"Kibutsuji Muzan himself!"
"How is that possible? No, wait, that actually explains everything..."
Tomioka, standing beside Yuki, whipped his head around, his expression a mix of disbelief and sudden understanding:
"You actually... fought him!"
On the other side, Kyojuro had recovered somewhat from his initial shock and now roared with admiration:
"To survive an encounter with that monster and protect a family? Yuki, you're truly extraordinary!"
His voice was so loud that Yuki's eardrums buzzed.
Yuki instinctively looked up, intending to meet Kyojuro's gaze, but his eyes instead met Kagaya's gentle smile.
A sudden realization dawned in Yuki's heart.
'So that's how it is.'
When Yuki entered the courtyard and realized a Pillar Meeting was underway, he couldn't help but entertain other possibilities.
Perhaps Kagaya had chosen this setting specifically to meet him, intending to give him a "show of force."
But the truth was far more satisfying: Kagaya had arranged for him to "perform a miracle" before all the Pillars.
'This arrangement is truly... too good to be true!'
But a question immediately arose:
'How did Kagaya know I encountered Muzan?'
'Could it be a special ability passed down through generations of the Ubuyashiki Clan?'
Gyomei suddenly reached out and restrained Tengen, who was about to charge forward.
"Don't get so agitated," Gyomei said.
Tengen retorted loudly, "How can I not be agitated?!"
"That's Kibutsuji Muzan we're talking about!"
"We've been fighting demons for so long, sacrificing countless lives, and we still don't even know what he looks like!"
"Now someone finally encountered him and survived!"
"Of course I'm going to seize this chance to get answers!"
Tengen turned to Yuki, his face flushed with excitement, completely oblivious to the jeweled hairpin that had fallen from his hair.
"What exactly does that guy look like?"
"What exactly are that guy's abilities?"
Gyomei tightened his grip on Tengen's arm, pulling him closer.
Yet he couldn't help but murmur a Buddhist prayer:
"Namu Amida Butsu."
Two streams of hot tears rolled down his cheeks once more.
For nearly a century, the Demon Slayer Corps had remained completely in the dark about Muzan's whereabouts.
Countless skilled swordsmen had repeatedly clashed with demons under the cover of night, each battle costing them their lives.
Now, with news of Muzan's movements and even someone who had survived an encounter with him, a new hope surged through the entire Demon Slayer Corps.
This seemingly endless path might finally be nearing its end.
Just as even the longest night must eventually yield to dawn.
Seeing the Pillars' growing excitement, Kagaya suddenly spoke:
"Yuki, may I request a private conversation with you?"
Yuki nodded and followed Kagaya into an inner room.
As soon as they entered, Yuki noticed a "young girl" who looked remarkably similar to Hinaki, even wearing the same style of clothing, except with black hair. She was placing tea and snacks on a low table.
Yuki knew this "young girl" was named Kiriya.
His true identity was actually the son of Lord Kagaya!
Yes, he was indeed his son.
Legend had it that after Muzan emerged from the Ubuyashiki Clan, the entire family was cursed.
Despite generations of intermarriage with shrine maidens, no male heir had ever lived past the age of thirty.
Kagaya himself was no exception; even at his young age, a purple scar had already appeared on his forehead.
His son, Kiriya, was similarly frail.
Therefore, until Kiriya reached the age of thirteen, he had been raised as a daughter.
After Yuki took his seat, Kagaya suddenly asked:
"Should I continue to call you Yuki, or should I call you Tsugikuni Yoriichi?"
Yuki's heart leaped at these words.
He had naturally considered that Kagaya would be curious about his identity.
But he never expected Kagaya to directly point out the connection between him and Yoriichi.
Sensing Yuki's confusion, Kagaya explained earnestly:
"Tsugikuni Yoriichi was once a swordsman in the Demon Slayer Corps."
"Though he was later expelled for certain reasons, his portrait has been preserved."
"Regrettably, most of his deeds and the breathing techniques he used have been lost to time."
Kagaya turned to Yuki, his expression unusually serious.
"Therefore, there are some things I understand, and others I do not."
"However, I am not one to pry into every detail, so you need not explain anything to me."
"I only wish to know: can Muzan be eliminated in my generation? And how can I best assist you in this endeavor?"
Now it was Yuki's turn to be stunned.
Before meeting Kagaya, he had pondered countless strategies to persuade him to send him to the Swordsmith Village. He had also hoped to gather information that would allow him to prepare a "surprise" for Muzan and Kokushibo.
But Kagaya's response completely overturned Yuki's plans.
The man had chosen to trust him outright, even asking how he could best assist.
This was indeed unexpected, yet upon reflection, it made perfect sense.
For the Ubuyashiki Clan, whose lineage stretched back through generations, eliminating Muzan was their sacred mission.
To achieve this goal, they would support Yuki even if he were merely "suspected to be the resurrected Yoriichi."
Even if Yuki's true identity were that of a visitor from the M78 Nebula, who had descended upon Japan in search of his lost spaceship, Kagaya would not hesitate to mobilize his resources to help him find it—so long as he could help eliminate Muzan.
Yuki wanted to laugh, but he couldn't bring himself to.
In a daze, the Kagaya before him merged with the image of the Lord he had seen in the original work—the one who, even bedridden, exuded extraordinary presence and faced death with unwavering resolve.
Yuki nodded, his voice equally earnest. "Muzan will be eradicated in this generation."
Having laid his cards on the table, Yuki felt fewer reservations. "I need your help with two things immediately."
"First, and most urgent, I must locate Tsugikuni Yoriichi's grave."
"Muzan will undoubtedly suspect whether I'm an imposter or if Yoriichi has truly been resurrected."
"I need to be there first, to give any potential investigators a surprise."
"Second, I need to go to the Swordsmith Village to retrieve Yoriichi's former katana."
Upon hearing this, Kagaya's face clouded with guilt. "I can grant your request regarding the Swordsmith Village immediately."
"However, after Yoriichi left the Demon Slayer Corps, all records of him were removed from the clan's archives."
"This is an absolute dereliction of duty by the Ubuyashiki Clan!"
"But you might try searching in Asakusa for someone..."