At the Ubuyashiki Estate—
Kagaya Ubuyashiki, whose frail body already looked as though it could collapse at any mont, continuously issued orders through the Kasugai Crows. One ssage after another was sent out as he desperately coordinated manpower and dispatched reinforcents across every region.
So of the demons attacking various locations had been eliminated.
But in far more places, the situation was only getting worse.
Although the Demon Slayer Corps had recently inherited techniques such as Sun Breathing, the Bright Red Nichirin Sword, the Demon Slayer Mark, and the Transparent World, too little ti had passed. There were simply too few swordsn capable of mastering them.
And the truth was cruel—
The demons were far stronger than the Demon Slayer Corps.
Faced with the large-scale attacks breaking out everywhere, the Corps was steadily being pushed back.
Every battlefield was becoming increasingly desperate.
Then, one grim report after another arrived through the Kasugai Crows.
"The Demon Slayer outpost in Tokyo has been destroyed by demons. All swordsn stationed there, along with the reinforcents sent to assist, have been killed."
"The Demon Slayer outpost in Asakusa has been destroyed by demons. All swordsn stationed there, along with the reinforcents sent to assist, have been killed."
"The Butterfly Mansion has suffered severe damage. Most of the wounded Demon Slayers recovering there have died. More than half of the dical staff escaped with their lives."
"The Swordsmith Village has been destroyed. Aside from a small number of survivors, including Hotaru Haganezuka, most were killed by demons. All forging equipnt within the village has also been destroyed."
...
As the reports continued to worsen, Kagaya's already pale face lost even more color.
Nearby, Tamayo and Kanae Kocho silently witnessed everything unfolding before them. This was the first large-scale uprising by demons in hundreds of years, and the overwhelming pressure was enough to make anyone feel suffocated.
Thud, thud...
Hurried footsteps echoed from outside.
Soon, an elderly man entered first, leaning on a cane. A massive scar stretched across his face, and his right leg had already been replaced with a prosthetic limb.
Several elderly n followed closely behind him.
While continuing to coordinate reinforcents, Kagaya raised his head.
The man leading them was none other than the forr Thunder Hashira, Jigoro Kuwajima, who should have been living quietly in retirent at Mount Momoyama.
"Oyakata-sama, please assign us our duties."
The mont he stepped inside, Jigoro spoke without hesitation. The other old n imdiately voiced their agreent as well.
These were all retired swordsn who had long left the battlefield behind, yet at the Corps' darkest mont, they had chosen to stand once more.
Kagaya knew he could not stop them.
Even if he refused, these n would still act on their own.
His weak body trembled slightly as he forced himself to stand. Sorrow filled his eyes as he bowed deeply toward them.
"I leave everything in your hands."
Jigoro exchanged glances with the others before bursting into laughter. "To be able to protect once more with these broken bodies is more than enough."
With that, they unsheathed Nichirin Swords that had not seen use in years.
...
With the support of the older generation of swordsn, the crises erupting across various regions were temporarily eased.
But only eased.
The overall situation still remained dire.
"Kanae…"
After finishing another series of personnel arrangents, Kagaya finally turned his gaze toward the Flower Hashira.
Kanae Kocho rested her hand lightly on the hilt of her sword and stood up quietly.
"Please take Tamayo and hide in Tokyo first. After that… support the local forces there…"
Kanae Kocho wanted nothing more than to rush to the battlefield, but just as she prepared to leave with Tamayo for Tokyo, she suddenly stopped and looked around with her purple eyes.
The enormous Ubuyashiki Estate no longer had a single swordsman guarding it.
"Oyakata-sama, please allow to stay here and guard you."
Kanae halted in place. The estate's defenses were dangerously thin now, and if demons attacked, Kagaya would be left in an extrely vulnerable position.
"At a ti like this, Oyakata-sama cannot be left without guards. In this situation, there should at least be two Hashira staying behind to protect you."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki slowly raised his head and looked at her calmly. "The Hashira are precious forces within the Demon Slayer Corps. They should not be wasted protecting alone. Compared to staying here, there are many other places that need you far more."
"But…"
Worry filled Kanae's eyes.
"Swordsn can die fighting demons. Hashira can die fighting demons. And the Master of the Corps can die for that sa purpose as well."
Kagaya's voice remained calm and steady.
"There is nothing that cannot be sacrificed. Even ."
As he spoke, he turned his gaze toward the window. Nearby, countless wisteria trees blood quietly, their fragrance drifting through the air.
"No demon can approach this place easily. And if one does…"
His hand slowly tightened into a fist.
"…then I would welco it."
Kanae's heart tightened slightly.
Though Kagaya had not said it directly, she already understood what he ant. If this estate were ever attacked, then only one demon could possibly be responsible—
Muzan Kibutsuji.
It was obvious that Kagaya intended to use himself as bait to lure Muzan out into the open.
Kanae still wanted to argue and insist on staying behind, but when she t the unwavering determination in Kagaya's eyes, she knew there was no changing his mind.
In the end, she could only leave together with Tamayo and Yushiro.
...
After Kanae departed, Kagaya stopped handling the reports arriving from the Kasugai Crows. Instead, he quietly walked to the window and stared out into the dark night beyond the estate.
Soft footsteps soon approached from behind.
A beautiful woman entered the room wearing a pale blue kimono. A delicate hairpin rested in her hair, making her seem almost like a spirit born from a white birch forest.
It was Amane Ubuyashiki, Kagaya's wife and a mber of the priestly family.
Behind her ca their son, Kiriya Ubuyashiki, along with their daughters Hinaki, Nichika, Kuina, and Kanata.
Kagaya turned and looked at his wife. Their eyes t silently. "You've seen the imdiate future as well, haven't you?"
Amane looked at her husband but remained silent.
She had seen the future—she and her husband were to et their end in this very courtyard, vanishing utterly in a thunderous explosion.
There had been panic.
Fear.
Reluctance.
But little by little, all of those emotions had settled down until only calm acceptance remained.
"The future has changed."
Kagaya glanced at his wife before looking outside once more.
"The future we once foresaw… it has already changed. Things will no longer follow the original path."
After saying that, he turned back toward Amane. In her eyes, he could see the resolve to die beside him.
Slowly, he raised his hand toward her.
Amane gently closed her eyes.
But what ca was not a hand touching her cheek.
Instead—
A heavy strike landed against the back of her neck, and her consciousness imdiately faded into darkness.
With his frail body, Kagaya barely managed to support his collapsing wife before turning toward his son.
"The future of the Demon Slayer Corps will depend on you now. I hope that in your generation, the demons will finally be completely destroyed. The Ubuyashiki family has carried this cursed sin for far too long."
Kiriya said nothing, rely clenching his fists in silence.
"Take your mother and your sisters… and leave."
Kagaya spoke softly, but his calm voice carried absolute authority.
Kiriya still wanted to say sothing, but Kagaya had already lightly clapped his hands. Soon, mbers of the Kakushi entered the room.
"Take them away."
Kagaya gave the order calmly.
No matter how much his children struggled or resisted, the Kakushi forcibly escorted them away.
Kagaya silently watched everything.
In the future he had once foreseen, both he and his wife, along with two of their daughters, would die in the explosion together.
But now, everything had already changed.
Everything.
"Haa…"
His body was growing weaker with every passing mont.
Staggering unsteadily, Kagaya walked deeper into the room until he found the trigger for the explosives hidden inside the estate. Quietly, he held it tightly in his hand.
The firelight inside the room flickered softly, illuminating the dark purple marks spreading further across his face. His skin had beco deeply wrinkled, like the bark of an ancient dying tree.
Silently enduring the pain spreading throughout his body, Kagaya slowly sat down and leaned against the wall.
Then he gazed into the distance and murmured quietly to himself—
"Muzan… will you co?"
...
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