The night was as dark as ink, and the evening breeze was gentle.
Perhaps his previous words had struck a chord, and Uzui Tengen also opened up.
"Father wanted us to be emotionless; he wanted a machine that only knew missions and killing."
"Those dehumanizing trainings, the endless slaughter, are still deeply etched in my memory."
...
After a long silence, Ryosuke sighed: "You had a very hard time before."
In the original story, Uzui Tengen's obsession with flamboyance was not innate.
Rather, it was a deliberate choice after he defected from his family.
Exaggerated and ostentatious, with the rebellion and chuunibyou of a teenager.
But wasn't this also his defiance against his past?
More than a machine, he longed to be a person.
Someone who would grieve and cry over the loss of companions, who would be angry when life was trampled upon.
A person with emotions, feelings, personality, flesh, and blood!
"You are remarkable, and very brave."
Ryosuke admired him from the bottom of his heart.
Resisting family, resisting fate, resisting patriarchy.
As is well known, both rogue ninja and genin are not simple.
They are all geniuses, good people, and pleasant to talk to.
Uzui Tengen smiled and shook his head: "But if I want to live flamboyantly with my three wives, it's much harder than I expected."
He swirled his sake cup: "Now I have to protect, to survive, to find new paths; every step is like walking a tightrope."
"Yes, I know, because simply being alive is already a huge gamble for some people."
Ryosuke's voice was calm, carrying a sense of strength forged through hardship.
"But as long as you hold the sword firmly in your hand and protect the people you want to protect, a path will always be carved out beneath your feet."
"Even if this path seems full of hardships, even if this path seems muddy and not flamboyant at all."
"Well said!"
Uzui Tengen looked at Ryosuke, then suddenly grinned, revealing an unrestrained and genuine smile.
"Then let's live flamboyantly together, and flamboyantly carve out a path!"
He raised his sake cup, lightly clinking it against the sake flask in Ryosuke's hand.
Ryosuke frowned, his voice very faint.
"So, are you joining the Demon Slayer Corps?"
"Yes."
Uzui Tengen nodded.
He was never a hesitant person; his answer was simple and direct.
Decisions were often made in an instant.
Even if countless hardships lay behind this decision, even if this decision led to another bloody path...
A few days later, at the Ubuyashiki residence.
Kagaya sat in a chair on the veranda, an ancient scroll spread open on his lap, the morning sun lazily falling on him, making even his brows and eyes seem gentle.
"Chirp—chirp chirp!"
A deep blue Hummingbird flew in and hovered in front of Kagaya.
"Thank you for your hard work."
Kagaya extended his palm, his voice as warm as jade.
The Hummingbird placed a paper tube in his palm, rubbed its head against his fingers, then, familiar with the routine, flew towards a small dish in the shadow of the veranda pillar.
There was always grain prepared for it there.
Kagaya unrolled the paper.
Ryosuke's handwriting wasn't very neat, even a bit messy and crooked.
"To Master Ubuyashiki Kagaya:
This is a report from G-rank Squad Member Yasui Ryosuke.
A new friend from a ninja family, Uzui Tengen, has arrived in Mount Peach.
He defected to protect his three wives from the family's shackles, encountered a demon along the way, and was rescued by me.
Tengen is immensely strong; though he has not learned a Breathing Technique, he can contend with a demon for a long time using only his physical combat skills and ninja tools, showing great potential, and his personality is... unique.
However, his resolve is firm, and his desire to protect the weak is fervent.
Ryosuke boldly recommends him and hopes Master Ubuyashiki Kagaya will consider his possibility of joining the Demon Slayer Corps.
Respectfully submitted by Yasui Ryosuke."
"Mount Peach again..."
A helpless smile sounded from behind him.
Amane knelt beside Kagaya, holding a cup of hot tea, her gaze sweeping over the letter in his hand.
"Mr. Ryosuke has found another special child for us."
Kagaya handed the letter to Amane, feeling quite emotional.
"Somehow, I always feel that Mr. Ryosuke's thoughts and perceptions on 'picking people up' perfectly align with mine."
"If I had met them, I would have said those words and done those things too."
...
Amane took the letter and quickly scanned it, her delicate brows subtly raising.
A ninja family... Uzui... that name is not small.
Uzui Tengen's ability to lead his three wives in defecting from the family shows extraordinary strength and decisiveness.
Amane chuckled softly.
"Mount Peach is really getting livelier."
"Liveliness is good."
Kagaya picked up his teacup and took a small sip.
"In an era of turmoil, one more like-minded person means one more glimmer of hope to break the chains of darkness. I look forward to meeting him."
Amane nodded slightly in agreement, then suddenly remembered something else.
"Speaking of the person Mr. Ryosuke recommended... Mr. Himejima's side, the Kakushi just sent back a message."
"Oh?"
"Mr. Himejima is very strong; after being exceptionally promoted to G-rank yesterday, he slayed several demons entrenched in an abandoned mine."
Amane paused: "It's just that when Mr. Himejima was slaying demons, he kept reciting scriptures and was constantly shedding tears."
Slaying while offering prayers for the dead?
Kagaya was silent for a moment, then let out a soft sigh.
"Killing to protect life, severing karma not people."
"The tears Mr. Himejima sheds are not a sign of weakness, but the anguish of great compassion in the flames of karma."
"After all, demons are souls fallen into darkness; they were human before."
"Precisely because he harbors such boundless compassion, every strike he delivers carries a burden and weight of karma far heavier than that of an ordinary swordsman."
Amane listened quietly, nodding helplessly.
"This compassion is both a strength and a shackles."
Kagaya agreed.
A thousand-year destiny, an entanglement through generations.
Each of them carried the same shackles.
It was precisely because the Demon Slayer Corps was composed of such people that they could continuously fight against fate, one after another, generation after generation.
"Reply to Mr. Ryosuke."
Kagaya's voice was faint, tinged with pleasure.
"Uzui Tengen, the Demon Slayer Corps welcomes his joining, and please trouble Mr. Kuwajima to guide him onto the path of Breathing Technique. As for Mr. Himejima..."
He paused, then spoke after a brief silence.
"Ensure that the Kakushi provide Mr. Himejima with the best possible treatment and rest. His body and spirit... are too burdened."
"Tell him that Ubuyashiki Kagaya empathizes with every soul he has offered prayers for."
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