"But if it's as you say, and we stay together, I could just as easily cover your retreat into the wooden house! There's no need to separate. I'm truly worried about leaving you in this state."
Izumi Kiyowa sighed softly before explaining his reasoning to Rengoku Mujuro.
"There are two reasons for this, Mr. Rengoku. First, if the demon we encounter is as strong as that Upper Rank Three, we will be wiped out instantly. You wouldn't be able to cover our retreat under that kind of pressure. Second, we have to consider the possibility that there are more than two demons. Given that a Hashira is here, it wouldn't be strange for three Moons to show up. If we move as a group and two Moons appear at once, one will tie you down while the other easily slaughters the two of us. Therefore, splitting up here is our best chance."
By now, Mujuro had fully accepted Kiyowa's logic. He suddenly struck his own forehead, seemingly consumed by guilt over his own perceived weakness.
Seeing this, Kiyowa reached out and gently took Mujuro's hand.
"Mr. Rengoku," he said softly, "you are like a candle, constantly burning yourself to provide light in the dark. You have done more than enough. In fact, in this plan, I am asking you to act as the bait to buy Lady Narubashira and me time to escape. Statistically speaking, you are almost guaranteed to run into a demon on your path, while if we are lucky, we won't see a single one. You are the one in the most danger. If you choose to blame yourself even now, how am I supposed to feel? If you sacrifice yourself, how am I supposed to face your memory? I would have to live with the fact that my plan sent you to your death."
"The price a candle pays to shine in the night is its own existence. If possible, Mr. Rengoku, I want to ask you to believe in yourself more. Be a little more selfish. At the very least... don't burn yourself out so quickly. You are our candle, but you are also your mother's son and your family's pride... There is nothing wrong with being a little selfish."
Mujuro listened, but then he simply shook his head and smiled. His expression held a gentleness Kiyowa had never seen before.
"I have made my choice, Little Kiyowa. Thank you for your concern."
Kiyowa knew he couldn't change the man's heart. He nodded slightly and immediately shifted back into tactical mode.
"In the farmland three hundred meters to the left, there are two scarecrows. In a moment, I'll give you my haori and Lady Narubashira's outer coat. Use them to dress the scarecrows as a simple disguise. It'll likely be seen through quickly, but that's fine—it doesn't matter if they realize it from the start. From the moment I lit the Wisteria fire in that hut this afternoon, this retreat was set in motion."
"Once I ensure the Hashira's safety, I will light the Wisteria in another hut. I'll use the smoke to deter the demons as much as possible. Mr. Rengoku, the moment you see smoke, dive into your designated hut and wait for dawn. We'll find a way to regroup then. However, if a demon encounters us and manages to push through the smoke, I will light even more huts. If that happens, use your judgment to come and support us. By the way, has the rescue message been sent via Kasugai Crow? Did you get a reply?"
Mujuro answered immediately, "The moment Lady Narubashira mentioned the possibility of a new Moon appearing, I sent Ebisu-maru for help. After hearing Chocho-maru's report tonight, I sent her to contact any nearby crows. But as for when help will arrive, I honestly don't know."
Kiyowa rubbed his temples and took a deep breath. He forced himself to cycle through the Sun Breathing, squeezing out the last drops of his body's potential. He could feel his heart rate climbing and his body temperature rising from the prolonged use of the technique.
"In that case, I can rest easy. Mr. Rengoku, we split up here! Lady Narubashira is still unconscious, so I'll look after her. Please, be careful on the road ahead!"
With that, Kiyowa hoisted the Hashira onto his shoulder, grabbed their outer garments, and sprinted toward the mountain woods.
Mujuro stood there for a moment, staring at the discarded clothes left behind, his heart heavy with a complex swirl of emotions.
Back in the present, at the moment Mujuro entered the hut, Gyokko's hatred reached a breaking point.
He calculated the concentration of Wisteria smoke inside. While not lethal, trying to kill Rengoku Mujuro in that environment would drain at least half of his stamina. Furthermore, a body that had inhaled that much Wisteria would be poisonous to consume. Since Lord Muzan didn't care about this particular slayer anyway, it was a thankless, exhausting task.
Calm down, Gyokko. Don't let this distract you. Cutting off that brat's head and receiving Lord Muzan's reward and blood is all that matters.
Thinking this, Gyokko took a deep breath and turned to leave, intending to hunt Kiyowa down in the woods.
But just as Gyokko prepared to retreat into his porcelain vase, Mujuro's Nichirin Sword swung out once more. Under Gyokko's murderous gaze, he saw that Mujuro had strapped a burning Wisteria torch to his body. The hut behind him was now fully engulfed in flames.
The wind swept the Wisteria smoke directly toward Gyokko. Mujuro's face was set in a mask of grim determination, his voice booming:
"Even if I die here, I will not let you take a single step into those woods! Besides, Kiyowa is a true connoisseur of ceramics—your vases are hideous! He'd be disgusted just looking at you!"
Staring at his sliced porcelain vase, Gyokko's temper finally exploded. The corners of his mouth tore open, and blood seeped from his eyes.
"My vases! What part of them... is hideous?!"
Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, Kiyowa stood panting in front of a wooden door. He gripped his Nichirin Sword, staring at the familiar face with the strange hair and the razor-sharp folding fan. Bitterness flooded his heart.
What kind of shitty luck is this?!
An even harder one to deal with actually showed up!
Before him stood the current Upper Rank Six—Douma!
"Ara, ara... You really have a cute girl behind you, don't you? Is she one of those rare female Hashira? If you don't mind, could you step aside and let me eat her before we talk? Lord Muzan rushed me over here, and I'm absolutely famished. I was right in the middle of a meal, you see..."
Kiyowa watched Douma, who clearly didn't view him as a threat at all. His breathing rhythm shifted slightly.
To be honest...
He really didn't want to reveal the "Sun Breathing" in front of Muzan's eyes this early.
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Demon Slayer: Starting by Snatching Daki(103 Chapter- Ongoing)
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