Over a hundred years had passed.
Chiyo and Rina, Oboro's two handmaidens, had long since passed away.
He had not even been with them when they died.
From the end of the Edo period onward, Oboro — already in his advanced decades — had begun traveling alone across the entire country.
By then, Chiyo and Rina were far too old to accompany him as they had in their youth. So year after year, Oboro spent his time wandering by himself.
During this period, he continued converting demons into cards in large quantities, while also seeking out talented successors or promising young members of the Demon Slayer Corps, using his Experience Cards on them.
Their combat experience grew rapidly — a change that greatly benefited both the evolution of demons and the swordsmen's mastery of breathing and energy cultivation techniques.
Oboro also kept a close watch on news regarding Gyutaro. For over forty years, Gyutaro and Daki had been hunting Upper Ranks non‑stop.
They had killed many members of the Twelve Kizuki in total — yet among the Upper Ranks, they had succeeded in eliminating only one: Gyokko.
Gyokko had become an Upper Rank toward the end of the Edo era. He had turned into a demon earlier than Gyutaro, though he had remained hidden and unknown at first, escaping Oboro's notice.
And precisely because he had become a demon so early, he had not been directly involved in the great conflicts and battles between the Demon Slayer Corps and the inheritors during the chaotic final decade of the Edo period.
As a result, his strength was considerably weaker — which was exactly why Gyutaro had been able to find and kill him.
The other four Upper Ranks, however, had constantly honed and improved themselves through battle, reaching levels far stronger than in the original timeline.
Given how complex and dangerous the current world situation was, they had all become extremely cautious. Gyutaro found it nearly impossible to track them down.
Even the Demon Slayer Corps had been unable to do anything about them for years — Doma and the others were masters at hiding.
Still, Muzan's faction was now fully aware of Gyutaro's existence.
Half a year earlier, they had even organized a trap to capture him, though it ended in failure. Doma, Hantengu, and several Lower Ranks had been sent to carry it out.
Had it been just one Upper Rank acting alone, that demon would almost certainly have been devoured by Gyutaro and Daki.
As for the broader state of the world… It was now the Taishō era.
The Shogunate had finally been overthrown. But with Oboro guiding events, there was no way the inheritors would ever be allowed to seize total control.
Power remained firmly in human hands, not demonic ones.
Consequently, the inheritors were still very far from achieving their ultimate goal.
The most important difference between the Taishō and Edo eras lay in the system of government.
The Edo period had been one of centralised authority, where the Shogun's word was absolute. The Taishō era promoted democracy and the distribution of power… which stripped many high‑ranking officials of their absolute authority.
Naturally, Oboro also lost his status and influence as a retainer of the Shogunate; he could no longer operate through official channels or gather information easily. But none of that mattered to him anymore.
The changes in society he had set out to create had already solidified over decades — there was no need for him to interfere further.
Moreover, with the Demon Slayer Corps now protecting the new government, it was extremely difficult for the inheritors to attack high‑ranking humans.
The common people of this world had long accepted — and even grown accustomed to — living alongside demons.
To them, the world simply contained two species: humans and demons.
And humans, without question, represented justice.
---
Sanyōdō Region.
An area not far from Kyōto.
A fierce battle had just ended here, leaving smoke lingering in the air.
The scene was horrific; at least a hundred soldiers lay dead.
The surviving troops stood together, their uniforms similar in style to what Oboro recognised as "modern".
The clearest signs of an era changing were always in how people dressed, ate, lived, traveled — and how their way of thinking became more open.
Alongside traditional katana worn at their waists, some soldiers carried firearms that looked almost antique.
This battle was a typical confrontation between humans and demons.
These men belonged to an official demon‑hunting force. Upon joining, every soldier received training from Demon Slayer swordsmen… granting them enough skill to fight and kill demons.
Most had learned basic Breathing Techniques, but none had been taught the deeper cultivation methods, nor were they officially part of the Demon Slayer Corps…
For energy cultivation had become the core and exclusive strength of the Corps.
Unless one was a member, the Ubuyashiki clan would never reveal its secrets. To join the Demon Slayer Corps, one had to possess the inherited will and a fierce, unyielding determination toward demons.
But these soldiers and warriors from the outside world sought power for their own reasons and carried impure motives.
This clashed completely with the Corps' philosophy.
The Ubuyashiki family also refused to let such great power be used to disrupt or endanger peace in the world.
While the earlier heads of the clan — Hisano and Hideo — had struggled to adapt to the world Oboro had shaped, and especially to the idea of cooperating with the government… after generations of careful management and maintenance, the Demon Slayer Corps had finally found its place and balance in this new era.
Strictly speaking, they remained separate from the government, neither interfering in each other's affairs. Their cooperation was limited to training official soldiers to defend the people from demons.
Such an arrangement would have been impossible during the absolute rule of the Edo period.
But in the more democratic Taishō era, it met with little resistance or difficulty.
Killing demons required extremely harsh conditions. Basic Breathing Techniques alone were rarely enough to gain the upper hand.
Much also depended on the Swordsmith Village — yet even with their best efforts, they could not mass‑produce Nichirin Blades.
Supplying every member of the Demon Slayer Corps was already a heavy burden for them.
The reason these soldiers were now capable of killing demons lay instead in their weapons… not Nichirin Blades, but a new invention.
They were called Demon‑Seizing Blades.
Like swords, they were specially crafted to counter Muzan's cells. Though less powerful than Nichirin Blades, they were more than enough to defeat ordinary demons.
Simply put: they were forged by those who had mastered deep energy cultivation.
These warriors would channel their inner energy through their own blood and infuse it into the metal while it was being smelted. Two requirements were essential to create them:
1. Time limit: The blade's demon‑killing power did not last forever. Once separated from the living body, the blood within dried and lost its effectiveness.
2. Willpower: Just as Oboro had once suppressed Muzan's cells, inflicting permanent damage on demonic cells required immense conviction and mental strength. Without it, no such weapon could ever be forged.
This proved that after all this time, the inherited will within the Demon Slayer Corps had grown astonishingly powerful.
For the challenges they now faced were completely different from those in the original timeline.
The Demon Slayer Corps had evolved greatly over the years — otherwise, they could never have held their ground against both the inheritors and Muzan.
And this evolution was exactly what Oboro had set out to achieve from the very beginning.
He had heard that several of the current Hashira had already reached the level of Transparent World through their mastery of cultivation.
Demon Marks, Bright Red Blades, Transparent World… all had appeared far earlier than they should have.
And new resources such as the Demon‑Seizing Blades had emerged, which never even existed in the original story.
This was exactly the kind of progress Oboro had always pushed for…
But as yet, it was nowhere near enough.
The resources he needed went far beyond this.
"Commander!"
The soldiers were clearing the battlefield in an orderly fashion, when suddenly one of the swordsmen noticed a figure walking slowly toward them through the darkness of the distant night.
Shocked, he immediately turned and reported to his superior.
In an instant, every man drew his weapon and stood ready.
Before the battle began, the army had secured the perimeter and confirmed no outsiders were present.
Even a lone figure… could very well be a demon.
The enemy they had defeated today belonged to the faction of inheritors.
Unlike demons under Muzan's command — who mostly acted alone and rarely formed groups — the inheritors organised themselves into armies.
"An old man…?"
But when the commanding officer saw the newcomer's face, he frowned in confusion.
It was an elderly man with hair as white as snow and a thin frame… yet his skin and features looked remarkably youthful. There were wrinkles, but very few.
Most striking were his bright, shining eyes — completely free of the dullness of age, instead brimming with immense vitality and spirit.
"That clothing…"
The officer's pupils contracted as recognition dawned; he whispered under his breath.
The stranger wore a black haori over an ancient‑style warrior's robe rarely seen in modern times, and wooden clogs on his feet.
Wooden clogs were still worn occasionally — but usually only at home, during festivals, or for short walks.
Moreover, these were heavy, solid, thick‑soled clogs, not the split‑toe shoes or light cloth footwear that had evolved from them. They were incredibly rare.
"The black haori… You are the God of Swordsmanship?!"
The officer's expression changed from shock to awe.
Hearing those words, every soldier around froze in place.
The God of Swordsmanship was a legend.
It was said that exceptional warriors among humanity were watched over and favoured by this god, granting them immense strength.
No one knew where the legend came from, nor what kind of being this god truly was — human or divine…
They only knew that meeting him meant great opportunity and destiny.
Even to this day, many warriors worshipped the God of Swordsmanship, praying to receive this divine blessing.
The reason his fame had grown so great was that, in this era plagued by demons, there were still many powerful humans alive who claimed to have been enlightened or taught by him.
Most were famous "Demon‑Slaying Heroes", and it was from them that the stories spread.
Oboro walked steadily toward the officer, who by now was flushed with excitement and immediately dropped to his knees.
The surrounding soldiers scarcely dared to breathe.
Clearly, their commander had been chosen by a god.
"Carry out your mission to slay demons… and grow stronger."
Oboro had long since grown accustomed to this title.
He spoke in a calm, indifferent tone.
Then, between his fingers, a card appeared — flashed like a streak of light — and vanished.
This miraculous sight was, of course, invisible to everyone else.
The officer, struck by the full effect of the Experience Card, felt his mind explode as an immense flood of knowledge, memories, and battle experience poured directly into his consciousness.
When he finally recovered his senses and looked up, the elderly stranger had already vanished without a trace.
Only the envious and awestruck gazes of his men remained.
"Divine power… It truly is divine power…"
The officer swallowed hard, unable to believe what had happened.
But he could feel every change inside himself with absolute clarity.
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