Yoriichi never answered Douma's questions.
In his opinion, these questions were meaningless.
He simply sent Douma to the underworld with a calm expression.
Then he turned and walked steadily down the mountain.
Just then.
"Tsugikuni-senpai, please wait."
Gyomei Himejima suddenly spoke, calling out to Yoriichi.
Yoriichi slowly turned around and asked calmly, "Is something wrong?"
Gyomei Himejima felt a bit helpless.
Senpai was just so straightforward.
He had slain Upper Moon One in front of everyone, and now he was still asking what was wrong...
He sighed lightly and said, "You're going to slay Kibutsuji Muzan, aren't you?"
"Could you..."
He felt that humans might be able to offer Tsugikuni-senpai a little help.
However, before Gyomei Himejima could finish speaking.
Yoriichi quietly interrupted him, "I don't need your help."
"The Demon Slayer Corps doesn't need to stir up any more trouble right now."
"Nor is there any need to create unnecessary sacrifices."
One should know that even before, when he was searching for Kibutsuji Muzan, he had never relied on the strength of others.
Because the more people there were, the easier it was to cause chaos.
Moreover, their strength was not as great as his, so going would not make much of a difference.
Although these words were true, to others' ears, they were somewhat difficult to accept.
Gyomei Himejima softly chanted a Buddhist prayer.
Then he raised his head and said with a solemn tone:
"Indeed, as you said, the Demon Slayer Corps may not be of much use when facing Kibutsuji Muzan."
"But we can at least provide some support, such as dispersing the surrounding crowds..."
"Furthermore... Kibutsuji Muzan will certainly not be the only demon by his side."
"After the second Upper Moon One died, he will undoubtedly be even more vigilant..."
"Senpai, please tell us the exact location..."
"The thousand-year war between the Demon Slayer Corps and Kibutsuji Muzan should finally come to an end."
...
At the same time, near the mountain peak.
Some agile black-clad swordsmen were rapidly pursuing the scattered and fleeing cult members.
The cult members cried out in panic.
As if in a terrifying demon's den, they frantically called out to their Lord Cult Leader.
However, Douma was dead and could no longer respond to them.
Kaigaku, hidden among the black-clad swordsmen, was extremely excited.
—They haven't found me!
They haven't found him!
All these cult members across the mountains and plains were his achievement!
Although some were forced to join, and some had only joined a few days ago and had not yet committed evil, Kaigaku didn't care about any of that.
In his eyes, there was only a distinction between cult members and non-cult members, and women were no exception.
Taking advantage of the chaotic scene, he knocked out the cult members one by one.
Due to the different nature of his task, he did not hand over those cult members to the Class A swordsmen responsible for registration, but secretly hid them.
Because he couldn't explain how he, who was working halfway up the mountain, had reached the summit.
He planned to reappear after everyone had descended the mountain, claiming that he had captured all these cult members halfway up the mountain.
No one could prove he was lying.
Because even the swordsman he had knocked out didn't know his whereabouts.
Even if accused, he could say that he disliked that swordsman, which was why he had acted.
No life-threatening danger was caused, and a verbal warning afterwards would be enough.
The excitement in Kaigaku's heart grew stronger as the number of people he captured increased.
But with his reckless behavior, this abnormal situation quickly caught the attention of others.
The numbers weren't right.
There was a discrepancy between the registered number and the actual number, even including those not yet captured.
The Class A swordsman checked and found that the incorrect numbers were for the cult members who had not committed any wrongdoing; these cult members should have been the first to leave this place.
But why were more than a hundred missing?
At first, although he cared, he didn't take it to heart, thinking that those people were just more afraid of the Demon Slayer Corps.
But then, when Kaigaku appeared, he understood.
This kid had done all of this.
This kid was taking credit for innocent women and some ordinary villagers.
Due to the incorrect location of his appearance, he couldn't prove that these people hadn't done evil.
Kaigaku adamantly claimed that he had captured them halfway up the mountain, and therefore they must have had malicious intentions, otherwise there would have been no need to flee.
At this, the Class A swordsman responsible for registration frowned, and a sudden urge to slap him to death welled up in his heart—he was too much of a scoundrel!
This was completely tarnishing their work!
It even delayed their actions!
Which person had trained this kid?
Where were his basic morals?!
...
At the same time, on the mountain.
"Oh, right."
After discussing the general matters, Yoriichi suddenly spoke.
"On my way here, I saw a black-haired fellow in the Demon Slayer Corps wantonly attacking his comrades. What are your thoughts on that?"
"Since the situation was urgent at the time, and the swordsman he knocked out was not in life-threatening danger, I didn't intervene."
"But why would such a person join the Demon Slayer Corps?"
"Hmm... he uses Thunder Breathing."
At these words, the Hashira-level swordsmen present all turned their gaze to Sangishima Jigorō.
Sangishima Jigorō was stunned.
Black hair?!
A figure flashed through his mind instantly, and his heartbeat couldn't help but quicken slightly.
—No way!
His expression stiffened, and he tentatively said, "Senpai, could it be that you saw wrong?"
"That child Kaigaku is very well-behaved."
"So his name is Kaigaku?"
Yoriichi nodded calmly, "I won't be mistaken. I also brought the swordsman he knocked out with me."
With that, he instantly vanished from his spot, stirring up a gust of wind.
A second later, a swordsman lay on the ground as he returned.
The appearance of this swordsman seemed very familiar to Sangishima Jigorō, and his sense of unease grew even stronger.
At this moment, with a click, the prayer beads Gyomei Himejima was twirling inexplicably stopped for a moment.
"Kaigaku?"
He murmured, lowering his gaze and saying, "Amitabha..."
"So it was him."
Gyomei Himejima remembered that when he was a monk, he adopted several children and lived in a temple.
But one night, a child named Kaigaku violated the temple's rule against returning late at night and encountered a demon outside.
To save his life, he extinguished the wisteria incense burning outside the temple, luring the demon into the temple.
In that incident, almost all the children perished, leaving only a four-year-old girl and Kaigaku alive.
Although he killed the demon, he was later arrested as a murderer.
After being rescued by the Master, he understood that children were creatures full of malice, lying and betraying without hesitation. He was completely disappointed.
Now...
His thoughts churned, and his prayer beads moved with them.
Rustle...
"In that case..."
His deep voice suddenly rang out.
"This matter shall be left to me for judgment..."