For most swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps, the reason they joined was usually because their loved ones had died horribly at the hands of demons, or because the happiness they once possessed had been destroyed by demons. They entered the Corps with an overwhelming hatred for demons, either for revenge, or to keep that same happiness from being destroyed again.
But Mitsuri Kanroji was different.
Mitsuri Kanroji had a very happy family. Her household was well-off, and her family loved her dearly. Even when she ate one hundred and seventy sakura mochi over eight consecutive months, her doting mother did not stop her, and her family never disliked her simply because she had been born with extraordinary strength.
Even when Mitsuri herself worried that she would never be able to marry, her father would smile and tell her that, at worst, she could simply stay at home forever.
The only unpleasant experience she had encountered was the trouble that came with a matchmaking meeting, where the other party had looked down on her for how much she ate and even spoken harshly to her.
In truth, after being rejected at that matchmaking meeting, Mitsuri Kanroji realized that she ought to find a way to hide everything about herself. And so, she dyed her hair black and forced herself to endure her desire to eat, starving herself until she grew dizzy and lightheaded. In front of outsiders, she pretended to be weak and delicate.
Because of these disguises, it did not take long before a man expressed his desire to marry her.
That time, Mitsuri Kanroji, having carefully hidden everything, met with that man. The other party seemed to admire her greatly, but at that very moment, Mitsuri felt uncomfortable all over. Her heart felt as if it were about to stop beating, as though it had been twisted into a tight knot.
Was she supposed to keep pretending forever?
At that moment, Mitsuri Kanroji felt that this version of herself was not the real her at all. Gaining someone else's approval through disguise, having them not despise her only because of a false image, was not real in the slightest.
She was, by nature, a girl with an astonishing appetite and tremendous strength. Forcing herself to suppress her hunger, even pretending that she was physically weak—none of that was who she truly was.
She did not want to spend her whole life playing a role that did not belong to her.
What she wanted was for someone to accept her exactly as she was—not the disguised version she had grown used to presenting. By chance, she had encountered the Demon Slayer Corps and hoped to find a good husband there: someone stronger than herself, someone who could protect her, someone who wouldn't mind how much she ate or how powerful she was.
And the man before her—Soma—was tall and handsome, stronger than she was, and didn't mind her large appetite at all. Although he hadn't yet seen her true strength, his gentle nature suggested he probably wouldn't mind that either.
In Mitsuri Kanroji's eyes, every inch of him seemed to radiate the words "good husband."
It made Mitsuri Kanroji feel her heart beating very fast.
"You ate so much. Have some water."
Soma poured a cup of hot water and handed it over.
To him, it was a casual expression of concern, something one friend might say to another, but to Mitsuri Kanroji, it felt very warm.
"Thank you."
Mitsuri Kanroji accepted the cup, holding it in both hands as she lowered her head and quietly took a sip.
The warm water slid down her throat, carrying a gentle heat with it, and a faint blush crept across Mitsuri Kanroji's small face.
Mitsuri Kanroji felt that she had… fallen for him.
In truth, Mitsuri Kanroji's heart fluttered almost every single day. For example, when she saw the tall and powerful Gyomei Himejima interacting affectionately with his little cats, her heart would flutter. When she saw the beautiful Kanae Kocho, her heart would flutter as well.
Whenever she saw anything beautiful, her heart would always stir uncontrollably, and her heartbeat would quicken.
But the feeling in this moment was completely different from before.
It seemed as though her heart was beating very fast, yet at the same time, not quite so fast. Rather, her entire chest seemed to fill with a deeply pleasant feeling.
Soma handed Mitsuri Kanroji a cup of warm water, then poured himself a cup of alcohol and drank on his own. He knew the reason Mitsuri Kanroji had joined the Demon Slayer Corps, but he did not know that the first time she met him, her heart would suddenly stir.
In the end, Soma did not actually understand Mitsuri Kanroji all that well.
It seemed that Mitsuri Kanroji was warm and enthusiastic toward everyone, always brimming with passion. But deep within the girl's heart, she had her own purest pursuit when it came to love. Just as many Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen joined because their loved ones had once been harmed or because their happiness had been destroyed by demons, Mitsuri Kanroji had experienced none of that.
Mitsuri Kanroji had joined the Demon Slayer Corps solely because of the longing in her own heart: to find a husband stronger than herself, someone who could protect her and would not look down on her.
Love, too, was the same. It came from the yearning deep within one's heart.
And so, Soma assumed that Mitsuri Kanroji's current behavior was probably just due to her own nature. Whenever she encountered something she liked, her heart would flutter. He did not know that some feelings of the heart were, in truth, different from the others.
While drinking, they chatted for a little while, and then Soma had everyone go rest and prepare for the hunt against Upper Rank Two in a few days.
...
"Miss Mitsuri, I'll take you to the room prepared for you."
Kie Kamado walked over and spoke gently to the young girl.
"All right."
Mitsuri Kanroji answered with a smile, but before leaving, she could not help stealing a few more glances at Soma, and a sudden reluctance welled up in her heart.
Although they had spent very little time together, it was rare for her to meet someone who fit the image of a "good husband" in her heart so perfectly. Every part of him was so attractive to her, making her feel as if her heartbeat were constantly quickening, while her heart remained filled with joy.
She wanted so badly to stay with him a little longer.
But that was clearly impossible, and Mitsuri Kanroji could not help feeling regretful. Still, anticipation soon rose in her heart as well. After all, there was still a long road ahead, and they would have chances to interact in the future.
Deep down, she also longed to perform well during this operation and make him see her in a new light.
...
After letting everyone rest for a while, Soma had them pack up around the next morning. Then, after bidding farewell to Kie Kamado and the others, they set out.
Giyu Tomioka had thought they would be traveling on foot, but after descending Mount Sagiri, they rode the entire way, either by carriage or by train.
For Giyu Tomioka, who had always relied on his own two feet to carry him to missions, this felt deeply unfamiliar.
That discomfort reached its peak afterward. Giyu Tomioka had assumed this would be a life-or-death battle against Upper Rank Two, and he remained tense the entire time, yet Soma appeared completely relaxed. More than once, Giyu Tomioka found himself doubting the nature of this mission.
After roughly half a day, Soma brought the group to an area surrounded by wisteria trees.
...
Tea had been prepared inside the mansion, and mist rose from the hot water. At the seat of honor, Amane Ubuyashiki sat kneeling.
Her white hair fell like a waterfall, and her face was faintly pale, with a trace of fatigue lingering between her brows.
Her figure was slender, yet carried unexpectedly full and graceful curves.
Beside her was her daughter, Hinaki Ubuyashiki, who seemed to have dressed up specially today. Her face had almost entirely inherited Amane's beauty and was exceptionally lovely. At this moment, she knelt beside her mother with her back held perfectly straight, though her small hands were clenched slightly, revealing a hint of nervousness.
Kiriya Ubuyashiki was also sitting inside the room. From time to time, he glanced outside, but when Amane Ubuyashiki's gaze turned toward him, he immediately straightened and composed himself.
"Oyakata-sama, Mr. Soma has arrived." A swordsman entered and reported.
"Please invite Mr. Soma in."
Kiriya Ubuyashiki stood almost immediately.
Before long, the sound of footsteps came from outside.
Soma strode in.
As he stepped across the threshold, there was a brief instant when even the light in the room seemed to dim slightly.
Amane Ubuyashiki raised her eyes. This was the first time she had seen the person her son so often spoke of. Before Kagaya Ubuyashiki passed away, she had also heard his name mentioned.
Compared with the people here, Soma's build appeared very tall and imposing. Most ordinary people could hardly compare to him. Perhaps only Gyomei Himejima stood a head taller than him, but Gyomei's height of around 1.9 meters was already extremely rare in this place.
"Greetings, Oyakata-sama," Soma said, bowing. Unlike the others, he did not drop to one knee.
Kiriya Ubuyashiki thought nothing of it. On the contrary, he stepped forward warmly to greet him.
After they exchanged a few simple words, Soma realized there were others in the room.
He had met Hinaki Ubuyashiki before. The other woman faintly resembled her, but compared to Hinaki, she appeared more mature and composed, her entire being carrying a very distinctive aura.
Looking at her silver-white hair, as pale as snow, Soma roughly understood that this must be Amane Ubuyashiki, the daughter of a Shinto priest.
In this place, a priest represented mystery.
According to rumor, Amane Ubuyashiki possessed the ability to foresee the future in her dreams.
"This is my mother." Kiriya Ubuyashiki immediately introduced her to Soma.
"Greetings, Madam." Soma bowed at the waist without looking at her for too long.
"Please have a seat, sir. Kiriya has mentioned you many times. He said you are a pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps."
Amane Ubuyashiki spoke in a very gentle voice, soft and light, with a faintly ethereal quality hidden within it.
"You flatter me, Madam. I am not even a Hashira, so I would not dare call myself a pillar."
Soma shook his head. The true pillars of the Demon Slayer Corps had always been the Hashira, and they were the ones who had always shouldered the most dangerous missions.
"You are too modest. With everything you have done, and the contributions you have made to the Demon Slayer Corps, even the Hashira cannot compare." Amane Ubuyashiki spoke warmly.
After a few brief pleasantries, the tea was ready.
Hinaki Ubuyashiki offered Soma a cup. As he accepted it, he noticed the girl's bright eyes fixed on him. When their gazes met, she shyly lowered her head.
Soma took a small sip. For some reason he felt a touch of bewilderment. He had met Hinaki Ubuyashiki several times before, yet today the girl seemed strangely different.
"The hunt for Upper Rank Two is about to begin. I must ask, sir—do you possess absolute confidence in our success?" Amane Ubuyashiki asked.
"We will have to see. As for how things will turn out, no one can say for certain." Soma shook his head.
Amane Ubuyashiki nodded, then continued chatting with him for a while. The main topic was whether Soma needed any assistance from the Ubuyashiki family. As long as it was within their power, the Ubuyashiki family would naturally spare no effort.
Soma did not stand on ceremony and mentioned the need for cooperation from the authorities.
Amane Ubuyashiki hesitated for a moment, then agreed.
As incidents involving demons continued to increase, the Demon Slayer Corps, an organization that had never once been officially recognized, had finally gained formal acknowledgment. At the same time, the Ubuyashiki family had obtained greater authority within the government. If the Ubuyashiki family reached out, the authorities would generally provide support. As for the official cooperation Soma had mentioned, there would be no problem at all.
Once every one of Soma's requests had been heard and resolved, and he indicated he had nothing further to ask, Amane Ubuyashiki slowly closed her eyes. Her lovely face was filled with exhaustion.
Seeing this woman—who resembled a graceful white birch spirit—appear so fragile made one want to pull her into an embrace and comfort her at once.
Ever since her husband Kagaya Ubuyashiki had passed, Amane Ubuyashiki had been overwhelmed by grief and had even contemplated death. But with her son still young and the Demon Slayer Corps facing grave danger, she had forced herself to stand.
Fortunately, the situation for the Corps had gradually improved. Especially after implementing the strategies Soma had proposed, their position was now better than ever.
Moreover, with the entire nation now participating in demon hunts, the number of demons slain in recent days had already surpassed the total the Demon Slayer Corps had killed in an entire year.
After all, the Demon Slayer Corps had once been an organization unrecognized by the government. No matter how strong they were, they could never rival the power of the state.
During this period, however, the Ubuyashiki family had also taken certain secret measures—for example, deliberately allowing demon incidents to occur in certain regions. Although Demon Slayer swordsmen had later arrived to handle them, many important figures had still died, creating significant impact.
These matters were, of course, kept extremely confidential.
They had all been arranged privately by the Ubuyashiki family.
Naturally, those involved had sacrificed themselves willingly for the greater cause or out of gratitude to the Ubuyashiki family. The only person who knew the full truth was Soma.
Amane Ubuyashiki was not so deranged as to move against the very man who had suggested the plan. Still, matters involving such hidden secrets required a deeper bond of trust between them.
After resting her eyes for a moment, Amane Ubuyashiki opened her weary gaze and looked at Soma.
"May I ask, sir, whether you have taken a wife?"
"I have not."
Soma raised his head in some surprise.
Amane Ubuyashiki had investigated Soma before, but unfortunately, she had not been able to uncover much. All she knew so far was that he had suddenly brought the Kamado family to Mount Sagiri.
As a result, she could only shift her investigation toward the Kamado family. She discovered that the Kamado family had lived deep in the mountains for generations, making a living by selling charcoal. With further investigation, she learned that the ancestor of the Kamado family was Sumiyoshi Kamado, a man who had once been good friends with Yoriichi Tsugikuni, a genius swordsman connected to the Demon Slayer Corps.
At that point, Amane Ubuyashiki roughly understood why Soma knew about the Demon Slayer Marks, the Bright Red Nichirin Swords, and the Transparent World. After all, all of those things had first been brought up by Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
But Soma himself remained a mystery.
As everything she knew about Soma surfaced in her mind, Amane Ubuyashiki carefully observed him again. His strength was impressive, his bearing was exceptional, and he was also very gentle…
After looking him over carefully, Amane Ubuyashiki was relatively satisfied. Then she took her daughter's hand beside her.
"This is my daughter, Hinaki Ubuyashiki. You have met before, haven't you?"
"Yes, madam." Soma nodded.
"What do you think of my daughter Hinaki?" Amane Ubuyashiki asked.
"Er…"
Soma had not expected Amane Ubuyashiki to ask about this. After a brief hesitation, he replied, "Miss Hinaki is gentle and virtuous, well-mannered and sensible. She is also very beautiful…"
As Soma spoke, his gaze inadvertently swept over the girl beside her. At this moment, Hinaki Ubuyashiki's cheeks were faintly red, her lowered lashes trembling softly, while her fingers unconsciously twisted the corner of her clothing.
Amane Ubuyashiki nodded slightly.
"Then, sir, do you think Hinaki is worthy of you?"
The moment those words were spoken, the room instantly fell silent.
Kiriya Ubuyashiki had already known about this matter, and at this moment, his gaze was fixed on Soma as well. Although it had already been discussed, Hinaki Ubuyashiki's heart was still filled with shy unease, along with a faint trace of expectation.
Soma was stunned for quite some time.
"You must be joking, Madam."
Soma gave a bitter smile. "Miss Hinaki may not necessarily think well of me…"
"You are too modest, sir."
Amane Ubuyashiki interrupted him. "Hinaki is growing older. As her mother, I must find someone reliable for her. You are steady in your conduct, extraordinary in strength, and you have Kiriya's trust. Only by entrusting Hinaki to you can I feel at ease."
She paused, and a gentle smile appeared on her pale face. "Moreover, Hinaki herself is willing."
Hinaki Ubuyashiki finally raised her head. Those eyes, so much like her mother's, were filled with both shyness and determination. Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's hum.
"Mr. Soma… Hinaki is willing to serve by your side."
...
Read Advanced Chapters on : www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin
~ Every 100 PS = Bonus Chapter!
~ Push the Story forward with your [Power Stones]