Demon Slayer: Starting with the Great Swordmaster System, My Master Is Tsugikuni

If they had a choice, they would not have wanted to cross blades with Yoriichi.

Before long, the group left the bamboo grove.

Several days later, they appeared at Ubuyashiki Waya's residence.

"Please wait here for a moment."

Mengyin led Mister Scribe and the others into a reception room before leaving to notify Waya.

However, the moment Mengyin left, the Wind Hashira could no longer sit still.

He rose to his feet and began accusing Mister Scribe and Yoriichi.

His words spared them no courtesy, as though he had completely ignored the contributions the two had made to the Demon Slayer Corps.

From the Wind Hashira's words, Mister Scribe could hear many things.

Most obvious of all was that he wanted Yoriichi and him to take responsibility.

For failing to defeat Muzan, letting the female demon Tamayo go, and Yoriichi's elder brother Katsumi becoming a demon.

"You should be stripped of your identity as a Demon Slayer!"

His face flushed red, the Wind Hashira roared at Yoriichi.

Moreover, the Stone Hashira and Rumble Hashira stood beside the Wind Hashira, expressing their agreement with his opinion.

Kyōjurō's expression was somewhat conflicted, but he did not speak up in objection.

As for the Water Hashira, Inoue Mie, and the others, they did not dare say a single word, all turning their heads in other directions.

Seeing his respected master being insulted like this, no matter how good-tempered Mister Scribe believed himself to be, he could no longer remain seated.

Just as he was about to rise and retort to the Wind Hashira, a hand pressed him back down.

"Master."

Facing his disciple's confusion, Yoriichi merely shook his head slightly.

"This time, I have implicated you."

After saying that, Yoriichi slightly lowered his head toward the Wind, Stone, and Rumble Hashira.

"We are willing to bear all responsibility."

Without saying much else, Yoriichi silently endured punishments that should never have been his to bear.

Perhaps, from the moment he made defeating Muzan his life's goal, none of these things mattered anymore.

The only thing that worried him was likely his disciple.

Although Yoriichi was willing to accept being stripped of his identity as a Demon Slayer, the Wind Hashira and the others did not seem satisfied.

Whenever they saw Yoriichi's calm expression, they felt as though he had no intention of repenting or admitting his mistake.

"What use is merely accepting it?"

"You should atone to all those who died and will die because of demons. They will all die because you went softhearted!"

"You should commit seppuku!"

The moment he heard those words, veins bulged sharply on Mister Scribe's forehead.

If Yoriichi had not kept holding him down, he would likely have already drawn his blade and confronted the Wind Hashira.

Seeing that Yoriichi and Mister Scribe still had no reaction, the Wind Hashira refused to let the matter rest and wanted to continue condemning them.

Just then, a voice came from outside the door.

The door was pushed open, and Ubuyashiki Waya, the current Master of the Demon Slayer Corps, entered.

"Master."

After receiving everyone's bows, Waya took his seat at the head of the room.

Mengyin sat beside him, acting as his assistant.

"I saw and heard everything that happened just now."

The moment those words were spoken, the Wind Hashira's expression changed drastically.

Just as he was about to say something, Waya stopped him.

"I know you were only acting in anger, with the Demon Slayer Corps' interests at heart."

After saying this, Waya turned his gaze toward Mister Scribe and Yoriichi.

"Mr. Yoriichi, Mr. Scribe, do you have anything to say?"

The two said nothing, merely shaking their heads slightly.

"Since that is the case, then as the Master of the Demon Slayer Corps, I will announce the judgment for Yoriichi and Mister Scribe, master and disciple."

The moment his words fell, everyone's attention in the room was immediately drawn to him.

The Wind Hashira's group, whose minds had been clouded by anger and who desperately wanted to eradicate demons.

Kyōjurō, Inoue Mie, and the others, who for various reasons were unwilling to say much.

Yoriichi remained silent, having long since prepared himself mentally.

Mister Scribe secretly tensed his body, ready to go berserk at any sign of trouble.

Their punishment of seppuku was waived!

The Wind Hashira beside them immediately looked displeased upon hearing this.

Master! This—

This is my decision. If my father were here, he would agree as well, wouldn't he?

At the mention of his father, Waya's eyes reddened slightly.

No matter what, he was only six years old.

A six-year-old child who had only recently lost his father, whose heart was still lost and fragile, yet who still worried about the safety of the two before him.

Even if they were spared the death penalty, they could no longer hunt demons as Demon Slayer Corps Swordsmen!

Though he still felt somewhat indignant, the Wind Hashira accepted Waya's decision, merely adding his own condition at the end.

We'll leave at once.

Yoriichi stood and led Mister Scribe toward the door.

The moment he pushed it open, he suddenly stopped.

Turning around, Yoriichi looked at Ubuyashiki Waya.

Your father would be proud of who you are now.

With that, the two left the residence.

After hearing those words, Waya, whose eyes had already been red, could no longer suppress his emotions.

He dropped to his knees and bowed deeply in the direction Yoriichi and Mister Scribe had gone.

Mister Yoriichi, Mister Scribe, thank you.

May your martial fortunes flourish.

Unfortunately, Yoriichi and Mister Scribe could no longer hear those words.

After leaving the residence, they returned to their little house and began packing their belongings.

Yoriichi had very little to pack—only a few simple clothes and daily necessities.

As for Mister Scribe, he simply tucked his Nichirin Blade at his waist, and that was everything.

After all, the two of them had more than enough ability to support themselves.

All packed?

After bundling everything up, Yoriichi walked over to Mister Scribe and asked.

Yeah. There's nothing here worth missing.

Just as Mister Scribe said, as long as he could stay with Yoriichi, he could accept anything.

After this incident, he realized that there were many different factions within the Demon Slayer Corps.

Perhaps the Demon Slayer Corps centuries later would not have such issues, but as things stood now, Mister Scribe no longer wanted to remain here.

Just as he was about to close the door and leave, Mister Scribe suddenly paused.

Then he rushed into his room, seeming to have remembered something.

In the end, Mister Scribe came out holding a small box.

Inside were seven utterly ordinary sheets of paper.

Drawn on them were none other than Mister Scribe and Yoriichi.

One showed Mister Scribe after Yoriichi had found him, sound asleep in his arms.

Another showed Mister Scribe after he had learned to walk on his own, practicing his sword swings.

Without a doubt, these seven sheets of paper were a condensed record of the seven years Mister Scribe and Yoriichi had spent together.

I nearly forgot this.

Mister Scribe tucked the little box into his robe, a faint smile appearing on his face.

Everything else could be thrown away, but he could not forget these seven sheets of paper.

After packing up, Yoriichi took Mister Scribe to the Rengoku Family before departing.

After meeting Rengoku Shinjurō and Rengoku Kyōjurō, Yoriichi expressed his apologies to them.

Not only that, he also gave them a verbal account of his battle with Kibutsuji Muzan.

This was all he could do now.

After leaving the Rengoku Family, Yoriichi and Mister Scribe headed toward the exit of the Demon Slayer Corps.

Along the way, whenever the Demon Slayer Corps Swordsmen encountered them, they stepped aside to clear a path.

The news that the master and disciple had failed to kill the Female Demon, let her go, and allowed their relative to become a demon had already spread throughout the entire Corps.

Although no one rushed forward to do anything, they could not hide the fury and disdain in their eyes.

"Scribe, I hope you won't come to resent the Demon Slayer Corps because of this."

Yoriichi, walking ahead, suddenly spoke. It seemed as though he was comforting Scribe, yet also entrusting something to him.

"After I die, there will be only one inheritor of Sun Breathing left. The burden of defeating Muzan will fall upon your shoulders."

"If the Demon Slayer Corps encounters any disaster in the future, I hope you can help them as much as possible."

After hearing Yoriichi's words, Scribe neither spoke nor nodded.

This was the first time he had shown no outward response to Yoriichi's words.

When they left the Demon Slayer Corps, they were even ordered to surrender their Nichirin Blades.

In their eyes, those were weapons provided by the Demon Slayer Corps.

Since Yoriichi and Scribe had been expelled from the Demon Slayer Corps, they no longer had the right to possess Nichirin Blades.

Just as the situation reached a stalemate, Kyōjurō appeared and stated that the two of them could take their Nichirin Blades with them.

"This is the last thing I can do for you."

Leaving behind those words, he turned and walked away.

Watching Rengoku Kyōjurō's retreating figure, Scribe froze slightly.

Tōshirō would probably have been pleased to see this.

And so, Scribe and Yoriichi left the Demon Slayer Corps and began their long journey to find Muzan.

They had once ventured deep into desolate mountains untouched by human presence, all to verify a local legend.