Kagaya Ubuyashiki kept his posture very, very low...
He was the core of the Demon Slayer Corps and the pillar deep within the hearts of all the swordsmen, including the Hashira.
In the original story, it was his death that led to the battle of the Infinity Castle; it was also his death that inspired all the Hashira, as well as the trio of Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke, to vow to fight Muzan to the death.
As he bowed, all the Hashira, including Gyomei Himejima and Sanemi Shinazugawa, fell silent...
Gyomei Himejima fingered his prayer beads in silence. Not far from him, at a corner of the wooden corridor, Giyu Tomioka—clad in his three-colored haori of red, yellow, and green—stood as Roy's senior brother and the only one among the nine Hashira with a deep bond to him. He watched quietly, unable to help but feel a surge of emotion.
He remembered that night at Mount Sagiri. His master, Sakonji Urokodaki, his senior brother Sabito, his junior sister Makomo, and the other disciples had all been worried about Eiichiro's temperament. They were certain back then that with Eiichiro's personality, he would never kneel to the Master. Yet, they never could have imagined that one day... things would be reversed. Instead, it was their Master... the current head of the Ubuyashiki family and leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, which had fought demons for nearly a thousand years, who was bowing solemnly to the boy...
Giyu Tomioka couldn't help but wonder: if their master were here, would he take off that Tengu mask to reveal a face of sheer astonishment?
'That's right, the mask was already sliced by Eiichiro...'
Thoughts swirled as a gentle breeze brushed past...
Roy wore white clothes of coarse hemp, with a green and black checkered Ichimatsu-patterned haori draped over his shoulders—just as he had when he left home. On his feet were the wisteria sandals his mother, Aoi, had sewn stitch by stitch. He reached out and flashed forward, catching Kagaya Ubuyashiki's arms to prevent him from actually completing the bow.
"Lord Kagaya, you and I are merely in a partnership. There is no need for such formality."
"It was a partnership before, but now," Kagaya Ubuyashiki looked at the boy with burning eyes and smiled, "I believe Lord Eiichiro is more suited to lead the Demon Slayer Corps than I am."
"Cough, cough, cough..." Perhaps because the motion of bending was too jarring or his emotions were too turbulent, Kagaya couldn't help but cough again after saying just two sentences.
Amane timely produced a square handkerchief and handed it over. Kagaya took it and wiped his mouth; a trace of blood was faintly visible...
Roy wordlessly channeled a layer of Nen. It flowed through Kagaya's arms and toward his limbs and bones. Roy frowned. He had expected Kagaya's health to be poor, but not this bad... His internal organs were weak, his blood was depleted, and his heart was like an old car engine—worn out by time and countless miles. No matter how much fuel was added, it could no longer spark. Even if...
Even if he didn't blow himself up like in the original story, he probably wouldn't live for more than two years.
Gurgle... The Nen flowed into Kagaya's body like a babbling brook.
The bedridden leader of the Demon Slayer Corps froze, feeling a sudden warmth within him helping to combat the coldness... Kagaya's nearly blind eyes trembled rarely. He smiled at Roy and said, "I have finally experienced Lord Eiichiro's wonders for myself."
"Is this warm current 'Divine Power'?"
Kagaya savored that power. It was warm as spring, unlike the decay of the [CURSE] eroding him. He said with no small amount of envy, "Rest assured, Lord Eiichiro, I did not choose to yield the position of leader on a whim."
"Indeed, with your methods, you may have already discovered that I don't have many days left to live."
Roy drove his Nen through Kagaya's blood vessels and meridians, continuing deeper toward his heart, and said warmly, "Just call me Eiichiro."
Kagaya nodded. With the boost from Roy's Nen, he seemed to have more strength to speak. His white eyes looked around, scanning each of the nine Hashira—Gyomei Himejima, Sanemi Shinazugawa, Tengen Uzui... Giyu Tomioka—before he spoke again. "To be honest, Lord Eiichiro, actually... I've wanted to die for a long time... once dead, I would no longer be tortured by the curse..."
"However, dying is easy; living on is hard... It doesn't matter if I die, but I cannot accept that my children and descendants continue to be cursed, living no longer than thirty years generation after generation. They clearly have wonderful lives ahead of them and could see a broader world. Even if they died of old age like ordinary people, at least... in my eyes, that would be happiness..."
"But because of Muzan Kibutsuji—because of him alone—my entire clan has suffered. I cannot endure it. I must kill him!"
"And you..." Kagaya gripped Roy's hand tightly and said sincerely, "You are my hope. You are the hope of the thousands upon thousands of people in this world who, like me, have had their families destroyed because of Muzan Kibutsuji!"
"Master..." Gyomei Himejima pressed his palms together, his face covered in tears before he knew it. He had lost the group of children he had protected since they were young.
"Master..." Sanemi Shinazugawa slammed his head against the ground, his eyes fierce. He had lost his parents.
"Master..." Waves of emotion appeared in Shinobu Kocho's beautiful eyes, and tears faintly shimmered. She had lost her sister.
Then there was Tengen Uzui, Muichiro Tokito, Obanai Iguro, Mitsuri Kanroji... and Giyu Tomioka. He had lost his sister, and he had lost Sabito, Makomo, and his fellow disciples...
Because of Kagaya's words, their old wounds were reopened... A somber atmosphere spread... Aside from the nine Hashira, every member of the "Kakushi" organization and the other departments of the Demon Slayer Corps present had a deep, bone-deep hatred for demons and Muzan!
Roy watched and listened quietly. While controlling his Nen to penetrate Kagaya's heart, he thought of Kurapika and Kurajing. In the future, the entire Kurta Clan would be wiped out, leaving only the blonde youth to embark on a path of revenge. The mere mention of the word 'Spider' could make him instantly lose his cool, nearly killing Majitani—who was disguised as a spider—during the Hunter Exam... Roy remained silent. His hand moved, and his wrist was gripped tightly by Kagaya's left hand. "I am not saying these things to gain sympathy. I only want to tell you... I have never been as serious as I am at this moment."
Kagaya took a deep breath and said with utmost gravity, "Kiriya is still young and cannot yet shoulder such a great responsibility. Lord Eiichiro's abilities are unparalleled." Kagaya spoke plainly: "As the leader, I can decide right here and now for Gyomei, Sanemi, and the others to join Lord Eiichiro. We are willing to revere the Sun as our God, as long as... as long as they can become stronger and have a better chance of killing Muzan Kibutsuji..."
Kagaya turned his back to Gyomei Himejima, paused, and said, "Gyomei, come here. Kneel and pay your respects to Lord Eiichiro."
"Amitabha." Gyomei Himejima bowed, his massive frame collapsing like a falling gold mountain as he knelt at Roy's feet. He pressed his forehead to the ground and said, "Gyomei Himejima pays his respects to Lord Eiichiro."
[PROMPT: "POTENTIAL BELIEVER" GYOMEI HIMEJIMA... "LOYALTY" +10...]
[LOYALTY CAN BE FURTHER INCREASED THROUGH "BOONS," TRIGGERING THE "PROMOTION" CONDITION TO BE OFFICIALLY ORDAINED AS A BELIEVER...]
Roy's eyes flickered, and his heart stirred with a hint of complexity. He glanced down at Gyomei Himejima and said helplessly to Kagaya, "You're not just switching sides; you're entrusting your legacy to me..."
And he was entrusting such a large group of people... Even without using [EN] to capture everyone's inner thoughts, Roy could clearly see through the corner of his eye that the gaze of the other Hashira changed drastically following Gyomei's bow. One could only imagine the impact the Stone Hashira's bow had on them!
Rustle... Kyojuro Rengoku finished flipping through the thin booklet and finally snapped out of it.
The young man with yellow hair tipped with red was touched by the scene. A thought of 'this is how it should be' surfaced in his mind... He moved silently to Roy's side, standing a step behind him.
"The leader should be whoever is capable." Kagaya's 'gaze' passed over Roy's shoulder to look at Kyojuro behind him. He said frankly, "Obstructing the growth of subordinates is a leader's greatest failure."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki smiled and said, "I am merely pushing the boat with the current."
"Sanemi."
"Here."
"Kneel and pay your respects to Lord Eiichiro."
"Yes."
Sanemi Shinazugawa lowered his head and stood up, pacing over to Gyomei Himejima's side. He unbuckled his sword. With a loud thud, his forehead hit the ground heavily, burying his entire face in the dirt. He said in a muffled voice, "I was offensive before and have offended you greatly. I hope Lord Eiichiro can overlook my past slights and forgive me... I, Sanemi Shinazugawa, am willing to revere the Sun as my Lord. I pay my respects to Lord Eiichiro."
[PROMPT: "POTENTIAL BELIEVER" SANEMI SHINAZUGAWA... "LOYALTY" +5...]
[LOYALTY CAN BE FURTHER INCREASED THROUGH "BOONS"...]
'Only 5 points? It didn't trigger the "promotion" condition like the Stone Hashira...' Roy glanced at Sanemi impassively and said with a smile to Kagaya, "He couldn't have said such refined words on his own. You taught him, didn't you?"
Kagaya smiled but said nothing. Sanemi kept his head buried in the ground, feeling his face burn. He wished he could just bury his whole body to avoid the embarrassment... Little did he know that those 5 points of "Loyalty" had already surprised Roy.
Not everyone could change their stance immediately, especially when there were prior grievances...
"Kyojuro,"
"Here."
"Help the two of them up." Roy called Kyojuro over, then glanced at Tengen Uzui and Muichiro Tokito. He said to the remaining people, "The rest of you are not allowed to bow, especially... senior brother."
Roy specifically raised his voice to remind Giyu Tomioka. He then looked around at everyone and calmly faced Kagaya. "Since you are sincere, I naturally won't pretend not to see it."
"But I still hold my view."
The young man said word for word, "This Demon Slayer Corps must still be led by you."
"Eiichiro..." Kagaya opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Roy raising a hand.
"Whatever you have to say, wait until I've removed the [CURSE] for you."
What?!
"Eiichiro Kamado, you can remove the curse inside the Master's body?!" Sanemi Shinazugawa suddenly leaped up from the ground!
He looked at Roy in disbelief, his face still covered in dirt. Just as he stood, a large hand pressed against the back of his head. With a thud, he was forced back onto his knees. Simultaneously, a roar from the Stone Hashira made everyone's eardrums vibrate!
"Sanemi Shinazugawa, you are too insolent!"
"Address him as Lord Eiichiro!"
Gyomei Himejima's thick forearms were nearly as large as an average person's thighs. His blind eyes glared like a wrathful Vajra. He looked back at Roy and asked with heavy breaths, "Lord Eiichiro, please forgive his rudeness. May I ask... is what you said true?"
"Lord Eiichiro... Lord Eiichiro..." Tengen Uzui looked over... Muichiro Tokito looked over... Shinobu Kocho... Obanai Iguro... Kyojuro Rengoku, and even...
Even Giyu Tomioka rarely straightened his back and called out softly, "Junior brother."
In an instant, the air in the room was like a calm pond into which a bomb had been thrown. As the roar echoed, ripples splashed... it was unlikely to return to its previous state of calm...
Thump.
"Lord Eiichiro, please save my husband."
Kagaya was stunned... He watched blankly as his wife, Amane, knelt and bowed deeply to Roy. Behind her, more thumps sounded as his daughters, Hinaki and Nichika, also bowed...
The man who had always been composed—who hadn't even flinched on the day he prepared to die with his wife and daughters, facing Muzan's arrival and detonating a bomb—now looked at Roy with trembling lips. He made a he... he... sound but couldn't form a complete sentence. Clearly... he had lost his usual composure and calm...
The "Nen" flowed like a stream, finally reaching the field of Kagaya's heart. In that nearly dried and cracked field, Roy keenly discovered a mass of black aura constantly gnawing and absorbing Kagaya's blood. It was just like the "negative emotions" that had once attached themselves to him and Ginta, incessantly devouring Kagaya's life energy...
It could be purged...
The boy nodded and said, "Bring out Kiriya, Kanata, and Kuina as well. I'll clear it for all of you together."
Clatter. The sound of a heavy weight lifting from everyone's hearts echoed, and even the stagnant air in the room became lively again...
"Amitabha." Gyomei Himejima chanted, tears flowing like a fountain... He pressed his head to the ground and said respectfully, "Thank you, Lord Eiichiro."
Thump... Thump... Thump... Several consecutive sounds of knees hitting the ground followed...
Aside from Sanemi Shinazugawa, who was already prostrate, Tengen Uzui, Shinobu Kocho, Muichiro Tokito... including Kyojuro Rengoku and even Giyu Tomioka, all knelt together and thanked him sincerely: "Thank you, Lord Eiichiro."
The prompt from the panel sounded timely in Roy's ear...
[PROMPT: "POTENTIAL BELIEVER" GYOMEI HIMEJIMA, "LOYALTY" +15, "PROMOTION" CONDITION TRIGGERED, PLEASE ORDAIN...]
[PROMPT: "POTENTIAL BELIEVER" SANEMI SHINAZUGAWA, "LOYALTY" +20, "PROMOTION" CONDITION TRIGGERED, PLEASE ORDAIN...]
[PROMPT... PROMPT... PROMPT...]
In this high-noon sunlight...
As Amane Ubuyashiki repeatedly bowed in thanks and went to the inner courtyard to bring out Kiriya and the other children...
Roy whispered, "Praise the Sun. Purge them now!"
With a thought, he urged his "Nen" to transform into light-swords wrapped in solar flames, suddenly charging toward the black aura curse entrenched in Kagaya's heart...
Infinity Castle.
Muzan Kibutsuji, who was currently hiding away, suddenly felt a sharp pain in his heart. With a thump, he fell to his knees, scaring Nakime so much that she snapped a lute string...