"Wow—I'm terrified."
Hiru braced one hand against a slanted floorboard, letting the panicked crowd surge past him.
"But thanks to you saying that, I can finally confirm something. The Lower Moons really are nothing more than disposable pieces."
"What would you know?!"
The demon calling herself Mukago snarled, her features twisting. The plants beneath her writhed violently in response.
"Do you know how hard I worked to become a Lower Moon? For decades I devoured humans—over and over—just to earn my lord's recognition and rise to this rank! Do you have any idea how exhausting that was?!"
"Oh really—" Hiru idly dug a finger into his ear. "And what does that have to do with me?"
"A Swordsman without a blade dares to be this arrogant? Die!"
Vines erupted from every direction, blotting out the sky as they converged on Hiru.
He instinctively lifted his hand, but just before activating his Blood Demon Art, he forcibly stopped himself.
The next instant, his body shot backward like a ball struck by a bat. He crashed into a small building, sending up a cloud of dust and splintered wood.
"Human Hashira!"
The Swordsmen desperately evacuating civilians felt their hearts plummet. Those closest immediately sprinted toward the wreckage.
Before they could reach it, however, Hiru stepped out through the settling dust, brushing debris from his clothes and muttering under his breath. Not only was he unharmed—there wasn't even a bruise on him.
The Swordsmen stared in stunned silence, half-wondering if they had imagined him being blasted away just moments earlier.
Hiru glanced at their stunned expressions and casually relieved two unlucky Swordsmen of their Nichirin Blades.
"Quit gawking. Go help the civilians. You don't need to worry about me."
As Hiru strode over the rubble and headed back toward the demon, the two Swordsmen who had lost their blades exchanged a brief look.
Without a word, each grabbed a length of steel rebar from the debris and returned to assisting their comrades with the evacuation.
This time, Hiru gave Mukago no chance to counter.
Nichirin Blade in hand, he carved through the incoming vines, forcing a straight path forward.
Beneath the night sky and the rain of severed vine fragments, he cast the blade aside once its edge chipped from repeated clashes, lunged in, and clamped a hand over the demon girl's face.
Then he swung her down and smashed her head into the ground.
A thunderous crash rang out as another plume of dust burst into the air. Gripped by the skull in Hiru's hand, Mukago felt her thoughts spin wildly.
The situation had reversed so many times in mere minutes that she could no longer comprehend what was happening.
She never got the chance to.
A crimson Nichirin Blade flashed down in a merciless arc, cleanly severing her neck. At the same time, that familiar corrosive sensation gnawed into her mind.
With her consciousness fading, Mukago stared at Hiru in disbelief. Her lips moved, but no sound emerged.
Hiru watched her body crumble into ash. He brushed the dust from his clothes and muttered to himself.
"The gap between the Upper Moons is already absurd. If all the Lower Moons are at this level, even together they probably couldn't rival a single Upper Moon. Did Muzan keep them around just to let the Demon Slayer Corps farm experience?"
He snorted softly.
"He probably doesn't even realize he's been accidentally doing us a favor. Heh. I should use that to annoy him next time."
"Human Hashira! Is the demon taken care of?!"
Hiru turned toward the shout. Several Swordsmen were gathered around a collapsed section of flooring, craning their necks to look at him.
"If it's over, could you give us a hand?!"
Ah… cleanup duty again. Every Blood Demon Art leaves such a mess.
Hiru sighed and picked up the Nichirin Blade he had tossed aside earlier.
"Coming—"
...
Ubuyashiki studied the heavy bill the Kakushi had delivered. His expression remained calm, a gentle smile resting on his face.
"I understand. Thank you for bringing this."
The Kakushi bowed and withdrew.
Left alone, Ubuyashiki shifted his gaze to the report beside the invoice and let out a quiet sigh.
According to the report, when the Twelve Kizuki unleashed violence within the town, festival-goers had been swept up in the chaos. Fortunately, the Human Hashira had slain the demon within ten minutes, preventing the situation from spiraling further out of control.
Afterward, the Demon Slayer Corps worked alongside local officials to rescue civilians and assess the damage.
Three dead.
Twenty-seven permanently disabled.
One hundred and six injured.
Countless buildings destroyed.
Compensation for the bereaved families, medical expenses, reconstruction costs—all of it would be covered by the Ubuyashiki family.
Money was not the issue.
What weighed on him were those stark numbers. They were not mere figures on a page. Each one represented an innocent life.
He recalled a conversation he once had with Hiru after a treatment session. He had asked him what he thought of humans and demons.
Hiru had remained silent for a long time before replying:
I dislike both humans and demons. But I can't possibly kill all humans. At the very least, I'll try not to disrupt their lives. Still, if they're caught in the crossfire, I won't feel guilty. For me, killing demons always comes first.
If you had to choose between saving someone and killing a demon?
If I can only choose one, I would abandon the people without hesitation and kill the demon.
If the demon lives, it may devour more people. If it dies, then those who perished become the last unfortunate victims it ever claims. By that logic, killing the demon is always the better choice.
But—
Don't tell me we can't sacrifice innocents to kill demons, or that the Demon Slayer Corps exists solely to protect humanity. Corps members die, and it's treated as inevitable. But when bystanders die, suddenly it's the Corps' fault? We're all just lives cast into this world. Who's more noble than whom?
…Understood.
Ubuyashiki let out a soft breath.
A decisive blade could cut through chaos swiftly—but it would always demand a heavier price.
And yet, things had already come this far. He could not allow hesitation to restrain the Demon Slayer Corps now.
All he could do was prepare more thoroughly before tragedy struck—and after it did, devote everything he had to easing the suffering left behind.
"Kagaya."
Ubuyashiki lifted his head, smoothing the trace of sorrow from his expression as he turned toward the doorway.
"What is it, Amane?"
"The foreign merchant you asked me to contact has replied," Amane said gently as she approached, adjusting the shawl around his shoulders. "He has agreed to sell us his goods."
"Is that so? That is wonderful news."
Ubuyashiki smiled.
"Then the next step is to find craftsmen… Amane, may I trouble you once more?"
"Yes, of course."
Amane smiled softly and clasped his hand.
"After all, we promised to face whatever comes together. I truly feel fortunate that the one I met back then was you."
"Yes," Ubuyashiki replied, turning his hand to intertwine their fingers.
"I feel the same."