Gyomei Himejima was led away in chains.
As Ryousuke watched the massive monk disappear, he noticed the little girl, Sayo, had also vanished into the custody of the villagers. His gaze shifted to the entrance of the temple, landing on the overturned wisteria incense burner. His blood began to simmer.
Kaigaku.
The ultimate trash of the series. The shame of Thunder Breathing. The shame of the Demon Slayer Corps. A coward who would later become a cowardly Upper Moon only to be soloed by Zenitsu.
That "piece of work" was the one who got caught stealing money by the other orphans last night. To save his own skin after being kicked out, he encountered a demon and made a deal: he would lead the monster to the temple and put out the wisteria incense in exchange for his life. That was the spark for this entire tragedy.
And later, that same brat would be taken in by Jigoro, only to turn into a demon and force the old man to commit seppuku.
Not this time, Ryousuke vowed. I'll find that parasite and end him before he ever meets Gramps.
But first, he had to save Gyomei. Ryousuke pulled out a scrap of paper and a travel brush, scribbling a frantic report.
To Oyakata-sama:
Urgent report from Mizunoto, Yasui Ryousuke!
The massacre at Mt. Hinode was not the work of the monk, Gyomei Himejima. The true culprit was a demon that disintegrated at sunrise. Himejima fought with his bare hands to protect the children.
The sole survivor is in shock and gave a false testimony; the local authorities have arrested him in error. Himejima possesses monstrous strength and an unbreakable will—he is a vital asset for the Corps!
Please use the family's influence to intervene immediately. Consult the local Kakushi for confirmation.
Urgent! Urgent! Urgent!
— Yasui Ryousuke
He rolled the paper and tied it to the hummingbird's leg. "Go! Fly like your life depends on it. Get this to the Master!"
The bird blurred into a sapphire streak, piercing the morning mist toward the Ubuyashiki estate. Ryousuke exhaled. He didn't head back to Momoyama yet. Instead, he began scouring Mt. Hinode.
He was in a foul mood. If he didn't find a few more demons to decapitate, he wasn't going to be able to sleep. Plus, there was a slim chance Kaigaku was still lurking nearby.
Tokyo Prefecture Prison.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki and his wife, Amane, followed a nervous jailer through the damp, stone corridors. They stopped before a heavy iron door. Inside the cramped, leaking cell, a hulking figure sat motionless, nearly filling the entire space.
Hearing footsteps, Gyomei's frame shuddered, but he didn't look up. The jailer bowed and retreated, leaving them in a silence broken only by the crackle of torches.
Kagaya took a soft breath. "Master Himejima."
Gyomei raised his sightless eyes toward the sound.
"I know," Kagaya's voice was like silk—warm and calming. "I know you are not a murderer. You are a protector. A warrior who fought to save the innocent. The blood on your hands is a badge of honor, not a mark of shame."
Silence stretched in the cell. Suddenly, a raspy, hollow chuckle escaped Gyomei's throat.
"My Lord... before I was brought here... on that hellish morning..." Gyomei paused, a strange look crossing his face. "There was another. A young man who shouted those exact same words at the top of his lungs."
The air in the prison cell turned awkward. Kagaya blinked.
Huh?
"The exact same words?" Kagaya asked, tilted his head.
"Yes," Gyomei nodded. "He told me to look up. He said I was not a murderer. That I was fighting for humanity. His voice... it cut through the darkness like a bolt of lightning."
Kagaya's lip twitched almost imperceptibly.
He stole my lines. Those were my dramatic recruitment lines. Is that even allowed?
Kagaya didn't need to guess who it was. "Yasui-san..."
"So his name is Ryousuke..." Gyomei smiled faintly. "That voice... the one that stood for me when the world turned its back... it belongs to Ryousuke."
Kagaya sighed internally but kept his composure. "Master Himejima, since you used wisteria to ward off evil, you must know of the Demon Slayer Corps."
"I do."
Since the scripted speech had been hijacked, Kagaya got straight to the point. "I am Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the leader of the Corps. Master Himejima, will you join us? Will you lend your strength to the night?"
Gyomei took a deep breath. He raised his shackled hands and pressed them together in a solemn prayer. He bowed his head low toward the young Master.
"Oyakata-sama... I, Gyomei Himejima, swear my life to the Corps. I will use this broken body to shield the innocent until my last breath is spent."
"Good. The Ubuyashiki family will see your name cleared."
As they left the prison, Kagaya walked in thought.
"Ryousuke... Yasui-san truly is an unpredictable man."
"Kagaya," Amane leaned in, whispering. "According to the Kakushi, Yasui Ryousuke hasn't returned to Momoyama. He's still on Mt. Hinode."
"Oh?"
"He's been wandering the most dangerous parts of the forest. The Hidden report that he isn't exploring... he's actively hunting. He's seeking out demons to kill even though his mission is technically over."
Kagaya's smile widened. Most new recruits were traumatized after their first real mission, often needing weeks of recovery or psychological help. But Ryousuke? He finished his job and went looking for more work.
"It seems my intuition was correct," Kagaya murmured. "The man is a natural. Jigoro has found a successor who might just become a Hashira before the year is out."
Amane looked skeptical. "You have that much faith in him?"
"My intuition has never failed me, Amane."
"A-choo! Who's talking about me?"
Ryousuke wiped his nose. He was standing in a dense thicket on the dark side of the mountain. Even at noon, the canopy was so thick it was perpetual twilight—perfect for a demon hideout.
He looked down. A set of distorted, non-human footprints led deep into a nearby cave.
Found you.
Ryousuke gripped his white hilt, his excitement bubbling over. He didn't charge in immediately. He just watched the dark mouth of the cave with a predatory grin.
"Heheh. Found you, darling. Come on out and get some sun."