"What?!"
Upon receiving the message from the Kasugai Crow, Ubuyashiki Kagaya nearly dropped the teacup in his hand. He was simply too agitated.
"You're saying… an Upper Rank has been slain?!"
The Kasugai Crow assigned exclusively to the Master perched on a tree branch and replied,
"The demons confirmed killed include Upper Rank Six and Upper Rank Nine. In addition, five Lower Rank members of the Twelve Kizuki were slain."
After landing in the courtyard, it had immediately delivered a concise report, mentioning only that an Upper Rank had been killed so the Master could grasp the situation first.
"So many?!"
Even with Ubuyashiki Kagaya's normally calm temperament, he couldn't help but exclaim in shock. At the same time, doubt crept into his voice.
"According to our intelligence, the Twelve Kizuki consist of six Upper Ranks and six Lower Ranks. How could there be something like an Upper Rank Nine?"
"That matter is still under investigation," the Kasugai Crow answered. "Preliminary speculation suggests that Kibutsuji Muzan has expanded the Twelve Kizuki's roster, recruiting more powerful demons."
The crow itself didn't possess particularly high intelligence—it was merely relaying the intelligence given to it by the messenger.
Hearing this, the joy Kagaya felt upon learning of an Upper Rank's death was diluted considerably, replaced by worry for the Demon Slayer Corps' children.
"And the casualties… how are they?"
This was what he cared about most. With so many Upper and Lower Rank demons involved, it could be said that this was an unprecedented lineup in the Corps' history. Even if several Hashira had rushed to the scene, the casualties should have been severe.
"According to current reports, in the battle that took place in Yoshiwara, nineteen civilians were injured, three were seriously wounded and permanently disabled, and there were no civilian deaths. Demon Slayer Corps members suffered no casualties."
For a moment, Kagaya thought he had misheard.
Although he didn't wish for any of his children to be hurt, he wasn't naive enough to believe that war against demons would be bloodless. He had already prepared himself to hear news of heavy losses.
But what had he just heard?
No civilian deaths. No casualties among the Demon Slayer Corps.
Such a beautiful outcome felt dreamlike—bringing joy, yet also disbelief.
"Which Hashira participated in the battle? Did Himejima go?"
Something about this felt strange to him. With his excellent memory, Kagaya clearly remembered the areas and assignments under each Hashira's jurisdiction. The Stone Hashira, Himejima Gyomei, was stationed far from Yoshiwara. For him to suddenly appear there to slay demons would be rather odd.
"Himejima-dono did not participate," the Kasugai Crow replied. "No active Hashira took part in this battle. All the demons were slain by a single person."
It continued in one breath:
"…Newly inducted Demon Slayer Corps member, Kinoe-ranked swordsman Kurosaki Rei."
"Kurosaki Rei?!"
Amane, who was supporting the Master and about to pour him more tea, cried out in surprise.
"Wasn't he only selected yesterday? How could he have gone to Yoshiwara?!"
For a moment, she became alert. So many outrageous reports in a row made her suspect that the Kasugai Crow might have been controlled by some Blood Demon Art. Had the Master's hidden location been exposed?
Kagaya, however, remained calm. He raised a hand to signal Amane not to panic.
"What exactly happened? I remember Fujikasane Mountain is three hundred kilometers from Yoshiwara. There's no train between them—only the old post roads, on foot or horseback. Could this intelligence be mistaken?"
The Kasugai Crow answered honestly,
"According to the report, after the Final Selection ended last night, Swordsman Kurosaki Rei immediately set out for Yoshiwara. He traveled on foot, arrived at dawn, and before resting encountered a demon ambush. After fierce combat, he emerged victorious."
Both Kagaya and Amane were left with their mouths slightly open, at a loss for words. At that moment, they both felt like grabbing the crow and checking it over thoroughly.
But while they were still stunned, several more Kasugai Crows arrived at the estate. Amane recognized them—they belonged to the three wives of Uzui Tengen.
These crows delivered intelligence nearly identical to that of the Master's own crow, further confirming the report's authenticity. Yet Kurosaki Rei's achievements were so absurd that they defied belief.
A six-hundred-li overnight march—was he made of iron? Was he even human?
Even the strongest Hashira, the Stone Hashira, couldn't possibly expend himself like that and still fight demons afterward.
And why had Kurosaki Rei rushed to Yoshiwara so urgently? How had he known there were demons there?
Despite the many questions in their hearts, the fact that Kurosaki Rei had slain Upper Rank Six, Upper Rank Nine, and several Lower Ranks was undeniable—and it was the greatest piece of good news the Demon Slayer Corps had received in centuries. Kagaya's mood was still uplifted.
A gentle smile appeared on his face.
"Have the Kasugai Crows spread the word. I will convene a Hashira Meeting. The tenth Hashira has been born."
Amane bowed respectfully. She had no objections to the Master's decision.
Under the Corps' long-standing rules, slaying even a single member of the Twelve Kizuki—Lower Rank included—was enough to qualify one to become a Hashira. Not to mention Kurosaki Rei, who had slain seven (or eight?) of them in a single battle.
With such overwhelming combat power, surpassing most of the current Hashira, his promotion was beyond dispute.
As Amane straightened, preparing to take her leave, she asked,
"What title should we give Kurosaki Rei?"
"Kurosaki Rei is a disciple of Grandpa Jigoro," Kagaya said. "He should naturally inherit his title. Until we meet him in person, let us temporarily designate him the Thunder Hashira."
Generally speaking, Hashira titles were named after their Breathing Styles—Flame, Water, Wind, Stone—classic styles that appeared generation after generation, their titles passed down.
There were exceptions, however: rare geniuses whose masters practiced traditional styles, yet who developed Breathing Styles better suited to themselves. In such cases—like the Mist Hashira or Love Hashira—the title was named after the newly created style, in respect for the founder.
That was why Kagaya said it was only provisional. The matter would be discussed again at the Hashira Meeting.
As the Kasugai Crows took flight, heading to every corner of the land, news of Kurosaki Rei's battle—slaying so many demons alone—spread throughout the Demon Slayer Corps. The sheer absurdity of the achievement made many Hashira doubt the reports at first.
But after the shock passed, what remained was joy.
Because it meant the Corps had gained a new, powerful force—bringing them one step closer to victory.
The Master's Kasugai Crow flew directly to find Kurosaki Rei, informing him of his promotion to Hashira, and serving as a temporary crow for intelligence exchange.
After all, Kurosaki Rei had left Fujikasane Mountain far too quickly. The Corps hadn't even had time to assign him a Kasugai Crow, which was why no one had known how he managed to reach Yoshiwara overnight.
...
While morale within the Demon Slayer Corps surged in preparation for welcoming their new Hashira, Kurosaki Rei himself, after resting and recovering his energy, arrived in Asakusa, Tokyo, that very evening.
In truth, Yoshiwara was quite close to Asakusa, which was why Kurosaki Rei had previously tried to "fish" for reinforcements.
What disappointed him was that even with explorers joining the fray, Boss Muzan was still as difficult as ever—his faction utterly disunited.
Yoshiwara was less than five kilometers from Asakusa. If Muzan's side had wanted to reinforce it, they could have surrounded the entire district within minutes. Yet until Kurosaki Rei finished killing all the demons, not a single one showed up.
Thinking about that distance, Kurosaki Rei couldn't help but feel that Muzan really did have a terrible brain. Upper Rank Six had been right there. When Muzan first encountered Tanjiro and developed psychological trauma, he hadn't acted personally—and even sent two weaklings to feed him experience. If Gyutaro had been dispatched, the story would've ended right there.
As for whether there were demons in Asakusa now—that was almost certain. Judging by the timeline, Boss Muzan should still be playing house there.
Explorers seeking power would inevitably be "baptized" by Muzan upon entering the world. It hadn't been long since their arrival, so they wouldn't have scattered too far. And since Muzan was cowardly by nature, he likely kept several powerful explorers by his side.
Thus, Kurosaki Rei deduced that Asakusa probably had loot boxes waiting to be claimed.
[Notice: Pioneer reputation has exceeded 3000, reaching the Revered tier]
As Kurosaki Rei was thinking about how to find Lady Tamayo after entering Asakusa, the Space's notification sounded in his ears.
At the same time, a somewhat familiar voice came from above.
"Excuse me… are you Swordsman Kurosaki Rei?"
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed.
Claim early access on Patreon: [email protected]/c/VoidInk08
🔓 You hold the keys to bonus chapters:
💬 10 reviews ignite 1 bonus chapter
🔷 100 Power Stones summon another
🔥 Your power determines how fast the tale unfolds.