"Your Majesty, please don't refuse..." Kagaya bowed again, his voice filled with admiration.
"No need." Tetsuhiro waved a hand. "As I said earlier, I control five other worlds. Do you think I need that little bit of money of yours?"
"Very well..." Kagaya could only comply, trying to calm his wildly pounding heart.
He actually commands such a terrifying force. Just how powerful is he himself? I actually tried to play games with him. Could he have found out? Could those other powerful figures he mentioned be just as terrifying?
The more Kagaya thought about it, the more alarmed he became. His heart refused to settle.
"Every member of the Demon Slayer Corps is willing to serve Your Majesty unto death!"
Caw, caw...
At its orders, the Kasugai Crow flew out the window.
"We will serve Your Majesty unto death!" Outside, the Demon Slayer Corps members and the Hashira shouted in unison. Their voices shook the heavens, filled with unprecedented resolve!
"Good, good, good. Everyone, rise." Tetsuhiro was very pleased, but then changed tack. "But let me make this clear first. Your selection process and training methods are far too rigid and extreme. They affect humanity's overall ability to reproduce and are terrible for the body's potential. Once those hidden ailments flare up, they can prove fatal!"
With a bitter smile, Kagaya explained the truth. "It pains me deeply to see the children suffer, too. But rather than let demons slaughter them mercilessly later, we use the most brutal methods to produce people with genuine strength. We really don't have much time left...
"Muzan has fully recovered, and the Upper Rank demons are beginning to take shape as a force. If we let them keep growing, the consequences will be unthinkable!"
"I could only steel myself..." At that point, tears