"Ren Kuroda, welcome to the Demon Slayer Corps.I am Kagaya Ubuyashiki, and I am the current head of the Demon Slayer Corps."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki had already been prepared to accept Ren after witnessing his ability to slaughter hundreds of demons without displaying any clear hostility toward humans.After reading Sakonji Urokodaki's letter, his doubts vanished entirely—and he now fully understood why Giyu Tomioka, the Water Pillar, had consistently spoken in Ren's defense.
The reason humans and demons were enemies was, at its core, simple.
They stood on different sides—and were governed by fundamentally different instincts.
When demons grew hungry, their instincts compelled them to attack humans.And in order to survive, humans had no choice but to slay demons.
It was a matter of survival.True coexistence between the two had never been possible.
But after reading the letter, Kagaya Ubuyashiki concluded that neither issue applied to Ren.
First, in terms of allegiance—although Ren carried a demon-like aura, he was completely unaffected by Muzan Kibutsuji's curse and had no connection to him whatsoever.
Second, regarding harm to humans—according to Urokodaki's testimony, Ren could eat ordinary human food.He had no need to consume human flesh like other demons, eliminating the fundamental conflict between the two sides.
As the current head of the Corps, Kagaya Ubuyashiki possessed a breadth of mind and magnanimity far exceeding that of his predecessors.
In ancient times, the strongest—no, the greatest demon slayer in history, Tsugikuni Yoriichi, had been expelled from the Demon Slayer Corps.
The reason?
His elder brother, Tsugikuni Iwamori, had become a demon…And Yoriichi had once allowed a demon named Tamayo to escape.
In Kagaya Ubuyashiki's eyes, his predecessor's decision had been utterly foolish—regardless of Yoriichi's immense contributions to the Corps.
Yoriichi's brother had willingly fallen into demonhood.Why, then, should Yoriichi bear the blame?
As for allowing Tamayo to escape—while it had indeed been a mistake, it was nowhere near a crime deserving exile.
Now, centuries later, Yoriichi Tsugikuni was long dead.
And the Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji, had once again emerged—rampaging freely through the world.
Although the Demon Slayer Corps had grown stronger during Muzan's years of dormancy, it was still nowhere near powerful enough to wage a decisive war against the demons.
Thus, when an individual as powerful as Ren Kuroda stepped forward, willing to join the Corps, Kagaya Ubuyashiki welcomed him without hesitation.
As for Ren's special identity—
Kagaya simply did not care.
If one were to speak of sensitive bloodlines, was anyone present more burdened than him?
The Ubuyashiki clan itself was bound by blood to Muzan Kibutsuji.
As Kagaya's gentle voice emerged from behind the curtain, the expressions of the nine Hashira kneeling on one knee varied.
Some regarded Ren with curiosity.Others with anger.Others with confusion.
Yet out of absolute respect for Kagaya Ubuyashiki, not a single Hashira voiced dissent.
Such was his unparalleled prestige within the Demon Slayer Corps.
"Oh? So you're accepting me," Ren said calmly."But let me make something clear in advance."
"Although I've joined the Demon Slayer Corps, I won't serve you the way they do—as a lord."
"Our relationship isn't master and servant.Think of it as cooperation."
"You provide the intelligence I need.I help you slay demons.Everyone gets what they want."
As Ren spoke, his gaze flicked briefly toward Giyu Tomioka and the others, all still kneeling on one knee.
The resistance in his expression was unmistakable.
He was a modern individual—such feudal customs meant nothing to him.And more importantly, he had no intention of becoming anyone's subordinate.
If anything, he preferred to stand at the top himself.
The moment Ren finished speaking, displeasure rippled through the nine Hashira—including Giyu Tomioka, who had previously supported him.
In this era, loyalty outweighed even life itself.
Within the Demon Slayer Corps, Ren's words were nothing short of blatant disrespect.
Giyu's reaction was restrained—but Sanemi Shinazugawa, who had been barely holding back his rage, finally snapped.
His hand moved toward his sword once more.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki's authority within the Corps was absolute.
And because of that, Ren's rudeness caused his already fragile standing among the Hashira to plummet even further.
"It's alright," Kagaya Ubuyashiki said gently."Becoming a master has never been my wish."
"As long as I can defeat that person, I would rather be an ordinary man."
"And I have never considered the members of the Demon Slayer Corps to be subordinates—only comrades who fight side by side."
Just as Sanemi was about to act again, Kagaya intervened once more—his tone calm, unruffled, and utterly without displeasure.
Hearing these words, Ren's expression softened slightly—his eyes showing a trace of genuine admiration.
From Ren's perception, the man seated behind the curtain might not possess power comparable to the Nine Hashira.
But his presence—his aura—was more than enough to justify his position as leader.
The Corps' reverence for him was not unfounded.
At the very least, Kagaya Ubuyashiki's magnanimity and breadth of mind were far beyond those of ordinary people.
Since even their lord had accepted Ren's impolite terms, the other Hashira—though resentful—ultimately remained silent.
At that moment, Ren's opinion of Kagaya Ubuyashiki rose significantly.
He had never met Muzan Kibutsuji.
But the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps had left an exceptionally favorable impression.
And Ren Kuroda was not someone who repaid sincerity with ingratitude.
"Since this is a cooperative relationship," Ren said,"you provide the intelligence I need, and I'll help you slay demons."
"As for Nichirin Blades and other resources—consider this the exchange."
As he finished speaking, a purple crystal suddenly materialized in his hand.
With a flick of his wrist, he sent it arcing toward Kagaya Ubuyashiki's position.
Instantly, all nine Hashira tensed.
Several moved to shield Kagaya, while others surrounded Ren in an instant.
"Don't be so nervous," Ren said calmly.
"When I heard you cough earlier, I sensed something was wrong with your body."
"Although you're still human, there's something inside you—something similar to a demon."
"That thing didn't mutate your body… but it is destroying it."
"At this rate, you won't live more than two years."
"So what I'm giving you is something good."
"It won't eliminate the curse—but it will help suppress it."