Chapter 52: Ubuyashiki Tianyuan: Too Bad He

He arrived at his room.

Zero took out two [Analyzing Glasses], connected their data streams, then hung them on opposite sides of the ceiling, tilted downward at a 45-degree angle.

This way, he could activate the virtual projection later and place himself right in the middle of the scene, allowing a fuller understanding of what he had encountered.

After completing this, he pulled out the pre-written papers detailing the [Upper Twelve Demons of the Twelve Moons], reviewed them once more, confirmed there were no omissions, and finally relaxed.

Click!

The sound of a door handle turning came from the entrance.

Hana opened the door; behind her, Kanae and Mitsuji, along with Kamado Kukui, entered carrying trays of snacks and tea.

“Place them here.”

Zero pointed to two low tables pushed together beside him.

“Thank you, Aunt Kukui.”

“It’s nothing, really.”

Kamado Kukui knew Zero had important matters to discuss and guests were coming, so she took Hana and left the room.

“Thank you both, Kanae and Mitsuji.”

“Not at all,” the two women replied in unison.

They walked up to Zero, closed their eyes.

Seeing this, Zero chuckled helplessly and gently kissed each of them on the lips.

Only then did they sit contentedly on the carpet, waiting for the others to arrive.

Zero sat on the bed, sketching the portraits of the Upper Twelve Demons of the Twelve Moons in his notebook…

Time passed slowly; after more than an hour, Ubuyashiki Kagaya arrived with his wife, Ubuyashiki Amane, and daughter, Ubuyashiki Hika.

And Xiao Yue sat on Ubuyashiki Amane’s shoulder as well.

“My lord.”

Kanae and Mitsuji immediately rose and knelt halfway to show respect.

“No need for such formality,” Ubuyashiki Kagaya said, then turned to Zero: “Zero, thank you for everything you’ve done for the Demon Slayer Corps.”

“It’s my duty. Please sit. When everyone arrives, I’ll share all the intelligence I’ve gathered.”

“Excellent.”

Soon after, the remaining eight Pillars—including the former Flame Pillar—arrived at Zero’s residence and gathered in his room.

Ubuyashiki Amane saw Zero in casual attire and smiled knowingly: “Oh! How splendid! Hahaha!”

“You’re not bad yourself, Tianyuan.”

“Hahaha, of course! The splendid me is the god of splendid festivals!”

Looking at Zero sitting on the bed, he couldn’t help but feel something was off…

He couldn’t say exactly what.

In fact, Ubuyashiki Amane even wondered if Zero’s gender had been mixed up.

The more he looked, the more Zero resembled a girl.

“Too bad he’s a boy…” Ubuyashiki Amane blurted out without thinking, sounding almost regretful.

“Uh…”

Everyone in the room heard it. The atmosphere instantly turned awkward…

Zero helplessly covered his forehead, mortified: “Mistake… I got so caught up organizing the intel, I forgot to change clothes!”

“Pfft…” Ubuyashiki Amane turned away, covering her mouth as she giggled, recalling when Zero had turned into a child.

Looking back now, it felt like it had happened yesterday.

“Pfft—no, I can’t laugh! No! No no no!” Mitsuji lowered her head, barely holding back, her face nearly pressed against her chest.

Kanae was fine—she merely smiled slightly.

But her gaze toward Ubuyashiki Amane held a hint of confusion.

She thought: Could Tianyuan be…

“Tianyuan, you’re not… gay, are you?” Xiao Yue asked.

“Gay? What does that mean?” Ubuyashiki Amane asked, puzzled—he’d never heard such a strange term before.

“Gay means: you’re not into girls, right? Only boys…” Xiao Yue said with a sly grin.

Everyone: (⊙_⊙)

Ubuyashiki Amane: ∑(ò_ó?)??

The room’s awkwardness deepened. The male Pillars shifted away from Ubuyashiki Amane in silence.

Even Kanae quietly moved to the bed, placing herself between Zero and Tianyuan.

“Th-this… you’ve got it all wrong! The splendid me could never be that un-splendid! I have three splendid wives! How could I possibly like boys?!”

Ubuyashiki Amane stammered in panic, nearly ready to summon his three wives as proof.

“Xiao Yue, don’t say things like that again—they’ll be misunderstood,” Zero said, looking at her.

“Oh, okay, big brother, hehe~” Xiao Yue replied carelessly, clearly planning to do it again.

Seeing this, Zero could only sigh softly.

This child was getting increasingly mischievous—was that good or bad…?

(Cough, cough—the author definitely does NOT envy Ubuyashiki Amane having three wives! That’s why he’s being this mischievous! Absolutely not! Everyone here thinks the same!)

“Alright, children, let’s begin this Pillar Meeting here. Zero, we’re counting on you.”

Ubuyashiki Kagaya spoke, diffusing the awkwardness.

The earlier incident was simply brushed aside.

Only then did everyone remember why Zero had summoned them.

They arranged themselves in two rows on the carpet.

The carpet’s soft comfort, combined with the room’s unique scent, made them deeply relaxed.

Seeing everyone ready, Zero rose from the bed, closed the window, drew the curtains, then turned off the lights.

Instantly, the room plunged into darkness—and before them, a floating projection screen appeared.

Zero sat facing the group, then tapped twice at the empty air before the projection screen.

Beep… beep…

After two soft “beep… beep…” sounds,

The room’s scene shifted abruptly.

The [Analyzing Glasses] projected new imagery.

Around them, a sparse forest path materialized; in the distance, a demon with six eyes on his face and a katana at his waist walked slowly forward.

“Rest easy—this is only a projection. Everything you see now is exactly what I experienced during that battle.”

Hearing this, everyone relaxed.

But they were also deeply curious—how had Zero achieved all this?

Where had all these strange devices come from?

Even so, the oppressive aura radiating from the six-eyed warrior demon was unmistakable.

They saw the number on the central pair of eyes:

Upper—One!

“Is this the Upper One? Even as a fake image, the pressure is still overwhelming…” Shinobu Shimeji thought.

He knew clearly—if he faced this demon alone, death was certain.

But wasn’t that true for everyone else too?

Himejima Gyomei, through sound and Ubuyashiki Hika’s explanation, felt as if he were truly alone, facing the Upper One.

Then they saw Zero launch the first attack against the Upper One.

But the Upper One made no move—only stood there, unleashing countless sword qi that surged toward them at blinding speed…

Every person in the room believed those sword qi would kill them—sweat poured down their backs!

Only when the qi passed through their bodies did they snap back to reality—it was only Zero’s projection.

Yet the sensation had felt utterly real…

The battle in the projection continued.

But as time passed, the group noticed something increasingly strange—the warrior demon… was using Breathing Techniques!

And not just any—techniques they’d never seen before!

Seeing they’d finally noticed, Zero tapped the projection once, pausing the scene.

He then tapped [Upper One], zooming in to reveal every angle, and said: “As you see, this is the Upper One of the Twelve Moons—his name is [Kokushibo]!”

“Based on my prior deductions and investigations, I’ve confirmed: he was a swordsman from the Warring States era who used the Breathing Technique known as [Moon Breathing]!”

“[Moon Breathing] is a branch derived from [Sun Breathing], not among the Five Breathing Techniques, yet stronger than all five—second only to [Sun Breathing]!”

Hearing Zero’s explanation, everyone understood—but they also felt a chilling certainty: even if all the Pillars attacked together, they might still lose.

Except, of course, for Zero.

Shinobu Muichiro stared at the projection of the [Upper One], feeling a strange familiarity—as if he’d seen him before?

Or perhaps… his bloodline held some connection to this demon?

He spoke up: “Why do I feel… I know him?”

Zero knew he’d ask this, and answered: “Because… he’s your ancestor.”

«!!!»

Upon hearing Zero’s answer, Shinobu Kocho’s expression turned shocked.

It was the first time he had ever shown such an expression.

«I know this is hard to believe, but according to my investigation, this man… is truly your ancestor! During his human life, his name was Kyojuro Rengoku, the founder of the original Breathing Style: {Sun Breathing}, and the older brother of Kyojuro Rengoku.»

«During the Warring States period, for some special reason, he became a demon. From then on, the Kyojuro family declined.»

«His descendants, due to the family’s downfall and the taint of their ancestor becoming a demon, abandoned the Kyojuro surname entirely during that era, changed to the Shinobu surname, and went into hiding.»

«Noichiro, I know this may be… difficult for you to accept, but it is truly the case!»

Shinobu Noichiro’s heart filled with bitter sorrow—he never imagined his ancestor was indeed a swordsman of the original Breathing Style, just not the founder of {Sun Breathing}.

Yet he had become a demon—and had lived all the way to the present!

And he was the strongest Upper Rank demon among the Twelve Ketsueki, the only one who still used Breathing Techniques!

Even so, Shinobu Noichiro quickly calmed himself through his own discipline.

Seeing this, Zero couldn’t help but think: No wonder he’s a genius who’s held a blade for less than two months—his mental fortitude is truly formidable.

«Even if I am his descendant, centuries have passed—his bloodline and cells must be long gone! He… doesn’t deserve to be my ancestor!» Shinobu Noichiro declared firmly.

Zero merely smiled faintly, said nothing, and continued tapping the projection screen to play the next battle footage…

The Upper One, Kokushibo, fought Zero with increasing intensity—until finally, Kokushibo found himself at a disadvantage!

«You… are incredibly strong, yet so cautious—why?»

«Sometimes, excessive caution isn’t a bad thing. At least… it gives me more chances to survive!»

The dialogue between the two echoed clearly in every corner of the room.

When they saw what happened next with Kokushibo, their hearts clenched.

Kokushibo launched relentless martial techniques against Zero, while Zero continuously swung his scythe to intercept each attack.

At that moment, the blade of Zero’s Sun Scythe turned a blazing red.

The Crimson Blade appeared!

Seeing that Crimson Blade, Kokushibo’s body trembled slightly; he muttered «Rengoku» under his breath, then erupted in fury…

In the midst of it, Zero kicked the handle of the Sun Scythe, leapt into the air, caught it mid-flight, and slashed down swiftly. Kokushibo raised his weapon to block…

«Kokushibo… no, I should call you Kyojuro Rengoku—you truly are pitiful.»

«Shut… up!»

He drew the pistol strapped to his thigh and fired a shot at Kokushibo’s head, leaving him momentarily paralyzed…

Just as everyone thought Zero would slay the Upper One, an unexpected turn occurred.

On the projection screen, a strange koto melody sounded—and instantly, a wooden door opened beneath the feet of both Kokushibo and Zero.

The man and the demon both fell straight through.

Shinobu clutched her collar tightly, watching the projection screen with tense eyes.

Mitsuri did the same.

Zero jammed his Sun Scythe into the edge of the wooden door to prevent falling—but suddenly, two wooden walls appeared on either side of him, rapidly colliding inward!

Zero released his grip on the Sun Scythe and plunged downward…

The scene paused here for now.

Ubuyashiki Kagaya had finally understood why, on that day, the swordsmen had searched for Zero’s whereabouts based on the location given by the Hashira’s crow, yet found nothing.

It was because Zero had fallen into the world behind that wooden door—leaving only his weapon and a torn hooded cloak behind at the scene…

And that pool of blood? It wasn’t Zero’s—it was Kokushibo’s, wounded by Zero’s blade!

At first, they had assumed it was the remains of Zero, devoured whole by the demon…

Then, the projection screen shifted again, replacing the room’s scene with new imagery.

Around them, houses twisted chaotically, upside-down and sideways.

It gave the illusion that one stood on the ground—when in truth, one stood on the ceiling!

If Muzan Kibutsuji saw this, he would surely cry out: This is the exact scene inside the Infinite Castle!

Yet what followed was a man, beside whom sat a woman on a cushion, cradling a shamisen, her eyes obscured by a straight fringe.

Zero paused the image, then magnified the man’s figure in a 360°, flawless virtual display for everyone.

«This man… is the Demon King—Muzan Kibutsuji!»

«What?! He’s Muzan Kibutsuji!»

………