"Is it too late…?"
Entering the village, Kyoujurou's heart grew heavier at the sight of blood and severed limbs everywhere.
He beckoned, and a Kasugai Crow circling in the sky descended.
"Tell the Demon Slayer Corps to dispatch Hidden members."
Kyoujurou spoke to the Kasugai Crow.
After receiving Kyoujurou's command, the Kasugai Crow cawed twice and then flew off in one direction.
Once the Kasugai Crow had flown away, Kyoujurou began searching the village for survivors. He soon heard sobbing and followed the sound to find Chiba Yo kneeling and weeping before his mother's remains.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… Mother…"
Slap.
A hand rested on Chiba Yo's shoulder.
"Young man, let's lay them to rest first."
Kyoujurou spoke to Chiba Yo with a heavy voice.
Kyoujurou felt terrible inside. His life's principle was to protect the weak, and he had always upheld this principle, even more so after becoming a Pillar. Now, with an entire village almost completely massacred by demons, his feelings were understandable.
Chiba Yo knew someone had arrived but didn't move. He was somewhat lost at the moment, unsure what to do. Kyoujurou's words reminded him that the most important thing right now was to bury his mother first.
"If you can't bear to, I can help you bury your mother." Kyoujurou understood the young man's feelings at the moment and asked him.
"Thank you, no need."
Wiping away his tears, Chiba Yo stood up. After seeing the scene before him, his eyes reddened again, and his hatred for the monster he had just encountered reached its peak.
However, he still suppressed his grief, his eyes vacant as he pieced together his mother's remains. Then he found a hoe and began digging.
Kyoujurou looked at Chiba Yo with an admiring gaze after seeing his actions, then began helping to bury the deceased in the village himself.
The Green-skinned demon hadn't eaten many people; most were tortured to death, and there were quite a few bodies that needed to be buried.
After a while, a large number of Hidden members arrived and began post-incident cleanup.
Chiba Yo naturally noticed these people, but he didn't say anything.
After burying his mother, Chiba Yo knelt at her grave and kowtowed three times. All the deceased in the village had been buried. Kyoujurou walked over to Chiba Yo.
"Live on strongly, young man. The departed have passed, and the living should be even stronger." Kyoujurou comforted him.
"Did you come for that monster?" Chiba Yo suddenly asked.
He wanted to know what that monster was and why it attacked their village.
Kyoujurou was momentarily stunned. He had thought this young man survived because he hadn't encountered the demon, but now it seemed he was mistaken.
It must be because that demon was already full.
He didn't think much more about it.
"Yes, the monster that attacked your village is a demon, a creature that must eat humans to survive. Once they appear, they will kill humans for food."
Kyoujurou replied.
"What about you?"
Chiba Yo continued to ask.
"We are members of the Demon Slayer Corps, a self-formed civilian organization. The goal of the Demon Slayer Corps is to eliminate all demons in this world, so that tragedies caused by demons no longer occur.
I came here to exterminate the demon here, but unfortunately, I was a step too late. I apologize."
This information wasn't something that couldn't be shared, so when Chiba Yo asked, Kyoujurou told him everything.
"Can I join you?"
Chiba Yo stood up, turned to Kyoujurou, and asked, his eyes bloodshot and filled with hatred for demons.
Kyoujurou was not surprised by Chiba Yo's reaction. Most of the Demon Slayer Corps members were people who had been harmed by demons and wanted revenge against demons and to protect others.
"Joining us means constantly facing the risk of being killed by demons. These demons can only be killed by cutting off their necks with swords made of special materials, and their only weaknesses are sunlight and wisteria flowers. Furthermore, they possess powerful regenerative abilities and a myriad of strange and powerful techniques.
Of course, after joining, our Demon Slayer Corps will also teach you Breathing Technique and corresponding sword skills to give you the ability to fight demons. But even so, fighting demons is still an extremely dangerous endeavor. Are you sure you want to join us?"
Kyoujurou asked solemnly.
In his eyes, Chiba Yo was just an ordinary young man. He hadn't seen Chiba Yo defeat the Green-skinned demon earlier, and at this moment, he hadn't realized how terrifying this young man's talent was.
"Yes, I want to eradicate all demons in this world!" Chiba Yo replied firmly.
"Good! Come be my Tsuguko. I will train you into an excellent swordsman!" Kyoujurou understood Chiba Yo's resolve and wasted no more words, directly inviting him.
"Yes, Master!" Chiba Yo immediately changed his address. He trusted the person in front of him. In the Transparent World, he saw the righteousness surrounding this person.
Moreover, Kyoujurou had been helping to bury the deceased in the village, and Chiba Yo had seen all of this.
Perhaps it was a coincidence of fate: a century ago, the swordsman born with the Transparent World and Breath Styles / Marks was also recruited into the Demon Slayer Corps by the Flame Pillar of that time. And today, a century later, another genius with innate Transparent World and Breath Styles / Marks was recruited into the Demon Slayer Corps by this generation's Flame Pillar.
The morning sun emerged from the eastern mountains, its light dispelling the darkness and shining upon everyone. Chiba Yo looked back at the village, then turned and followed Kyoujurou…
Inside the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters.
Kyoujurou knelt on one knee and reported the details of the mission to Oyakata-sama, also informing him of his desire to take Chiba Yo as his Tsuguko.
"Is that so… You've worked hard, Kyoujurou. Don't blame yourself too much, my child. The movements of demons are inherently unpredictable. You undertook several missions consecutively, so it was unavoidable that you couldn't make it in time." Oyakata-sama said with a smile, comforting Kyoujurou.
From Kyoujurou's words, Kagaya detected his self-blame, and taking the only surviving child as his Tsuguko might have been partly due to this.
Kyoujurou was momentarily stunned. This incident had indeed made him feel very guilty, but he hadn't expressed it. Kagaya's words helped Kyoujurou let go of much of that burden.
"Since you have decided, you may teach that child. However, the Final Selection will begin in only seven days, so he might not make it for this Final Selection." Kagaya then added.
"Indeed, but it's not a bad thing to train for a bit longer before participating in the Final Selection. I will teach him well." Kyoujurou nodded in agreement.
"I believe in you." Oyakata-sama said to Kyoujurou with a smile.
Afterward, Kyoujurou greeted Kagaya and left the mansion.
Chiba Yo, who was waiting outside the mansion, saw Kyoujurou come out and went to meet him.
"Rengoku-sensei." Chiba Yo respectfully called out. They had already learned each other's names on the way, and Kyoujurou had informed him of some details about the Demon Slayer Corps and demons.