Demon Slayer Corps Leader

After wandering around the residential area for a while, Kurozawa picked a house that looked agreeable and moved in.

His junior sister, Hanada Shizuka, did not want to keep running around, so she settled into the house beside his.

Nothing happened that night. Kurozawa fell asleep before nine, preparing for the next day's trial.

Although he was confident that the strongest Hand Demon on Mount Fujikasane would most likely be no match for him, being fully prepared and well-rested was never a bad thing.

At the highest point of Mount Fujikasane's residential area stood a large shrine-like complex spanning several hundred square meters.

More than a dozen official swordsmen stood at the entrance, their eyes sharp. Inside the shrine complex, from the gate all the way to the core building with its triangular roof at the front, more swordsmen kept watch in every direction with wary expressions.

Security here was extremely tight.

Inside the core building, Kocho Kanae sat respectfully on a small tatami mat. Across from her sat a man and a woman.

The woman was tall and beautiful, with an air of nobility that made it obvious she had not been born into an ordinary family.

Beside her was a man she gently supported. His appearance was somewhat unusual, with half his face disfigured.

Crisscrossing scars extended down from his forehead, nearly covering his eyes.

Those dense scars concealed the man's originally handsome features.

He was Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the Demon Slayer Corps Leader. The woman beside him was his wife, Amane Ubuyashiki.

"Kanae, did you see the swordsmen of this generation?"

Kagaya Ubuyashiki's voice was ethereal and relaxed, soothing to the ear.

Kocho Kanae nodded and smiled softly. "I ran into quite a few, and I saw one rather promising swordsman."

"Given time, the Demon Slayer Corps will gain another Pillar."

"Oh? If even you call him promising, Kanae, then he must have potential." Kagaya Ubuyashiki's tone carried a trace of surprise.

To earn the recognition of a Pillar, the pinnacle of swordsmen, meant he was far more than merely promising.

"Which lineage does he belong to?"

At that question, Kocho Kanae paused, then smiled helplessly. "I seem to have forgotten to ask his name. But judging from his aura, he practices Water Breathing."

"He is over six feet three, with rugged features and an exceptionally powerful physique. He gave me considerable pressure. I even saw the shadow of the Stone Pillar in him."

At this point, Kocho Kanae did not know that Kurozawa had put all his skill points into his physique, leaving his sword forms only barely passable.

"Then I know who it is."

"The Water Pillar's eldest disciple. I believe his name is Kurozawa Danryu. He is large in stature, but his talent supposedly isn't that good."

As the Demon Slayer Corps Leader, Kagaya Ubuyashiki knew many matters inside and out. He had once quietly observed Kurozawa as well, since he was the eldest disciple Sakonji Urokodaki had chosen to inherit his legacy.

However, after observing him for a time, he found that while Kurozawa possessed an excellent natural physique, his grasp of Breathing Techniques and sword forms was mediocre. He had also passed his golden age without entering Constant Concentration, so Kagaya had stopped watching him in secret.

"If he can make you feel pressured now, then he has at least crossed the threshold of a Pillar. Perhaps his efforts have finally borne fruit. There have been precedents."

"Yes, I sensed that he has fully mastered the Constant Concentration state of Breathing Techniques." Kocho Kanae nodded firmly.

For swordsmen, the golden period of training lay between the ages of eleven and twenty.

Some extraordinarily gifted swordsmen were highly compatible with Breathing Techniques and could gain immense strength within only a few months of first taking up a blade.

However, once swordsmen reached the fourth stage of Breathing Techniques, most of them stagnated, their strength no longer advancing.

Sakonji Urokodaki, for instance, became a Pillar at eighteen. That was the peak of his strength, and his condition steadily declined as he grew older.

Cases like Kurozawa's, where someone had already passed twenty before suddenly growing stronger, were rare, but they did exist.

There was one among the current Demon Slayer Corps, and he was the strongest of them all. From learning Breathing Techniques to becoming the Pillar Head of the Demon Slayer Corps, he took less than half a year.

"He really is somewhat similar to the Stone Pillar. He is worth cultivating."

As soon as Kagaya Ubuyashiki finished speaking, he suddenly frowned and began coughing.

Beside him, pain flashed through Amane Ubuyashiki's eyes. She hurriedly patted Kagaya Ubuyashiki's back gently, helping him steady his breathing.

The coughing lasted more than ten seconds. After it stopped, Kagaya Ubuyashiki drew a deep breath and smiled self-deprecatingly.

"A few years ago, I could still spar with all of you and even carry out Demon Slaying Missions. But now... I can no longer use Breathing Techniques."

Kocho Kanae looked worried. "My lord, shall I take my leave first? You should rest."

Kagaya Ubuyashiki waved his hand, dispelling the gloom from his face. His expression returned to calm as he glanced at Amane Ubuyashiki beside him, then said, "No need. Whether I rest or not makes no difference. Unless the curse is lifted, this body will not live past thirty."

His condition worsened by the day. The curse had now spread toward his eyes. Perhaps in a few years, perhaps in a few days, he would no longer be able to see this beautiful world.

"Kurozawa Danryu. I will remember that name."

"Kanae, notify the Kakushi before you leave. Once Kurozawa Danryu becomes a swordsman, assign him more difficult Demon Slaying Missions."

"Ah? All right..." Kocho Kanae's small mouth fell open slightly before she agreed somewhat guiltily.

Even if she refused, the Corps Leader would have someone else relay the order later. The result would be the same.

However, kind-hearted Kanae felt that because she had mentioned Kurozawa, the Corps Leader had taken notice of him. She felt a little guilty.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki made difficult Demon Slaying Missions sound simple, but Kocho Kanae knew those few words were filled with bloodshed and danger.

Because she herself had come through the same path.

Kocho Kanae did not believe that because she had endured countless hardships and become a Demon Slayer Pillar, others could do the same.

She had seen many people more talented than herself who had joined a Demon Slaying Mission somewhere and never returned.

Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen never knew whether tomorrow or death would arrive first.

"Next, tell me. Have you found any signs of the Upper Moons' activity?"

"Yes, there are some leads. Large numbers of people have gone missing in Lotus Town, Autumn Leaf Town, and Jujube Forest Town. Judging by the number of disappearances, it may be demons that have lost their reason, or perhaps Upper Moons with enormous appetites."

"Continue the investigation. If we can find the Upper Moons' location, we may have a chance to lure Muzan Kibutsuji out through them."

"Understood. Once my sister's trial is over, I will first go take a look at Autumn Leaf Town."

Muzan Kibutsuji was recorded by the Demon Slayer Corps as the Demon Progenitor.

No one had ever seen his or her true appearance. At intervals, Muzan Kibutsuji would change identities, assume another appearance, and live in the human world.

Behind that peaceful life lay countless hidden corpses.

The Demon Slayer Corps had tracked Muzan Kibutsuji's trail for a long time, but many times, by the time they reached a suspected location, Muzan Kibutsuji had already vanished, leaving behind only towns or cities where the number of missing people had suddenly surged.

Meanwhile, Kurozawa, sleeping soundly, sneezed groggily.

"Hm? I think I dreamed that some fairy wanted to harm me."

After dazing for a moment, Kurozawa plunged back under the blankets, completely unaware that the Demon Slayer Corps Leader had already set his sights on him.