"You curse the descendants who seek to end Muzan's evil, yet spare the one who birthed it?"
Hiru's face twisted with scorn.
"What kind of god takes delight in such cruelty?"
Ubuyashiki Asahi was rendered speechless by Hiru's words, merely biting his lip and clutching the hem of his robe.
[Indeed, why does the divine being not punish the wicked Muzan, but instead target them?]
"You bastard!" Hanyu Ichiyo leapt to his feet, drawing his sword. "Do you take pleasure in tormenting others?"
"If he can't even stand firm in his own convictions, swayed by a few words from me, how can you trust him to lead you forward?" Hiru sighed. "Truth be told, it's far too harsh to burden a child who just lost his father with such a heavy responsibility."
"Oh my, oh my," Keijin said, still smiling and sounding lighthearted as he slowly rose, his hand already on his sword hilt. "Doesn't this demon realize who's responsible for all this?"
"Heh... Why? Because of your incompetence, of course." Hiru scoffed. "Even the children of the Ubuyashiki household understand the root causes of these events, yet you Hashira, who boast of your martial prowess, remain blind... Shouldn't you be the ones committing seppuku?
The Demon Slayer Corps was attacked because you failed to recognize true talent and neglected your defenses—not because my brother guided people onto the path of slaying demons. Weren't you all quite happy when he stood alongside you?
As for Muzan Kibutsuji's escape, it's because you failed to gather intelligence on him for centuries, leading to sluggish coordination and no reinforcements. Yet you dare blame my brother for negligence?
Stop making me laugh. What gives you the right to accuse him? Your own ignorance and incompetence?"
"Hiru, enough." Yoriichi cut him off before he could say more. "Muzan Kibutsuji did escape because of my negligence. The thought that countless more will die because of him for years to come weighs heavily on my conscience. This blame is mine to bear."
"This isn't something you can resolve by taking the blame alone." Hiru sighed. "When Muzan fled, he split into over eighteen hundred fragments in an instant. You struck hundreds of blows in that same instant, shattering roughly fifteen hundred of those fragments. Ultimately, who among us possessed that kind of power?
As demon slayers, their hostility toward demons and their harsh words toward me are normal, even reasonable. Sometimes I myself feel demons deserve death no matter what. But what right do they have to blame you for something they themselves couldn't achieve?
To casually say 'It's all your negligence' and shift all the blame onto you, to accuse you with such ease—isn't that utterly ridiculous?"
Ubuyashiki Asahi suppressed his inner turmoil and lifted his head again. "This is my fault. I failed to keep the Swordsmen in check. I am deeply—"
"You don't need to apologize," Hiru interrupted. "You shouldn't have let my words shake your resolve or even consider apologizing for it.
Unless your mission ends here, only then should you bow your head in gratitude to those who walked this path with you.
Remember: you are the leader. You are the one who guides others forward. Among all of us, you alone must never waver in your resolve."
"...Huh?" The sudden lecture left Ubuyashiki Asahi visibly stunned.
But Hiru no longer looked at him, instead turning to the Hashira. "At the end of the day, you lot just don't believe I wouldn't eat people, right? Then let's test it.
Hmm, judging by the scent, besides Mr. Yato, Miss Yakushi also has Rare Blood. Why not have both of you bleed together? Double the Rare Blood should prove it sufficiently, right?
Anyway, test however you like. Hurry up and finish this tedious trial so we can move on. Time isn't meant to be wasted like this."
"This is truly..." Yakushi Sakura covered her mouth with her hand. "I used a large amount of medicine to mask it. Could you really smell it?"
"I could even smell the substantial amount of wisteria you used," Hiru sighed. "And there's also the incense my brother gave the Demon Slayer Corps earlier. That's been burning continuously, right? You don't seem as tolerant of demons as you appear to be.
Too bad, though. Years of experimentation have made me quite resistant to wisteria. Especially using my own stuff against me—don't you think that's a bit foolish?"
"Heh... What if it worked? Worth a shot, right?" Yakushi Sakura smiled sweetly, bowed to Ubuyashiki, then stood up. "After all, I'm curious what kind of power a demon capable of deceiving Mr. Rengoku possesses. So, Mr. Yato, would you mind accompanying me for the test?"
Yato also stood up, muttering, "Women really are terrifying..."
"Oh dear, did Mr. Yato say something?"
"Nothing at all."
"That quick denial is suspicious~"
As the two stood, the surrounding Hashira instinctively rose and stepped back.
Yoriichi glanced at Hiru with a hint of worry, but ultimately retreated as well—he trusted Hiru.
"So how do you plan to proceed?" Hiru observed the pair before him. "Incidentally, Miss Yakushi smells far sweeter than Mr. Yato."
"Thank you for the compliment." Sakura Yakushi drew her blade with a smile, pointing it at Hiru. "But rather than that simple test, I'm more curious to see if Mr. Hiru can remain calm when facing rare blood after his ferocity is unleashed. Be careful not to let me slice your neck, okay?"
Yato: ...Women really are terrifying.
Hiru narrowed his eyes, then chuckled softly. "Alright. I'm also curious about my true combat strength. Let's give it a try."