Kenshin Himura agreed to join the Demon Slayer Corps surprisingly easily. The moment Soma invited him, he accepted without much hesitation.
In truth, during these past days, the demons had grown increasingly rampant. More and more people had witnessed their cruelty, their terrifying nature, and the horror of creatures that fed on human flesh.
For someone like Kenshin, who had carried his own convictions ever since he first picked up a sword, the desire to end this chaotic age of bloodshed had never changed. He wished for the killing to stop, wished for innocent people to no longer have their lives stolen away for no reason.
And because of that, the Demon Slayer Corps was undoubtedly the ideal place for him.
At the very least, compared to the outside world, there was far less deceit within the Corps. Almost everyone there shared the same purpose—to exterminate demons and protect humanity.
It was far better than the future Kenshin once imagined for himself after going to the capital, where, in pursuit of his ideals, he would only end up manipulated by those in power and turned into nothing more than a sword used for killing.
Previously, when facing demons, Kenshin had felt a deep sense of despair. To him, those monstrous creatures had seemed impossible to defeat, beings that simply could not be killed.
But now, after learning their weaknesses, demons no longer felt so invincible.
With his extraordinary swordsmanship, Kenshin was confident that if he encountered the same demon as before, he could easily sever its head and end its life.
As those thoughts crossed his mind, he picked up the Nichirin Sword Soma had given him. Faint warmth flowed from within the blade itself, and instinctively, Kenshin understood that this was likely the key to slaying demons.
"Would it be possible for you to gift me this demon-slaying blade?" Kenshin made the request quietly.
"Of course," Soma replied with a smile. "Anyone who joins the Demon Slayer Corps and becomes a demon slayer naturally needs a Nichirin Sword capable of killing demons."
"Thank you."
Kenshin thanked him sincerely, though he had never been someone skilled with words or expressing his emotions openly.
Even after Soma had saved his life, even after freely giving away the very sword he carried without the slightest hesitation, Kenshin still could not say much more. He could only remember this kindness silently in his heart.
The two of them searched the Hiko Dojo for some food. As they ate and drank together, the atmosphere gradually relaxed.
"The cute little girl who was with you before," Kenshin suddenly asked, taking a sip of alcohol. "Where is she?"
"You mean Kanao? She's at Mount Sagiri right now. I didn't bring her with me this time."
Kenshin nodded and continued drinking while casually chatting with Soma.
Meanwhile, Soma's mind was occupied with a far more complex equation: how to mobilize a vastly greater number of people into the active hunt against demons.
To slaughter these malevolent creatures, the ones making the ultimate sacrifices did not strictly have to be these noble swordsmen possessing unyielding moral convictions. The burden could also be shifted onto the politicians of this land, onto the military and bureaucratic elites.
Compared to the Demon Slayer Corps, those people possessed far greater resources. They had firearms, cannons, disciplined soldiers, and logistical systems vastly superior to anything the Corps could ever hope to match.
They should have been the true main force against demons.
Soma did not know much about this nation's history, but he roughly understood that during this era, certain vile individuals held military power in their hands. In the future, they would launch wars of invasion against other lands.
At least, in Soma's opinion, it would feel much better if all those people were thoroughly consumed in the fight first. That way, they would never again have the chance to nurture those foolish ambitions.
Honestly, it would be best if they all died cleanly.
…
After they finished drinking, Kenshin agreed to travel with Soma to Mount Sagiri.
Unlike Soma, who was a demon and possessed a body that barely knew exhaustion, Kenshin was still human. Humans grew thirsty, became tired, and needed rest.
Even though Kenshin's swordsmanship was extraordinary, he was still human. After experiencing such a fierce battle, he simply did not have the energy to continue traveling through the night.
The two continued talking for a while longer, but exhaustion soon became obvious on Kenshin's face. Seeing this, Soma suggested they rest for the night.
Despite his fatigue, Kenshin still took the time to find Soma a clean room within the old Hiko Dojo before finally returning to rest himself.
…
The Hiko Dojo, once lively and bustling, had long since fallen into desolation.
After lighting a candle, Soma sat alone at the table, quietly considering how to deal with the situation moving forward.
At the very least, with demons now rampaging openly, the authorities could no longer completely suppress news about them. Even so, Soma had yet to sense any real determination from those in power to fight the demons. Rather than hunting them down, it seemed the authorities cared more about burying the existence of demons altogether.
In the end, the victims of these demons were mostly ordinary people.
Perhaps, to those sitting high above everyone else, the lives of common folk simply did not matter.
That much was obvious from the constant pressure and demands directed toward the Ubuyashiki family.
It was also clear from the fact that, even now, the Demon Slayer Corps still had not been officially recognized by the government despite dedicating itself to protecting humanity and exterminating demons.
Even swordsmen who risked their lives to slay demons were still restricted by the Sword Abolishment Edict. They could not openly carry their blades wherever they wished, and if local officers caught them, they would often be detained and interrogated.
To Soma, the reason for all this was simple.
The people in power had never truly cared about demons.
Most likely, this was because demons rarely attacked the places where the true upper class lived. Those people had never personally experienced the terror of demons.
Without witnessing that horror for themselves, it was easy for them to remain detached and look down from above.
Of course, this was almost certainly connected to Muzan Kibutsuji's deliberate control as well.
By now, Soma held a high position within the Demon Slayer Corps and had access to a great deal of information regarding demon activity across the country. Even with demons running rampant lately, the important high-class districts—places like the Imperial Palace, Tokyo, Edo, and other major regions—rarely suffered serious demon incidents.
There was no doubt Muzan had intentionally restrained things there.
The last major demon incident in those regions had been caused by Hairo of the Twelve Kizuki. Even then, the attacks had mostly targeted poorer districts, and much of it stemmed from Hairo's personal hatred toward Shinjuro Rengoku.
"Those elites should experience the terror of demons themselves."
Looking up at the silent night sky beyond the window, Soma muttered quietly to himself.
As the thought settled in his mind, he began writing down his ideas before sending the message to Ubuyashiki Kiriya through a Kasugai Crow. He wondered what choice the young master would make after reading such a proposal.
Compared to letting the Demon Slayer Corps fight alone, involving more people would make hunting demons far more efficient.
And Soma did not believe the only ones who needed to sacrifice themselves should be the swordsmen of the Corps.
…
The Kasugai Crow flapped its wings and disappeared into the night, carrying Soma's proposal back to the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters.
Given Soma's current standing within the Corps, his letters were treated with the highest priority.
After reading the message, Kiriya Ubuyashiki slowly stood up, unable to hide his shock. The idea was simply too insane.
At the very least, since the founding of the Demon Slayer Corps, no one had ever considered something like this.
Kiriya did not dare make such a decision on his own, so he hurried toward the inner estate.
Kasugai Crows continuously flew overhead, bringing all kinds of reports and letters. The messages were gathered and delivered to the estate, where dedicated attendants sorted them carefully and prioritized each piece of information according to urgency.
Inside one of the rooms, Amane Ubuyashiki quietly handled a stack of documents.
Occasionally, the wind drifted through the open window, causing her long white hair to sway gently in the air. Pale strands brushed against her bloodless face, while her dim eyes seemed devoid of light, as though they carried endless sorrow... or perhaps a deathly stillness buried deep within them.
This woman, who had only recently lost her husband, had not allowed herself to drown in grief. Instead, she forced herself to stand once more. Though she appeared fragile, like a pear blossom weighed down beneath wind and rain, there was still a quiet strength supporting her.
As Kiriya Ubuyashiki entered the room, Amane Ubuyashiki slowly raised her head to look at her son—the new young master of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Although he had only inherited the position of Corps Master not long ago and was still very young, Kiriya had handled the affairs of the Demon Slayer Corps remarkably well. Especially during this chaotic period, when the Corps was facing crisis after crisis, everyone had become extremely busy. Unless something truly important had happened, Kiriya would never disturb her during working hours.
After respectfully bowing to his mother, Kiriya handed Soma's letter to her.
Amane was not unfamiliar with the sender.
In truth, she had long since heard of Soma's name. The inheritances of Sun Breathing, the Bright Red Nichirin Sword, the Demon Slayer Mark, and the Transparent World had all originated from him. Without question, these discoveries had drastically increased the combat strength of the Demon Slayer Corps' upper ranks. More importantly, they had completely changed the balance of power within the Corps itself, giving Demon Slayers the ability to truly stand against the Upper Rank demons.
On top of that, Soma's reputation within the Corps had steadily grown.
After opening the letter and reading the contents, Amane fell silent.
In fact, it had also been Soma who proposed the Demon Slayer Corps' recent strategy of laying low temporarily. Because of this, the Corps had significantly reduced the number of demon extermination missions assigned to its swordsmen.
Many Demon Slayers were dissatisfied with this decision.
Some swordsmen, unable to tolerate watching demons continue to slaughter innocent people, had even gone out to hunt demons on their own without official orders. Among them were Hashira such as the Flower Hashira, Kanae Kocho, the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku, and the Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa.
Of course, the Demon Slayer Corps did not stop them. They simply chose to silently allow it.
Even so, the Corps truly had reduced the frequency of extermination missions. No matter how severe the demon outbreaks became in various regions, and no matter how many desperate pleas for help arrived, most of them were ignored.
To be honest, whenever Amane thought about the innocent people suffering beneath the demons' rampage, or the countless families whose happiness had been destroyed, immense pressure weighed heavily upon her heart.
This went against the original purpose of the Demon Slayer Corps.
And the burden she carried was not only emotional. Pressure from the authorities had also become increasingly intense. During this period alone, official warnings had arrived again and again, each one harsher than the last.
Truthfully, Amane had once been deeply worried about all of this.
After all, the Demon Slayer Corps was merely an organization that lacked official recognition. If the authorities truly decided they no longer tolerated the Corps' existence, then the Demon Slayer Corps could genuinely face the risk of being dissolved entirely.
Yet in the end, the situation she feared never happened.
On the contrary, the authorities had gradually become more supportive of the Corps. There were even rumors that the government was preparing to officially recognize the Demon Slayer Corps itself.
To Amane, this was almost unbelievable.
For hundreds of years, the Demon Slayer Corps had never once been acknowledged by the authorities.
And beyond official support, public support was also growing stronger by the day.
For example, there was the matter of logistics.
In the past, safe places for rest and recovery had mainly been provided by the Wisteria House families. But after many of those families across the country suffered repeated demon attacks and were gradually destroyed, finding locations for wounded swordsmen to recover had become a serious concern for the Corps.
Yet that problem was quickly resolved.
More and more civilians had begun voluntarily offering places for Demon Slayers to rest and recover.
It could be said that although the Demon Slayer Corps had suffered devastating losses not long ago—with many high-ranking swordsmen killed or wounded, numerous regions attacked, the Butterfly Mansion nearly destroyed, the Swordsmith Village ruined, and heavy casualties among Demon Slayers across the country—the situation that should have taken years of recovery, enormous funds, and the rebuilding of countless skilled personnel no longer seemed as hopeless as before.
Originally, all of that pressure had rested heavily upon the shoulders of the Ubuyashiki family.
However, as the demon crisis spread further across the country, more people gradually became aware of the threat lurking in the shadows. As a result, the tremendous burden weighing on the Ubuyashiki family slowly began to ease.
The authorities had started fully supporting the Ubuyashiki family, even loosening restrictions on the Demon Slayer Corps' recruitment efforts. More people were being sent to aid the Corps from every region.
For example, after the destruction of the Swordsmith Village, the production of Nichirin Swords had become a major problem. Yet before long, new swordsmith workshops began appearing throughout different regions, supplying fresh Nichirin Swords for demon slayers.
By now, the Demon Slayer Corps was recovering at an astonishing speed.
And once the newest generation of swordsmen fully matured, the Corps would likely become even stronger than it had ever been before.
All of this undoubtedly proved that Soma's earlier proposal to temporarily lie low had been correct.
And now, he had proposed another plan.
Even though the idea filled Amane with unease, she could already imagine the kind of consequences it would create.
In truth, these plans were things that could never be brought into the light.
For example… releasing demons near the residences of the nobility.
Or placing demons near the homes of high-ranking military officials.
Or worse…
It was difficult to imagine the fury the Ubuyashiki family would face if the authorities ever discovered such actions. That kind of anger was not something the Ubuyashiki family could withstand.
Yet there was no denying the effectiveness of the plan.
If it succeeded, demons would no longer be a problem faced only by the Demon Slayer Corps.
They would become a threat everyone had to confront.
The authorities would inevitably devote all their strength toward exterminating demons, while ordinary civilians, once they truly understood the existence of demons, would also begin taking action themselves.
After all, no matter how powerful demons were, they were creatures that could not exist beneath the light.
As long as they were exposed to sunlight during the day, they could be killed.
Once all of humanity began targeting these creatures that hid in darkness, exterminating demons would become far easier.
At night, demons hunted humans like prey.
But during the day, even an ordinary person could kill a demon if they discovered its hiding place and forced it into sunlight.
Even the Twelve Kizuki… even the progenitor of all demons, Muzan Kibutsuji himself, was no exception.
"Mother…"
Kiriya Ubuyashiki looked at Amane uneasily.
Amane said nothing at first. She silently held the letter over the candle's flickering flame, watching as the paper slowly burned away completely.
Only after it had turned to ash did she finally raise her head.
"Do you have suitable candidates?" she asked quietly.
"Mother… are you truly planning to do this?" Kiriya's voice trembled slightly. "If people discover the truth, then the Ubuyashiki family will…"
Amane looked at her pale-faced son before silently walking toward the window.
She stood there quietly, gazing into the distant night sky, and spoke in a soft voice.
"As long as no one outside the Ubuyashiki family learns the truth, everything will be fine…"
Kiriya's hands clenched tightly.
There was clear resistance in his expression.
"But Mother… Mr. Soma knows about all of this as well…"
Perhaps Kiriya possessed the resolve to sacrifice certain people for the greater good.
But Soma was different.
Someone as important and capable as him was not someone the Corps could simply abandon. His reputation within the Demon Slayer Corps was already incredibly high.
More importantly, it was Soma who had proposed these ideas in the first place. If they were to silence him because of that…
No matter what, Kiriya could not bring himself to do such a thing.
Amane suddenly spoke again.
"Your sister Hinaki seems to think quite highly of him."
"What?!" Kiriya let out a startled cry.
"Hinaki is already old enough to marry," Amane said softly. "And I believe he is an excellent man. You should find a way to arrange it…"
...
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