The curtain fell

Two months flew by amid the whistling of a whip, the sounds of villagers laboring, and the despairing whimpers of three demons in the shadows.

The special medicinal field was now covered in Dragon Blood Flowers, their thick, full petals as crimson as blood.

They radiated vigorous vitality in the sunlight, and a refreshing fragrance filled the air.

Even the last few stubborn believers in the true god finally regained clarity in their eyes after intensive labor reform and exposure to the blazing sun.

Only after two months did the mission in Suzuran Town finally reach a truly successful conclusion.

Kirishima Bupai strolled over to the patch of red flowers and nodded in satisfaction.

"Pick them, dry them, press them into tea cakes, and make the packaging nice," he instructed several villagers. "Put together ten portions of the very best and wrap them up for me."

He intended to send these to Oyakata-sama, hoping they could curb that bone-deep curse a little.

"Caw!"

The Kasugai Crow on his shoulder suddenly hopped up, its little eyes gleaming slyly. "Lord Void Hashira! Excellent idea! But just sending flowers would be so boring! Look..."

It pointed a wing toward several villagers in the distance who were watching Kirishima with reverence, their eyes full of gratitude.

"Take a few representatives along! Have them tell Lord Ubuyashiki, with feeling and vivid detail, how you descended like a god to save them from their suffering..."

"And tell him how the whole town is eternally grateful to you and bows down before you! Caw, caw!"

"That way, those other Hashira-the Flame Hashira, Water Hashira, Insect Hashira... let's see if they still dare call you flippant!"

"I guarantee their impression of you will do a complete one-eighty! They'll hold you up as a role model! Caw, caw, caw!"

At these words, the corner of Kirishima Bupai's mouth twitched.

He glanced at the crow as though it were an idiot. "You're so noisy! Great suggestion. Never make it again! How the other Hashira see me-is that important?"

"It's not like they're feeding me. Why would I need their approval?"

He pressed his lips together, paused, and pointed at several villagers in the distance who instinctively ducked their heads at the sight of him carrying his whip. He scoffed. "Besides, they've had plenty of lashes these past two months, haven't they?"

"They're probably itching to report me for unlawful corporal punishment! Eternally grateful, my ass!"

Just then, two villagers carrying baskets filled with fresh Dragon Blood Flowers happened to pass by and overheard the latter half of the conversation.

They exchanged a glance, set down their baskets, and cautiously approached.

One of them, a slightly older man with a faint whip mark still on his face, rubbed his hands together and said with an ingratiating smile, "Lord Void Hashira, how could you say that...? We... we wouldn't dare!"

"If it weren't for you, we'd still be muddling along in that demonic cult! We... we were just thinking, wouldn't flowers alone be too meager a gift?"

"How about... we pack some top-quality matsutake and morels we just picked from the mountain behind town?"

"They're real mountain delicacies! We'll deliver them to that lord ourselves and tell him all about your kindness!"

At that, the younger man beside him hurriedly nodded as well. "Yes, yes! We could never thank you enough! We'll go ourselves!"

Kirishima Bupai raised a hand to stop them, his tone level. "No need. Hand everything over to the Kakushi. They'll take care of it."

Then he changed the subject, his gaze behind his sunglasses abruptly sharpening as it swept over the pair. "By the way, those churches... you burned them all down, right? You didn't secretly stash away any scriptures, portraits, tokens, or anything like that, did you?"

He tilted his head slightly, his voice carrying a hint of dangerous amusement. "You know, I despise people who pray to gods and Buddhas and dabble in crooked practices more than anything."

Both villagers shuddered under his gaze, their hair standing on end.

The terror of living under the whip and the agony of being purified by sunlight over the past two months instantly flashed through their minds.

They immediately shook their heads like rattles, their faces instantly shifting into expressions of shared fury as they cursed in unison:

"Of course not, Lord Void Hashira! Those harmful things were burned to nothing! We didn't leave so much as a brick!"

"Exactly! Why would we keep them? Pah! Fuck the Eternal Paradise Cult!"

"It was immoral bullshit! Nothing but stinking sewer rats who specialized in deceiving and harming people!"

"That's right! If it weren't for you, Lord Void Hashira, they would've gnawed us down until not even bone fragments were left! If anyone dares mention that demonic cult again, I'll be the first to dig into them with a hoe!"

The two played off each other, their tones so fierce, their expressions so bitter...

Only after watching their strenuous roaring did Kirishima Bupai nod in satisfaction.

He withdrew his scrutinizing gaze, and the faintest hint of a curve seemed to touch his lips. "All right. Get back to work."

Not far away, several members of the Kakushi Squad were already packed and ready to leave.

The cases they carried contained not only beautifully packaged Dragon Blood Flower tea cakes, but also several thick stacks of organized files.

They detailed the Eternal Paradise Cult's bases throughout Suzuran Town and the surrounding area, its methods of proselytizing, its membership lists, and a complete report on the incident.

The entire town was back on track, and their mission was over. It was time to return to headquarters and report.

In the morning light...

With his gleaming cowhide whip slung over his shoulder, Kirishima Bupai used a chain to drag the three permanent demon drudges, who had lost all will to live in the shadows, out into the sun.

Under the villagers' respectful and grateful gazes, he let the three demons turn to ash, then left without looking back.