Ubuyashiki Kagaya lowered himself—lower and lower.
He was the heart of the Demon Slayer Corps, and the pillar in every demon slayer's soul—including the Hashira.
In the original story, it was his death that triggered the Infinity Castle battle. It was his death that drove the Hashira—and Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke—to swear they'd fight Muzan to the end.
Now, as he bowed, every Hashira—including Gyomei Himejima and Sanemi Shinazugawa—fell silent.
Gyomei rolled his prayer beads without a word. Not far from him, at one corner of the wooden corridor, Giyu Tomioka—wearing his red-yellow-green haori—watched quietly.
Of the nine Hashira, he was Roy's senpai, the only one with a deeper bond to him. Even he couldn't help feeling a surge of emotion.
He remembered that night on Sagiri Mountain, when he, Master Urokodaki, Sabito, Makomo, and the others had all worried about Roy's temperament. Back then, they'd been certain—Roy would never kneel to the Master.
But none of them could have imagined that one day the roles would reverse: the Master—head of the Ubuyashiki clan, leader of the Demon Slayer Corps that had fought demons for nearly a thousand years—would bend his knees and bow solemnly to a young man.
Giyu couldn't stop himself from thinking: if Master Urokodaki were here, would he take off his tengu mask and reveal a stunned face beneath it?
…Then he remembered.
'Right. The mask already got cut apart by Roy.'
A breeze brushed his face as those thoughts churned.
Roy wore plain white, rough-spun clothes, with a green-and-black checkered haori draped over his shoulders—just like when he'd left home. On his feet were the wisteria sandals his mother Aoi had stitched by hand.
He reached out to steady Kagaya, and his body blurred—he was already at Kagaya's side, gripping his arm to stop him from bowing fully.
"Kagaya-sama, you and I are partners. There's no need for this."
"We were partners before. Now…" Kagaya's pale eyes burned with intensity as he looked at the boy, smiling. "Now I think Roy-sama is more suitable than I am to lead the Demon Slayer Corps."
"Cough—cough—cough…" Maybe the strain of bending, maybe the surge of emotion—after only two sentences, Kagaya started coughing uncontrollably.
Amane quickly produced a handkerchief. Kagaya wiped his mouth; faintly, there was blood.
Roy quietly sent a layer of aura through Kagaya's arm, letting it flow into his limbs and organs. His brow furrowed.
He'd expected Kagaya to be in poor condition—but not this bad. His organs were frail, his blood energy nearly dried up, and his heart felt like an ancient, battered engine that had driven too many miles. No matter how much fuel you poured in, it wouldn't truly restart—even if…
Even if Kagaya didn't self-destruct like in the original story, Roy estimated he wouldn't live another two years.
"Shhh…" Roy's aura flowed like a stream into Kagaya's body.
Kagaya froze. Warmth appeared inside him, pushing back the icy chill. His nearly blind eyes trembled faintly. He smiled at Roy.
"So I've finally experienced Roy-sama's miracles firsthand."
"This warm current… is it 'divine power'?"
Kagaya savored it—spring-warm, unlike the cold decay from his curse. With quiet envy, he said, "Roy-sama should know—I didn't decide to step down on a whim."
"And perhaps, with your methods, you've already seen it… I don't have much time left."
Roy guided the aura deeper along Kagaya's vessels, toward his heart. He spoke gently:
"Just call me Roy."
Kagaya nodded. With Roy's aura supporting him, he seemed to gain enough strength to continue. His pale eyes swept across Gyomei, Sanemi, Tengen, Giyu… all nine Hashira.
Then he spoke again:
"To be honest… I've wanted to die for a long time. If I died, I wouldn't have to endure this curse any longer…"
"But dying is easy. Living on is hard."
"I don't care if I die. But I can't accept my children and descendants being cursed—each generation dying before thirty. They deserve full lives. They deserve to see a wider world. Even dying of old age like a normal person… to me, that would be happiness."
"But because of Kibutsuji Muzan—because of one man—my whole clan suffers."
"I can't accept it. I must kill him!"
"And you…" Kagaya tightened his grip on Roy's hand, utterly sincere. "You are my hope—our hope—hope for the countless people whose families were ruined by Muzan."
"Lord…" Gyomei clasped his hands in prayer, tears streaming down his face. He'd lost the children he once protected.
"Lord…" Sanemi slammed his forehead to the ground, eyes fierce. His parents were dead.
"Lord…" Shinobu's eyes shimmered with tears. Her sister was dead.
Then Tengen, Muichirō, Obanai, Mitsuri… and Giyu—who'd lost his sister, Sabito, Makomo, and so many others.
Kagaya's words ripped open old wounds. Grief spread through the yard like fog.
Even the Kakushi and the other Corps members present—every single one—carried blood-deep hatred and loss tied to demons and Muzan.
Roy listened in silence, still controlling his aura as it pressed toward Kagaya's heart.
He thought of Kurapika. Of Kurajin. The coming Kurta massacre—one boy left alone on a road of revenge.
Roy's hand twitched; Kagaya's left hand clamped down even harder.
"I'm not saying this to win sympathy," Kagaya said, voice steady. "I only want you to understand—I have never been this serious."
He took a breath, then spoke with grim clarity:
"Kiriya is still too young to bear this responsibility. Roy-sama is extraordinary—and you can cause transformations like what happened to Kyojuro…"
"Kagaya opened his intent without disguise:"
"As leader, right now, I can decide on behalf of Gyomei, Sanemi, and the others."
"We will change our allegiance to Roy-sama, and we will honor the sun as our god—if it means they can become stronger, if it gives even one more percent chance of killing Muzan."
Kagaya turned his back to Gyomei for a moment, then said:
"Gyomei. Come. Kneel. Pay respects to Roy-sama."
"Namu Amida Butsu…" Gyomei bowed once, then dropped like a collapsing mountain. He knelt at Roy's feet and slammed his head to the ground.
"Gyomei Himejima pays respects to Roy-sama."
[Notice: Potential follower Gyomei Himejima… loyalty +10…]
[You may increase loyalty via 'blessings' to trigger the promotion condition—formal knighting as a true follower…]
Roy's eyes flickered. His emotions surged, complicated. He looked down at Gyomei, then said to Kagaya with helpless honesty:
"This isn't changing allegiance—this is you handing me an orphaned child."
And not just one child—an entire crowd of them.
Even without using En to read their hearts, Roy could see the shock that Gyomei's bow sent through the Hashira. He could imagine the impact.
Behind him, Kyojuro finished skimming the thin booklet and finally snapped back to the present.
The blond young man's heart thudded with a strange sense of "this is how it should be." He stepped forward, stopped one pace behind Roy, and stood quietly.
"Leadership belongs to the capable," Kagaya said, his gaze passing Roy's shoulder to "see" Kyojuro behind him. "Preventing one's subordinates from growing is the greatest failure of a leader."
He smiled faintly. "I'm only riding the current."
"Sanemi."
"Yes."
"Kneel. Pay respects to Roy-sama."
"…Yes."
Sanemi rose, walked to Gyomei's side, removed his sword, and slammed his forehead into the earth with a bang, burying his face in the dirt.
His voice was muffled and rough:
"I offended you earlier. I hope Roy-sama won't hold it against me."
"I, Sanemi Shinazugawa… honor the sun as my lord. I pay respects to Roy-sama."
[Notice: Potential follower Sanemi Shinazugawa… loyalty +5…]
[You may increase loyalty via 'blessings'…]
Five points—no immediate promotion condition like Gyomei's.
Roy quietly glanced at Sanemi, then smiled at Kagaya.
"He can't say something that polished. You taught him that, didn't you?"
Kagaya only smiled.
Sanemi, face still in the dirt, felt his cheeks burning. He almost wanted to bury himself completely.
But those five loyalty points still surprised Roy.
Not everyone could shift their stance instantly—especially with lingering resentment.
"Kyojuro."
"Yes."
"Help those two up," Roy said, then glanced at Tengen and Muichirō. He raised his voice slightly. "And none of you are allowed to bow—especially you… senpai."
He emphasized it for Giyu.
Roy looked steadily at Kagaya.
"You mean well. I won't pretend I can't see that."
"But I still stand by this."
"The Demon Slayer Corps still needs you to lead it."
"Roy…" Kagaya began—only for Roy to lift a palm and cut him off.
"Save it until I remove the curse from you."
"What?!" Sanemi exploded upright.
"Kamado Roy—can you remove the curse inside Kagaya-sama?!" His disbelief poured out.
He barely got the words out before a huge hand slammed his head back down with a thud, forcing him to kneel again—right on cue, Gyomei roared, shaking everyone's eardrums.
"Sanemi Shinazugawa! You're too insolent!"
"Call him Roy-sama!"
Gyomei's thick arms bulged; his blind eyes glared like an angry guardian deity. He looked up at Roy, breathing hard.
"Roy-sama… forgive his rudeness. Is what you said true?"
"Roy-sama… Roy-sama…"
Tengen stared. Muichirō stared. Shinobu stared. Obanai stared. Even Kyojuro—and even Giyu—straightened, tension rising like a thrown stone hitting still water.
In that moment, the air felt like it had been detonated.
Kagaya stared at Roy, lips trembling. He tried to form words, but only "Ah… ah…" came out—his composure and calm finally cracking.
Then—
"Thump."
Amane dropped to her knees and bowed deeply.
"Roy-sama… please save my husband."
Behind her came more soft thuds as Kiriya and Hinaki also knelt.
Even Kagaya, who had never once frowned in the face of death, looked shaken now.
Roy's aura finally reached Kagaya's "heartfield."
In that cracked, near-dry place, Roy sensed a mass of blackness gnawing at Kagaya's blood energy—like the negative emotions he'd once purged from himself and from Ginta.
It could be burned away.
Roy nodded.
"Bring out Kiriya, Kanata, and the other children too. I'll clear all of you at once."
In that instant, it felt like a mountain had lifted off the entire estate.
"Namu Amida Butsu…" Gyomei wept like a spring. He slammed his head down again. "Thank you, Roy-sama."
"Thump… thump… thump…"
Beyond Sanemi—already forced down—Tengen, Shinobu, Muichirō… even Kyojuro, and even Giyu… all knelt and offered sincere thanks.
"Thank you, Roy-sama."
Roy heard the panel prompts ring out rapidly.
[Notice: Potential follower Gyomei Himejima… loyalty +15. Promotion condition met. Prepare knighting…]
[Notice: Potential follower Sanemi Shinazugawa… loyalty +20. Promotion condition met. Prepare knighting…]
[Notice… Notice… Notice…]
In the bright noon sun, as Amane hurried to fetch the children—
Roy spoke softly:
"Praise the sun. Burn it away."
His aura moved like flowing sunlight, forming blades of heat that plunged into the black curse at Kagaya's core—cutting, burning, purging.
And somewhere far away—
Infinity Castle.
The hiding Muzan suddenly clutched his chest, dropped to his knees, and made Nakime's biwa string snap with a frightened pluck…
~~~
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