Gyomei was taken away.
When Ryosuke turned back, the little girl behind him was gone as well.
He stared at the overturned wisteria incense burner in front of the temple, fury boiling over.
The original story's first-grade piece of trash.
The shame of the Demon Slayer Corps.
The one who, at the very end, finally fought an Upper Rank seriously—only to get instantly wiped!
A walking rainbow of bad luck! Flashy in all the wrong ways!
The kind of freak whose character and strength were somehow perfectly negatively correlated!
Last night, it had been him—caught stealing money, chased out by the other children, stumbling into a demon. To save his own life, he'd struck a deal with it and knocked over the wisteria incense burner, triggering this entire massacre!
Later, before the final battle, he would even turn into a demon himself—forcing Jigoro to commit seppuku.
Right now, that bastard was probably already wandering again.
And eventually, Jigoro would find him. Save him. Take him in as a disciple.
To spare that stubborn old man the heartbreak—
Ryosuke silently swore he would find Kaigaku early and kill him before everything happened.
But for now, the most urgent matter was saving Gyomei Himejima.
Ryosuke pulled out the crude paper and pen he carried with him and quickly wrote a letter.
To the Master, Lord Ubuyashiki—Urgent Report
Mizunoto-ranked swordsman Yasui Ryosuke submits this report.
The massacre at Hinodeyama Temple in Tokyo Prefecture was not committed by the monk Gyomei Himejima.
The true culprit was a man-eating demon.
Gyomei fought the demon to protect the children and was gravely injured in the process.
The sole surviving child, traumatized, made a false accusation, leading to wrongful arrest by the authorities.
Gyomei Himejima possesses extraordinary physical strength and unyielding will. He is a rare and invaluable asset in the fight against demons.
I implore the Master to intervene swiftly using the Ubuyashiki family's influence and ensure his rescue.
Further details may be confirmed with the local Kakushi.
—Yasui Ryosuke
He rolled the letter and secured it to the hummingbird's talons.
"Go. As fast as you can. Deliver this directly to the Master."
With a sharp beat of its wings, the hummingbird pierced the morning light and sped toward the Ubuyashiki estate.
Ryosuke let out a breath—but he didn't return to Peach Mountain.
Instead, he thoroughly searched Hinodeyama, inside and out.
A thief never leaves empty-handed.
Coming all this way without gains? Unacceptable.
He was in a terrible mood.
If he didn't kill a few demons and make them bow their heads, there was no way he was venting this anger.
And while he was at it—maybe he'd get lucky and find Kaigaku.
Tokyo Prefectural Prison
Guided by a jailer, Kagaya Ubuyashiki and his wife Amane walked down a long corridor and stopped before an iron door.
The cell was small. Damp. Water seeped from the stone walls.
In the corner, a massive figure nearly filled the cramped space.
Hearing footsteps, Gyomei's body trembled slightly—but he didn't raise his head.
The jailer tactfully withdrew.
An odd silence settled over the cell, broken only by the crackle of torches.
Kagaya inhaled softly and spoke first.
"Master Himejima."
Gyomei slowly lifted his head.
Kagaya's voice flowed gently, warm and steady.
"I know you are not a murderer."
"You are a protector—a warrior who fought to safeguard the innocent."
"The blood spilled in that temple should not be borne by you."
For some reason, Gyomei suddenly laughed—a hoarse sound forced from deep in his throat.
"My lord… before I was brought here… on that hellish morning…"
He paused, then continued.
"There was someone else. A young man… who shouted the exact same words to me."
The cell fell into a strange silence.
"The same words?" Kagaya echoed.
Gyomei nodded.
"He told me to lift my head. Said I was not a murderer. That I was protecting humanity—fighting for humanity."
Kagaya's lips twitched.
Those were all my lines!
Wait—this isn't right, is it?!
Without needing to think, Kagaya already knew who the youth was.
"Ryosuke, huh…"
Gyomei smiled faintly.
"So his name is Ryosuke…"
"The owner of that voice—the one that struck through endless injustice and darkness like a bolt of thunder—his name is Ryosuke."
Kagaya nodded, feeling both amused and helpless.
"Master Himejima," he said, regaining composure, "since you knew to use wisteria incense to repel demons, you must also know of the Demon Slayer Corps."
Gyomei nodded again.
With his lines already stolen, Kagaya didn't bother circling around the point.
"I am Ubuyashiki Kagaya, the current Master of the Demon Slayer Corps. Master Himejima—are you willing to join us?"
Gyomei took a deep breath. Slowly, he brought his shackled hands together.
He bowed toward the direction of Kagaya's voice, lowering his head.
"My lord… I, Gyomei Himejima, am willing to join the Demon Slayer Corps."
"I vow to swing this broken body against demons, to protect the innocent—until this flesh burns to ash!"
The heavy oath echoed through the stone chamber.
"Good," Kagaya said softly. "The Ubuyashiki family will clear your name."
He stepped forward and helped Gyomei to his feet.
Once everything was settled, the jailer unlocked the shackles, and the three left the prison together.
As they walked, Kagaya frowned slightly, one name circling endlessly in his thoughts.
"Ryosuke… Mr. Yasui truly is an interesting person."
At his side, Amane leaned closer and spoke quietly.
"According to reports from the Kakushi, Yasui Ryosuke did not return to Peach Mountain."
Her voice carried a hint of confusion.
"He has been lingering around Hinodeyama. His movements are irregular, but the Kakushi observed him repeatedly entering dangerous forested areas."
"It appears… he is actively searching for demon traces. Hunting them on his own initiative."
Such awareness—for someone so young.
Kagaya's smile deepened.
Newly promoted Mizunoto swordsmen often felt fear during their first few missions. Some even needed counseling before they could continue.
But Ryosuke was the complete opposite.
Completing a mission—and instead of returning, he went looking for demons?
That desire to slay demons burned fiercely—almost obsessively.
As if something were driving him, pressing him toward death.
"It seems my intuition was right," Kagaya said with quiet certainty.
"Mr. Yasui will one day become a Hashira. Jigoro will not lack a successor."
Amane frowned slightly.
"You think that highly of him?"
"My intuition has never failed."
"Achoo! Who the hell's cursing me?"
Ryosuke sneezed while scouting for demon traces.
He was deep in the forest near Hinodeyama. Though it was midday, the canopy blocked most of the light—perfect for demons to hide.
Up ahead, several blurry footprints came into view.
Their shapes were twisted—inhuman.
Ryosuke's eyes lit up as his hand closed around the hilt of his blade.
He straightened slowly, not rushing in.
His gaze followed the warped footprints—into a pitch-black cave in the depths of the forest.
Found you.
Now come out and get some sun, sweetheart.