Swordsmith Village, temporary headquarters.
In a room lined with tatami mats, folding screens, and bonsai, many people had gathered.
All the current Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps were present, kneeling in two lines, swords at their sides, bowing their heads toward Ubuyashiki Kagaya, who sat at the place of honor before a screen.
Before Muzan's attack on headquarters, Ubuyashiki had already been moved to Swordsmith Village.
The village's location, like the Corps headquarters, was a top secret. After all, the Nichirin Blades—the only way to kill demons for a thousand years—were all forged here. Even the Hashira didn't know the exact location; anyone visiting had to be blindfolded, and those with keen noses had theirs blocked. The Kakushi would then carry them, changing relays several times, so that no one ever knew the full route.
To maintain secrecy, the path to the village and which Kakushi handled transportation changed often, with all communication handled by Kasugai crows—a truly elaborate system. In the original story, it was only after the village was attacked by Hantengu and Gyokko that Mitsuri Kanroji realized the village had been within her own assigned area.
While Nightingale and the others fought Muzan and the Upper Moons, Ubuyashiki and his family stayed in Swordsmith Village. Other than lacking the protection of the Hashira, they were quite safe; after all, there was no way Kagaya would keep such valuable combat power at his side during the final battle.
Beside Kagaya sat Amane and their five children. He now resembled a retired lord enjoying his old age—no longer in need of assistance, no longer wracked by fits of coughing, and even his once-ruined face had recovered. He no longer looked so ghastly.
At that moment, all the Hashira held their breath, tense, as Nightingale finished a final checkup at Kagaya's side.
After a moment, Nightingale slowly let out a breath, a gentle smile blooming on her lips as if satisfied.
"His body is still a little weak, but that's from being bedridden so long and not exercising. All illness is gone. From now on, just have him eat nutritious food and take daily walks—if he keeps this up, he should make a full recovery."
Kagaya certainly looked better, but it was only after Nightingale's expert opinion that the Hashira finally relaxed. Overjoyed, some even wept with relief.
"Congratulations, Oyakata-sama!"
"Master, your illness is finally cured!"
"This is… wonderful…"
The Hashira voiced their happiness in turn.
Kagaya gazed at them, eyes warm as if looking upon his own children.
"I'm just so glad… To see all of you here, every single one."
For once, Kagaya grew sentimental. "Not a single person missing, no one lost. It's more than I dared hope."
He truly meant it.
Before the final battle, having been relocated to the village, he couldn't know what was happening in the field. All he could do was pray ceaselessly with his family, asking the gods to watch over everyone.
He still remembered Nightingale's blunt evaluation after sparring with the Hashira—how she'd said that even all the Hashira combined wouldn't last a single round against Upper Moon One.
Not to mention Kibutsuji Muzan, whose strength as Demon King had to surpass even that.
They'd done all they could to prepare for the final battle. Nightingale promised to draw away the strongest enemies, but Kagaya still worried.
He had braced himself for casualties. Yet, to achieve victory without a single loss—nothing could be better.
Facing such foes, the Hashira were wounded, some more seriously than others. Thankfully, with Nightingale's timely treatment, their lives wouldn't be affected, though fighting demons as before was likely impossible.
But Muzan was dead, and almost all demons on this land had been wiped out. From now on, there should be no more cases of humans eaten by demons. There would be no need to carry swords to slay monsters.
A sense of relief, as if after a long storm, filled the air. Yet a faint melancholy lingered as well.
"This is the last Hashira meeting," Kagaya announced gently.
"Now that Muzan is gone and the demons are extinct, there are no more man-eating monsters in this world."
"Since the founding of the Demon Slayer Corps, we have had one purpose: to purge the demons."
"Now, with their end, there is no reason for our Corps to continue."
Everyone understood what this meant.
"This is a good thing."
Kagaya's voice was still soft and gentle, like plum blossoms in snow, like sunlight in early spring.
"From this day, no one will have to lose family or loved ones, no one will pick up a sword just for revenge."
"No one will risk their life fighting monsters anymore."
"There will be no more demons, and no more demon slayers. The Corps may be gone, but as long as we live, we will always be connected. That bond will never be broken."
"Isn't that right?"
The Hashira answered as one:
"Yes!"
Their response shook the room.
Kagaya nodded, then turned to Nightingale.
"I must thank you, Nightingale-san."
His tone grew solemn.
"For curing me, for training the Hashira, for creating poisons and weapons capable of defeating demons and Muzan himself, for defeating Muzan and multiple Upper Moons single-handed in the Infinity Castle… Thank you for the hope, the future, for everything you brought us. Because of you, we could finally cleanse this world of all demons."
With that, Kagaya, along with his wife and children, knelt and bowed deeply to Nightingale—a gesture of immense respect from a family of such status.
The Hashira, seeing their leader do so, did not stop him. Instead, they followed suit, bowing low to Nightingale—Kochou Kanae, Himejima Gyomei, even the often-brash Sanemi and Iguro.
The highest ranks of the Demon Slayer Corps—their beloved master and the Hashira—all paid their respects to a woman who looked no older than twenty.
Yet no one thought this excessive. No one felt Nightingale unworthy.
On the contrary, compared to what Nightingale had done, this bow seemed far too light.
Of course, a simple bow was not enough.
"If you ever need anything, please do not hesitate," Kagaya said with a smile. "So long as it is within our power—even if it costs all the Ubuyashiki family owns—we will make it happen."
With that, he signaled his wife, Amane, who handed Nightingale a keepsake: a jade stone engraved with the Ubuyashiki crest.
With this token, wherever and whenever, the Ubuyashiki family would do whatever it took to fulfill Nightingale's wishes.
This was Kagaya's greatest gift to her.
Nightingale accepted it without hesitation.
She planned to stay in this world for a while longer, and the Ubuyashiki family's support would make her work much easier.
Then, Kagaya swept his gaze over everyone, as if committing each face to memory.
"From today, the Demon Slayer Corps is formally disbanded."
"Thank you all, for staking your lives and everything you had for this world."
"You have done well."
Kagaya bowed low to everyone present.
The Hashira, struggling with emotion, some with tears in their eyes, some biting back sobs, all bowed to Kagaya in return…
And so, on this day, the Demon Slayer Corps was dissolved.
From this day forward, there would be no more demons, and no more Demon Slayer Corps.
…
After the meeting, Nightingale returned to the Butterfly Estate.
Before the final battle, she had prepared many things for the Corps—poison bullets, improved blades and uniforms, and even three injections for every member: to relieve pain, boost adrenaline, and increase healing.
Against anything but an Upper Moon, even ordinary members should have been able to hold out, so long as they were careful.
No one lost their life, but there were plenty of injuries. Nightingale had already treated them before the meeting, leaving Afune and others to take care of the rest while she was away.
After the meeting, still uneasy, Nightingale hurried back—only to find her worries were unfounded. Afune had managed everything perfectly.
"Looks like Afune has been studying hard while I was gone these years," Nightingale nodded with satisfaction, proud of her student's growth.
If I can pass my medical knowledge to Shinobu and Afune, and they in turn pass it on, countless lives will be saved in this world.
Looks like I'll be staying a while longer… There's so much to teach about medicine, after all.
Everyone knows: in college, the thickest and most numerous books are for medicine and law—copying them alone could kill you, let alone memorizing them.
Nightingale didn't expect her students to learn everything she knew. Her standard was simple: that each would stand at the forefront of at least one field of medicine.
What, too hard?
Come on—if you're a student of Nightingale, you can't embarrass me by falling short of that!
As she considered how best to train Afune and Shinobu, someone visited the estate.
"Oh! There you are, Nurse-san!"
The familiar, booming voice was unmistakable—though his ears were healed, Rengoku Kyojuro had no intention of changing his way of speaking.
"Is something wrong, Rengoku-san?" Nightingale asked, puzzled. "Do you need a doctor?"
"No! The fight with the demons is over—no one will be hurt anymore!" Rengoku beamed, unable to hide his joy. "After the meeting, we were all discussing the future. Then I turned around and you were gone! I came to see you… since it may be hard to meet again from now on."
"The future, huh…"
Nightingale thought for a while, then sighed softly. "I suppose I'll travel with Afune and Shinobu, healing people everywhere. Maybe we'll go abroad—give them some broader experience."
"Healing the sick… That's truly wonderful!" Rengoku declared.
Through him, Nightingale learned what the others planned for their futures.
Rengoku would take over the Rengoku family estate, transforming their ancient demon-slaying lineage for a new era. He planned to open a dojo and teach swordsmanship, making it the family's new focus.
Uzui Tengen, already married (to three wives), would settle down with his family for a life of seclusion.
Himejima Gyomei, now healed, wanted to revisit the place he once lived with his adopted children—perhaps finding closure at last.
Sanemi, Muichirou, and Iguro chose to stay with the Ubuyashiki family, helping with their affairs.
Tomioka Giyuu… He seemed to want to visit his old master. He hadn't said what he would do afterward—maybe even he didn't know yet.
The Hashira, one by one, had chosen their own paths.
Even though the Corps was gone, no one worried about their futures—Kagaya had already promised to help everyone transition, giving money to those seeking quiet lives, and helping others find jobs in society.
Anyone who's suffered under cutthroat bosses can only envy this—a leader so caring and thoughtful, I'd work for him till I dropped!
Tamayo and Yushirou, after bidding farewell to Nightingale, had vanished. No one knew where they'd gone. With Muzan dead, they were the last demons in the world, but Kagaya trusted them completely.
Whether Yushirou could help Tamayo move past her wish for death, and find new hope… Nightingale thought that would be difficult.
All the man-eating demons were gone—now, they would live on only in stories.
The war between humans and demons was over, but life would go on. For those who survived, the future looked brighter than ever.