Chapter 87: The Eternal Paradise Cult
The next day, the Hashira Meeting was convened.
The gathering had already been scheduled so that Kanzaki Akira, now recovered from his injuries, could personally share intelligence on Upper Rank Five with the other Pillars. It was merely a happy coincidence that Kanae's promotion to Flower Hashira aligned with it.
Early that morning, when Gyomei and Shinjuro saw Akira arrive for the meeting with a girl on each arm, they were momentarily at a loss for what expression to wear.
"You brat..." Shinjuro clapped a heavy hand on Akira's shoulder, saying nothing more. His warning glare, however, spoke volumes.
"Amitabha," Gyomei murmured, his large hands pressed together in prayer. "I hope Akira-kun does not fail their affections." He, too, left it at that. It was, after all, a matter of someone else's private life.
Kagaya was in a remarkably good mood. Though the curse was steadily weakening his body, the news that an Upper Rank had been slain and a new Hashira promoted within a few short months brought him genuine joy. For the first time in the hundreds of years since the Demon Slayer Corps was founded, an Upper Rank demon had fallen. To him, this felt like a signal—a sign that his family's long-cherished wish was about to be fulfilled in his lifetime.
After the customary greetings, the first order of business was the division of patrol regions. Kanae's choice was similar to Makomo's, selecting a territory nestled between the areas managed by Akira and Shinjuro.
With that settled, it was time for the intelligence briefing.
"Upper Rank Five's abilities are primarily divided into two types," Akira began, his voice calm and measured. "The first relies on the various pots he creates to activate his Blood Demon Arts. The second is his true form's combat prowess after he's forced to leave the pot..."
Akira recounted his battle with Gyokko, explaining how he had used verbal provocations to lure the demon out of its defensive vessel, all while planning to stall until Gyomei arrived for a coordinated kill. He also admitted to how, in a fit of rage near the end, he had thrown caution to the wind and risked his life. As he explained the reason for his fury, Kanae and Makomo, seated on either side of him, both blushed and lowered their gazes in embarrassment.
"Well," Shinjuro grunted, breaking the brief silence. "While I don't exactly approve of you getting involved with more than one girl, what you did when facing an Upper Rank was manly. If you train all those skills but can't even protect the ones you love, I'd be the first to look down on you."
Akira met his gaze. "I promised them I would risk my life to protect them."
"Akira-kun..."
"Akira-kun..."
For a moment, Akira and the two women by his side were lost in their own world, gazing affectionately at one another. Shinjuro and Gyomei were left utterly speechless.
'Damn my mouth,'Shinjuro thought, a flush creeping up his neck.'Why did I have to say that?! Now I want to go home and get some comfort from Ruka...''And what about me?' Gyomei wondered, a single tear tracing a path down his cheek.
Ubuyashiki Kagaya simply looked at Amane, who sat serenely beside him. At least his own wife was right there.
"By the way, Kagaya-sama," Akira said, finally breaking the spell and turning his attention back to the Master. "Is there any news about the Eternal Paradise Cult I asked you to investigate?"
"We've found it," Kagaya replied with a solemn nod.
"Eternal Paradise Cult?" Shinjuro was the first to ask, his brow furrowed. "What's that? Sounds like some shady organization. Does it have anything to do with the Corps?"
"Because that Upper Rank Five wasn't very bright and happened to be quite talkative, I managed to gather some information during our fight," Akira explained, using the cover story he had prepared. "Specifically, about this cult."
He let the weight of his next words settle in the air. "Based on that demon's behavior, there is another demon hidden within this cult whose strength far exceeds his own—so much so that he spoke of it with absolute fear. By my estimation, it has to be Upper Rank Three or Upper Rank Two. Perhaps even Upper Rank One."
"Oh!" Shinjuro's eyes lit up with fighting spirit. "So, are we all going to hunt down that demon together?"
"No." Akira's single word was like a bucket of ice water dumped over Shinjuro's fiery heart. "My idea is that until our strength breaks through to another level, all future patrols and missions should actively avoid the location of that cult."
Akira's true purpose was to ensure Makomo and Kanae never crossed paths with Douma; he would never lead them straight to the demon's doorstep. He had waited until this meeting to share the information simply to give it more credibility. If he had, without any prior context or the experience of personally fighting an Upper Rank, simply named a location where a top-tier demon was likely hiding, it wouldn't have been seen as a warning. It would have been a challenge, sending these hot-blooded warriors straight to their deaths.
As it was, Shinjuro's gaze was already turning sharp and scrutinizing. "Why? You know a demon is there and you won't go? Are you afraid?"
"Yes, I am," Akira answered without hesitation. "I have personally fought an Upper Rank. I am acutely aware of the power of that demon, Gyokko. A demon that even he feared—believe me, even if all of us went together, we would likely just be throwing our lives away." He met Shinjuro's incredulous stare. "Of course I want to kill demons. But I don't want to die a pointless death."
"How will we know if we don't try?" Shinjuro pressed, refusing to back down.
"Sigh... Then let me be blunt." Akira's tone hardened. "Among those of us sitting here, although we are all Hashira, in terms of raw strength, I could defeat everyone here except Gyomei, and I wouldn't take much damage doing it."
He let the shocking statement hang in the quiet garden. "Yet Upper Rank Five nearly took me down with him. In fact, if Gyomei hadn't arrived in time, I would have been killed by his final counterattack. So, against a demon far stronger than Upper Rank Five, what do we have to fight with, in our current state?"
His gaze swept over them. "If Gyomei and I teamed up, we might manage to survive until dawn, but we would be severely injured, and we would have absolutely no chance of killing our opponent. As for the rest of you... Makomo has fought Upper Rank Five; she should have felt that overwhelming power, that feeling of being completely unable to fight back. Shinjuro, your strength isn't much different from Makomo's, and the same goes for Kanae."
He delivered the final, brutal truth. "In other words, bringing you along would be no different than delivering a snack to the enemy."
The scene fell into a heavy, suffocating silence.
"I don't mean to offend," Akira said, his voice softening slightly. "Nor am I denying your strength or your hard work. From a human perspective, everyone here is already in the highest tier of power. But we are facing demons—Upper Ranks that the Demon Slayer Corps hasn't been able to kill since its inception."
"What we need is not just hot-blooded determination, but also sufficient strength and a clear-headed awareness of our own limits. Not fearing sacrifice is different from being a reckless fool."
"Everyone here is still young. We have plenty of time to grow. also, there are swordsmen within the Corps who haven't fully matured yet, like Sabito and Giyuu from Kanae's generation. Their talent surpasses even Makomo's. It's only a matter of time before they become Hashira."
"The Demon Slayer Corps can still grow stronger. In the future, we will surely be able to kill those demons, and even the Demon King himself." He offered a small, confident smile. "After all, hasn't an exception already been made for the Upper Ranks who haven't been killed for hundreds of years?"
"Well said."
Kagaya finally spoke, his gentle voice cutting through the tension. "The swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps have never feared sacrifice, but it should not be a meaningless death. Those Upper Ranks have grown for hundreds of years; it is only natural that it is difficult for swordsmen with human bodies to catch up. But since the precedent with Upper Rank Five has been set, we will surely kill more Upper Ranks in the future, and finally, we will kill Muzan."
His decision was firm. "For now, let us do as Akira says and temporarily avoid the Eternal Paradise Cult."
"Yes, Master," the Hashira replied in unison. With the Master of the Demon Slayer Corps having made his decision, no one would object further.
Subsequently, Kagaya marked the location of the Eternal Paradise Cult on a map, along with the general range of its followers' activities. At the same time, he shared the information the Ubuyashiki family had uncovered about the organization.
The Eternal Paradise Cult was a sect that had existed for hundreds of years. Initially, it was a complete scam, but at some point, its doctrine changed. The new doctrine advocated kindness, avoiding conflict, and guiding its followers to live life with optimism. In a way, it truly lived up to the name "Eternal Paradise."
There was a strange caveat, however. The members of this sect were all women—women with tragic pasts and beautiful features. Perhaps because the criteria were so strict, or perhaps because the demon at its heart didn't want to expose itself, the number of followers had remained steady at just over two hundred for centuries.
Knowing it was a demon's nest, the information seemed bizarre no matter how one looked at it. A cult led by a monster was actually advising people to be good. Thinking about the actions of some humans, the irony was almost painful.
As for the members all being beautiful women, it was clear that the demon in charge was quite picky with its tastes.
After all, while the doctrine sounded pleasant, the cult was, in the end, nothing more than a larder for that evil demon.
Thinking of this, Kanae and Makomo exchanged a glance, then both looked at Akira, a flicker of understanding dawning in their eyes.
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