Hearing this, Hayashi was momentarily stunned.
What a terrible way of speaking…
Was the one knocking at the door Tomioka Giyu, or perhaps Tamayo?
But considering Giyu's infamous lack of social grace, Hayashi wasn't surprised at all.
He grumbled inwardly while opening the door.
As the door creaked open, Tomioka Giyu stood there, his expression unreadable.
"I am Tomioka Giyu of the Demon Slayer Corps. Please explain what has happened here."
His voice was calm to the point of stiffness, almost like an order.
Even though Hayashi already knew Giyu's personality from memory, he still couldn't help feeling a trace of irritation.
That's right—Tomioka Giyu had that special gift: the ability to sour any conversation without even trying.
Fortunately, the awkwardness didn't last long. Footsteps echoed rapidly outside.
A figure dressed in black, wearing a white mask marked with thick black stripes, rushed over, slightly out of breath.
When Giyu had heard the monstrous roar that shook Kumotori Mountain, he'd immediately dispatched his Kasugai crow to report.
The roar of a demon capable of resounding through the entire mountain could only mean overwhelming power.
Thus, the crow had not only notified the nearest Kakushi—the hidden corps members who handled logistics and aftermath—but also relayed the report directly back to headquarters.
Being the closest Kakushi to the mountain, she had arrived first.
But when she saw Tomioka Giyu "communicating" with a crimson-haired swordsman in a red haori, alarm bells rang in her head.
At the Pillar meetings she had attended before, she'd witnessed how Giyu's blunt words always seemed to ignite conflict—whether with the Wind Hashira, Sanemi, or the Snake Hashira, Obanai.
Even Shinobu, the ever-smiling Insect Hashira, visibly had to take deep breaths just to keep her composure when speaking with him.
In such situations, letting Tomioka Giyu be the one to talk was simply unwise!
The Kakushi hurried forward, stepping between Giyu and Hayashi. With a helpless sigh, she said,
"Tomioka sama, please allow me to explain."
Giyu merely looked at her and gave a curt nod.
"Do as you like."
Those few words alone made veins bulge faintly on her forehead. Still, she forced a smile and turned toward Hayashi.
"Hello. I am one of the Kakushi of the Demon Slayer Corps, responsible for logistics and first aid. You may call me Momoki Haruko."
"The Demon Slayer Corps is an organization dedicated to hunting demons. We…," she began, briefly outlining their mission before glancing into the house behind him.
"As a Kakushi, I am tasked with treating the wounded and managing the aftermath. Everyone inside seems to have lost consciousness. May I go in and check on them?"
Her gentle, approachable manner was a stark contrast to Giyu's curt interrogation.
Looking into her deep green eyes, Hayashi couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity.
Wasn't she the very Kakushi who, in the original timeline, had guided Tanjiro from the Butterfly Mansion to the Swordsmith Village?
Perhaps she had not yet been assigned that role, which was why she introduced herself so openly here.
These thoughts flickered through his mind before he responded lightly,
"Just call me Yoriichi. I'm merely a wandering swordsman… nothing more."
"When I passed through here, I frightened off a demon and protected this family."
Momoki Haruko froze for a moment, sensing his unwillingness to reveal more. She decided not to press the matter.
With a small nod, she said no more. For now, the family's safety was her top priority, and she stepped inside to examine them.
After Momoki Haruko entered the house to check, only Tomioka Giyu and Hayashi were left facing each other at the doorway.
For a brief moment, the atmosphere turned awkward.
Hayashi lowered his head and silently opened his restoration system.
Although he had only exchanged two strikes in this battle, his restoration rate had already risen to 17%.
Truly worthy of being Muzan Kibutsuji—the Demon King.
Cowardly, despicable, and yet… slaying him yields frighteningly high "experience."
Originally, Hayashi had thought about fleeing far, thousands of miles away, once this crisis passed. After all, in the original story, Muzan had lurked in Japan for over a thousand years without leaving. As long as he kept his distance, there should be nothing to fear.
But now that he had really crossed over into this world, wouldn't it be a shame if he couldn't personally drag the true Muzan into the sunlight?
What's more, his current identity was Yoriichi Tsugikuni—Muzan's "living nightmare."
For others, the difficulty of eliminating Muzan lay in both finding him and defeating him.
For Hayashi, once his restoration improved enough, there would be only one obstacle left—
"Finding him."
While he was deep in thought, Momoki Haruko finished examining the Kamado family and turned back:
"Their injuries aren't serious, but they seem to have suffered a deep shock. It'll take time for them to wake up.
However, this place bears clear traces of demon activity. It's not safe here.
I recommend contacting the nearest Kakushi and Wisteria House to relocate this family first.
Once they regain consciousness, we can decide whether to send them to the Butterfly Estate for treatment."
Her suggestion was sound.
Tomioka Giyu nodded and summoned his Kasugai crow, relaying everything he had witnessed on the mountain.
Just then, Hayashi interjected:
"Wait. There should be another member of this family who went down the mountain earlier. He'll likely return in the morning."
Haruko paused, her eyes showing doubt, but she only replied calmly:
"No problem. When reinforcements arrive, we'll send someone to look for him. Then the whole family can be transferred to the Wisteria House together."
Hayashi gave a slight nod, falling silent.
He had considered following Tomioka Giyu or Momoki Haruko, perhaps even building a connection with the Demon Slayer Corps—or joining outright. After all, if he wanted to eventually visit the Swordsmith Village and obtain Yoriichi's blade, or prepare "surprises" for Muzan and Kokushibo, cooperation with the Corps was indispensable.
And besides, he had arrived in this world penniless. Even food was a problem. The only "high-paying job" he knew of was becoming a Demon Slayer.
But with so many inexplicable things about himself, he hadn't yet figured out how to start.
Flutter——
The sound of wings beating the air suddenly echoed overhead.
"Gah!"
"Hurry! Hurry!"
The Kasugai crow cried out in a sharp, urgent voice:
"Headquarters has issued an order!
Pillar-level swordsman Tomioka Giyu—bring all swordsmen present at Mount Kumotori back to headquarters immediately!"
Hayashi was stunned.
So fast?! Could a crow really deliver messages at this speed?