After just a few days, Ubuyashiki Kuno died of exhaustion; he could no longer walk. He remained in bed, cared for by his children and wife. Though his eyes seemed unable to see anything, his mind remained sharp as he contemplated the future.
Before his death, he meticulously planned the future of the Demon Slayer Corp. Deep in thought about Oboro, he murmured softly. He believed in Kagaya's abilities, but the Demon Slayer Corps was now facing not only Muzan but also Oboro. After all, Kagaya was young and had much to learn.
"Father."
A young boy with a somewhat childish face knelt beside Kuno, his eyes red with emotion. This was Ubuyashiki Kagaya.
"Kagaya."
"I am here, Father."
Kuno grabbed his son's hand with surprising strength. "As long as Oboro doesn't side with Muzan or turn into a demon again, you must never make enemies with him. I think I understand him now. In his eyes, both the Demon Slayer Corps and the demons are weak. He's like a human sitting under a tree, watching ants fight. He helps the Demon Slayer Corps, not to defeat Muzan, but to change the situation. Once Muzan shows signs of decline, Oboro will definitely take action. He is merely looking for entertainment.
His voice was calm yet solemn as he delivered this warning.
"Yes," Kagaya answered.
Based on how Kuno described him, Oboro seemed arrogant, treating common people like jokes and not cherishing life. This perception wasn't surprising; on the surface, it appeared true.
However, in reality, with the current state of the world, these "ants" could hardly arouse Oboro's interest. He was simply guiding the world's direction.
Of course, such profound meaning was beyond what Ubuyashiki Kuno could grasp from an ordinary person's perspective. Kuno had misunderstood Oboro. Yet this was the conclusion he had reached after expending all his energy trying to uncover a corner of Oboro's mysterious aura while on the verge of death.
"But he also underestimated our will," Kuno continued with a faint smile. "The Demon Slayer Corps is not a puppet to be manipulated at will. I believe everyone will put an end to Muzan's life in the near future! Even if he intervenes to help the demons reverse their defeat, he may not succeed. Although ants are small, they have their own life journeys and purposes, which he cannot influence."
After speaking these words softly, he held his son's hand and fell back onto the quilt. Sounds of crying and sobbing echoed throughout the house. The leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, Ubuyashiki Kuno, had died.
The Pillars standing outside the door wore expressions of profound sadness. They had witnessed everything this man had done for the Demon Slayer Corps. Kuno was buried with honor afterward, and his son, Kagaya, took up the mantle as lord.
Kuno's death did not disrupt the Demon Slayer Corps' operations, which was precisely the strength of the Ubuyashiki clan. However, the lord's passing seemed to inspire the Pillars to achieve even more impressive results in their missions.
They commemorated their lord by using the deaths of demons. They paid tribute to all their predecessors and fallen comrades. They demonstrated their unwavering will!
BANG!
Meanwhile, at the daimyo's residence, Muzan overturned the bottles and jars on the table before him.
He had been studying medicine relentlessly. In his quest to find the blue spider lily, he read almost every related book, geographical text, and historical record of various regions, leaving no stone unturned. He hoped to locate the flower or find a way to complete the incomplete prescription that required it.
In terms of knowledge alone, he could rightfully be called the foremost expert. However, he was currently irritated not by the elusive blue spider lily, but by the alarming rate at which the demons under his command were being slaughtered.
In just one year, nearly ten new faces appeared in the Lower Ranks of the Twelve Demon Moons after being almost completely massacred twice. This was unprecedented. In the past, it wasn't uncommon for Lower Moons to kill Pillar-level swordsmen. Now, however, the Demon Slayer Corps had surged forward with unexpected force. Not only had the Pillars improved, but the ordinary swordsmen had grown remarkably stronger as well.
"Who is responsible for this?" Muzan hissed.
He didn't believe that even the Ubuyashiki clan could have transformed the Demon Slayer Corps so dramatically; otherwise, they wouldn't have been suppressed by him all these years.
"A new power." Muzan's nails sharpened instinctively, leaving several deep scratches in the wall.
He had been living comfortably until recently. Now, matters concerning the Demon Slayer Corps forced him to frequently venture out to find new targets for conversion. Moreover, due to the excellent membership structure of the Demon Slayer Corps, he couldn't destroy the Ubuyashiki clan even if he wanted to. Revealing his identity and confronting the Demon Slayer Corps directly would be too risky for Muzan.
He remained cautious and unwilling to show himself unless he was absolutely certain. Although he looked down on the swordsmen as old rivals, Muzan didn't dare underestimate their resolve.
After a moment of hesitation, Muzan's furious expression returned to an eerie calm. He turned to look at Upper Rank Five, Gyokko, who knelt trembling on the ground.
The demon had never seen Muzan so angry.
"I asked you to find that person, yet you still have no clues?" Muzan's voice was deceptively soft.
Gyokko slammed his head against the floor with a thud, pressing his entire face to the ground, and cold sweat poured down his face. "I, "
He's traveling around," Muzan interrupted before Upper Rank Five could finish. "The leader of the Northern District Magistrate's Office, a descendant of the Tokugawa retainer."
"You spent almost a year trying to track his whereabouts, yet I had already collected all this information beforehand. I gave you the qualifications and opportunities to become stronger, yet this is how you repay me?" Muzan's tone grew darker. "As an Upper Rank, what use are you? If I have to do everything myself, what do I need you for?"
His words made Gyokko feel as though he had fallen into an ice cellar.
"Sir, I will leave now. I will definitely catch him for you."
"Catch him?" Muzan's lips curled into a sardonic smile. "Are you mocking me?"
"No, no!" Gyokko looked up in shock and waved his hands frantically.
But as soon as he raised his head, Muzan was standing before him, his crimson eyes looking down with cold disdain. The next second, Gyokko's entire body was torn apart like a burst watermelon, blood splattering everywhere.
Only his head remained. Muzan grabbed it by the hair and brought it before him.
"As an Upper Rank Five, you've consumed few Pillars. You haven't killed any of the new generation. A day ago, the newly promoted Upper Rank Six killed one. He has been a demon for far less time than you have, yet his contribution far exceeds yours. What reason do you have to exist?"
Gyokko was stunned into silence. How was that possible? Had that guy really accomplished so much? The rate of his promotions?
"Ah."
Just as Muzan finished speaking, someone stepped in from outside and greeted everyone cheerfully. "Are you talking about me?"
Gyokko glanced over and saw none other than Upper Rank Six, whom he despised.
"Senior, what's wrong? Did you make the master angry again?"
The newcomer had distinctive heterochromatic eyes and pure white hair. He wore a special hat. He was Doma, the founder of the Eternal Paradise Religion and the newly appointed Upper Rank Six.
"I mentioned before that I'd give you some precious items, hoping for a good relationship with you. But now it seems you won't be able to receive them." Doma and Gyokko locked eyes. It was unclear whether Doma genuinely wanted a friendship or was merely gloating.
"Sir, if he hadn't appeared, I could have killed both of those Pillars in Aobashi Town. I, " Gyokko hastily explained. The "he" he referred to was, naturally, Oboro.
"Hm."
Before Muzan could respond, Doma interjected, nodding continuously. "I've always felt you're incredibly powerful, Senior. I admire you greatly and have much to learn from you." He then turned to Muzan. "Master Muzan, why not release Gyokko? I believe that after this failure, he'll realize his mistake."
Though he was clearly pleading for mercy, Gyokko's pupils contracted at these words. Veins popped out on his face as he stared fiercely at Doma. Muzan could not bear the word "failure."
"You, "
Sure enough, just as Gyokko began to protest, Muzan instantly crushed his head. His flesh and blood dissolved, and he was gone.
"Alas, what a pity," Doma remarked, feigning regret.
As Upper Ranks, they could address Muzan by name, though always respectfully. This was a privilege exclusive to the Upper Moons. Muzan valued the Upper Ranks far more than he disdained the Lower Ranks. Of course, the greater the power one desired, the more one needed to earn Muzan's favor.
"Did you discover anything?" Muzan asked, shaking blood from his hand as he regarded Doma coldly.
"Just as you suspected, it was him: the man in the black haori." He introduced a breathing technique called Na-No-Na to the Demon Slayer Corps. Also, the Ubuyashiki clan appears to have a new leader," Doma said, smiling. "That woman was very tight-lipped, but the swordsmen who accompanied her lacked her willpower. It took considerable effort to kill her. I didn't expect the Pillar-level swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps to be so formidable.
"But her smell, the feeling of her essence blending with mine, was absolutely wonderful."
The woman Doma had devoured was Sayuri, the Light Pillar. (TN: I'm just going to leave it as is. Like I said, read it as an AU.)
"I'll go," a calm voice said from a dark corner of the room.
"Ah, you're here, too," Doma said, looking over with a smile, though slightly surprised.
"The two of you together," Muzan said, narrowing his eyes slightly as he gave the order.
"Yes."
"It's truly a pleasure! I just got promoted to the Upper Rank, and I already get to work with you for Master Muzan. This is a rare opportunity to improve our relationship. I hope you'll look after me as a newcomer. I-"
Doma seemed to radiate kindness, but halfway through his speech, his eyelashes trembled. "Are you leaving?"
Clearly, the other party was not interested in his pleasantries.
Muzan had also vanished.
Doma's mood remained unaffected, and his smile was unwavering. This was because he had no human emotions, all of his outward expressions were merely disguises.