Gyomei was taken away.
As Ryosuke turned around, the little girl from earlier was nowhere to be found.
He looked at the overturned wisteria incense burner in front of the temple gate, his heart burning with rage.
Kaigaku!
The original story's number one piece of trash.
The shame of Thunder Breathing!
The shame of the Demon Slayer Corps!
The shame of the Upper Moons!
The only Upper Moon in the final battle who fought seriously but ended up getting insta-killed!
He's a damn joke! Utterly pathetic!
A prime example of someone whose personality is as rotten as their strength is hollow!
Last night, it was him who was caught stealing money by the other children and kicked out. He ran into a demon and, to save his own life, made a deal with it to overturn the wisteria incense burner, causing this tragedy!
He is also the culprit who turned into a demon before the final battle, causing Jigoro to commit seppuku!
Right now, this animal should be starting his life as a wanderer again, later to be rescued and taken in as a disciple by Jigoro.
To prevent that old man Jigoro from suffering such heartbreak.
Ryosuke secretly swore that he would find Kaigaku early and slaughter him before everything happened!
However, the immediate priority was to save Gyomei Himejima.
Ryosuke took out some simple stationery he carried with him and wrote a letter.
「To my Lord, Oyakata-sama:
Urgent report from Mizunoto rank member, Ryosuke Yasui!
The tragedy at the temple on Mt. Hinode in Tokyo Prefecture was not committed by the monk Gyomei Himejima.
The true culprit was a man-eating demon. Gyomei fought bravely to protect the children and was wounded.
The only surviving child, struck by terror, gave a false accusation, leading to his wrongful arrest by the government.
Himejima possesses immense strength and a resilient will; he is a valuable combat asset against the demons!
I implore my Lord to intervene quickly using the family's influence. His life must be saved!
Details can be verified through the local Kakushi.
Urgent! Urgent! Urgent!
Respectfully submitted, Ryosuke Yasui.」
He rolled up the note and tucked it into the hummingbird's leg.
"Go! At top speed, deliver this to Oyakata-sama!"
The hummingbird flapped its wings, piercing through the morning light, and sped toward the Ubuyashiki estate.
Ryosuke breathed a sigh of relief, but he did not return to Momoyama.
He searched Mt. Hinode inside and out.
As the saying goes, a thief doesn't leave empty-handed.
Coming out for a trip and gaining nothing was something Ryosuke could not accept.
He was very angry right now!
If he didn't kill a few demons and make them bow their heads, he wouldn't be able to vent his frustration!
By the way, he also wanted to test his luck to see if he could find Kaigaku.
...
Tokyo Prefecture Prison.
Kagaya and his wife, Amane, led by a jailer, walked through the long corridor and stopped in front of an iron door.
The cell was not large; the stone walls were seeping water, making it exceptionally damp.
In the corner, a burly figure nearly filled the cramped space.
Hearing someone arrive, Gyomei's body shuddered slightly, but he did not look up.
The jailer tactfully withdrew.
A strange silence fell over the cell, broken only by the crackling of the torches.
Kagaya took a soft breath and spoke first.
"Master Himejima."
Gyomei looked up.
Kagaya's voice continued to flow, warm and peaceful: "I know you are not the murderer."
"You are a protector, a warrior who fought to guard the innocent."
"The debt of blood in that temple should not be carried by you."
"..."
For some reason, Gyomei suddenly smiled, a raspy voice squeezing out from the depths of his throat.
"My Lord... before I was brought here... on that hellish morning..."
Gyomei paused and continued: "There was also a person... a young man who shouted at me the exact same words you just said."
A weird silence fell over the cell.
Kagaya was stunned.
Huh?
"The exact same words?"
"Yes."
Gyomei nodded: "He told me to hold my head up, said I wasn't a murderer, that I was protecting humanity and fighting for humanity."
The corner of Kagaya's mouth twitched.
Wait.
Those were all my lines!
Is this... is this right?!
Kagaya didn't even have to think to know who the young man Gyomei spoke of was.
"Ryosuke, huh..."
Gyomei smiled: "So his name is Ryosuke..."
"That voice, the owner of that voice that struck like lightning through the boundless injustice and darkness—his name is Ryosuke."
Kagaya nodded, feeling somewhat helpless at the same time.
"Mr. Himejima, since you knew how to use wisteria incense to ward off demons, you must surely be aware of the existence of the Demon Slayer Corps?"
"Naturally."
Gyomei Himejima nodded.
Since his lines had been stolen, Kagaya didn't beat around the bush and said calmly.
"I am Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the current leader of the Demon Slayer Corps. Mr. Himejima, are you willing to join the Demon Slayer Corps?"
"..."
Gyomei took a deep breath, raising his shackled hands to slowly press them together in prayer.
He bowed his body toward the direction of Kagaya's voice and lowered his head.
"Oyakata-sama, I, Gyomei Himejima, am willing to join the Demon Slayer Corps! I am willing to swing this broken body against the demons to protect the innocent! Until this body is burned out!"
The heavy vow echoed in the stone chamber.
"Good. The Ubuyashiki family will clear your name."
Kagaya stepped forward to help Gyomei up.
Once everything was settled and the jailer unlocked the shackles, the three of them left the prison together.
Kagaya frowned slightly, that person's name constantly circling in his mind.
"Ryosuke... Mr. Yasui truly is an interesting person."
"Kagaya."
At this time, Amane, who had been at Kagaya Ubuyashiki's side, leaned in slightly and whispered.
"According to reports from the Kakushi, Ryosuke Yasui has not returned to Momoyama."
"Oh?"
Kagaya looked sideways.
Amane's voice carried confusion: "He has been wandering near Mt. Hinode, his movements erratic. But the Kakushi observed him entering dangerous forest areas several times. His intention... seems to be actively searching for traces of demons to hunt them down."
Active hunting?
Kagaya was stunned.
Then, the smile on his face deepened.
When newly promoted Mizunoto swordsmen receive their first few missions, nine times out of ten, they are filled with anxiety or even cowardice.
In severe cases, they might even need psychological counseling before they can set out again.
But Ryosuke was the exact opposite!
Instead of returning after completing a mission, he actively went looking for demons to kill?
This demon-slaying heart was fervent to the point of obsession, as if something were chasing his life.
"It seems my intuition was correct."
Kagaya smiled, filled with heavy expectation: "Mr. Yasui is destined to become a Hashira in the future. Mr. Jigoro has found a worthy successor."
Amane frowned and fixed her gaze.
"You think so highly of him?"
"My intuition has never been wrong."
...
"Achoo! Who's bad-mouthing me?"
Ryosuke, who was scouting for demon tracks, sneezed.
This was the dense forest near Mt. Hinode. Although it was noon, the light was blocked, making it a perfect hiding spot for demons.
Just a short distance ahead, several blurred footprints caught his eye.
The shape of those footprints was twisted—definitely not human!
Found you!
Ryosuke was excited, gripping the long sword at his waist.
He slowly straightened up, not chasing immediately.
His gaze followed the trail of twisted footprints, looking toward the impenetrable darkness of a cave deep in the forest.
Hehehe~
Caught you. Come out and get some sun, baby!