Himejima was taken away.
As Ryosuke looked back, the little girl behind him was also nowhere to be seen.
He glared at the overturned wisteria incense burner in front of the temple gate, burning with rage.
Kaei Gaku!
The original story's first CS.
The shame of Thunder Breathing!
The shame of the Demon Slayer Corps!
The shame of the Upper Rank!
The only Upper Rank he fought seriously in the finale was instantly killed!
He's truly a rainbow! So colorful it's boundless!
A prime example of someone whose character matches their strength!
Last night, he stole money and was discovered by the other children and driven out. He encountered a demon and, to save his life, made a deal with the demon to overturn the wisteria incense burner, causing this tragedy!
He was also the culprit who turned into a demon before the finale, leading Master Jigorō to commit seppuku!
Now, this beast must have started his wandering life again, later to be rescued by Master Jigorō and taken as a disciple.
To prevent Master Jigorō from being heartbroken, Ryosuke secretly vowed to find Kaei Gaku in advance and kill him before everything happened!
However, the immediate priority was still to save Himejima Gyomei.
Ryosuke took out the simple paper and pen he carried with him and wrote a letter.
"To be opened by Master Ubuyashiki Kagaya personally:
Urgent report from Squad Member Yasui Ryosuke!
The tragic incident at Mt. Hinode temple in Tokyo Prefecture was not committed by the monk Himejima Gyomei.
The true culprit is a man-eating demon. Himejima fought bravely to protect the children and was injured.
The sole surviving child, traumatized, made a false accusation, leading to his mistaken arrest by the Government.
Himejima possesses immense strength and an unyielding will, making him a valuable asset in the fight against demons!
Please, Master Ubuyashiki Kagaya, quickly use the power of the Ubuyashiki Family to intercede and save his life at all costs!
For details, you can inquire with the local Hidden.
Most urgently!
Submitted by Yasui Ryosuke."
He rolled up the note and tucked it into the Hummingbird's claw.
"Go! Deliver this to Master Ubuyashiki Kagaya's hands as fast as possible!"
The Hummingbird flapped its wings, piercing through the morning light, and swiftly flew towards the Ubuyashiki main residence.
Ryosuke breathed a sigh of relief but did not return to Mt. Momoyama.
He searched Mt. Hinode thoroughly, inside and out.
As the saying goes, a thief doesn't come back empty-handed.
Ryosuke did not approve of making a trip out and having no gains.
He was very angry now!
Unless he killed a few demons and made them bow their heads, he couldn't vent his anger at all!
He might as well try his luck and see if he could find Kaei Gaku... Tokyo Prefecture Prison.
Kagaya and his wife, Amane, were led by a jailer through a long corridor and stopped in front of an iron door.
The cell was small, with seeping stone walls, making it unusually damp.
In the corner, a burly figure almost filled the narrow space.
Hearing someone approach, Himejima's body trembled slightly but he did not look up.
The jailer discreetly withdrew.
A strange silence fell within the cell, broken only by the crackling of a burning torch.
Kagaya took a soft breath and spoke first.
"Master Himejima."
Himejima looked up.
Kagaya's voice continued to flow, gentle and calm: "I know you are not a murderer."
"You are a protector, a warrior who fights to guard the innocent."
"The blood debt at the temple should not be borne by you."
"..."
Somehow, Himejima suddenly smiled, his hoarse voice squeezed from deep within his throat.
"This lord... before I was brought here... on that hellish morning..."
Himejima paused, then continued: "There was also someone... a young man who shouted the exact same words to me that you just did."
An eerie silence fell in the cell.
Kagaya was stunned.
Huh?
"The exact same words?"
"Yes."
Himejima nodded: "He told me to look up, saying I wasn't a murderer, that I was protecting humans, fighting for humans."
Kagaya's lips twitched.
No.
He said all my lines!
Is this, is this right?!
Without thinking, Kagaya knew who the young man Himejima spoke of was.
"Ryosuke, huh..."
Himejima smiled: "So he's called Ryosuke..."
"That voice, the owner of that voice that struck like thunder in the boundless injustice and darkness, is called Ryosuke."
Kagaya nodded, also feeling a bit helpless.
"Mr. Himejima, since you know to use wisteria incense to drive away demons, you must also know about the existence of the Demon Slayer Corps, right?"
"Naturally."
Himejima Gyomei nodded.
His lines having been stolen, Kagaya didn't beat around the bush and said calmly.
"I am Ubuyashiki Kagaya, the current Master of the Demon Slayer Corps. Mr. Himejima, would you be willing to join the Demon Slayer Corps?"
"..."
Himejima took a deep breath, slowly brought his manacled hands together.
He bowed his body and lowered his head in the direction of Kagaya's voice.
"Master Ubuyashiki Kagaya, I, Himejima Gyomei, pledge to join the Demon Slayer Corps! I vow to wield this broken body against demons to protect the innocent! Until this body burns to ash!"
The solemn oath echoed in the stone chamber.
"Good, the Ubuyashiki Family will clear your name."
Kagaya stepped forward and helped Himejima up.
With everything settled, the jailer unlocked the shackles, and the three left the prison together.
Kagaya frowned slightly, the name of that person constantly revolving in his mind.
"Ryosuke... Mr. Yasui is indeed an interesting person."
"Kagaya."
At this moment, Amane, who had been by Ubuyashiki Kagaya's side, leaned slightly and whispered.
"According to the information relayed by the Hidden, Yasui Ryosuke has not returned to Mt. Momoyama."
"Oh?"
Kagaya looked sideways.
Amane's voice carried confusion: "He has been lingering near Mt. Hinode, his movements unpredictable, but the Hidden observed him venturing deep into dangerous mountain forests multiple times. His intention... seems to be actively searching for demon traces to hunt them down."
Actively hunting?
Kagaya was stunned.
This young man has great resolve!
Kagaya's smile deepened.
The newly appointed Squad Members, when they receive their first few missions, are almost always anxious, even fearful.
In severe cases, they might even need psychological counseling before they can embark on another journey.
But Ryosuke was the complete opposite!
Instead of returning after completing a mission, he actively sought out demons to kill?
This demon-slaying spirit was so fervent it bordered on obsession, as if something was driving him to his death.
"It seems my intuition was correct."
Kagaya smiled, with strong anticipation: "Mr. Yasui will surely become a Pillar in the future. Master Jigorō has found a worthy successor."
Amane frowned and gazed intently.
"You think so highly of him?"
"My intuition has never been wrong."
... "Achoo! Who was talking about me?"
Ryosuke, who was investigating demon traces, sneezed.
Here, in the dense forest near Mt. Hinode, although it was midday, the light was blocked, making it very suitable for demons to hide.
Not far ahead, several blurry footprints came into view.
The shape of those footprints was distorted, definitely not human!
Found it!
Ryosuke was excited, gripping the long sword at his waist.
He slowly straightened up, not immediately giving chase.
His gaze followed the twisted trail of footprints, towards the impenetrable dark cave deep within the dense forest.
Hehehehe~
Got you, come out and get some sun, baby!
💎 Power Stone Bonus: Every 100 Power Stones = +1 Extra Chapter
🌟 5-Star Review Bonus: Every 5 (5-Star) Reviews = +2 Extra Chapters
💬 Comment Speed-Up: If any chapter reaches +10 Comments = The Next Chapter Will Be Released Faster!