Chapter 62: I Will Never Easily Give Up On Any Of You
After listening to the statements of the first four Hashira, Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui slightly adjusted the gemstone on his headband.
His tall, robust frame leaned forward slightly.
As a former ninja, he possessed an extremely keen sense for intelligence, human nature, and organizational operations.
"Master, please allow me, the god of festivals who governs over flamboyance, to speak a few not-so-flamboyant truths."
Although Tengen Uzui's voice still carried his characteristic flamboyance, his tone was exceptionally serious.
"I can understand Sanemi's feelings."
"However, the problem now is not just how we, the Hashira, view this."
"Within the Demon Slayer Corps, rumors about the 'Flower Hashira's betrayal' have already spread like a plague."
"This is simply not flamboyant at all!"
Tengen Uzui paused, his gaze sweeping over the other Hashira as he continued:
"The rank-and-file members, especially those in the Kakushi and the lower-ranked swordsmen, are now, privately speaking, filled with righteous indignation."
"Master, you know that every child who joins the Demon Slayer Corps carries a deep blood feud, having had everything taken from them by demons."
"They view the Hashira as their faith, the ultimate symbol of slaying demons."
"Now, someone suspected of colluding with a demon has appeared within their faith. This makes them feel even more desperate and furious than if they had been killed outright."
"If we don't provide a satisfactory, flamboyant answer quickly, I fear the morale within the Corps will completely collapse, and we may even face an irreversible internal conflict."
Tengen Uzui's words were like a heavy hammer striking everyone's heart.
He stripped away the veneer of emotion, placing the most brutal organizational management crisis on the table.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki listened quietly to each Hashira's statement.
His fingers tightened slightly, gripping the fabric over his knees.
Tengen Uzui's words were exactly what he was most worried about at this moment.
"Yes, Tengen is right."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki sighed deeply in his heart.
"The Demon Slayer Corps is indeed filled with dissatisfaction and suspicion toward Kanae right now."
"Those children who joined the Demon Slayer Corps should have had happy lives, but because of the ravages of demons, they had no choice but to pick up swords and step onto this path filled with death."
"They gathered here to slay demons, to protect others, and to seek revenge."
"Their hearts, already riddled with holes from hatred and sorrow, must not bear the blow of being betrayed by their superiors."
"If this matter is not handled properly, it will surely chill their hearts."
The faces of those young swordsmen facing death flashed through Kagaya Ubuyashiki's mind.
As the leader, he could not simply act on personal feelings.
For the sake of the big picture, for the Demon Slayer Corps to continue functioning, and for the century-old wish to finally eradicate Muzan Kibutsuji, he had to make choices.
Even if this choice made his heart ache as if it were being twisted.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki took a slow, deep breath.
His frail body trembled slightly from the effort, and his wife, Amane, immediately reached out with concern to support him, but Kagaya Ubuyashiki waved his hand slightly to indicate he was fine.
He straightened his back again.
"I understand your thoughts and the severe situation currently within the Corps."
"Kanae's actions have indeed caused great turmoil."
"In order to calm the unrest within the Corps and to give an explanation to all the swordsmen who have shed their blood..."
He paused for a moment.
"Effective immediately, temporarily remove Kochou Kanae's status as 'Flower Hashira'."
"Furthermore," Kagaya Ubuyashiki continued,
"Issue a highest-level search order to the entire Corps."
"Use all available Kakushi members and swordsmen to search for Kochou Kanae's whereabouts with all our might."
"However..." Kagaya Ubuyashiki's voice suddenly sank:
"If she is found, no one is permitted to execute her on the spot without authorization."
"You must prioritize bringing her back alive to stand before me."
"Do you understand?"
Upon hearing this, Sanemi Shinazugawa suddenly raised his head, his eyes full of confusion and anxiety:
"Master! How can this be!"
"Facing such a traitor, if we don't slay her directly, and if she resists on the way, it will cause even more casualties for us!"
"Why bring her back?"
Obanai Iguro also frowned tightly:
"Master, being merciful to such a woman is being cruel to ourselves."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki shook his head slightly, a gentle smile barely forcing its way onto his lips.
The sunlight fell on his face, giving his cursed features a kind of tragic sanctity.
"Because I believe in my eyes, and I believe in my heart."
"I watched Kanae grow up."
"How gentle she is, and how much she treasures her companions—everyone here should know that better than I do."
"A person who loves humanity so deeply, who even feels sorrow when swinging her sword—I do not believe she would strike her own companions without reason, and I certainly do not believe she would willingly degenerate to side with demons."
Kanae's warm, sun-like smile appeared in Kagaya Ubuyashiki's mind:
"She must have her own hidden difficulties, or perhaps she has been drawn into some conspiracy we cannot yet understand."
"Before I hear her explanation from her own lips, I cannot sentence a child to death based solely on appearances."
"This is my bottom line as the leader, and it is my promise to each and every one of you."
"I will never easily give up on any of you."
"So, bring her back. I want to ask her personally what exactly happened."
These words caused the Hashira present to lower their heads involuntarily.
Even Sanemi Shinazugawa and Obanai Iguro, who were filled with killing intent, could not continue to argue in the face of the Master's firm will.
Because they knew that it was precisely because the Master possessed such an inclusive heart that they, these eccentrics with different personalities and even some paranoia, could be brought together to become the unbreakable Hashira.
"We obey the Master's orders!"
Shinjuro was the first to respond loudly.
Subsequently, the other Hashira also responded in unison.
After handling the matter of Kanae, Kagaya Ubuyashiki's 'gaze' shifted slightly, falling on Sanemi Shinazugawa, who was kneeling at the very front.
"Sanemi." Kagaya Ubuyashiki called the Wind Hashira's name softly.
"Here! Master!" Sanemi Shinazugawa immediately straightened his back and responded loudly.
"Your nichirin sword was lost on Mount Kumotori, wasn't it?"
Kagaya Ubuyashiki's tone was full of concern, without a hint of blame, just like a father asking about a son who had suffered a grievance away from home.
Sanemi Shinazugawa's body stiffened suddenly, and he subconsciously reached for his empty waist.
It was a sensation that made him feel extremely humiliated.
For a Demon Slayer Corps swordsman, the nichirin sword is their soul, their only reliance for slaying demons and protecting others.
A swordsman without a sword is like a wolf that has had its teeth pulled out.
"Yes... Yes, Master. This subordinate is incompetent and failed to protect his sword."
Sanemi gritted his teeth, and because of the excessive force, the scars on his face appeared even more distorted.
He felt immense self-reproach; when facing that demon, he not only failed to slay it but actually had his weapon taken away. This was an indelible stain on his career as a swordsman.
"No need to blame yourself, Sanemi. As long as you can come back alive, that is the greatest fortune."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki comforted him with a smile, "I have already given the order; the swordsmiths at the Swordsmith Village are working day and night to forge a new nichirin sword for you. In the meantime, just stay at headquarters."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki's voice became even softer, carrying the expectations of an elder:
"The days without a sword might make you feel restless."
"But this is also a rare opportunity."
"Sanemi, you are too tired. Your body and mind have been in a state of extreme tension."
"Take advantage of this time while waiting for the new sword to be forged to rest and train with peace of mind."
"Settle your heart and let your Wind Breathing become even purer and more powerful."
"I look forward to the day you wield your nichirin sword again to cut through the gloom."
Sanemi Shinazugawa was stunned.
He looked at the Master's face, full of illness yet still wearing a gentle smile, and the anger and humiliation in his heart seemed to be gradually extinguished by a clear spring.
The Master did not blame him for his dereliction of duty, but instead cared for his body and even arranged for his subsequent training.
Sanemi lowered his head, his gaze fixed tightly on the empty scabbard at his waist.
A flash of lightning suddenly crossed his mind.
"Wait... My sword was taken by that demon..."
Sanemi calculated rapidly in his heart, his brows locked tightly together.
"It wasn't just me there; that little girl Kocho Shinobu was there too!"
"Since it's possible that Kanae colluded with the demon, what about her younger sister, Kocho Shinobu?"
"Shinobu's sword wasn't taken."
"Could it be... that Kocho Shinobu is also a traitor?"
"Are both sisters working for the demon?"
Sanemi's hands gripped the fabric on his knees tightly.
If that were really the case, then the internal defense line of the Demon Slayer Corps had already been eaten away.
He even had an impulse to rush to the Butterfly Mansion right now and grab Kocho Shinobu for a harsh interrogation.
However, just as this crazy thought was about to take over his reason, another image broke into his mind with extreme clarity.
He clearly remembered that when Kocho Shinobu saw her most respected sister, Kanae, standing side-by-side with a demon, the little girl who usually pretended to be mature and liked to use a sharp tongue to cover herself up was completely devastated.
Sanemi recalled the expression in Shinobu's eyes, which were originally as clear as amethyst, instantly filled with terror, disbelief, and... a burning, ultimate anger and hatred that seemed to incinerate her very soul.
"No."
Sanemi shook his head violently in his heart, negating his own suspicion just now.
"That kind of anger, that look of wanting to tear the demon into pieces, definitely wasn't faked."
"Kocho Shinobu wasn't lying; she really wanted to kill that demon at the time."
"If Shinobu isn't a traitor, then Kanae's betrayal seems even more bizarre."
Sanemi's breathing gradually became steady, his brain spinning rapidly like a precision gear.
"Taking my sword, leaving Shinobu's sword."
"Creating the illusion of Kanae's defection, causing the entire Demon Slayer Corps to fall into suspicion and chaos."
Sanemi's pupils shrank suddenly, and he reached a conclusion in his heart:
"This is the demon's conspiracy!"
"That cunning demon is deliberately sowing discord!"
"It wants to use this matter to dismantle the Demon Slayer Corps' trust in the Hashira from the inside and make us kill each other!"
Having figured this out, Sanemi immediately felt a sense of lingering fear.
He understood the Master's good intentions and why the Master insisted on capturing Kanae alive.
Because only if Kanae is alive can the truth of this conspiracy be uncovered, and the demon's plot be shattered.
If they were to lose their footing out of impulse now, that would be exactly what the demon wanted.
Sanemi took a deep breath.
He knocked his head heavily on the gravel again.
This time, his voice lacked the previous irritability; instead, it was replaced by absolute obedience.
"Yes! Master!"
Sanemi Shinazugawa answered loudly,
"This subordinate understands!"
"Before my new sword is forged, I will definitely train with peace of mind and hone my Wind Breathing to the limit!"
"I will never fail the Master's expectations!"
Kagaya Ubuyashiki heard the shift in Sanemi's attitude in his voice, and a hint of relief appeared in his eyes, which were covered with cataracts.
He knew that although this Wind was violent, it was always blowing in the right direction.
As long as his children could maintain their reason and continue to trust each other, the Demon Slayer Corps would never be swallowed by darkness.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki slowly raised his hand, and Amane immediately understood, gently taking his hand and helping him up from the wooden chair.
"Then, that is all for today's matters."
"Please go back, soothe the emotions within the Corps, and strengthen patrols everywhere."
"No matter how much fog lies ahead, do not stop your steps in slaying demons."
"The Hashira meeting is adjourned."
"We respectfully send off the Master!"
The six Hashira bowed their heads in unison, making a deep salute in the direction where Kagaya Ubuyashiki left.
Loving Book So Far? Check Out 30+ Advanced Chapters At PA Treon
patreon.com/FictionOP