Before their departure, Kagaya Ubuyashiki handed Shinobu Kocho a letter.
"Please deliver this to Sol Mirek."
Shinobu accepted it carefully, a complicated emotion flickering in her wisteria-colored eyes. "Master… are you not coming with us?"
Kagaya Ubuyashiki smiled gently and shook his head. "My body cannot endure such a long journey. More importantly, I trust all of you to make the right decision."
With that, the group set out for Kyoto. Along the way, they witnessed something that left them deeply unsettled. The villages that should have been devastated by man-eating demons were peaceful. Some villagers were even discussing a demon-extermination unit sent by the Emperor.
"It seems they have truly taken action," Giyu Tomioka said quietly.
Kyojuro Rengoku walked at the front, full of confidence. "I knew Sol would never do anything evil!"
Shinobu said nothing, only quickening her pace. Her heart was filled with both anticipation and anxiety. She did not know what would happen when they finally met him, or whether she would truly see her sister again.
When the walls of Kyoto finally came into view, the group instinctively stopped. At the city gate stood several soldiers dressed in black uniforms. Their eyes glowed faintly red under the sunlight.
"Are those man-eating demons standing in the sun?" Mitsuri Kanroji asked nervously as she clutched Shinobu's sleeve.
What shocked them even more was what happened next. These demon soldiers were carefully checking the belongings of those entering the city, and their attitude was unexpectedly polite. When a child accidentally bumped into one of them, the soldier did not get angry. Instead, he crouched down and helped the child pick up a piece of dropped candy.
"Are these truly man-eating demons?" Gyomei Himejima murmured as tears streamed down his face.
At that moment, a familiar voice echoed from the city wall.
"Well, well, isn't this the Demon Slayer Corps? You arrived sooner than I expected."
Everyone looked up. Doma was sitting casually on the edge of the wall, gently waving his golden folding fan. His ice-blue eyes carried a playful glint.
"Upper Rank Two!" Shinobu immediately drew her Nichirin blade and took a fighting stance.
Doma pressed a hand dramatically against his chest. "Oh my, don't be so tense. I am now an officially certified commander of the special security forces." He shook the shining badge on his chest. "I am here under orders to eliminate disobedient demons."
Giyu Tomioka spoke coldly. "Where is Sol?"
"The Ancestor is waiting for you at the Imperial Palace." Doma jumped down lightly from the wall and landed without a sound. "Follow me. However…" his eyes moved toward their swords, "you will have to temporarily hand over your weapons. That is the rule."
Kyojuro laughed loudly and placed a hand on his sword. "That is impossible. A samurai does not simply hand over his blade."
Doma sighed in an exaggerated way. "How troublesome. Then at least promise me not to start cutting people. Especially our new colleagues who are working very hard."
Under Doma's lead, the group entered the city. The streets were busy and orderly, even more prosperous than before. From time to time, they saw demon soldiers patrolling, yet instead of attacking humans, they were helping elderly people cross the road and settling arguments.
"Is this really a world ruled by Muzan?" Mitsuri asked softly.
Doma turned back and smiled. "Surprised? This is all thanks to the Ancestor. He made us realize that ruling the living is far more interesting than eating them."
At the entrance to the Imperial Palace, Muzan stood with his hands behind his back. When he saw them, he nodded slightly. "Welcome. The Ancestor is waiting for you."
Shinobu looked at him cautiously. "Have you truly stopped eating humans?"
A trace of impatience appeared in Muzan's eyes. "That low-level desire was eliminated long ago by the Ancestor. We now have more important matters to focus on."
In truth, it was not that Muzan and the other demons did not want to eat humans. They simply feared Sol too much. The thought of being tortured by him in ways far worse than death had forced them to abandon that desire completely.
Muzan turned and led the group inside the palace. After passing through several gates, they finally arrived at the Imperial Garden.
Under a blooming cherry blossom tree, Sol sat calmly, holding a teacup. When he saw them arrive, he placed the cup down and smiled.
"Long time no see, everyone."
That familiar smile instantly brought back memories of the days when they had trained under him. Kyojuro was the first to step forward.
"Sol! What exactly are you planning?"
Sol gestured for them to sit. "No need to rush. Have some tea first. We can talk slowly."
After everyone had taken their seats, Sol personally poured tea for each of them. Shinobu then handed him Kagaya Ubuyashiki's letter.
"This is from the Master."
Sol opened it, read it quickly, and smiled faintly. "Kagaya Ubuyashiki is indeed a wise man."
He placed the letter aside and looked at them calmly. "I know all of you have many questions. Ask whatever you want."
Giyu was the first to speak. "Can you really revive the dead?"
Sol nodded. "Yes. But I need to return from another world first. More importantly, you must agree to my conditions."
"What conditions?" Shinobu asked carefully.
"It is simple. You will become my subordinates. While I am away, you will form a new Demon Slayer Corps. Your job will be to supervise the demons. If any demon dares to eat a human, kill it immediately. I do not want my forces falling into chaos because of a single rogue demon."
Shinobu's eyes widened slightly, and the teacup in her hand trembled. "Supervise the demons?"
Sol took a small sip of tea, completely calm. "Yes. Muzan and the others are under my control now, but time changes everything. Eventually, someone will break the rules. I need professionals to maintain order."
Gyomei clasped his hands together as tears continued to flow. "If that is the case, I believe the Master would also agree to this decision."
Sol placed the teacup down and looked at each of them in turn. "Think of it as a new order. Demons will no longer feed on humans, and humans will no longer need to fear demons."
Kyojuro laughed loudly. "That sounds like a wonderful idea!"
Shinobu slowly traced the rim of her teacup with her finger. "But how can you guarantee that the demons will truly stop eating humans? After all, it is their nature."
Sol smiled slightly and snapped his fingers.
Muzan immediately stepped forward. "Ancestor."
"Tell them what happens if a demon is caught eating a human."
A trace of fear appeared in Muzan's eyes. "They will be executed personally by the Ancestor, and the death will be extremely painful."
Sol nodded with satisfaction. "Not only that, I have already prepared a complete supervision system. The new Demon Slayer Corps will monitor every demon. The moment a violator appears, they have full authority to eliminate it immediately."
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