On the Demon Slayer Corps' side, Ubuyashiki this time gave Kyoujurou enough time to break through the limits of the Demon Slayer Mark with Mizuki.
He stayed for over a week, bringing The Three Little Ones and Kanao, who were beaten black and blue by Mizuki every day.
As a Hashira, Kyoujurou's cultivation of both fighting spirit and physical body had already reached the peak humanly possible. After several attempts, he successfully activated his Demon Slayer Mark under Mizuki's high-pressure training.
After activating his Demon Slayer Mark, Kyoujurou decisively abandoned Tanjirou and the others and swiftly left to undertake missions.
After all, as a Hashira, staying in the Demon Slayer Corps for over a week doing nothing was already troublesome enough for the Master. During his rest, others must have taken on his work.
After the leading big brother left, only Tanjirou and the others remained, trembling under Mizuki's training.
When they were with Kyoujurou, they suffered, but at least there was a tall figure to bear the brunt. Now that Kyoujurou was gone, they instantly lost their backbone, feeling like they were just getting beaten up all day.
Yet, activating the Demon Slayer Mark was something they had requested themselves, so they were enduring self-imposed hardship.
Another two weeks passed.
During these two weeks, under Mizuki's extreme high pressure, even the simple-minded Inosuke became numb and couldn't be lively at all. Zenitsu, moreover, would fall asleep shortly after starting each training session.
It was said that sometimes during his nighttime dreams, 'Miss Mizuki, please no!' could be heard from the infirmary.
Mizuki, who learned of this from the Three Youngsters of the Butterfly Mansion, was speechless. Anyone who didn't know would think she had done something terrible.
Only Kanao, this girl was incredibly resilient. No matter how tired or painful, even with swollen ankles, she would only silently endure.
Kanao's reaction would occasionally motivate Inosuke and Tanjirou.
If even a girl was working so hard, how could they say they couldn't do it?
It was also a month after the training began that everyone finally succeeded in activating their Demon Slayer Marks.
"Oh! So this is the Demon Slayer Mark?!"
Inosuke, covered in dust but extremely excited, looked in the mirror, pulling at the patterns on his face, looking left and right.
"Finally succeeded..." Tanjirou glanced at the mirror from behind Inosuke, then collapsed onto the ground behind him, looking exhausted.
Kanao said nothing, merely returning to sit beside her elder sister.
"Well done," Kochou Shinobu praised with a smile, reaching out to stroke her head.
Kanao slightly lowered her head, making it easier for her sister to caress her.
"Eh~" Zenitsu cried out in surprise, clutching his head with both hands, "Why am I the only one who doesn't have it?!"
Mizuki glanced indifferently: "Weren't you here to sleep?"
"...That's too much, Miss Mizuki! You're insulting my character!" Zenitsu instantly became frantic, "Take that back!"
"Hmm?" Mizuki's expression turned cold.
Zenitsu shivered, his recently ignited anger instantly extinguished. He mumbled, "N-nothing..."
Mizuki's mouth twitched. This guy truly was something else.
No one paid attention to Zenitsu's complaints, because this guy... had already activated his Demon Slayer Mark.
In fact, he was the fastest among them to activate it.
However, this guy had activated it suddenly while sleepwalking.
While attacking Mizuki, his speed suddenly increased, almost catching Mizuki off guard.
And they couldn't yet make the Demon Slayer Mark permanent on their faces, which is why Zenitsu hadn't noticed.
In reality, his body was already vastly different from a month ago, as were the others'. It was just that they had been beaten by her every day for the past month, so they hadn't realized it yet.
They would understand just how strong they had become once they went on missions.
If a month ago, everyone could only barely defeat the weakest of the Lower Ranks, now, if they were to face the Lower Ranks again, they could easily slay them.
"Ah! It disappeared!!!"
Inosuke was screaming again.
"Tanjirou! My Demon Slayer Mark disappeared!"
"Calm down, Inosuke. Didn't Miss Mizuki say that with our current strength, we can't make the Demon Slayer Mark permanent?"
These guys are really noisy, can't they be a bit quieter?
Mizuki looked at them helplessly.
"Isn't it interesting?" Kochou Shinobu's voice sounded in her ear.
"It's noisy," Mizuki sighed.
"Do you dislike it?"
"…"
"Mizuki is really not honest," a secretly laughing voice came from behind her.
Mizuki opened her mouth, but chose not to bicker with her, asking instead, "Did you get any results on the matter I asked you about earlier?"
"It's in the place Mizuki mentioned," Kochou Shinobu pulled out a slip of paper from her embrace. "This is the current place name."
Mizuki took it, nodding slightly: "Okay, then I'll leave for a bit."
...The day after everyone mastered the Demon Slayer Mark, missions for the Demon Slayer Corps arrived one after another.
"Why do I have to go?! I haven't even learned it yet!" Zenitsu wailed, full of complaints, as he set off.
Mizuki parted ways with them, also leaving the Demon Slayer Corps.
During their training, she had asked Kochou Shinobu to inquire about the Shinto-ryu martial arts dojo from back then, learning that the girl... no, now she should be called an old woman, was still there.
She had to fulfill her promise and deliver a message... Arriving at the city she had once visited, decades had passed, turning the city into something unrecognizable. Mizuki followed the address on the slip of paper.
Reaching the address, Mizuki looked up.
[Shinto-ryu Dojo]
A large archway hung at the entrance.
Inside the courtyard, a middle-aged woman dressed in a training uniform sweeping the ground came forward and asked, "Can I help you?"
Mizuki nodded lightly: "I'm looking for Ms. Harumi."
Harumi was the name of that girl back then, a piece of information she had obtained from the Demon Slayer Corps' intelligence.
The middle-aged woman was stunned: "Looking for Grandma?"
"May I ask who you are?"
"...Do you know about the Demon Slayer Corps?"
The middle-aged woman's expression changed slightly, clearly having heard something.
"Please come in."
She led Mizuki all the way to the back of the martial arts dojo. Along the way, many young people dressed as disciples greeted her.
This martial arts dojo was indeed sustained by that young girl.
The woman settled her into a room in the back courtyard, poured tea, and then hurried off to find someone.
Soon, she helped an old woman, about seventy or eighty years old, into the room.
Mizuki looked up, and the old woman was also sizing up Mizuki. Then her body trembled slightly, and she shook off the woman's hand, walking towards Mizuki.
"You... you are..."
There was no mistake. Although Mizuki hadn't revealed her true face back then, she would never forget those peculiar eyes her entire life.
"Grandma!" The middle-aged woman quickly stepped forward to support her.
Mizuki nodded slightly: "The promise I made with you decades ago, I have fulfilled it."
The old woman stiffened, trembling, and stood rooted to the spot. After a long while, cloudy tears spilled out.
"Is that so?"
"Thank you..."
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