As a family that had been passed down through a long history without ever being broken, the Ubuyashiki believed that the Rengoku family might also have some records from the Sengoku era.
Though not necessarily the intelligence the Demon Slayer Corps currently needed, at this point, they had to try every possibility.
The Demon Slayer Corps needed to continue growing stronger, even stronger!
"Next is the topic of Upper Rank One."
Having resolved the matter of Akaza, Ubuyashiki finally pulled the topic to what everyone was most concerned about.
Upper Rank One—a demon claiming to have lived for over four hundred years, an ancient demon who had survived from the era of the Child of God until today.
She first appeared before everyone's eyes at Mount Fujikasane. Whether in terms of her own combat power or the might of her Blood Demon Art, she was inconceivably powerful.
She was undoubtedly the greatest obstacle blocking the Demon Slayer Corps' path to slaying the progenitor demon, the most difficult hurdle they had to overcome yet had to find a way to surmount.
"Regarding this demon's abilities, was any more intelligence obtained last night?"
"My deepest apologies, Master..."
Hearing this, it was Sabito who explained:
"During last night's battle, that Upper Rank One never truly made a move."
"But from Akaza's attitude toward her, I can be certain that her true strength absolutely far surpasses Akaza's."
Far surpassing Akaza...
As these words fell, the room once again sank into deathly silence.
Akaza alone was already powerful beyond belief, and now there was an Upper Rank One far stronger than Akaza.
How were they supposed to deal with this?
Was this demon truly still within the range of what humans could defeat?
"I believe I have a method that may be able to slay this demon."
Just as pessimism spread among everyone, a voice suddenly rang out.
Everyone subconsciously turned toward the sound. The one who spoke was Kanae.
"Master, I believe I have a way to defeat Upper Rank One."
Facing everyone's puzzled gazes, Kanae took a deep breath. She turned to look at Ubuyashiki and spoke words that shocked everyone present.
"Upper Rank One, she actually became aware of my existence long ago. There has always been a certain connection between my family and Upper Rank One."
"Kanae, w-what are you saying?"
Raising his hand to stop the suddenly agitated crowd, Ubuyashiki simply smiled at Kanae before him, speaking gently:
"Kanae, continue."
"Yes."
Nodding lightly, taking another deep breath, Kanae looked at everyone before her and continued:
"Everyone's previous speculation was correct. Upper Rank One is indeed a demon born in the Sengoku era, and she indeed has a connection to that Child of God..."
"No, actually, she is that Child of God's younger sister."
"What?!"
The Upper Rank One of the Twelve Kizuki was actually the younger sister of the Child of God from the Demon Slayer Corps' legends?
"Amitabha, this is truly a shocking truth... Kanae, are you certain of what you say?"
"I am certain, for this is the past clearly recorded in my family."
Nodding once more, facing everyone's shocked gazes, Kanae slowly recounted that history long unknown to the world.
"When Upper Rank One was still human, her physical condition was extremely poor. It was during this period that my family's ancestor came to know her as a traveling physician, becoming close friends with each other."
"Not long after, she parted with my ancestor and encountered the progenitor Muzan, was transformed into a demon by him, and subsequently personally participated in the annihilation of the Demon Slayer Corps during the Sengoku era."
"My family's ancestor also deepened their connection with her during this period, and for several hundred years afterward, continuously tried to find a way to overcome sunlight for her."
"The Demon Slayer Corps' records of Upper Rank One are not wrong—at the beginning of the Tokugawa Shogunate, she did indeed launch another annihilation against the Demon Slayer Corps, but this was not of her own initiative."
"According to my family's records, the Demon Slayer Corps at that time planned a subjugation operation against Upper Rank One."
"During this operation, the Demon Slayers of that time nearly succeeded in truly killing her, but ultimately fell just short."
"All Demon Slayers who participated in the operation, including the Master of that time, were eventually killed..."
"Interesting, I never expected our Demon Slayer Corps had such a past... Then how exactly did they do it at that time?"
Beside them, Sound Hashira Uzui Tengen asked, and everyone looked at Kanae with curiosity.
After all, the experience of predecessors, even failed experience, was worth referencing to some degree.
"Poisoning through wisteria flowers, calculating the range of her Blood Demon Art domain, using firearms to weaken her, and so on..."
"These methods only succeeded back then through various coincidences and chances. By now, I don't believe Upper Rank One, having already suffered once, would fall for these traps again."
Concluding this topic, Kanae lowered her head, her expression dimming:
"In any case, over the past several hundred years, our Butterfly Clan has indeed been secretly assisting this Upper Rank One. This is an undeniable fact."
"But all of this was completely terminated by my mother's generation."
"My mother possessed a heart of sincere justice. It was after learning the truth of our family from my grandmother that she took me and angrily left the family, drawing a clear line with my grandmother."
"Later, to atone for our sins, upon the invitation of a Demon Slayer she happened to meet, she joined the Demon Slayer Corps, established the Butterfly Mansion, and continuously used her medical skills to help everyone in the Corps."
"Even having me learn Breathing Techniques and become a Demon Slayer was my mother's request..."
As she spoke, Kanae raised her head again to look at Ubuyashiki in the main seat. She placed her hand on her chest, her eyes filled with tears, and spoke softly:
"Master, the reason I kept these truths hidden in my heart in the past and never told you was not because I had any selfish motives."
"I was simply afraid. I deeply knew I carried the bloodline of sin. I feared that once I spoke out, it would draw everyone's disgust and suspicion, that I would even be expelled from the Demon Slayer Corps, thus losing the opportunity to wash away my clan's sins..."
"Kanae..."
Beside her, Love Hashira Mitsuri was similarly streaming with tears. She raised her hand and gently patted Kanae's back in comfort.
Sabito, Sanemi, and Tanjiro showed expressions of sudden realization.
So that's how it was. They finally understood why Upper Rank One didn't fight back when facing Kanae's attacks last night...
"But the current situation no longer allows me to worry about so much."
Her eyes gradually firming, Kanae looked at Ubuyashiki and declared resolutely:
"Last night's battle made me completely certain that when facing me, a descendant of her ancestor's bloodline, Upper Rank One still has reservations in her heart."
"Perhaps out of gratitude for the bond with the first-generation ancestor, she has always been unwilling to fight me."
"Master, Upper Rank One is not without flaws. Her weakness is me!"
"I am the one who can defeat her!"