At the most recent Hashira meeting—
Ubuyashiki Kagaya, going against the objections of many, insisted on making the Ubuyashiki estate the battlefield. The location was far from populated areas, so when the war began, ordinary humans would not be caught in the crossfire.
Originally, Kagaya intended to keep his children at the estate as well, to serve as bait and strengthen the lure for Kibutsuji Muzan.
But with Yōsuke and all the Hashira firmly opposing this, the children were instead sent away to a distant city.
Even so, Kagaya still kept one child behind—Ubuyashiki Kiriya.
Across the land, Demon Slayers began to gather at the estate in droves, bringing with them news and reinforcements.
The Ubuyashiki mansion now bristled with defenses. Corps members guarded the perimeter, while the Hashira held their positions within.
Inside the main hall—
Tsugikuni Yoriichi knelt on one knee before Kagaya, his voice heavy with apology.
"Forgive me, Master. My elder brother, Tsugikuni Michikatsu, has not obeyed the summons. He has not gathered here."
The Hashira frowned deeply. Their impressions of Yoriichi's brother were far from favorable.
In terms of strength, Michikatsu was second only to Yoriichi himself—one of the Corps' greatest powers. But his rigid personality, his overthinking, and his habitual disregard for Kagaya's orders had left him disliked and alienated.
If not for Yoriichi's presence, their coexistence with Michikatsu would not even have the veneer of peace.
And now, when the Corps was mustering every shred of its strength for the encirclement of Muzan, Michikatsu had failed to appear. With every fighter precious, his absence only deepened the Hashira's frustration and anger.
Kagaya's voice, faint but steady, soothed the room:
"I see… perhaps Michikatsu was delayed by some unavoidable matter. No matter. The plan proceeds as we agreed."
Turning, he asked:
"Shinzuka Shō—how goes the dissemination of the message?"
The Flame Hashira, Rengoku Shinzuka Shō, bowed his head in report.
"The news that 'the long-vanished Ubuyashiki clan has appeared at the foot of Mount Isa-Suzuki' has now spread far and wide."
Kagaya gave a slight nod.
"Good. Muzan will likely send demons to verify its truth. Be prepared for probes, and prevent needless sacrifices."
When the others had departed, Kagaya suddenly collapsed forward onto the desk, coughing violently as though to tear his lungs apart.
After a long while, he steadied himself, wiped the blood from the table, and leaned weakly against the wall. Breathing shallowly, he whispered words of resolve to himself:
"Ubuyashiki Kagaya… what you bear is the hope of everyone. Endure. Now is not the time for death."
He was already a lamp with its oil spent, sustained only by sheer willpower. For two days he had not closed his eyes, afraid that if he did, he would never open them again. And if he died before the plan was complete, everything would unravel. He could not face the ancestors of the Ubuyashiki line with such shame.
"Kibutsuji Muzan… come quickly. Let me see with my own eyes your end. I will drag you down to hell with me if I must."
Night fell. Deep beneath Mount Isa-Suzuki, a strange, writhing shape sped toward the Ubuyashiki estate.
"Tch. I don't understand why that lord wants to go to such lengths just to kill a human. Why won't he let me do it myself? A human is nothing—I could just kill and eat them in an instant."
"Idiot. Don't question the will of that lord unless you have a death wish!"
The speakers were, unmistakably, demons—sent by Muzan to verify the truth of the rumor.
This particular demon had one body but two heads. One appeared older, the other younger, each with a horn sprouting from its forehead. For it, the earth itself was like water—sliding through soil as if across flat ground.
The twin-headed demon reached the outskirts of the estate, lifting one head cautiously above ground to observe.
"There's no way… are all the Demon Slayers here?" The elder head was shaken. Normally, one would encounter two or three at most. But here—thousands.
"Brother… are we really going in? If we're found, we'll never escape," the younger head whimpered.
"The lord ordered us to see the man with our own eyes. If we go back empty-handed, we're dead for sure. Muzan terrifies me far more than humans ever could."
With no choice, the twin-headed demon concealed its aura and crept forward, inching into the estate grounds.
But what they sensed there left them trembling. Several presences, each exuding crushing power, lurked within.
"Brother, what do we do? Shouldn't this be proof enough? If they catch us, we're finished!"
The elder head clenched its teeth.
"No. Without seeing it directly, Muzan will kill us anyway. Better to risk it—our ability to mask our presence is perfect. Just one glimpse, then we flee!"
Through their senses, they found it: amid those overwhelming auras was one faint and fragile, like rotting wood ready to crumble—a dying human.
The demon crept like a thief beneath the main house, carefully poking its head through the floorboards. There, lying upon a futon, was a scarred human face—Ubuyashiki Kagaya, seemingly at rest.
That was enough. Having seen what they came for, the twin-headed demon prepared to sink back into the earth and escape.
But in that instant—
"Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash!"
A golden lightning strike slashed down toward their heads.
The demon barely leapt free of the earth in time, dodging the blade.
In the next heartbeat, those very auras they had feared materialized around them. The Hashira had surrounded them completely.
"Brother, what do we do?! We're surrounded!"
"How should I know?! Our concealment was flawless—how did they find us?!"
The elder head was stunned. Their ability should have erased their demonic aura perfectly. That was why Muzan had entrusted them with reconnaissance. And yet—they had been discovered.
Then, a chill ran through both heads. Someone was approaching, their presence carrying a resonance disturbingly akin to Muzan's own blood.
"Brother… do you feel that aura?"
"…I do. Could it be… Muzan himself? We might be saved!"
Their eyes lit with desperate hope.
But then, a mocking voice cut through:
"Sorry to disappoint you. The truth may not be what you're expecting."
There in the doorway, leaning casually against the frame, stood Yōsuke—smiling at them with a look of amused disdain.
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