Chapter 49: [Cardholder], Another Special Reincarnator
When Kanae Kocho saw the group return, the knot of anxiety in her stomach finally loosened.
"How did it go? Does the Minister of the Left believe the Ubuyashiki Clan had nothing to do with the security officer's death?"
It wasn't that Kanae was unfeeling; it was just that she felt the Demon Slayer Corps had already burdened their Master far too much. Their Master's family fortune was constantly being seized, making it harder and harder to support the Corps, yet he had never once thought of giving up. She also didn't believe that killing demons was the Master's burden alone. The swordsmen didn't kill demons just because the Master was paying them. Nearly every one of them had had their happiness stolen by Muzan and his demons.
They killed demons for revenge, and… to prevent others from suffering the same misfortunes they had. This simple, empathetic drive was the motivation for both her and her sister, and she believed it was the motivation for the majority of the Demon Slayer Corps.
The Professor looked uneasy, wondering how to phrase what had happened. Kaito, however, simply cut straight to the point.
"The Minister of the Left?" he scoffed. "Oh, he's dead."
Kanae froze, staring at Kaito in disbelief. He just spread his hands, looking at the not-insignificantly-powerful woman with an amused expression.
"Miss Kocho, those people have already allied themselves with the demons. Some of the highest officials in the government have probably become demons themselves. And you're still thinking about how to explain things? Isn't that ridiculous?"
Kanae frowned. She would never hesitate to kill a demon, but killing the Minister of the Left…
"I must return and report this to the Master. The implications of this are too great. The person backing the Minister of the Left is likely that man!"
Kaito didn't understand the "obedience" that was so deeply ingrained in these people. He replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Right, you mean Hirohito. Yeah, I'm planning to kill him too."
Hsssss…
Hearing this, both Elizabeth and the Professor sucked in a sharp breath. They were now utterly convinced that "Mercenary Tao" was a complete and total lunatic. His only answer to every problem was just kill, kill, and kill some more.
Hirohito was the future Emperor of Japan, not some nobody. This was a man who already had countless guards and was now collaborating with Muzan Kibutsuji. It was entirely possible that an Upper Rank demon, or even Muzan himself, was at his side. He wasn't someone you could just go and kill.
Kanae's pupils contracted, and her face went pale. She, too, was stunned by this powerful man's terrifying mindset. To actually plot the assassination of an Imperial heir…
At that moment, a ray of sunlight crested the horizon. The night of endless crisis had finally, truly ended.
[Main Quest 1: Survive Until Dawn. Complete.]
[Reward: 1000 Dimensional Points.]
Seeing the sunlight, Kanae's mood lifted slightly. She ignored Kaito's last comment and simply stated that she needed to return to report to the Master, then prepared to lead her squad away.
The Professor frowned. Clearly, this "Mercenary Tao" had unnerved Kanae. The kind-hearted Flower Hashira was actually leaving without inviting them, who had fought alongside her, to the Butterfly Mansion to rest. This was not a good outcome for their main quest.
She quickly stepped forward, putting on a smile. "Putting Mr. Tao's words aside for a moment, Miss Kocho, the rest of us are also eager to contribute to the fight against the demons…"
She knew that since the two Reincarnators who had fled had already joined the [Muzan Kibutsuji Faction] and had even come back to assassinate them, the option of joining the demon faction was now closed. Those two had the first-mover advantage and had almost certainly already sold the "Blue Spider Lily" information—the most valuable intelligence a Reincarnator could offer Muzan—for a high price. If her group tried to join now, it would be incredibly difficult and they would likely be backstabbed.
Therefore, neither the duo of Elizabeth and Vincent nor the man in the kasa hat, Yanagi, objected to her words.
Hearing this, a smile returned to Kanae's face. "To have more people willing to fight the demons at a time like this is, of course, a wonderful thing. However, I must report to my Master before I can give you an answer."
She glanced at Kaito again. His ability to kill demons with his bare hands was a technique she greatly coveted. It was just a shame that his way of thinking was so terrifying.
After Kanae left, the group set up a temporary camp. They weren't far from Kyoto, which was convenient for observing the fallout from their assassination of the Minister of the Left. Since demons couldn't move during the day, they were completely confident they could handle any ordinary plot characters with their outdated weapons.
Kaito found a spot by himself, sat down, closed his eyes, and resumed his rhythmic breathing. His Hamon was slowly repairing his injuries. The minor cuts, like the one on his left hand from Ghost's blade, were already almost fully healed.
The others tended to their own wounds, maintaining a wary distance from each other, as every Reincarnator had their own secrets.
The Professor seemed to have the most severe injuries of the group. The slash she had taken earlier had looked like it had nearly cut through her chest. Yet, for some reason, she looked to be in surprisingly good condition now.
The black-framed-glasses-wearing woman walked over to Kaito. Seeing him open his eyes, she immediately held up her hands to show she had no hostile intentions.
"Mr. Tao, you should know that the possibility of us joining Muzan's faction is extremely low now. So why did you feel the need to provoke Kanae Kocho?"
"It doesn't matter if we tell her about our side quest. As long as we successfully join the Demon Slayer Corps and build up our reputation, with your strength, it's highly likely you'll get an A-rank evaluation at the end."
Kaito closed his eyes again, offering no comment.
The Professor pursed her lips. She knew this "Mercenary Tao" looked down on her. And because she had been the one to slip up and name his [Hamon Breathing] ability, she had made the first mistake.
She closed her own eyes, and a strange ripple of energy spread outwards. Kaito's eyes snapped open. He had definitely felt something. It was a bizarre sensation he had never experienced before, as if something intangible had just brushed past his body.
The Professor removed her black-framed glasses. Kaito now noticed that the woman's eyes were emitting a faint, glowing light.
"Mr. Tao," she said, forcibly suppressing the fear in her heart as she laid her cards on the table. "I believe you are a special Reincarnator, aren't you?"
"I saw it. After you killed that Reincarnator, you received a Crimson Drop. Theoretically, that should never, ever happen in a cooperative mission world. The only explanation is that you are not an ordinary Reincarnator."
"You are one of the [Cardholders]!"
Now, it was Kaito's turn to be impressed. This "Professor," who claimed to know so much about the mission worlds, did indeed possess many secrets. And for her to reveal them now, she must need something from him.
Kaito's eyes flickered, and a smile returned to his face.
"Professor, you've guessed correctly. So, how about I take a guess?"
"I'm guessing your main quest is completely different from ours. That's why, when the mission started, you had to ask us if our quest was to 'survive until dawn.'"
"This mission's abnormal difficulty isn't because I'm too strong or because I'm a special Reincarnator. This world's difficulty spiked for one reason—because a different special Reincarnator activated their own special trial, and we all got dragged into it!"
The Professor's pupils contracted. She instinctively took half a step back, but immediately realized her reaction had given him the answer. She could only force herself to remain calm and continue the conversation.
"That's correct. I am a new Reincarnator scouted by [Azure Sky], and I am also a [Cardholder]. This mission world… is my special trial."