Today was another sunny day.
The sky was clear and endless, a deep blue stretched across the world. Warm, brilliant sunlight bathed the land, and a few white clouds drifted lazily like sheep, meandering and changing shape overhead.
What beautiful weather… Or rather, as long as it's sunny, as long as there's sunlight, it's always a good day.
Beneath that blue sky, a kasugai crow flapped its wings and came to land before a man.
This man's smile was as gentle as the first blossoms of spring, and yet… there was something frightening about him.
It was his face: nearly half of it was horribly disfigured, covered in scars so severe they could almost be called grotesque. His eyes, too, were strangely dull, lacking the sparkle of life.
This man was Ubuyashiki Kagaya, the current leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, the master whom the Hashira served, and the head of the Ubuyashiki family.
"So… Kanae survived her fight with Upper Moon Two. That's wonderful news."
Hearing the crow's report, Ubuyashiki Kagaya offered a heartfelt prayer of gratitude, feeling truly blessed.
It seemed he cared more for Kochou Kanae's survival than the death of Upper Moon Two itself.
"Not only was Upper Moon Two eliminated, but Kanae was saved as well… To think there is someone with such skill in this world. I only wish I could thank her in person."
He paused, a trace of wryness appearing in his gentle smile. "But I suppose everyone would strongly object to that."
The respect shown by all the Demon Slayer Corps members often left Kagaya a little overwhelmed. In his own mind, he wasn't nearly as important as everyone believed—should he die, someone else would simply take his place.
He cherished every member of the Corps as if they were his own children. He remembered all their names, knew their stories, erected a grave for each one lost, and—curse-ridden and frail as he was—still insisted on visiting their graves every year.
If it were up to him, he'd rather take up a sword and fight demons himself, instead of being forced to stand by, powerless, as those he loved were sent to their deaths under his command.
In every way the opposite of that wretched Muzan Kibutsuji, Ubuyashiki Kagaya was a leader whose charisma could move anyone. Winning the genuine loyalty of so many strong-willed swordsmen was no easy feat.
"If only she could join us… Her medical skills and combat power are exactly what we need most. But before that, I should bring this good news to Shinobu. She must be beside herself with worry, having heard nothing of her sister for days."
After a moment, Kagaya thought again.
"I should send word to Gyomei as well. He'll be glad to hear Kanae is safe."
It was, after all, Himejima Gyomei—the Stone Hashira—who had once saved the Kochou sisters from demons.
Back then, when Kanae and Shinobu wished to join the Demon Slayer Corps, Gyomei had hoped the sisters could put aside their pain and live as ordinary girls. But their determination moved him, and in the end, it was Gyomei's recommendation that allowed them to become demon slayers.
Kagaya knew this, and he knew Gyomei still watched over the sisters he had once brought into the Corps. That was why he made his decision.
---
For the people of the village, it was just another ordinary morning.
Of course, they had a "living bodhisattva" who'd recently arrived, and who often dragged people out for forced treatment before dawn, causing quite a commotion—but by now, most villagers were used to it.
Could they do anything else? They had no way to resist.
If you couldn't fight it, and—after seeing how much better people felt after treatment, and knowing it cost them nothing—well, there was nothing left but to accept it.
Of course, fear was still part of the process; the occasional blood-curdling scream from the "treatment room" was genuinely unsettling.
Lately, though, people had noticed another newcomer in the village.
With her beauty as radiant as a flower, and a haori as elegant as butterfly wings, everyone could tell at a glance that Kochou Kanae was someone of high status—certainly far above that of ordinary villagers.
They weren't wrong: even the lowest-ranked Demon Slayer earned the equivalent of 200,000 yen a month, with higher ranks bringing even more, and after a thousand years of history, the Corps had formed ties with countless families. Demon Slayers could count on money, food, and shelter from those they had saved.
Now, Kochou Kanae made her way down the uneven path, leaning on a wooden cane, with Afune at her side.
It had been only a few days since her surgery, and already she could get out of bed and walk. Of course, the villagers had little knowledge of medicine or the human body, and couldn't comprehend just how extraordinary—or terrifying—Nightingale's accomplishments really were.
"Uwah… There's another scream from Nightingale-san's place."
Even after some time in the village, Kanae still winced at the screams that sometimes echoed from the clinic, instinctively furrowing her brows. "Is… is it really okay?"
"It's fine, it's fine," Afune said breezily, waving her hand. "Nightingale onee-san told me, most of the problems here aren't too serious, and the treatment isn't all that painful. But some people get spooked by the earlier screams, so when it's their turn, they resist and struggle—then Nightingale onee-san has to use a firmer hand to make them cooperate."
Listening to Afune, Kanae frowned in new confusion. "If that's the case, couldn't she just explain it first? Wouldn't a simple explanation clear up any misunderstandings…?"
"I told her that, too!" Afune agreed, nodding, then scrunched up her face, troubled. "But Nightingale onee-san's answer was really weird… She said, 'If only patients would listen to their doctors even a little, I wouldn't have to appear in the world as a Berserker.'"
"Berserker…?"
Kanae, still pale and with that fragile, beauty-in-illness air, tilted her head in puzzlement.
But as soon as Afune said the word, Kanae's mind filled with images—Nightingale rescuing her, shattering Upper Moon Two, Dōma, with a single blow.
Berserker, indeed.
So… is that why Miss Nightingale is so strong? To get stubborn patients to obey?
Could that be Miss Nightingale's secret to getting stronger?