After recovering from his injuries, Ren planned to leave the Butterfly Mansion and return to his home in Tokyo. Although he truly wanted to stay by Shinobu Kocho's side, he could not forget his primary responsibilities. However, just as he was preparing to leave, Tianyue suddenly flew in, informing him to head to the Ubuyashiki estate immediately, as the Master had an important announcement.
Left with no choice, Ren could only travel to the Ubuyashiki estate alongside Shinobu and Giyu. Upon their arrival, the ten Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps had already gathered. The three of them quickly took their seats.
"It seems everyone has arrived... cough, cough..."
Ubuyashiki Kagaya spoke, his body clearly weary. It was obvious that his condition—or rather, the curse—had worsened since they last met. The purple markings on his face had spread, nearly covering both of his eyes. He was now essentially blind.
'The Master seems to be in a lot of pain. I wonder if my blood could alleviate his curse...'
Ren suddenly thought of the beautiful woman he had saved previously. According to Tamayo, after receiving his blood, the woman's condition had improved significantly. Even demons evolved into Berserk Demons after obtaining just a small amount of his blood. Since his blood could make demons stronger, it might be possible to alleviate Ubuyashiki Kagaya's illness if handled correctly.
At that moment, Himejima Gyomei, who was sitting in the front, pressed his hands together and said with sincerity, "Lord Ubuyashiki, please take care of your health."
"Cough... It is fine, Gyomei. These are the long-standing ailments of our clan."
"Since everyone is here, this Hashira Meeting officially begins!"
Ubuyashiki Kagaya sat down and took a deep breath before speaking slowly. "In this recent operation, Lower Moon Five was slain by Giyu, and Lower Moon One died at the hands of Ren."
"In that case, the Lower Moons of the Twelve Kizuki have been completely wiped out. That is wonderful news!" Mitsuri interjected with a smile. "Don't you agree, Lord Ubuyashiki?"
"Hehe, yes, it is good news..."
Ubuyashiki Kagaya nodded gently before his expression turned grave. "But as long as the Upper Moons—no, as long as Muzan is not eliminated, more demons will appear. Our mission is far from over. Furthermore, as you all likely know by now, Muzan has created demons known as 'Berserk Demons.' Compared to ordinary demons, they are stronger, more ferocious, and their rate of evolution is exceptionally fast! Due to the emergence of these Berserk Demons, the number of murder and disappearance cases across the country has been increasing. It seems Muzan is mass-producing them. While his purpose remains unknown, we must stop him. Therefore, I hope the Hashira can work even harder to ensure these Berserk Demons are slain!"
"Understood!"
"Leave it to us, Lord Ubuyashiki! I have already fought those Berserk Demons! They are strong, but they are still no match for me!"
"So they've just gotten a bit stronger? We just need to become even stronger than them, right?"
"Your mind is truly carefree. I envy you for thinking that becoming stronger is such a simple matter. We are different from demons; for us to grow stronger, we must pay a massive price."
"Hey! Tomioka, are you trying to undermine me? Do you want to step outside and settle this?"
"I am not like the rest of you. There is a fundamental difference between us now..."
"Ah, Tomioka-san, Shinazugawa-san, please don't get angry..."
Watching the cold Giyu and the furious Sanemi, Ren couldn't help but twitch his lips in silence. Giyu's tongue was truly sharp. However, since Giyu had already awakened his Mark, Sanemi alone would no longer be able to defeat him.
"Cough, everyone, please quiet down." Ubuyashiki Kagaya spoke again. "In fact, I have summoned you today because there is one more matter I must ask of you."
At these words, everyone fell silent, waiting for the Master to continue.
Ubuyashiki Kagaya knitted his brows and explained seriously, "Just yesterday, I received intel that a staggering number of Berserk Demons have appeared in the Yoshiwara Entertainment District. A team of fifty slayers was sent immediately to hunt them down. Among them were ten Kinoe-ranked slayers. They were all wiped out; not a single soul survived! Only one Kasugai Crow, dragging its mangled body, managed to fly fifty ri to a Wisteria House to report the details of the battle."
After a pause, Ubuyashiki Kagaya added grimly, "According to the master of the Wisteria House, both of that crow's legs had been severed. It had lost too much blood and was on the verge of death. It only managed to say six words: Entertainment District... Berserk Demon... Upper... Six. After speaking those words, the crow expired."
"Entertainment District, Berserk Demon, Upper Six..." Ren muttered to himself before saying, "Master, I suspect the crow meant that there are Berserk Demons in the Yoshiwara Entertainment District, and Upper Moon Six is among them. Furthermore, the people working in the Entertainment District basically sleep during the day and are active at night. There are bound to be a large number of Berserk Demons hidden there. It is not impossible for a Twelve Kizuki-level Berserk Demon to be lurking within."
As a transmigrator, he knew perfectly well that the Upper Moon Six siblings, Gyutaro and Daki, were in the Entertainment District.
"Mm! As expected of Ren-kun! You're quick-witted!" Kyojuro nodded heavily and shouted.
Ever since he saw Ren join the battle against the Berserk Demons despite his burns, he had fully acknowledged him. Ren was powerful and had a great sense of responsibility; he was a good man!
"Hehe, exactly. I thought the same." Ubuyashiki Kagaya nodded slightly and smiled. "Since we have news regarding an Upper Moon, we naturally cannot let it slide. Therefore, I want to find a few people to head to the Entertainment District to eliminate the Upper Moon Berserk Demon hidden there."
"I understand, Lord Ubuyashiki. Leave the Upper Moon Berserk Demon in the Entertainment District to me!"
Ren volunteered immediately, a broad, excited smile on his face. He was thrilled at the prospect of finally fighting an Upper Moon Berserk Demon. More importantly, he had been waiting to see just how much the strength of these Upper Moons would increase after receiving his blood!
While Ren was thinking this, Shinobu Kocho became anxious the moment she heard he was going to the red-light district. She couldn't help but grumble in her heart.
'This guy knows what kind of place the Entertainment District is, right?'
'Seeing how happy he looks, he couldn't possibly be planning to go there to play with pretty girls, could he? No, no! I have to stop him...'
'But Ren isn't that kind of person. Although this brat usually stares at my legs, he is very serious when it comes to demons...'
'Ugh, really, why am I getting jealous over Ren's business?'
Shinobu lowered her head silently, her face flushing red.
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