Tremble, tremble.
Forcing a dangerous smile onto his face, Sanemi didn't delve into the meaning behind Mr. Haruto's smile, stubbornly raising his head.
Masachika's horrific injuries and his bitter smile when he put down his nichirin blade were deeply etched into Sanemi's mind.
And the gentle smile on the face of the man sitting upright in the hall made the pain of those under his command seem utterly worthless!
Others were bleeding, sacrificing, and this guy... he could still smile and direct the world!
Sanemi clenched his fists, and scathing words burst out, one by one, from between his teeth.
"I say, Master Ubuyashiki..." He suppressed his anger, the smile on his lips looking utterly ferocious: "Your posture... it looks so relaxed!"
Too weak, too weak. As expected of someone who hadn't studied much, he couldn't even quickly hit others' sore spots when cursing.
Haruto secretly pouted, then looked up to observe Kagaya Ubuyashiki's expression.
Kagaya, of course, wouldn't be moved by these words. The trials he had endured in his body and life were far more profound than these harsh remarks.
But the three Pillar-level Swordsmen beside Sanemi, however, looked up with wide, shocked eyes.
"Mr. Shinazugawa..." Kanae looked at him in disbelief.
"Shinazugawa." Gyomei Himejima frowned, veins bulging on his neck: "Your words are too much."
"You brat..." Uzui Tengen shot him a disdainful look, flexing his arm, his powerful muscles tightening the golden armbands: "Didn't the Wind Breathing cultivator teach you manners?"
"It's alright." Kagaya nodded gently: "I can completely understand Mr. Shinazugawa's feelings. Let's hear what he has to say."
"Understand? How can you, sitting high above us, understand the feelings of us who fight for our lives in the lower ranks? You merely see everyone here as pawns, treating them as pieces in your game to conquer the world!"
"Conquer the world?" Kagaya Ubuyashiki shook his head: "The Ubuyashiki Family is rich enough to rival a nation, able to seek benefits and avoid harm. If we wanted to participate in wars and stir up trouble, it would be effortless... But what does that have to do with me? Our goal has always been to slay the Demon King Kibutsuji Muzan, and for more people to be spared from disaster..."
"You're not so good at lying that you even believe yourself, are you?" Sanemi raised his voice: "Slay Kibutsuji Muzan? Someone who is dedicated to killing demons doesn't even have a single callus on his hands. Look at your frail physique—how dare you say you'll slay Kibutsuji Muzan?"
Kagaya Ubuyashiki paused, then let out a soft sigh.
"I'm sorry," he said softly.
"Cunning—what?" Sanemi was stunned.
"I once... also wanted to become a powerful swordsman, to defend my ideals with the blade in my hand, and fight alongside everyone.
But you're right, my body is too frail. Even a simple ten swings of the sword can leave me breathless."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki's unique voice brushed over Sanemi's heart like a gentle breeze, making him relax his brow, unable to utter a single word.
Haruto was somewhat lost in thought; he vaguely remembered having asked a similar question.
"As the Master of the Demon Slayer Corps, why can't you even hold a sword?"
Haruto, at the same age, could already walk briskly with a full basket of charcoal on his back, but Kagaya, dressed as a girl, couldn't even lift a nichirin blade.
The Ubuyashiki boy back then hadn't cultivated as he had now and couldn't remain calm when faced with questions.
"How would I know? I also want to use a sword to protect the people I love."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki turned his head away, not looking at the sword: "But can I refuse what heaven has bestowed upon me?!"
He was powerless against his physical frailty, so he could only temper his will to be incredibly resilient, leading countless swordsmen who believed in him with his kind and gentle spirit.
"The Demon Slayer Corps' swordsmen are by no means pawns. If a pawn must be chosen, I am the one most easily abandoned. Even if the Demon Slayer Corps loses me, it will not cease to function. I have already decided on my successor; even if I die one day, the mission of the Demon Slayer Corps will be firmly carried out."
Seeing him speak of his fate with such calm, all the Pillar-level Swordsmen bowed their heads in sorrow.
"I know you have some grievances because Masachika was injured and joined the Kakushi. I truly apologize... for breaking up close comrades over a single mission." Kagaya bowed his head slightly: "After Masachika recovered, I sincerely apologized to him in this very room. Mr. Masachika was very gentle; he didn't worry much about himself, but rather worried more about you, Mr. Sanemi."
Sanemi opened his mouth, unable to utter a single syllable. After a long moment, he finally managed to say, "You guessed it, that I was coming at you because of this?"
"Shinazugawa, are you angry because you fear Master will forget the swordsmen who have contributed?"
Kanae looked at him intently: "But Master... he records the names and lives of all the swordsmen under his command."
How could this be... the names and lives of those comrades he fought alongside, even he didn't remember them... Sanemi stood rooted to the spot, yet seemed to be enveloped by a large net called shame.
Haruto turned his face, watching it grow redder and redder, almost to the point of suffocating.
Ah, still so young, indeed.
He nudged his knee with his elbow: "If you're too ashamed to back down because you misunderstood someone, then hurry up and sincerely apologize. Don't try to stubbornly hold on anymore."
Sanemi's lips trembled. He couldn't tell Mr. Haruto that when he looked into Kagaya Ubuyashiki's eyes, he felt as if he saw his mother.
Both were equally tolerant, equally gentle as water.
Thank you, Mr. Haruto; his ladder came at just the right time.
Sanemi knelt down obediently, clenching his fists, his whole body tense with shame.
His eyes were wide open: "I am so sorry..."
Strange, after saying that, the pressure on his whole body lessened considerably. Was it truly hardest to speak?
Sanemi stammered out his apology to Kagaya Ubuyashiki. Gyomei Himejima, sensing his remorse, clasped his hands together and shed tears, saying, "Master, please do not speak of 'death' and such things. We are all resolved to slay Kibutsuji Muzan."
Haruto suddenly remembered a line he had once seen.
[Though my body may perish, I will surely slay the evil demons!]
[The Ubuyashiki Family is truly building upon this statement with their lives...]
[If you're too ashamed to back down because you misunderstood someone, then hurry up and sincerely apologize—that's hilarious, it's a life truth, stubbornly holding on leads nowhere good!]
[Fan Zhu Ge is really good at dealing with tsunderes...]
[Tsunderes ruin lives, Fan Zhu Ge, the anti-tsundere Master.]
[The whole family are tsunderes, and the whole family falls into Fan Zhu Ge's hands, hahahaha...]