Chapter 78

"I believe that the Hashira currently present here, since the swordsmen of the 【Origin Breathing】 from the Warring States Period, are the most elite and strongest generation of Hashira."

"Zero, Gyomei, Sanemi, Kyojuro, Muichiro, Giyu, Obanai, Tengen, Mitsuri, Kanae, Shinobu, I look forward to seeing you all show your skills."

Kagaya Ubuyashiki looked at every Hashira before him, feeling infinite emotion in his heart.

Especially Zero; ever since he joined the Demon Slayer Corps, it had undergone unprecedented reforms.

Fujikasane Mountain examiner, curing curses, Bright Red Blades, major battles against Upper Rank demons, and Muzan Kibutsuji, etc.

And that exquisite medical knowledge and brilliant mind supported half the intelligence network of the Demon Slayer Corps!

After every battle, he would always write down intelligence records and the like, providing them for everyone's reference, minimizing casualties among the swordsmen below the Hashira level.

Furthermore, he even broke into the Infinity Castle and gathered intelligence on all the Upper Rank demons, allowing everyone to grasp the combat information of the Twelve Kizuki more accurately.

By comparison, it would not be an exaggeration to say that Zero's status in the Demon Slayer Corps was second only to Kagaya Ubuyashiki.

But all of this was also thanks to Kanae; if it hadn't been for that accidental opportunity years ago when she met Zero, the Demon Slayer Corps would likely have had a different ending.

Now, even if Zero did not consider the Demon Slayer Corps, he would still consider his two beloved girls, Kanae and Mitsuri, as well as his sister, Xiao Yue.

This could also be considered a little bit of Kagaya Ubuyashiki's own selfishness.

After all, everyone has a little bit of their own selfishness.

"Master, regarding the matter of Tanjiro Kamado, why would you accept the two siblings?" Sanemi Shinazugawa asked.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki did not speak, but turned his gaze toward Zero.

Everyone also turned their gaze toward him.

Seeing this, Zero just sighed slightly and said: "Do you remember the family I saved when I first encountered Muzan Kibutsuji several years ago?"

Everyone nodded, indicating they knew.

"Their family is at my mansion; Aunt Kie is the mother of the Tanjiro siblings."

Sanemi Shinazugawa then remembered the gentle woman at Zero's mansion.

He occasionally went to Zero's mansion to spar with Zero, and that gentle woman often made some snacks to treat him.

Seeing her busy back, Sanemi Shinazugawa was reminded of his own mother.

When he was a child, his mother was also like that, always gently and thoughtfully taking care of everyone in the family, busy from morning until night...

"I concealed some things about what happened back then; I only told the Master, and it was also I who asked him to keep it a secret and not tell you."

"Although Nezuko turned into a demon, she has already broken free from Muzan Kibutsuji's control! I originally intended to bring her back with me, but... even if I had brought her back, I might not have been able to guarantee her safety!"

"Why?" Sanemi Shinazugawa asked with some confusion.

"If a demon existed in the Demon Slayer Corps, who do you think would let her go?" Zero replied.

Everyone present, except for Giyu Tomioka, fell into silence and thought.

Especially Sanemi Shinazugawa; with his short temper, he certainly wouldn't let her go!

Afterward, Zero continued: "And, I cannot guarantee whether it is only a temporary break from control or a permanent one..."

"To put it bluntly, before I met Kanae and the others, I would only have found a way for Xiao Yue and me to leave; I could have completely ignored whether this world lived or died! Now, even if I don't consider you, I have to consider Kanae, Mitsuri, and Xiao Yue!"

"Pity the hearts of parents everywhere; no parent could see their child turn into this and still be able to persevere..."

"You all have an irreconcilable hatred for evil demons, but Aunt Kie just wants her children to live well."

"Imagine, if Nezuko were your inseparable relative, and you were her older brother or sister, but she turned into a demon and yet didn't harm anyone, what would you do?"

"I don't mean anything else; I just want to tell you that evil demons are all transformed from humans, and the culprit who caused all of this is Muzan Kibutsuji."

"Sometimes, the human heart is more poisonous than the most poisonous poison..."

In a corner, an inconspicuous figure knelt and sat there trembling.

There was no help for it; the pressure coming from the Hashira was simply too powerful!

Even if it was restrained, one could still feel it!

He was having trouble breathing...

Seeing this, Zero said: "Murata, you go first."

"Yes! Thank you, Lord Hashira Zero!" After saying this, he carefully exited the room, closed the wooden door, and left quickly as if fleeing...

The meeting lasted until the evening.

After the meeting ended, Zero came to the Butterfly Mansion, chatted with Tanjiro for a while, and then carried the wooden box and took Nezuko back to the mansion.

That evening, Kie Kamado and her children saw Nezuko and wept as they embraced.

For their family, being able to reunite is the most wonderful thing.

This scene, seen by Zero and Xiao Yue, also felt very wonderful.

…………

At the same time, inside the Infinity Castle, Muzan also held a meeting.

It was just that he had summoned the Lower Rank demons.

Zing!

With the sound of a biwa, the remaining three Lower Rank demons appeared in various corners of the Infinity Castle.

Looking at these intricate, upside-down houses, the Lower Rank demons were all confused, not understanding what had happened.

The three Lower Rank demons were, respectively:

Lower Rank One—Enmu.

His hairstyle was medium-long black hair with rose-red tips, and longer blue-green tips at the very bottom; he looked like a sissy!

There were three large yellow squares and three small yellow squares on his cheeks, and he wore a long black coat and white-striped pants.

Lower Rank Two—Rokuro.

A person who looked like a middle-aged uncle, with long black hair and a full beard.

Lower Rank Six—Kamanue.

A pattern of the character 【Gong】 was carved on his face, and he had a short ponytail resembling a maple leaf at the back of his head.

Kamanue looked around and discovered that three Lower Rank demons were missing from those gathered here.

Lower Rank Three, Four, and Five had not appeared.

Zing!

With another sound of the biwa, the Lower Rank demons were gathered together and appeared below the high platform.

Kamanue immediately reacted and looked at the two demons that had appeared on the high platform.

One was a woman wearing a kimono with a graceful figure, and kneeling beside her was a woman holding a shamisen in her arms.

At this moment, Muzan had transformed into a woman, standing on the high platform, looking down at the three Lower Rank demons below with a look of contempt, as they looked around in a daze.

Her eyes were full of disdain!

Then, a man's voice came out: "Kneel!"

Hearing this voice, the three Lower Rank demons' bodies involuntarily knelt on the ground.

"Lord Muzan... it's Lord Muzan! I didn't even notice! The figure and the scent are different from before; this mimicry is so precise and similar, it's terrifying!"

Kamanue thought to himself.

Instantly, cold sweat poured down, covering his entire face.

"Rui was killed; he was Lower Rank Five...!! Lower Rank Three and Lower Rank Four are also dead."

Muzan's voice seemed calm, but in her heart, she was already furious!

The other Lower Rank demons could die if they wanted to, but Rui was her favorite Lower Rank demon.

"I only want to know one thing: why are the Lower Rank demons among the Twelve Kizuki so weak?! Although the Twelve Kizuki are few in number, it is not the end but the beginning..."

"In these hundred-plus years, the Upper Rank demons of the Twelve Kizuki are still the same old faces; those who can send the Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps to their deaths are all Upper Rank demons! But what about the Lower Rank demons? Who knows how many times they have been replaced all this time?!"

When Muzan said these words, she was suppressing the anger in her heart, looking at the Lower Rank demons before her as if she were looking at trash.

Kamanue did not dare to refute what Muzan said, thinking: "Even if you ask me about this kind of thing, I don't know..."

"【Even if you ask me about this kind of thing, I don't know】, what kind of thing? Tell me!" Reading Kamanue's thoughts, Muzan asked with a gloomy face.

Kamanue was terrified; he hadn't expected Muzan to be able to read his thoughts: "My thoughts were seen through! This is bad..."

"Why is it bad? Tell me about it!?" Muzan said angrily.

Seeing that Kamanue couldn't say anything for a long time, one of Muzan's arms transformed into a strange shape, opening a giant mouth to bite him and holding him high in mid-air.

"Lord Muzan, spare me! Please forgive me! Please have mercy! I'm very sorry! I'm truly very sorry!" Kamanue was terrified, begging for mercy repeatedly.

But there was no emotion in Muzan's eyes, and she ruthlessly controlled the strange arm to open its giant mouth and devour Kamanue.

Splat!

Kamanue, who had been devoured, had blood splattered everywhere, sprinkling onto Enmu and Rokuro.

Rokuro's body couldn't stop trembling, while Enmu looked at Muzan in a daze, his face full of a flush.

Afterward, Muzan continued: "I am going to disband the Lower Rank demons of the Twelve Kizuki; the Upper Rank is enough for the Twelve Kizuki! Finally, do you two have anything else to say?"

Seeing this, Rokuro hurriedly said: "I am still useful! I will definitely be able to be of use! Please give me some time!"

"Oh? Is that so? Then what do you think you are still useful for? With your current strength, what use can you be?" Muzan questioned.

"Blood...!! If you bestow your blood upon me, I will definitely be able to adapt! Become a more powerful demon and fight for you!"

Hearing this, veins bulged on Muzan's face, and she said angrily: "Why should I take your instructions and give you blood?! You shameless guy, what use are you!"

"No... it's not like that... Lord Muzan, spare me..."

Splat!

Instantly, Rokuro was also devoured by Muzan's strange arm.

Now, only one Lower Rank demon remained, Lower Rank One.

"Finally, do you have anything to say?" Muzan asked, looking at Lower Rank One before her.

Lower Rank One said excitedly: "It's like I'm dreaming; to be able to trouble you to do it yourself, hearing the screams of other demons before they die, I am very happy!

I love seeing other people's misfortune and pain the most; what a wonderful dream this is, thank you for keeping me until the end!"

Enmu's 【flattering】 words made Muzan fall into deep thought, and then she gave an evil smile.

A bone spur grew from the strange arm and pierced Enmu's neck, injecting her own blood.

"You are not bad; I have taken a liking to you, so I will share my blood with you."

Gulp! Gulp!

As the blood was injected, Enmu endured the pain of being eroded, and the adoration in his eyes for Muzan deepened.

"If you cannot adapt to my blood, you will die! But, if you can conform to my blood, you will obtain more powerful strength and be used by me!"

Enmu, who had fallen to the ground, was still in a daze, as if Muzan treating him this way was a gift.

"Go and resolve the Demon Slayer Corps! If you can resolve the demon hunter who wears hanafuda earrings, I will share more blood with you..."

Speaking of this, Muzan paused and continued: "If you can resolve the Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, that white-haired demon hunter who holds a Nichirin sickle, and bring his head before me, I wouldn't mind having one more Upper Rank demon!"

Zing!

As the words fell, Nakime played the shamisen and threw Enmu out of the Infinity Castle.

Enmu looked at the memories Muzan had passed to him, and his emotions became even more excited and pleasurable!

Tanjiro's figure appeared in his mind, as well as Zero's back.

"This is... Lord Muzan's memory... hah... hah... as long as I kill these two people... I can obtain more blood... it's truly... wonderful... it's just like a dream... hahahahaha..."

…………

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After the Mount Natagumo incident, two or three days had passed in the blink of an eye.

During this time, Kie Kamado occasionally brought her children to visit Tanjiro, and her words were full of concern and comfort, also telling him to take good care of his injuries.

This filled Tanjiro's heart with happiness.

He had to become stronger as soon as possible, eliminate Muzan Kibutsuji as soon as possible, and then he could always be reunited with his family.

On this day, Murata came to the Butterfly Mansion ward early to visit Tanjiro and the others.

"Yo, how are you all!"

"Ah! Mr. Murata! I'm so glad you're okay!"

After the battle at Mount Natagumo, Murata had not suffered any injuries, other than a tiny bit of skin scraped off his fingers.

Murata had also been called to attend the Hashira Meeting, but it was only to prepare a report on the battle situation at Mount Natagumo, and there was no other meaning.

But even so, recalling the scene from that night, it still felt vivid even now.

He had even almost been scared to the point of wetting his pants at that time.

"Tanjiro, who is he?" Zenitsu, who was to the side, asked.

"He is Mr. Murata; he fought with us at Mount Natagumo before!" Tanjiro replied.

Murata looked at the two people in front of him chatting so happily, and was suddenly filled with envy and dejection.

"I really envy you guys... Compared to me, that was too terrible! It was truly a hell... it was too terrifying, Hashira are truly too terrifying... although the swordsmen now are all much stronger than before, there are still some swordsmen from before who refuse to follow orders..."

Murata sat by Tanjiro's hospital bed and kept complaining.

Just as he was complaining, the Kocho sisters appeared behind him.

"Hello."

"Ah! Hashira! The two Lady Kochos! Hello! Goodbye!" Seeing the Hashira, Murata was so scared that he hurriedly stood up, bowed, and fled in a panic.

"So beautiful~" Seeing Kanae Kocho, Zenitsu's eyes sparkled with stars.

He quickly approached Kanae Kocho and said with a 【lecherous】 smile: "Hello, beautiful lady, may I ask if you have a partner? If not, can I date you?"

Kanae just smiled and said: "Ara, I'm so sorry~ I already have a husband who loves me very much~"

"Eh???"

Clatter~ Crash~

It was as if he had heard Zenitsu's heart shattering like glass.

"Ahhhhh! Why would such a beautiful girl have a partner! I don't accept it! Who is he? Where is he?"

It was as if a fire was about to erupt in Zenitsu's heart!

He wanted to know who Kanae Kocho's partner was?!

He was ready to go find him for a battle at any time! Let Kanae Kocho see who the real man is!?

"Ara~ my husband is standing right behind you~ Huhu~"

Kanae pointed behind Zenitsu.

Zenitsu turned his head to look, and instantly turned to stone!

"Zero... Big Brother Zero... hehehe~ so the beautiful lady's husband is you~ That's amazing!"

Zero did not speak; he held his chin with one hand and thought for a moment, then said to Aoi Kanzaki, who was taking medicine to the side: "Aoi, Zenitsu's recovery might take a long time; I'll trouble you to double the dosage of Zenitsu's medicine so he can recover as soon as possible!"

"Yes, Lord Hashira Zero," Aoi Kanzaki replied.

"Eh!!! No ahhhhh! The dosage has already been doubled, why add more?!!! Ahhhhh!!!!"

As soon as Zenitsu heard that the medicine dosage was going to be doubled again, he lay on the ground and threw a tantrum.

Seeing this, Aoi Kanzaki grabbed Zenitsu by the back of his collar, threw him onto the hospital bed, and then picked up a cup of medicine and handed it to Zenitsu.

Zenitsu intended to refuse, but when he saw that Zero had an extra black object in his hand, which was emitting "zzt-zzt" blue electric arcs, and was staring at him with a very 【nuclear】 friendly smile.

He was so scared that he immediately pinched his nose and drank all the medicine!

Afterward, Zero turned his gaze toward Tanjiro and said: "Tanjiro, it seems you have recovered quite a bit, so it's about time to begin physical function recovery training."

"Eh? Physical function recovery training? What is that?"

"Physical function recovery training is training to prevent the body from becoming stiff during the recuperation period, such as muscle contraction training, joint range-of-motion training, etc., thereby promoting faster physical recovery."

Shinobu Kocho, who was to the side, explained.

Afterward, Tanjiro and Inosuke were the first to be taken away to participate in physical function recovery training.

Because Zenitsu's body had not yet fully recovered, he did not participate for the time being.

…………