"While I hold Master in the highest regard!" Hanyu Ichiyo declared loudly, "I utterly reject this stance! The Demon Slayer Corps' duty is to slay evil demons—and now we're expected to acknowledge them?! This is utter nonsense!"
"Though I can't stand Mr. Ichiyo at all, I fully agree with him this time," said the Golden Pillar, Keijin, tugging at his hair. "Demons are fundamentally creatures incapable of communication. Those who can communicate possess extremely powerful Blood Demon Arts. Only powerful demons can awaken Blood Demon Arts, and to become powerful, they must consume vast amounts of flesh. Ultimately, demons are untrustworthy. Therefore, I also firmly oppose this."
"I stand with master Ichiyo!" Sound Pillar Ibuki Kazuma puffed out his cheeks. "You can't trust demons!"
"While I also distrust demons, I agree with the Master this time." Wind Pillar Yato lowered his gaze. "A demon that can maintain self-control even when starving and faced with rare blood at least has research value."
"If what Mr. Yato says holds true, then I concur," said the Mist Pillar, Yakushi Sakura, with a gentle smile. "After all, if we have a demon willing to cooperate with research, it would surely help our Swordsmen refine their techniques—making them sharper and more decisive when slaying demons."
"My opinion aligns with Mr. Yato's, though I believe it necessary to retest Mr. Hiru," declared Mr.Iwayuki, towering a head above the others even while half-kneeling. "We must confirm that Mr. Hiru poses no threat to humans."
"I fully submit to the Master's decision," Water Pillar Oborozuki bowed respectfully. "Moreover, Mr. Hiru is not a lost soul—he is not one of those irredeemable demons."
"Mr. Hiru is a man of extraordinary talent!" Rengoku Tetsushiro raised his head, his voice booming. "I wholeheartedly support the Master's decision!"
"Mr. Rengoku, that's an evil spirit—an evil spirit, you understand?" Keijin raised a hand to his lips as if whispering, though his voice was loud enough for all to hear. "They ceased being human long ago. To them, humans are food, you know?
While I deeply respect the Yoriichi-sama you always speak of—truly, I even have a certain fondness for him—I simply cannot place any trust in evil spirits."
"Mr. Hiru is different!"
"Rengoku, you're being utterly unreasonable! Demons deserve to die with their heads severed!"
As the group threatened to erupt into argument, Ubuyashiki Asahi's eyes softened with sorrow, his voice remaining calm and gentle. "Please, everyone, calm yourselves."
All the Pillars bowed their heads once more.
"Does Mr. Yoriichi have anything to say?"
Yoriichi finally lifted his head, meeting the gaze of Ubuyashiki Asahi—a young man already burdened with immense responsibility—with quiet remorse in his eyes. "Hiru has never eaten a human. If he ever does, I will personally slay him. That is beyond question."
"You're brothers, aren't you? Frankly, even you're hard to trust!" Hanyu Ichiyo glared fiercely at Yoriichi. "And as the founding swordsman, your household has produced two demons?! You should commit seppuku for this!"
"Agreed, agreed," Keijin nodded gravely. "But I'd rather he kept slaying more demons. After all, Yoriichi-sama is an exceptional swordsman—it would be a shame for him to die like that."
And using excuses like 'he hasn't eaten anyone yet' is far too flimsy."
"His brother's already a demon—what's to say he won't become one too?" Ibuki Kazuma snorted. "We should execute them all right now!"
"What are you babbling about, you ugly little runt?"
The Pillar, who had been on the verge of another argument, abruptly fell silent. They turned toward Hiru, who had spoken for the first time since the meeting began. Instinctively, they compared their heights, and their gazes inevitably settled on the smallest among them—Ibuki Kazuma.
"Stop staring. I'm talking to you, you stupid dwarf." Hiru lifted his chin, eerie markings beginning to crawl across his face. "I really can't stand listening to this anymore. It's making me so furious I could tear you apart."
"Huh?" Kazuma shot him a glance. "Go ahead—try it if you dare."
"You think I haven't acted for no reason?" Hiru's eyes narrowed, gray seeping into his pupils. "If I hadn't promised Mr. Iwayuki not to use Blood Demon Art in front of Mr. Ubuyashiki, you'd already be a pile of sludge on the floor, you insolent brat."
"Hah? You're nothing but a filthy demon! Come at me if you dare—I'll cut you down myself!"
"You? Even a hundred more years of training wouldn't be enough to sever my neck!"
"Then try it!"
"Hiru! That's enough!"
"Kazuma! Don't shout before the Master!"
Hiru fell silent, though the demonic aura around him still surged. His gray eyes locked unblinking on Ibuki Kazuma, and Yoriichi—standing beside him—could still hear the faint grinding of his teeth.
Ubuyashiki Asahi observed the tension hanging in the air, his hands curling slightly into fists.
[Did I make a mistake?]
[I'm still nowhere near Father's level.]
[What would Father have done?]
In the heavy silence that followed, Hiru spoke again. "Besides, compared to me, your Master is the more suspicious one, isn't he?"
This time, even Rengoku Tetsushiro's expression turned serious. "Mr. Hiru, please take that back!"
"I'm not lying." Hiru crossed his arms, standing half a step behind Yoriichi as he exhaled deeply to steady himself. "Behind your Master stands a shadow—one that looks exactly like Muzan Kibutsuji."
The Pillars unfamiliar with Hiru's special vision were dumbfounded. Rengoku quickly stepped in to explain the situation to them.
Yoriichi, meanwhile, looked at Hiru with visible surprise before furrowing his brow slightly. "Hiru, you shouldn't say things like that carelessly."
"I didn't make it up." Hiru's voice softened as he dismissed the demon traits from his body, a faint trace of hurt crossing his face. "It really looked the same. Why doesn't even my brother believe me?"
If Hiru had a tail, it would have drooped low in dejection.
"Everyone, there's no need for concern," Ubuyashiki Asahi said calmly. "After hearing Mr. Rengoku's explanation, I understand. If Mr. Hiru had seen someone else, I might have doubted him. But if it was Muzan Kibutsuji... then it must be true."
All the swordsmen bowed half-kneeling, gazing up at Ubuyashiki Asahi, waiting quietly for his explanation.
After taking a breath to steady himself, Ubuyashiki Asahi began, "Muzan Kibutsuji did not originally bear the Kibutsuji name. His true lineage was Ubuyashiki. He was, in fact, an ancestor of our Ubuyashiki clan. Though the reasons for his transformation into a demon remain unknown, this is undeniably a sin borne by our family.
"On behalf of the entire Ubuyashiki clan, I offer our sincerest apologies. Truly, we are deeply sorry."
"Please raise your head, Master!"
"This is not your sin!"
"You need not apologize, Master!"
Ubuyashiki Asahi lifted his head, meeting the swordsmen's gazes with serene determination. "There's no need to deny it. As long as the Ubuyashiki family endures, we will continue to organize generation after generation to pursue Muzan Kibutsuji—until he is completely destroyed.
This is our mission."
"Your resolve is admirable," Hiru said, lowering his head slightly. "But... you probably won't live long, will you?" He paused, feeling the others' hostility and softened his tone. "Everyone I've seen with a shadow behind them doesn't live long."
"Yes. I'll likely only live to the age of thirty," Ubuyashiki Asahi replied calmly. "Because our clan gave birth to Muzan Kibutsuji, the men of the Ubuyashiki line are cursed to die before twenty. Only through our marriage alliance with a family of Shinto priests have we managed to extend our fragile lives to thirty.
"This is divine punishment—punishment for the Ubuyashiki clan's failure to prevent the birth of a demon who brings harm to others."
"If that's the case," Hiru lowered his head, thoughtful for a moment before suddenly letting out a quiet laugh, "then this god of yours... truly is laughable."