After earning a massive influx of reputation points, Ren Kuroda noticed that the two suffixes after his reputation had changed: "A Rising Ordinary Human" and "A Rising Ordinary Demon."
After Ren defeated Ruibuchi, Tanjiro and the others came searching for him. The messenger crow acting as their liaison instructed them to return to the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters.
Because Ren had saved so many survivors, the Corps was now aware of Tanjiro and Nezuko's situation. This particular crow had come for Ren to escort the siblings back—there needed to be an official resolution regarding their unusual circumstances. After all, Tanjiro, as a member of the Corps, was carrying a demon around all day, which had significant implications.
Ren, at least, was technically similar to a demon, though not in the traditional sense. Nezuko's case was more delicate—she wasn't driven by demon hunger, but she was undeniably a demon.
On top of that, Ren had another headache: Spider Princess. Strictly speaking, she no longer fit the "demon" category, but she had slain numerous members of the Corps. Forcibly clearing her name, as they did with Nezuko, was impossible. Those righteous Pillars would never allow her freedom.
Ren didn't plan to bring Spider Princess to the Corps. Instead, he intended to find her a safe place to wait for his updates. He had already checked with the system: any demon who willingly submitted to him could be removed from their original world—but at the cost of reputation points.
Spider Princess was likely beyond redemption in this world. Unlike Nezuko or even Ren himself, she had killed countless people. The Demon Slayer Corps would never forgive her. And because she had overcome her weakness to sunlight, she could even be targeted by other demons. Ren had never intended to leave her behind in the first place.
Once Spider Princess was safely settled, Ren led the three children on the journey back, asking them not to mention her to anyone else.
The three had never witnessed Spider Princess kill anyone—they had even been saved by her—so they assumed Ren's caution was about her identity being unacceptable to others and readily agreed.
Still, Tanjiro's face remained worried. Nezuko, though harmless, was undeniably a demon.
"You don't need to worry too much about Nezuko," Ren said calmly. "With Urokodaki Sakonji's guarantee, and my own example, she shouldn't face serious criticism. Even among the Pillars, the ones who might oppose us are obvious from the start."
Ren's composure reassured Tanjiro. Having been a member of the Corps for nearly a year, Ren now understood the personalities of the Pillars. If the intention had been truly hostile, he wouldn't have been escorting the siblings back—he would have executed Nezuko on the spot. Bringing them back for approval meant there was still room for negotiation.
"Don't worry. You call me Brother Ren, after all. If things get messy, I can protect you and fight my way out. Don't be fooled by the nine Pillars on their side—I could take down more than half of them alone if it came to that."
Tanjiro was deeply moved by what sounded like a joke but carried an unmistakable weight. Even timid Zenitsu looked determined. And Inosuke, ever the battle maniac, looked thrilled at the idea of facing the Pillars.
"Brother Ren," Tanjiro said hesitantly, "maybe I shouldn't go back to the Corps headquarters with you. That way, you won't be put in danger, or forced to betray the Corps because of Nezuko and me."
Ren chuckled at the suggestion. "I was only joking earlier. Based on my experience with the Demon Slayer Corps over the past year, Nezuko will be fine. Yes, it's technically a trial from the Pillars, but as long as more than half of them support you, she's basically safe. And Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the head of the Corps, isn't inflexible—otherwise, I wouldn't even be one of the Ten Pillars."
Ren wasn't worried at all. Among the current Ten Pillars, at least half were firmly on his side. Giyu Tomioka supported Tanjiro, and with Ren backing him, securing a majority was easy. Unlike the original scenario where only the Water and Insect Pillars supported Tanjiro, now the Demon Pillar—Ren himself—was on board.
Moreover, Ren's influence made it likely that the Flame, Love, Serpent, and Mist Pillars would align with him as well. Of the ten, seven were effectively guaranteed, leaving only the Stone and Sound Pillars likely to follow the council's rules. The only real obstacle was Sanemi Shinazugawa, the Wind Pillar.
Strictly speaking, Sanemi wasn't a bad person. If Muzan tried to recruit him, he'd probably refuse. But Sanemi's extreme hatred of demons—rooted in his own experiences—was absolute. In his eyes, all demons deserved death, not just Nezuko.
Remember Fujikasane Mountain? When the Corps was ordered to capture demons, Sanemi was the exception—he refused to take any alive.
Ren now had a special way to handle him: beat him into submission. If the other party resisted, Ren simply had to overpower them. Once Kagaya Ubuyashiki made the final decision, even Sanemi Shinazugawa would have no choice but to comply.
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