Watching Kokushibō's back as he walked away, Yōsuke's gaze grew distant for a moment — it was as if, in that shadow, he could see the figure of Tsugikuni Yoriichi.
After Kokushibō departed, Yōsuke entered the ancient buildings once used by the Ubuyashiki family and the Demon Slayer Corps.
The structures, all made of wood, had been weathered by centuries of wind and rain. They were now decayed and falling apart.
Scattered across the floor were rusted Nichirin Blades, caked with dirt, and a few half-rotted documents.
But most of the writing on those papers had long since faded, rendering them completely useless.
The only lead Yōsuke had managed to obtain on Mount Akaiwa… was that one scrap of paper given to him by Kokushibō.
When Yōsuke returned to the Butterfly Mansion, however, he found someone completely unexpected waiting for him.
The Serpent Hashira — Iguro Obanai.
And Obanai's purpose for coming was to find Yōsuke himself.
Among the Hashira, Obanai and Sanemi Shinazugawa were the two who disliked Yōsuke the most. So his decision to seek Yōsuke out on his own accord surprised him greatly.
Inside a quiet room, the two sat facing each other.
Obanai was the first to speak.
"The Hashira have already been informed by Oyakata-sama — you're searching for the Divine Priest Clan. I have some information about the Divine Priests, though I'm not certain whether the ones in my memory are the same as the clan you're seeking."
Yōsuke composed himself, his expression serious.
"Please, tell me everything. I'll be able to tell whether it's true or not."
Obanai drew a deep breath, as though the story he was about to recount weighed heavily on him.
"I was born into the Iguro family on Hachijō Island. The Iguro line has existed for nearly four centuries. It is a family that bears a curse — for 370 years, not a single male child had been born. The family's numbers were always kept around fifty people."
"It is a vile, disgraceful clan. The way the Iguros maintained their bloodline was through deception and murder — they would lure outsiders, impregnate them, and then slaughter them afterward."
"The family's livelihood depended on a serpent demon, who brought them money stolen from those she killed."
"And that serpent demon's favorite food… was infants. In exchange for her protection, the family would offer up their own children as sacrifices — living offerings to the demon that devoured babies."
"I was imprisoned from the moment I was born. As the only male child in the Iguro clan, and one born with heterochromatic eyes, I immediately caught the serpent demon's interest. Because of her twisted whims, she decided I was too small to eat just yet — and so, by that mere chance, I survived for a while."
"But for that same reason, I was forced to 'resemble a serpent.' My own family cut open the corners of my mouth, disfiguring me completely."
Obanai slowly unwrapped the bandages around his face, revealing the horrifying scar that split his lips.
"While I was confined, I once overheard my mother, aunts, and sisters speaking. They said that my birth was the result of my mother deceiving a Divine Priest who had accidentally come to Hachijō Island. She became pregnant with me… and then killed him."
Rewrapping the bandages over his mouth, Obanai continued in a steady tone:
"After that, the other women of the family grew envious. They too wanted to bear male children. So they scoured every corner of Hachijō Island in search of another Divine Priest — but they never found one. That's all I know."
Yōsuke fell silent, pondering, before finally asking:
"Could you take me to Hachijō Island?"
At those words, Obanai's brows furrowed.
"There's no point. The Iguro family is already gone. The only survivor… is my cousin."
The thought of returning filled Obanai with nothing but resistance.
When he had escaped long ago, the serpent demon, enraged, had massacred nearly the entire clan.
His cousin had survived, but blamed Obanai ever since — insisting that if only he'd obediently allowed himself to be eaten, none of it would have happened.
Back then, as he fled, Obanai had considered what would happen to his family after his escape.
But still, he ran. Because he could not bear to die as nothing more than an offering to a monster.
He wanted to live — that was all.
Even now, guilt gnawed at him.
Sensing his discomfort, Yōsuke said softly:
"Forgive me. I didn't mean to stir painful memories. Just tell me the island's location — I'll go alone."
Obanai was silent for a long moment, then finally replied with firm resolve:
"I'll take you there myself. Without me to guide you, even if you find Hachijō Island, you'll never locate the Iguro family's hidden estate."
Since the journey was long, Obanai needed to return to Corps Headquarters to report his absence. They agreed to depart for Hachijō Island in three days' time.
Meanwhile, Tanjiro and his companions, now fully healed, had been sent out on a new mission under Rengoku Kyojuro's lead.
With their usual noise and laughter gone, the Butterfly Mansion fell into a deep, peaceful quiet.
The recent troubles had left Yōsuke's heart heavy, and so, once again, he turned to sake.
He sat alone in the Butterfly Mansion's courtyard, quietly drinking beneath the moonlight.
When Hakuji saw him, he, too, brought a jug of sake and sat beside him.
"This is the first time I've ever seen you troubled, Yōsuke-sama."
Yōsuke sighed.
"No one can live without worries forever."
Hakuji smiled faintly.
"I think that anything, as long as it's in your hands, can be solved, Yōsuke-sama."
Yōsuke chuckled.
"I'm no god. There are plenty of things beyond my reach."
Lately, everything had been spinning out of control — leaving Yōsuke feeling powerless, for the first time in ages.
Hakuji took a slow sip before replying, his voice sincere:
"Gods, huh? I've never seen one. I don't believe in them, either.
In my darkest times, I prayed — but no god ever answered me.
Yet, when I was at my most lost, my most hopeless… you were the one who answered me.
You saved me.
To me, Yosuke-sama, you are as close to a god as one can be."
Yōsuke laughed quietly and shook his head.
"You give me too much credit, Hakuji."
"No — it's the truth," Hakuji said firmly.
"I deeply respect you. Even as the world changes, you've never wavered — always moving forward toward your goal."
Yōsuke gazed up at the moon above, pouring the rest of his sake into his cup.
His eyes softened as he spoke.
"I've wavered before. And to be honest… I'm selfish, too.
My desire to destroy Muzan Kibutsuji isn't for humanity's sake — it's because of the duty I bear, the responsibility passed down to me.
When I first became a demon, I wanted freedom — to live as I pleased, unbound by anything.
But my mother's words brought me back."
"She told me:
'Yōsuke, we are the ones who brought demons into this world.
It is our responsibility — our sin — to erase them.'"
Hakuji smiled gently.
"Your mother must have been a kind, yet resolute wo
man."
Yōsuke's expression softened with distant warmth as he recalled Ubuyashiki Mikako — every delicate gesture and serene smile etched in his memory.
"Yes… she was always gentle."