Chapter 125: Kochou Shinobu Sets Out After Learning of Ren's Whereabouts!
Kiyo: "???"
Kiyo stood there holding the food, blinking silently. She didn't dare say a word.
Just as the two of them reached an impasse, Aoi Kanzaki suddenly rushed in from upstairs.
"We have news about Ren!"
Bang!
Shinobu snatched a rice ball from Kiyo's hands and wolfed it down.
In the blink of an eye, a large, fragrant rice ball had vanished without a trace!
Shinobu continued eating ravenously, staring at Aoi like a starving wolf.
"Keep talking!"
Aoi paused before continuing.
"Oh, Murata mentioned it in the infirmary just now!"
"The Kasugai Crow from Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui's side received a message! They know where Ren is! I heard that Sanemi has already left!"
"Mmm~"
Shinobu swallowed and asked, "Does Kanao know?"
Aoi shook her head.
"No."
At that moment, Kiyo handed Shinobu a cup of tea.
After drinking it, Shinobu's throat felt somewhat better.
The petite Shinobu ate all three rice balls, and only then did a trace of vitality slowly return to her body.
Shinobu spoke solemnly.
"Don't tell Kanao. Just tell her that her teacher went out on a mission. Don't let that girl worry!"
Just then, Sumi rushed into the laboratory.
Her voice was filled with excitement.
"Kanao-chan has started eating too!"
Upon hearing this, Shinobu rushed out without even washing her face.
Kiyo blinked.
"I feel like Lady Shinobu has been acting a little strange lately, but I can't quite figure out why."
Sumi nodded.
"Agreed."
Inside the room, Aoi silently watched Shinobu's departing figure.
Then her eyes suddenly widened.
"Shinobu-san! Don't rush! I haven't even told you where you're supposed to go yet!"
...
Ubuyashiki Estate
Kagaya Ubuyashiki was physically weak and bedridden.
Beside him sat Amane, taking care of him.
Suddenly, Kagaya spoke.
"Amane, I have a feeling that I may not have much time left."
Amane listened quietly without saying a word.
Kagaya closed his eyes.
"I'll leave everything that comes next to you. We must bring Ren back.
"Thank you for all your hard work."
Amane slowly nodded.
She replaced the warm towel on Kagaya's forehead before leaving the room.
As soon as she stepped outside, she saw Murata running toward her excitedly.
He spoke extremely quickly.
"Amane-sama! I have something urgent to report to Master!"
Amane instinctively glanced back.
Her lips trembled slightly, and her eyes seemed to contain tears.
But she quickly composed herself and calmly said,
"Master's condition has worsened, so I will temporarily handle the affairs of the Demon Slayer Corps."
Murata was shocked, but he didn't dwell on it.
He really did have something important to report.
"The Kasugai Crow from Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui's residence returned today, Amane-sama. It brought news about the Dragon Hashira—Ren."
Amane's expression froze.
Then she immediately realized the importance of the matter.
"Come inside and tell me."
The two of them headed toward the meeting room.
Along the way, Murata briefly explained the situation.
The message had come from Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui's residence. However, Tengen had left home several days ago, and his whereabouts were unknown.
Today, a servant who was cleaning Tengen's room accidentally discovered the message.
As luck would have it, that servant happened to be a friend of Murata's.
When he saw the news concerning the Dragon Hashira, Ren, he realized that it was related to the Demon Slayer Corps and immediately informed Murata, who was a member of the Corps.
Thus, Murata, who had been recovering at the Butterfly Mansion, learned of the news.
The moment he heard it, he immediately rushed over, limping all the way in a panic.
To be honest, Murata greatly admired Ren.
Ever since their first meeting at the foot of the Butterfly Mansion's mountain, Ren had given him a profound and mysterious impression.
Although Ren was very young, Murata never felt that his thinking was as shallow as his age suggested.
In fact, the later Village Head incident and the Butterfly Mansion incident—how many of those situations hadn't been resolved by Ren?
When Murata learned that Ren was a Hashira, he was utterly shocked.
He had once rushed up to Ren and asked him to send a Hashira to deal with the situation before him, only to discover that the person standing right in front of him was already a major figure himself.
The realization had embarrassed Murata for several days.
And when he learned that Ren hadn't even been a Hashira when they first met, he was even more astonished.
Aoi had told him that during the rescue mission, Ren wasn't even an official member yet.
Only a few days later, he had become a Hashira.
Hearing that had left Murata deeply depressed.
He and Giyu Tomioka had been classmates, yet Giyu had become a Hashira while Murata was still only a Rank G member.
Then Tanjiro and the other two, despite being a year below him, quickly surpassed him as well.
It made Murata repeatedly question his own talent.
Then Ren appeared and surpassed him by an overwhelming margin.
Murata wasn't jealous of him.
Instead, he wondered whether he had simply become complacent.
Otherwise, how could he explain Ren's terrifying rate of progress?
It had to be that his own talent was simply too poor.
Later, Murata had brought two Upper Rank demons before Ren, resulting in Ren's death!
Yes.
Murata had learned that trick from Aoi.
That night, he had actually brought back two Upper Rank demons!
Murata felt that he deserved his punishment.
Ren was his good friend, yet he had harmed his own friend.
Therefore, after hearing news about Ren this time, Murata was determined to do something.
That was why he had hurried over to deliver the message.
Inside the meeting room, Amane fell into thought after hearing everything.
Murata said that the message indicated Ren had appeared in the Entertainment District.
She vaguely remembered that Tengen had been responsible for that area.
But now Tengen was missing, and he hadn't reported his departure to the Demon Slayer Corps.
That meant something urgent must have happened.
For the moment, Amane could only dispatch another member.
After thinking for a moment, Amane looked at Murata.
"Which Hashira are currently available?"
Murata knew that Amane had only recently taken over, and she didn't yet have a complete understanding of everyone's current whereabouts.
But that didn't matter.
Murata had already done his homework.
"Only the Wind Hashira, Sanemi!"
Amane nodded.
"Then have Sanemi go to the Entertainment District first."
Murata: "Sanemi has already left."
Amane nodded again.
"Good. As soon as another Hashira becomes available, send them to the Entertainment District immediately. We must bring Ren back safely!"
Murata nodded.
"Understood!"
Suddenly, Amane added,
"Oh, and one more thing. Don't tell Shinobu about this. I'm worried that it will cloud her judgment. Don't tell her until we've confirmed that Ren is safe."
Hearing this, Murata awkwardly said,
"Um, Amane-sama... Lady Kochou has already left as well."
Amane stared at him in shock.
"How did she find out?"
Murata fell silent.
Because, to his embarrassment, the moment he heard the news, he had excitedly spread it throughout the Butterfly Mansion without thinking things through at all...