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Chapter 43 - Chapter 43: What Will the Future Be Like!

Today, the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters was filled with celebration. The atmosphere was more joyful than any holiday festival. Talented members showcased their skills, a massive bonfire lit up the evening sky, and people gathered around it—eating, dancing, laughing, and discussing what lay ahead.

Tanjirou was chosen by James to perform a solo dance. Hesitantly, he stepped forward and performed the Hinokami Kagura—the sacred Flame Dance—before the gathered crowd. His movements were clumsy and awkward, and by the time he stepped off the stage, his eyes were dull with embarrassment.

On the ground nearby, Inosuke and Zenitsu were rolling with laughter, clutching their stomachs.

But their amusement was short-lived. At James' insistent suggestion, the two were sent onstage next to tell jokes. The result? A frozen silence that nearly extinguished the bonfire's warmth. The crowd stared blankly. Mission: failed.

Later that night, as the fire crackled and cast shadows across the crowd, James sat beside Tanjirou.

"Do you have anything you want to do in the future, Tanjirou?" he asked, the firelight flickering in his calm eyes.

Tanjirou shook his head and smiled softly. "I haven't really thought about it yet. I just feel… grateful. It's peaceful now."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small wooden sculpture. It was a carefully carved figure of James, with intricate details down to the folds in his uniform and the hilt of his sword.

"You made this?" James asked, surprised, as he examined the miniature likeness.

"I made it for you. I hope you like it," Tanjirou said with a bright, proud smile.

James turned the sculpture in his hands and nodded. "Thank you. This is impressive."

"What about you, James? Do you have any plans now that everything's over?"

James leaned back and looked up at the sky. "Let me think… I suppose I'll start with a small goal: to become the greatest sword master of all time."

Tanjirou, who had been nodding along, froze. His eyes widened. "That's your small goal?!"

James burst into laughter, then stood up and dusted himself off.

As he waved, he spotted Kanao walking toward them. Turning to Tanjirou, he said, "If you're not in a rush to leave, maybe stay a little longer. The future may surprise you."

Tanjirou watched him leave, speechless.

Around the campfire, the others were also enjoying a rare moment of rest. Iguro and Kanroji sat close together. Zenitsu clung to Nezuko, much to her annoyance, while Inosuke was being scolded—and physically restrained—by Aoi Kanzaki.

"Youth is a beautiful thing," James remarked with a chuckle.

"You're not that old, you know," came a familiar voice.

He turned to see Shinobu Kochou walking beside him, smiling softly.

"I guess you're right," James admitted. "What about you, Shinobu? Any plans now that Muzan's gone?"

"With my sister's vengeance fulfilled and the Demon Slayers' mission complete, I want to pursue something I enjoy."

"Like what?"

"I want to become a doctor. Study medicine, work on cures. But I'm still short an assistant…" she added, blinking at him with a mischievous glint in her violet eyes.

James smiled knowingly. "Planning to partner with Tamayo?"

"Yes. We've already started experimenting together. Our current focus is solving the mystery of the Madara Mark's shortened lifespan."

"Any breakthroughs?"

"Tamayo's come up with some interesting theories. We're testing them now."

"And if they work?"

"I'll open a clinic in Kyoto. Kochou-ya, maybe. I want to help people… heal them."

"I'll visit, when you do," James promised.

"And what about you, James? Will you keep practicing swordsmanship?"

"Maybe," he said, running a hand through his hair. "But first, I want to go home. I miss my family."

"You have family?" Shinobu asked curiously. "I don't think you've ever talked about them. Do they live far from here?"

"Very far," James said softly, his voice distant.

Shinobu tilted her head. "You really are mysterious… Sometimes I feel like you're not even from this world."

Her words stirred something in him. His mind drifted back to his earliest days with the Demon Slayer Corps. He remembered his first meeting with Ubuyashiki Kagaya.

> "James-kun, you don't seem like someone from here," Kagaya had said gently.

> "My home is very far away."

> "It must've been hard to leave. But if you ever need it… the Demon Slayer Corps can be your home. The people here may be eccentric, but they're kind."

> "Shinazugawa is rough but warm-hearted. Tomioka seems cold, but he's deeply caring…"

Kagaya had spoken about the Corps like a father talking about his children. His voice, always gentle, carried both warmth and sorrow.

> "But I fear many of them will die because of demons. That thought… it breaks my heart."

> "If someone must be sacrificed, let it be me…"

> Cough cough!

Even then, James could tell Kagaya was sincere. He remembered that final plea.

> "I believe you have the power to change this fate, James-kun. Please… protect them."

Back at the bonfire, James shook his head and murmured, "Kagaya… I couldn't say no to a request like that."

That night, the bonfire blazed well past midnight. No one wanted to sleep. They laughed, cried, and dreamed of a future none of them had dared hope for.

---

A few days later, Ubuyashiki Kiriya gathered the entire Demon Slayer Corps for a final announcement.

Standing at the front of the hall, the young boy bowed deeply.

"Everyone, Kibutsuji Muzan has been defeated. The Demon Slayer Corps' thousand-year mission is now complete. On behalf of the Ubuyashiki family, I offer you my deepest gratitude."

The crowd responded with humble murmurs. Kiriya raised his head, tears in his eyes.

"Therefore, I officially announce: The Demon Slayer Corps will now disband."

There was no uproar, no surprise. The moment was expected. With the demons gone, their mission had reached its end.

"Those who wish to leave are free to do so. Those who wish to stay, I will personally employ under the Ubuyashiki name."

"The crows will remain active, and the mansion will always be your home. Please come visit…"

Kiriya's voice cracked slightly, and tears rolled down his cheeks. Despite everything, he was still a child.

Immediately, Sanemi Shinazugawa and Gyomei Himejima offered to stay. They had nowhere else to go. Gyomei especially wanted to protect young Kiriya, honoring Kagaya's memory.

Iguro and Kanroji left together, hand in hand. Tanjirou, heeding James' earlier advice, chose to stay with Nezuko for a while longer. Zenitsu, of course, followed Nezuko closely, clinging to her like a puppy.

Inosuke, it seemed, had finally been tamed by Aoi Kanzaki. There's always someone who can conquer you, after all.

Uzui Tengen, the flamboyant Sound Hashira, went off to enjoy life with his three wives. Meanwhile, Giyuu Tomioka returned to care for his aging master, Urokodaki Sakonji—who immediately scolded him for acting like an old man.

Muichirou, after much thought, decided to adopt a new name—Tsugikuni Muichirou—to honor his clan and remain with the Ubuyashiki family.

Shinobu, Tamayo, and Yushirou busied themselves with research at the Kochou estate.

---

Half a month later…

Shinobu found James sitting quietly in the garden and handed him a small bottle of pills along with a finely crafted charm bearing her family crest.

"This is the medicine to counteract the shortened lifespan caused by the Madara Mark," she explained.

James turned the bottle in his hand. "How did you manage it?"

"We can't completely eliminate the curse. The mark draws from a person's vitality. But… this pill helps restore what's lost."

She didn't say more, but James understood. The raw material—ghost cells. Highly regenerative, full of life. Strip away the demonic elements, and what remains is pure vitality.

Simple in theory. Incredibly difficult in execution.

Only Tamayo and Shinobu could pull off such a miraculous feat.

James lifted the other item—the delicate charm.

"What's this for?"

Shinobu had already turned away, her voice drifting through the garden like a spring breeze.

"It's my keepsake. Don't lose it."

Not long after, messenger crows were sent out. Each carried a dose of the medicine to every swordsman who bore the Madara Mark.

A new future had begun.

Øóffer going on for diamond tier

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