Chapter 86: Flower Hashira Kanae
"Gyokko is dead. For the first time in centuries, since the establishment of the Twelve Kizuki, a position among the Upper Ranks has been vacated by the hand of the Demon Slayer Corps."
Muzan's voice, low and seething, echoed through the distorted architecture of the Infinity Castle. The remaining Upper Ranks knelt before him, heads bowed in stark silence, the air thick with a suffocating pressure.
"He did nothing but indulge in his inexplicable 'art,' never caring to improve his strength. I had long expected this day... But forget it. There is no point in speaking of him further. A demon that is already dead is not worth wasting another word on."
His crimson, cat-like eyes swept over the kneeling figures. "Including all of you," he hissed, his voice dripping with contempt, "I no longer hold any expectations."
While the others remained frozen in fear, one handsome young man with rainbow-hued eyes dared to look up, a placid smile on his face. "You're speaking such despondent words again, Lord Muzan. When have I ever failed to meet your expectations?"
Muzan's gaze locked onto Douma, the demon who so utterly lacked any sense of tact. A flicker of raw fury crossed his features, but considering the Upper Rank Two's formidable strength and talent, he barely managed to suppress the urge to obliterate him on the spot. Gyokko, for all his weakness, had been the best at gathering intelligence. With his death, Douma's Eternal Paradise Cult had, by default, become a more critical source of information. Aside from him, only Daki, who mingled with humans as a high-ranking courtesan in the Entertainment District, could provide any meaningful intelligence.
But this meeting was for reprimand, a stage for him to vent his displeasure. Muzan would not be so easily placated.
He ignored the showboating Douma and continued his tirade. "You still have not eliminated the Ubuyashiki family, nor the Demon Slayer Corps they command. You have found no clues about the blue spider lily..."
The mere mention of the flower—the one thing he coveted above all else—caused the anger he had just suppressed to surge anew. With a guttural snarl, he slammed his hands down on a nearby laboratory table. The force of the impact was immense, and a shockwave of demonic power erupted outwards, shattering every glass instrument and piece of equipment in the vicinity.
In the thousand years since he had become a demon, Muzan had never truly cared for any Demon Slayer besides Tsugikuni Yoriichi. His goal had always been singular: to find the blue spider lily, conquer his weakness to the sun, and become a truly perfect, immortal life form.
"Hundreds of years," he seethed, his voice a low growl. "A full several hundred years... I am beginning to doubt the very meaning of your existence."
"Please forgive me! Please forgive me!" Hantengu, the Upper Rank Four, immediately began kowtowing, his forehead smacking against the wooden floor as he begged for mercy. Beside him, Daki and her brother, Gyutaro, pressed their faces firmly to the ground, their bodies trembling uncontrollably. Akaza, ever the stoic warrior, simply kept his head bowed in silence.
"We are speechless," Kokushibo, the Upper Rank One, finally responded, his deep voice connecting with gravitas. "The Ubuyashiki have hidden themselves with exceptional skill."
"I'm not very good at sensing and searching, you know. It's really quite troublesome..." Douma added, swaying his body from side to side. Though his words conveyed distress, his tone and frivolous actions betrayed his complete lack of concern.
Muzan's glare sharpened. "I hate change. Changes in situation, changes in the body, changes in emotion. In most cases, change is merely degeneration. I prefer constancy—to forever maintain the most perfect state." His voice dropped, becoming dangerously cold. "After one hundred and thirteen years, an Upper Rank has been killed again, and not in a Blood Battle for a replacement. This enrages me."
He paused, letting the threat hang in the air. "Have I been too indulgent with you all in the past? Has it caused you to immerse yourselves in your own little worlds and forget the commands I gave you?"
"Henceforth, I expect you to strive even harder to execute my orders. Eliminate the Ubuyashiki. And find the blue spider lily."
"Yes," the Upper Ranks chorused, their voices a mixture of fear and respect.
Satisfied for the moment, Muzan conveyed his next command to Nakime through his thoughts.
Twang.
With a single, resonant strum of her biwa, the space warped, and the demons were instantly transported back to their respective territories.
But Muzan did not leave.
"Nakime."
He turned, his piercing gaze falling upon the biwa demon who sat primly beside him. She tensed the moment his attention shifted to her.
"With an Upper Rank position now vacant," he said, a cruel smile playing on his lips, "can you withstand more of my blessing?"
Without waiting for her reply, a grotesque tentacle of flesh erupted from his body. Its sharpened tip pierced Nakime's neck in an instant, forcibly injecting a greater volume of his blood directly into her system.
It was the most direct, and most agonizing, method of enhancement for any demon. If they could withstand the violent transformation, they would grow stronger. If not, their cells would rupture, and they would explode into nothingness.
As Nakime's body convulsed in excruciating pain, the entire Infinity Castle began to tremble and shift chaotically, its dimensions twisting in response to her agony. Even so, she gritted her teeth, enduring the torment as she followed Muzan's silent, mental command to transport him to his desired location.
Soon, the vast, impossible fortress was empty, save for the echoes of Nakime's pained roars and the grating sounds of colliding architecture.
...
A month after Akira was injured, Makomo completed her rehabilitation and resumed her daily patrol duties.
Another half a month passed. Once Akira could move about on his own, Kanae also began taking on missions for the Demon Slayer Corps once more.
The harrowing experience had instilled a new diligence in both women. Their daily training became noticeably more intense. Akira would occasionally observe and point out flaws in their form, but without the ability to spar personally, his verbal guidance had a limited effect on their already mature swordsmanship.
Another month went by, and Akira's body had mostly recovered. He finally began to train with his sword again.
Returning to the blade after such a grievous injury and a long period of inactivity, he felt a distinct "rust" throughout his body. The sensation only fueled his dedication, pushing him to train with even greater fervor. He needed to recover his strength as quickly as possible and accelerate his rate of improvement.
He had faced an Upper Rank Five, one who had lost its mind to rage after repeated provocations, and the best he could manage was a desperate, one-for-one trade at his absolute limit. In truth, if Gyokko hadn't been so infuriated that he emerged from his pot, the demon could have easily worn Akira down and killed him in a one-on-one battle of attrition.
Therefore, the stronger and more troublesome Upper Rank Four, and the top three whose power was on an entirely different level, would be exponentially harder to deal with. Honing his swordsmanship and strengthening his physique were the absolute priorities.
also, he needed to find a way to activate his Crimson Red Nichirin Blade that wouldn't be so destructive to the weapon itself.
His current Nichirin Blade was a reforged masterpiece from Hotaru Haganezuka. During the fight with Gyokko, the concentrated barrage of the demon's attacks on the tip and front half of the blade had already caused significant wear., his method of turning the blade red—grinding the tip against the ground at high speed—had shattered the point and a portion of the edge, even as it granted him a brief moment of incredible power.
When Haganezuka had arrived to deliver the new sword, he had been on the verge of transforming into a vengeful spirit and attacking Akira. The only thing that stayed his hand was the fact that Akira had, indeed, used the blade he forged to slay an Upper Rank demon.
This new blade, forged and polished with nearly two months of careful, sleep-depriving, and meal-skipping labor from Haganezuka, was even tougher and sharper than the last.
That night, Akira sat with Shinobu on the engawa, the wooden veranda of the Butterfly Mansion, waiting for Kanae and Makomo to return as had become their custom.
The ordeal they had all been through had drawn them closer. Although Shinobu never said it outright, her actions spoke volumes. She had implicitly accepted Akira into her life. The sharp, teasing remarks she was known for had noticeably lessened when others were around, and in their private moments, she was far more gentle and affectionate.
Right now, for instance, the two of them were sitting on the outdoor steps, leaning comfortably against one another.
"You know," Shinobu began, her voice soft, "is it really impossible for me to go to the front lines to kill demons?"
"Hmm?" Akira's heart skipped a beat at her sudden question.
"I've already developed a poison that can kill demons," she continued, a hopeful light in her eyes. "It only works on the common ones for now, but I'm sure I can create more potent versions later. If I can do that, then as long as I can inject the poison into a demon's body, I can kill them without having to sever their necks."
"No." Akira couldn't bring himself to look at her. He closed his eyes and shook his head, mercilessly crushing that fragile glimmer of hope.
"The powerful demons, especially the Upper Ranks, have regenerative abilities that are beyond belief," he explained, his voice gentle but firm. "A standard dose of poison won't have any effect on them. And once you realize your poison is ineffective, what will you do then?"
He finally turned to her, his expression serious. "At that point, you wouldn't even be able to buy time for reinforcements."
"Shinobu, I know you want to help us. But it's precisely because we have you and your parents here at the Butterfly Mansion that we can fight demons with peace of mind. In a life-or-death battle, if you hesitate for even a second out of fear of getting hurt, you'll die that much faster."
"If you want to help, the best way is to continue improving your medical skills and enhancing the effectiveness of your poisons. For us, that's more than enough." He reached out, his hand gently resting on her head. "As for everything else... I'm here."
Kanae, after all, possessed immense talent in swordsmanship and the ability to protect herself. As for Shinobu, even if she developed the unique poison-and-sword style from the original story, it would only be effective against weaker demons. She had become a Hashira in that timeline, but she was also the most helpless when facing any of the Twelve Kizuki. Even Lower Ranks possessed regenerative abilities and poison resistance far beyond that of common demons. While other Hashira could kill a Lower Rank instantly, Shinobu would have to inject her poison repeatedly just to subdue one.
Against an Upper Rank, a normal dose would be completely useless. She wouldn't even have the strength to stall for time.
And as for the idea of sacrificing herself to inject a massive, fatal dose of poison into an Upper Rank... Akira would absolutely never allow her to even entertain such a thought.
So, even if his words made her sad, he had to say them.
"You don't just have us, you know. You also have your parents. If that day ever truly comes, and something happens to all of us, at least..."
Before Akira could finish his grim sentence, Shinobu's small hand shot out and covered his mouth.
"Don't say such unlucky things!" she chided, her brow furrowed.
Akira smiled against her palm. "Alright, alright, I won't. We'll all be fine."
"Mm," she hummed, finally lowering her hand but not moving away.
Just as the two fell into a comfortable silence, leaning against each other under the night sky, a familiar figure appeared in the distance. It was Kanae. The mission she had been assigned was quite far, taking a full three days including travel time. Judging by the bright smile on her face, however, the results had been well worth the effort.
"Akira-kun, Shinobu, I have good news for you!" she called out as she approached.
"Sister! What is it?"
"Did you encounter a Lower Rank? You're not hurt, are you?"
While Shinobu was still asking questions, Akira had already guessed the answer. In a flash, he was in front of Kanae, his eyes scanning her for any sign of injury.
"I'm not hurt, Akira-kun," she said, her smile reassuring. "You should have faith in my strength."
"So," Akira pressed, his own smile beginning to form, "which Lower Rank was it?"
"Lower Rank Four," Kanae announced proudly. "She looked like a small girl with horns on her head. Her Blood Demon Art was creating vines to attack, but the power was mediocre."
She recounted the battle. "And she seemed to be inherently timid. After I easily sliced through her vines, she focused entirely on escaping, with no attempt to counterattack at all. I was actually worried it might be a trap when I was chasing her."
"But she didn't put up any real resistance, right up until I cut off her head."
"There's really a demon like that? And a Lower Rank, no less?" Shinobu said, a little surprised by the description.
Akira, however, showed little reaction. The specifics of the Lower Ranks weren't important; what mattered was that Kanae was unharmed. Still, if he remembered correctly, Lower Rank Four, Mukago, was indeed known for being exceptionally timid.
"In that case," a cheerful voice chimed in, "should we start preparing to address you as Flower Hashira-sama now?"
Makomo had also returned to the Butterfly Mansion during Kanae's story, and she couldn't resist teasing her friend.
"Makomo! Stop messing around," Kanae protested, her cheeks flushing slightly.
"Hehe~"
Not long after, their banter was interrupted by the cawing of a Kasugai Crow. It swooped down from the night sky, delivering the official notification for a Hashira Meeting.
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