Kurosaki Rei abruptly looked up—but he didn't see the familiar figure he had expected. Instead, a crow descended from the sky, speaking human words.
"A Kasugai Crow… I am Kurosaki Rei, yes."
Kurosaki Rei replied. For a split second just now, he had thought one of his old roommates was calling out to him.
Only after coming back to his senses did he remember that when he had been catching up on the series back in the Space, he'd noticed something—the voice of the Master's Kasugai Crow in the Demon Slayer world sounded eerily similar to his roommate Aizen Sōsuke from the Bleach world.
"Because of Swordsman Kurosaki Rei's valiant efforts, slaying seven members of the Twelve Kizuki including Upper Rank Six, Swordsman Kurosaki Rei has now been promoted to the Demon Slayer Corps' tenth Hashira."
The Kasugai Crow circled above Kurosaki Rei as it delivered the message.
"Thunder Hashira-dono, the Master will convene a Hashira Meeting in three days' time. I will guide you to the meeting location then."
Hearing the crow's message, realization dawned on Kurosaki Rei.
No wonder his reputation had been skyrocketing—so the Master had been actively publicizing his deeds. And now, because of his achievements, he'd even been promoted to Hashira.
"So I've become a Hashira, huh…" Kurosaki Rei murmured. "Then do I have personnel I can mobilize?"
Unlike during the daytime, he was now entering the city at night. While he very much wanted to run straight into Muzan and cut him down on the spot, if a real fight broke out inside the city, countless innocent civilians would inevitably be caught in the crossfire.
That was why he hoped the Demon Slayer Corps could provide some support—at the very least, set up advance arrangements. If fighting did break out, it would make evacuations easier and reduce losses.
"If Thunder Hashira-dono requires it," the Kasugai Crow replied, "I can relay orders to mobilize Demon Slayer Corps members within this region. Approximately ten swordsmen could gather before the Hour of the Rat."
Kurosaki Rei was a little disappointed by that answer—but on second thought, it made sense.
The Demon Slayer Corps was small to begin with. Spread across the entire country, their numbers were even thinner, to the point that among civilians they were little more than legends—much like demons themselves.
Well… yes. In truth, there weren't actually that many demons either.
After all, only Kibutsuji Muzan could create demons, and he didn't particularly like doing so. He believed himself to be the sole perfect and noble being; the only reason he made other demons was to have them search for the Blue Spider Lily.
So in terms of total population, even with demons rampaging across the country, Japan's population was still steadily increasing.
Most people would go their entire lives without ever encountering a demon or a Demon Slayer. Those who did could only be described as extremely unlucky.
"Forget it. You stay on standby outside the city—I'll go in and handle some things."
Kurosaki Rei gave up on the idea of mobilizing manpower. With so few people taking their time to gather, they wouldn't be much help anyway. If a fight broke out, they'd probably just end up as fodder for the explorers. He was better off entering the city quietly to investigate on his own.
Night fell over Asakusa, lanterns lighting up one by one.
Neon-colored paper lanterns swayed gently in the night breeze, casting dappled light and shadow, draping the city in a veil of mystery.
Shops lining the streets were brightly lit, all kinds of signboards competing for attention against the night sky. Warm orange light spilled through sliding doors, accompanied by laughter and the crisp clatter of bowls and chopsticks. Street vendors called out endlessly, the aroma of grilled fish mingling with incense in the air, teasing the senses of passersby.
Citizens wove through the crowd—some in small groups, others alone—moving briskly, faces marked by both the fatigue and hope of daily life. Occasionally, a woman in a kimono would pass by gracefully, her subtle makeup appearing even more gentle under the lantern light.
A wooden boat glided across the river, the boatman's oar softly stirring the surface, shattering the reflection of stars across the water.
Kurosaki Rei sat at the bow, the night wind gently brushing his face. His eyes reflected the vast starry sky and the city's lights.
In this era, Asakusa was undoubtedly one of Japan's most prosperous districts. The people living here enjoyed a high standard of living, smiles often on their faces—utterly unaware that their city was already under the dominion of demons.
Kurosaki Rei altered the appearance of Pure Black Nightmare, wearing a straw hat and a loose robe, looking just like a wandering ronin on his travels.
After entering the city, he had already spotted three demons. They hadn't noticed him, and he hadn't acted rashly.
Because of Muzan's presence, many powerful figures had gathered here. If fighting broke out, civilian casualties would reach into the tens of thousands. So Kurosaki Rei could only suppress his desire for loot—for now.
He didn't consider himself to have particularly lofty moral standards, but he wasn't willing to let countless civilians die just to satisfy his own greed or impulse.
Of course, that didn't mean he would refrain from acting entirely. Just like now—he had already infiltrated Asakusa, preparing to gather intelligence and seek out Lady Tamayo.
Hesitating out of fear for hostages wasn't his style either. It was like police rescuing hostages taken by terrorists—if the hostages were killed because demands weren't met, you couldn't blame the courageous police action. The blame lay solely with the terrorists.
If the Demon Slayer Corps did nothing about Asakusa's situation, demons would continue to eat people. Some explorers would be even worse—killing not out of hunger, but out of pleasure.
In that case, doing nothing would still amount to a slow death for the people of Asakusa. So inaction was never an option.
Kurosaki Rei had thought it through clearly. Under normal circumstances, he would consider civilian safety—but if Muzan's faction discovered him and a fight erupted, he would fight without restraint.
He couldn't protect everyone, but he could kill all the demons who preyed on humans—and avenge the dead.
As Kurosaki Rei wandered through Asakusa, searching for clues to Lady Tamayo's residence, the explorers of Muzan's faction within the district were also gathering together.
In a shadowy alley, explorers who had never met before huddled together, discussing the events of the day.
"The Yusha Sword group is dead."
"They had excellent preparations in Yoshiwara—even set up a sky curtain to deal with daytime combat. But even with Upper Rank Six helping them, they were wiped out completely."
"Looks like a powerful Hashira has appeared. This job won't be as easy as we thought."
The explorers spoke in veiled terms, one after another. They knew Muzan could monitor the condition of anyone who inherited his blood at any time.
Explorers were required to keep the existence of Endpoint Space secret. Once Muzan gave them his blood, he could read their minds—but due to the Space's protection mechanisms, this ability was blurred. Muzan couldn't see their true memories or thoughts.
However, if they openly talked about things related to the Space, Muzan would immediately become aware.
"Yoshiwara is very close to Asakusa. He might not have left—he could already be here."
"Heh, isn't that perfect? I don't believe he's still at full strength after such a huge battle. Find him and kill him—then we're set."
"This should be exactly what that Lord wants to see as well. Just—"
Before they could finish their discussion, a voice suddenly descended into their minds.
It was an order from Kibutsuji Muzan.
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