"Reiyu, my boy, there's no need to be nervous. Lord Ubuyashiki personally requested to meet you. None of us would dare lay a hand on you."
Rengoku Kyojuro's booming, sunny voice echoed through the courtyard as he watched Karasuma Reiyu put on his best "flustered rookie" act. To Rengoku, who had taken Reiyu's earlier foolish behavior at face value, the kid truly looked nervous—weak, sneaky, and terrible at hiding it.
"Hey, Rengoku," Iguro Obanai clicked his tongue sharply, his mismatched eyes narrowing. "We're Pillars—the strongest the Demon Slayer Corps has. Why are you treating a kid who's been an official slayer for, what, a single day, as if he's some honored guest?"
He already had a bad impression of Reiyu—and after Mitsuri's careless comment earlier, Obanai's dislike had deepened even further. Seeing Rengoku speak to Reiyu so politely grated against his pride.
Reiyu frowned. Obanai's tone wasn't just cold—it was intentionally hostile. Not that Reiyu had any fondness for him, either.
"Heh. Things are getting lively."
A soft, impossibly gentle voice drifted from behind them.
Instantly—without hesitation and without even looking back—all nine Pillars turned and dropped to one knee, lining up in perfect formation.
Reiyu stared, utterly dumbfounded.
Before he could even begin to understand what was happening, Sanemi Shinazugawa lunged toward him with sudden, explosive speed. His hand shot forward, aiming straight for Reiyu's head.
Reiyu's Mangekyō Sharingan spun open in an instant.
He read Sanemi's movement, found the flaw, and tilted aside with a single swift sidestep, letting the Wind Pillar's hand swish past harmlessly.
"…Huh?"
The remaining eight Pillars were stunned.
Sanemi hadn't used even a fraction of his true strength—but the gap between a newly recruited slayer and a Hashira was the kind of gulf that should have been impossible to cross. Dodging even a casual grab was not something a rookie could simply do.
There was only one explanation:Karasuma Reiyu had been hiding his true strength from the very beginning.
"You little brat—!"
Humiliation burned hotter than shock. Sanemi's eyes flooded with bloodshot veins. The great Wind Pillar had just been dodged—dodged!—by a kid who'd officially joined the Corps yesterday. Rage twisted his features, quickly turning to fury and humiliation.
"Shinazugawa-san."A calm voice cut through the tension. Shinobu Kocho stepped forward, her tone still gentle—but her eyes carried the cold edge of a blade. "Lord Ubuyashiki is present. As a Hashira, do you not find your behavior… inappropriate?"
Shinazugawa's jaw clenched. "Shinobu, you saw it yourself. He disrespected Lord Ubuyashiki first. Even we kneel in his presence. So why does an ordinary member get to stand?"
A vein throbbed on Shinobu's forehead. Her soft smile hardened into thin displeasure.
"Shinazugawa-san… I believe you remember your own first meeting with Lord Ubuyashiki, don't you? You, too, were disrespectful. You even spoke rudely of his frail body. Yet he never blamed you. He guided you instead. Or do you think Lord Ubuyashiki is some petty, narrow-hearted man?"
"You—!"
Sanemi trembled with fury, his sclera drowning fully red. But Shinobu's words were the truth. He had nothing to counter her with.
With a sharp, bitter glare at Reiyu, he clicked his tongue and returned to his position among the kneeling Pillars.
Once Sanemi stepped back into line, Shinobu turned toward Reiyu. Her cold gaze softened instantly into a warm smile—as if she had switched masks in a heartbeat.
She gestured elegantly toward the far end of the formation, beside Tokito Muichiro.
"Now then… will you go stand in your place on your own? Or shall I use force?"
"How could I ever let a girl get rough with me? That'd be too embarrassing," Reiyu huffed, playing it off with exaggerated indignation. He walked over to Tokito and knelt on one knee. Before the others could judge him, he raised a hand. "Also, for the record—I'm not kneeling because she's a girl. It's just… all of you kneeling while I stand would look weird, right?"
He sighed dramatically.
The nine Pillars, collectively: "…"
Reiyu then lifted his gaze to the front of the estate. What kind of person could command such absolute respect from the legendary Hashira?
Raising his head, he finally saw him.
A man dressed in white robes. The upper half of his face was marred by spreading patches of violet lesions, like branching veins of poison. It looked like something that should have been grotesque.
Yet the man's serene smile made it feel strangely gentle rather than disturbing.
Ding!
Ubuyashiki Kagaya
Role: Leader of the Demon Slayer Corps
Personality: Gentle, composed
Skills: None
Combat Power: 5
Rank Evaluation: Tier 1
Affection Toward Host: 4
"So this is the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps…"Reiyu's heart tightened with shock. The man who commanded all Hashira… had a combat rating of 5.
A complete weakling.
Wait—why was he Tier 1 when Reiyu's own 5-point power level had ranked him negative Tier 1 earlier?System. Explain. Right now.
Also—why is his affection so high? This is literally the first time we've met!
"Karasuma Reiyu."
Ubuyashiki extended his frail arms. The two young shrine girls from Final Selection appeared behind him and gently supported his elbows, helping him step forward.
"I've been told," Ubuyashiki said softly, sunlight bathing him from behind, "that you slew most of the demons on Fujikasane Mountain during the Final Selection. Thanks to you, the survival rate this year increased significantly."
His voice was warm—so warm that Reiyu felt his head grow light and airy for no reason at all.
It wasn't hypnosis. It wasn't ki pressure.It was simply… the calm, soothing cadence of Ubuyashiki's voice, washing over him like a gentle tide.