A Word of Warning

At the Ubuyashiki estate.

The funeral for the previous master of the Demon Slayer Corps, who had died from the curse, had only recently concluded. The young new master carried hatred for Muzan and the determination to kill him in his heart.

After learning of Muzan's whereabouts, even though there had not been the slightest possibility of killing that demon in the future he had foreseen, he refused to give up. They had finally found that man's location after a hundred years—how could he give up?

Because of that demon, the Ubuyashiki Family had suffered under the curse generation after generation. His father had also passed away not long ago. How could he remain calm?

The members of the Demon Slayer Corps, grieving the death of their master, had grown even more hateful toward Muzan.

And so, a group of them had rushed over in a fit of hotheadedness.

But after the Ubuyashiki master, who had been keeping watch on the battlefield, belatedly learned of the situation through messenger crows, he finally realized his own foolishness.

Acting on a momentary impulse would make the Demon Slayer Corps members pay a heavy price for him...

Muzan was surprised to discover that among this generation's Hashira, there was someone who used Sun Breathing.

Yoriichi's grandson?

Not bad!

But although his grandson had inherited the powerful genes of the Tsugikuni Family, he was nowhere near Yoriichi's level. Muzan figured it was nothing worth mentioning~

Having grown tired of playing, Muzan kicked one Hashira away. He had held back somewhat, but it was still enough to leave him seriously injured.

Then he grabbed another Hashira and hurled him into the air. When he hit the ground, he lost his ability to fight.

At this sight, the only two remaining Hashira roared and charged at him. Muzan easily blocked their blades with his whip-like tendrils, brushed one aside, and slammed the other onto the ground.

Only Yoriichi's grandson remained. Considering that word of Yoriichi becoming a demon might affect the kid if it got out, Muzan did not mention it. Instead, he bound him with his tendrils and ignored his struggles as he patted his head.

"Tell Ubuyashiki not to disturb me. He can't afford the price of being so willful."

With that, he flung him aside.

Then he leisurely returned to the house and began packing his things.

What a joke. His home address had been discovered by his enemies—why would he stay here any longer?

He might as well pack up and leave early.

If he wanted a house, Yanagisawa Noriyuki could simply find him one.

The Demon Slayer Corps members could only watch in helpless fury as the Demon King packed his belongings and leisurely departed.

They were furious as hell!

Muzan found it regrettable too. After all, he had lived there for decades, perhaps even over a hundred years. He had developed some attachment to the place.

He needed to have Maruoka Gōnin and Maruoka Kinuko pull some strings and cause trouble for the Demon Slayer Corps.

For example, banning people from carrying swords without authorization and cracking down on civilian armed groups.

The shogunate was full of his people!

Could Muzan really fail to deal with the Demon Slayer Corps?!

But as long as he did not resolve himself to kill Ubuyashiki, the Demon Slayer Corps would not disappear.

Setting aside the fact that he would not lay hands on the family he had been born into in the Scum Boss's memories, he would not ruthlessly destroy a family as miserable as theirs.

So there really was nothing he could do about the Demon Slayer Corps for the time being.

Besides, the Demon Slayer Corps could help Muzan kill some Half-Demons. They were not completely useless.

They could even provide Yoriichi's grandson with an "employment opportunity." Big fog.

At the Ubuyashiki estate.

Three Hashira badly injured by Muzan, one lightly injured Hashira, and several ordinary Demon Slayers caught in the aftermath were sent over and laid out on a row of beds.

The young head of the Ubuyashiki Family visited everyone who had been injured because of his impulsiveness. He also learned of Muzan's warning and sank into guilt. The only thing he could be grateful for was that no one had died in this operation.

Although that was a good thing, he sensed that something was wrong and began looking through the family records.

After a day of research, Ubuyashiki discovered in surprise that ever since more than a hundred years ago, almost no one had died in every campaign to encircle the Demon King. At most, they had only been seriously injured.

Why?

In the future he foresaw, there was no chance to behead Muzan. Perhaps the task placed upon his shoulders was only to do everything he could to pass down this mission and create an opportunity for future generations to kill the Demon King.

Three years later,

One warm afternoon.

Muzan passed through Edo and decided to visit Haganezuka while he was there.

Strangely, he knocked on the door for quite a while, but no one came to answer. Finally, an elderly man nearby called out to him.

"Are you looking for Haganezuka?"

Muzan turned around and nodded. "Isn't he home?"

"That boy was taken away by people from the Soryu Dojo."

"What about his father?" Muzan pressed.

The old man answered, "His father went fishing. He won't be back until tonight. If you're looking for Haganezuka, you can go take a look at the Soryu Dojo."

"Thank you."

After thanking him, Muzan went looking for the nearby Soryu Dojo.

It seemed Haganezuka had already met Master Keizo and Koyuki.

After passing through this area, the district ahead became more prosperous, with many dojos having opened there. The Soryu Dojo occupied quite a large plot of land and stood in a conspicuous location, so Muzan found it without much effort.

The Soryu Dojo seemed somewhat deserted at the moment, with withered yellow leaves scattered outside its entrance.

Unlike the other dojos, sounds of sparring and conversation came from within. There was an advertisement for enrollment at the entrance, and people passed by from time to time, making the Soryu Dojo stand out somewhat.

People from several other dojos saw Muzan and assumed he had come to learn martial arts. One after another, they eagerly surrounded him, hoping to recruit him.

"The Soryu Dojo doesn't even have students. Come to ours instead!"

"That place is nothing special! Come to our swordsmanship dojo!"

Muzan was irritated, and his expression darkened. "Get lost!"

He let out a trace of his aura, and the group waving flyers and shouting around him froze. Frightened, they scattered at once.

They kept muttering under their breaths.

"If you don't want to look, then don't look. Why are you cursing at us..."

"So fierce..."

Muzan was truly annoyed by those people. Once he had gotten away from them, he headed for the Soryu Dojo and knocked on the door while standing outside its empty entrance.

Very soon, hurried footsteps sounded from within.

Creak—

The front gate opened. The person who opened it froze upon seeing Muzan outside, then his face immediately filled with delight.

"Doctor?!"

Muzan smiled. Haganezuka had grown a little taller by now and wore a white training uniform, but his appearance had not changed much.

"I was passing through and came to see you. How have you been lately?"

At his words, Haganezuka could not help thinking of Master Keizo and Koyuki. A smile unconsciously appeared on his face. Embarrassed, he scratched his head and glanced toward Koyuki, who was hiding behind the door and watching them.

Seeing that, Muzan leaned closer and patted him on the shoulder. "Not bad. Found yourself a girlfriend?"

"No..." Haganezuka hurriedly stepped back and waved his hands in a panic. "Koyuki is Master Keizo's daughter. I'm helping Master Keizo take care of Koyuki."

"Oh—"

Muzan gave an ambiguous response.

"Well, come in for a cup of tea. Besides, it's already evening."

Muzan shook his head. "No need. I have things to do. I was only stopping by to see you, but let me give you a warning—be careful of the nearby dojos. Don't let them poison you."

"?" Haganezuka froze. What did he mean?

He knew the other dojos had always disliked them somewhat, but poisoning?

"They can't handle you or your master, but they can still poison you. Protect Koyuki well. Especially at critical moments, don't let your guard down."

Muzan explained, then added, "All right, I'll be going."