At the center of the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters was the Ubuyashiki estate.
Inside, Kagaya Ubuyashiki gazed outside, his voice tinged with loneliness: "What's the weather like today?"
Beside him, Amane Ubuyashiki glanced at the clear blue sky, took his arm, helped him step over the threshold, and walked outside: "It's the kind of scenery you like, the sky is blue, not a cloud in sight."
On Kagaya Ubuyashiki's face, the burn-like scars had spread to his eyes. Kagaya Ubuyashiki couldn't see; all that remained before him was darkness.
"Is that so..."
The scenery was beautiful, but the current situation was like his vision, an endless expanse of darkness.
The bad news delivered by the Kasugai Crow yesterday weighed heavily on Kagaya Ubuyashiki's heart. Mount Fujikasane was destroyed, Flame Pillar Shinjuro Rengoku was dead... The Rengoku family was currently in mourning, preparing for the funeral.
And the eldest son of the Rengoku family, Kyojuro Rengoku, had hastily completed a Demon Slaying Mission, suffered severe injuries, and upon returning to the family, found that he was deaf in both ears, his hearing much worse than before.
The weakening of a sensory ability meant that this originally promising young talent would have a significantly lower future potential.
"Gyomei, take me to the Rengoku family's base tomorrow. I want to personally visit the Rengoku family members. They have lost too much."
To one side outside, a silent, towering figure like an iron tower nodded gently. He clasped his hands together, his voice like a steady mountain: "Okay."
After receiving the simple reply, Kagaya Ubuyashiki returned inside.
His health was poor, and he wasn't suited to stay outside for long periods.
Sitting down at a desk, Kagaya Ubuyashiki prepared to handle some of the Demon Slayer Corps' affairs.
As the Demon Slayer Corps Leader, he was actually always very busy. The Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen's task was to focus solely on hunting and slaying Demons. It could be said that many swordsmen were completely ignorant of social matters except for slaying Demons. There were many like Kurozawa, who only focused on killing but didn't bother with the aftermath. Matters concerning mission assignment, intelligence, cleanup, funding, and so on all required Kagaya Ubuyashiki's overall planning and coordination.
Viewing the Demon Slayer Corps as a single human entity, Kagaya Ubuyashiki was the brain at the top, and the swordsmen were his hands and feet, the extension of his senses.
He was now blind, making work much more troublesome than before. Fortunately, Amane Ubuyashiki was there to help.
Basically, Amane Ubuyashiki would tell him the relevant information, and then Kagaya Ubuyashiki would make the final decision. This kind of help could only be trusted to the closest of kin.
After some time, Kagaya Ubuyashiki finished handling the day's affairs.
Looking at Kagaya Ubuyashiki's thin, pale face, Amane Ubuyashiki said with heartache: "Yoshiya, with your current health, going to the Rengoku family's base and back will be too much travel. I'm afraid you can't handle it."
"How about I go for you? The Rengoku family members know your situation and will understand."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki's health was deteriorating, becoming weaker almost every day. No one knew how much longer he would live, so they could only try their best to prevent him from overexerting himself. The men of the Ubuyashiki family had been in this state for a thousand years, with not a single person living a healthy, long life.
After coughing a few times, Kagaya Ubuyashiki said softly: "Amane, Shinjuro Rengoku was not only the Flame Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps, but he was also my friend, my elder."
"His death saddens me greatly. Going to the Rengoku family is not just to reassure the Rengoku family members, but also my own wish. Perhaps he is waiting for me somewhere."
Shinjuro Rengoku had served under the previous Demon Slayer Corps Leader and was a very experienced Pillar, just like Sakonji Urokodaki.
Similar to them was a former Sound Pillar who had stopped carrying out Demon Slaying Missions due to health reasons and retired to the background. Recently, he seemed to want to learn from Sakonji Urokodaki and become a Cultivator.
Amane Ubuyashiki was a very good helpmate. Seeing that Kagaya Ubuyashiki had made up his mind, she said no more. After all, with the Stone Pillar accompanying him, there should be no accidents on the way.
Just then, a voice suddenly sounded from the entrance.
"Master, there are some matters concerning Kurozawa Danryu that you need to know about."
After Kurozawa finished the Swordsman Trial, his importance to Kanae attracted Kagaya Ubuyashiki's attention, and he was placed on the list of key individuals to be cultivated. This was also the reason why the missions Kurozawa received were not like those for novice swordsmen, their difficulty was significantly higher.
During Kurozawa's missions, some unusual things happened. Coupled with recent events, they linked together, causing the Demon Slayer Corps' intelligence personnel to vaguely sense a shocking truth.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki paused, then stood up: "Come in."
An intelligence officer in a Hidden Slayer Corps uniform passed through the gate and came before Kagaya Ubuyashiki. He knelt on one knee, his voice steady: "The former Water Pillar, Sakonji Urokodaki's eldest disciple from the Mount Sagiri lineage, Kurozawa Danryu, is suspected of having close ties with Demons."
His brow slowly furrowed, Kagaya Ubuyashiki said: "Continue."
"We discovered that he killed fifty-three humans on Hachijo Island. Master, you have also sent the Flower Pillar to warn him. But that's not all. On the train to Hachijo Island, someone reported seeing a humanoid monster with black hair and black eyes fighting another monster, damaging a carriage and causing significant commotion."
After saying this, the Hidden Slayer Corps member paused, then continued: "Black hair and black eyes are very rare features. Kurozawa Danryu completely fits this description. Based on the time he arrived at Hachijo Island, he was also coincidentally on that train. Furthermore, based on the recollections of some eyewitnesses, we have concluded that his appearance is eighty percent similar to Kurozawa Danryu."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled: "Why did the people on the train say it was a fight between humanoid monsters?"
When swordsmen carry out Demon Slaying Missions, they often cannot account for their surroundings, causing a lot of attention. This is also the reason why legends about Demons and Demon Hunters have never ceased.
However, swordsmen are human in appearance and slay Demons with Nichirin Blades. Even if their high martial prowess frightens ordinary people, they shouldn't be considered monsters.
Hearing the question, the Hidden Slayer Corps member quickly replied: "Demons surrounded by black flames, this was the unanimous thought of all eyewitnesses on the train, and when they recalled it, they clearly showed signs of fear."
Kurozawa was Sakonji Urokodaki's eldest disciple. He might not be willing to be bound by the rules of the Demon Slayer Corps due to his temperament, but that was fine. There were many unruly individuals among the swordsmen, and Kagaya Ubuyashiki believed he could convince them.
However, the eldest disciple of a former Pillar possibly being a Demon? This was somewhat difficult for Kagaya Ubuyashiki to accept.
"Are you sure? Is it possible that the Demon fighting Kurozawa Danryu used a similar Blood Demon Art, and others saw it incorrectly?"
On the other side, the Hidden Slayer Corps member lowered his head, his voice devoid of emotion: "The possibility is very small."
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