultimately pass.
Yet those who succeeded were almost always elites.
But the previous selection had been an exception.
Because of Sabito, a disciple of Sakonji Urokodaki, nearly all the demons on Mount Fujikasane had been wiped out single-handedly. As a result, an unusually large number of candidates passed that year.
However, the quality of those new swordsmen varied greatly. Once they began participating in real demon-hunting missions, the mortality rate soared—not only among the slayers themselves, but also among the people they were meant to protect.
The consequences rippled outward.
The Swordsmith Village sent repeated complaints about the overwhelming demand for newly forged blades. The Butterfly Mansion reported a sharp increase in injured swordsmen requiring treatment. Even the raising of Kasugai Crows for each new recruit was becoming increasingly difficult.
As the one overseeing this year's Final Selection, Kiriya Ubuyashiki was already well aware of all these issues. At first, he had believed that what happened last time was merely an anomaly.
But unexpectedly… the same irregularity seemed to be happening again.
"Sister," Kiriya said, lifting his head to look at her, "over the past few days, the number of candidates descending the mountain—either withdrawing or forced to flee for their lives—has been decreasing, hasn't it?"
"Yes, Kiriya," replied Hinaki Ubuyashiki softly. "Yesterday there were still ten… but today, only three."
"And that's not all."
Kiriya turned his gaze toward the summit.
"The roars of demons coming from the mountain… they've been growing fewer with each passing day."
"Yes… fewer and fewer," Hinaki murmured. "Just like last time."
She had accompanied their father during the previous Final Selection, and the truth had eventually come to light—Sabito had slain nearly every demon on the mountain.
And yet… he himself had not survived.
Their father had been deeply grieved by that outcome. It was one of the rare times he had lost his composure—so upset that he had even knocked over his dishes in frustration.
He had once said that if Sabito had lived, he would have inherited Urokodaki's teachings, becoming the next Water Hashira… a pillar upon which the Demon Slayer Corps could rely.
Kiriya Ubuyashiki was naturally well aware of what had happened during the previous selection.
If another swordsman as powerful as Sabito were to appear, he would certainly welcome it. And yet, at the same time, he couldn't ignore the consequences—if such a situation occurred again, it would likely lead to an influx of candidates of wildly uneven quality passing the trial.
And if those individuals were sent out on demon-hunting missions…
Wouldn't the same tragedy repeat itself?
"So no matter what," Kiriya said at last, his voice firm with resolve, "we must begin preparing for the possibility that a large number of candidates will pass this time."
He had already made up his mind.
If too many unqualified or underprepared swordsmen were to emerge, then perhaps additional training would be necessary before allowing them to take on actual missions.
But that was something to consider later.
For now, what mattered most was ensuring that every successful candidate would be properly equipped.
That was non-negotiable.
The path of hunting demons was one of constant danger. The Ubuyashiki family had to ensure proper preparations—generous compensation, a personal Nichirin Sword forged for each swordsman, and a Kasugai Crow for communication…
"All right," Kiriya said decisively. "Send word to the Swordsmith Village and the Kakushi. Have them prepare everything in advance."
"Shouldn't we wait a little longer?" asked Hinaki Ubuyashiki, hesitation flickering in her voice.
"I believe this situation mirrors what happened last time," Kiriya replied, his gaze steady. "We should send swordsmen up the mountain to investigate. If there truly is someone as powerful as Sabito among the candidates… we must not allow a repeat of that tragedy."
Hinaki studied her younger brother for a moment. Seeing the unwavering determination in his eyes, she gave a small nod.
"I'll make the arrangements."
Once she departed, Kiriya remained standing at the path leading toward the mountain's summit, waiting in silence.
Before long, a young woman approached.
She had shoulder-length hair styled in soft curls, violet eyes that seemed both sharp and composed, and a delicate face adorned with a butterfly-shaped hairpin.
As she came to a stop before him, her expression tightened into a serious, almost rigid composure.
"Greetings, Kiriya."
Shinobu Kocho's tone was formal, her small face set in a stern, businesslike manner.
Kiriya blinked in surprise at her sudden appearance.
"Miss Shinobu? What brings you here?"
He knew her well enough—she was the one who oversaw affairs at the Butterfly Mansion, and her responsibilities there kept her constantly occupied.