Uzui watched as Gyokko crumbled into ash, one eyebrow lifting slightly. He leapt down from the rooftop and strode toward Hiru.
"What did you say to that demon at the end? He looked furious."
"I told him to hurry up and die."
Hiru scrubbed harshly at the hand that had struck Gyokko.
"Maybe I should just cut this hand off. I really should. Once it's touched something filthy, it's beyond saving."
Uzui immediately caught Hiru's wrist before he could reach for a blade, lowering his voice.
"Hey, hey, hey. Only the Hashira and their families know about your demon-like constitution. There are still Corps members around. If you chop it off and someone sees, how am I supposed to cover that up? They already think you shrank again because of a Blood Demon Art, and that I brought you along as backup since you can't return to normal. And if it's dirty, just wash it. There's a natural hot spring right behind the courtyard."
Only then did Hiru stop reaching for his sword. He brushed past Uzui and headed straight toward the back of the estate.
Uzui finally exhaled in relief. After flashing a subtle "all clear" signal to the Kakushi who had cautiously peeked out, he crouched down and looked at his beloved blades with a troubled sigh.
"Haah… I never thought the first time I'd take them in for repairs would be because of this. How embarrassing."
"The Human Hashira's fighting style is truly… uninhibited. But it's reassuringly powerful."
Uzui picked up his swords and slung them over his shoulder just as Hinatsuru approached.
"Yeah. Being strong is one of the few redeeming qualities he's got. Could you bring him a change of clothes? After what just happened, he'd probably rather walk out naked than put that outfit back on."
Hinatsuru covered her mouth with a soft laugh.
"Yes. I'll go at once."
Makio and Suma had also arrived and were staring wide-eyed at the devastation.
The more outspoken Makio clenched her fists, visibly excited.
"I can't believe it was killed so easily! Tengen-sama, was that one of the Twelve Kizuki?"
"Mm. An Upper Moon. As for which one…" Uzui rubbed his chin. "He attacked so fast I didn't catch it. The only clear impression I have is that he was really ugly."
"Hearing it like that almost makes me feel sorry for the demon…" Suma murmured, staring at the ruins. "He didn't get to show his abilities, no one remembers his name… The only thing anyone remembers is that he was ugly."
"Seriously! Suma, what are you saying? A demon not getting to use its Blood Demon Art is a good thing! What are you disappointed about?!"
"Eek! Tengen-sama, save me! Makio hits so hard!"
Uzui chuckled as Suma ducked behind him. He casually pressed a hand to Makio's head.
"Alright, alright. I'm a little disappointed I didn't get to fight either. Ugly or not, it was still an Upper Moon. But after Hiru's little outburst, the only information I got was that the enemy was ugly and had terrible taste. Nothing useful at all. Oh—and my blades got wrecked. A total loss. Honestly, aside from sharpening them or adjusting the blade shape, I've never taken them to the Swordsmith Village for repairs."
"How are we going to report this to Oyakata-sama?"
Uzui looked over the devastated courtyard and sighed.
"We'll report it exactly as it happened. I finally understand why Himejima always looks so conflicted when he talks about fighting alongside Hiru. It's not just that the commotion is big."
…
After this little "incident" ended, Hiru deliberately stayed nearby for several more days, waiting to see whether Muzan would come looking for him.
Muzan, however, demonstrated perfectly what it meant to pretend nothing had happened and leave the other party completely helpless.
Hiru still refused to give up and wanted to keep waiting. But after Uzui returned from repairing his blades, Kitaro began nagging him relentlessly—like an overbearing mother—until Hiru had no choice but to move on and resume capturing demons to send to Mount Fujikasane.
That particular hunt made the two of them the center of attention at the Hashira Meeting one month later.
The others gathered around, eager to know what made an Upper Moon different. Uzui could only spread his hands helplessly.
Aside from remembering that the demon was extremely ugly—and that his own blades had suffered for it—he had no useful information at all.
As for Hiru, he simply darkened his expression and dismissed it with a curt:
"I don't want to recall that ugly thing."
The room fell into an awkward silence.
Meanwhile, Yoriichi reported that his investigation into the demon eyes had yielded progress. He intended to travel across the regions to track the source of Nakime's Blood Demon Art and locate the origin of the surveillance eyes—once again handing over his jurisdiction to Himejima.
Along with it, he also entrusted the newly appointed Hashira, Tokito Muichiro.
Having long since grown accustomed to handling the aftermath and mentally preparing himself in advance, Himejima simply murmured, "Amida-butsu," and agreed.
He didn't even shed tears this time.
"Then we come to today's final matter."
Ubuyashiki coughed lightly.
"I believe everyone is still concerned about Tanjiro's situation. Yoriichi, do you think Tanjiro is qualified to leave the Hashira's supervision and act alongside his family?"
All eyes immediately turned to Yoriichi.
"Tanjiro would never attack a human," Yoriichi said, maintaining his respectful kneeling posture. "That child possesses extraordinary inner strength and exercises firm restraint over his actions."
"Even so," Uzui replied, deliberately ignoring Hiru's glare, "we can only reach a true conclusion after he participates in real combat. Among the Hashira—aside from you and Hiru—at least two more must personally witness Tanjiro in battle to ensure he won't harm anyone. Ah, and the newcomer doesn't count."
"But Tanjiro seems to have the same kind of nose as our teacher," Sabito said, concern evident in his voice. "If a Hashira is nearby, he'll sense it and come back to himself quickly. The results would still be unreliable. And a single act of restraint proves nothing…"
"That's simple." Uzui smiled. "Let him fight at his limit. A battle so intense he has no room to pay attention to us. Yoriichi, roughly how strong is your disciple? And what about his family? What level of demon could they handle?"
"If it's only Tanjiro…" Yoriichi paused briefly. "At full strength, he should be able to defeat a Lower Moon. But Nezuko and Takeo are considerably weaker. During the month I stayed, I couldn't guide them much because of the investigation."
"Nezuko adapts very well to Flower Breathing and has strong instincts," Kanae said gently. "Ordinary demons pose no problem for her. With some refinement, she should be able to participate in battles against a Lower Moon. I even told her I would take her as my Tsuguko once she passes the Final Selection."
"Takeo isn't there yet," Sanemi added. "He can use Wind Breathing, but he doesn't have a pure Wind Breathing constitution. We'll only know his true affinity once he passes the Final Selection and his Nichirin Blade reveals its color. At that point, we might have to start from scratch."
By now, Hiru had pieced together Uzui's intent.
He turned his head slightly.
"You want Tanjiro to undergo a battle at his absolute limit—and then observe how he reacts under that kind of pressure?"