Chapter 10: Kanae and Shinobu Kocho |
"Ha-ha-ha! You certainly hold your teacher in high regard!" Akaza guffawed. "But do not belittle yourself, for you are the greatest swordmaster I have encountered in all my long years! In the pure art of the blade, you have no equal!"
'Could her teacher truly be even stronger?'
It was hard to believe. It likely stemmed from a student's respect for a mentor, but even if the teacher were truly superior, their potential would still be strictly limited...
The difference in power wouldn't be significant.
Akaza understood the limits of a human swordsman perfectly. He simply couldn't conceive of anyone being an order of magnitude stronger than Makomo, whose swordsmanship was already perfection.
Perhaps the teacher possessed a Breathing Technique, allowing them to surpass her, much like Upper Rank One, who wielded both a Breathing Technique and a Blood Demon Art.
But even then, that advantage was capped.
Humanity had a ceiling.
Unless, of course, this mysterious master had transcended it by turning into a demon to obtain a more powerful body.
"Thirty years? Perhaps forty?.."
"Wouldn't it be better to become an immortal demon like me?"
"To fight me for eternity, to continue honing your skills and carry this flawless art of the blade through the centuries! You were chosen by God himself—do not squander this chance!" The demon's roar turned fanatical, accompanied by the deafening rumble of the earth and nearby structures collapsing.
'A... a demon?' Makomo's eyes narrowed sharply as memories of horrific cannibalism flashed before her.
Taking a deep breath, the girl tightened her grip on the hilt of her sword and replied calmly, "I have no intention of becoming an ugly monster. And I was not chosen by a god... I was chosen by my teacher."
Swoosh!
Following her resolute words, Makomo swung her blade, and a translucent blue radiance illuminated the darkness of the night.
Destructive Death: Compass Needle!
Boom!
The master swordsman and the Upper Moon clashed once more in a furious struggle.
...
In an oil lamp on the floor of an old house, a weak flame flickered, ready to be extinguished by the slightest draft.
Sitting near the entrance, his head tilted toward the night sky, was a man in a white haori.
It was the current leader of the Demon Slayers—Kagaya Ubuyashiki!
"A powerful demon—perhaps one of the strongest among the Upper Moons—has appeared in a small northern settlement... Only Kanae is nearby, but a single Hashira cannot hope to defeat an Upper Moon alone."
'How is this possible? An Upper Moon is already in the heat of battle... Is there truly someone capable of standing against them face-to-face?' Kagaya whispered, his head bowing in deep contemplation.
The Demon Slayers had been waging this war for centuries. While they lacked the supernatural abilities of demons, they possessed an immense network of information spanning every corner of the country.
Based on this intelligence, Kagaya issued assignments to slayers to eliminate man-eating demons throughout the land.
To him, every slayer was like his own child, whose life was precious and not to be thrown away in vain.
Therefore, barring unforeseen circumstances, Demon Slayer teams received missions suited to their capabilities.
If the target was a member of the Twelve Kizuki, he would send a Hashira.
At least one Hashira.
But if it concerned an Upper Moon...
They had very little information on that front, but according to Kagaya's calculations, they would need to send no fewer than three Hashira to have even a chance of success. A lone Hashira was almost guaranteed to fall.
Under normal circumstances, if an Upper Moon was discovered and three Hashira were not nearby, Kagaya would likely refrain from an engagement, as it would only lead to certain death.
But.
This situation was different.
Yes, the target was an Upper Moon and only one Hashira was in the vicinity, but the demon was already locked in combat with an unknown opponent—and they were fighting on equal footing!
Initially, Kagaya had been shocked by the report of an Upper Moon battling a stranger, but now he faced a dilemma.
The opponent was not a Demon Slayer, and there was absolutely no information on them.
It would be wonderful if this stranger proved to be a sworn enemy of demons, but what if... they defected to the other side?
In that case, the Flower Hashira would be walking into a death trap!
Such occurrences were by no means rare!
After all, every demon, including the Upper Moons, had once been human!
This unknown warrior might not withstand the temptation of eternal life, and the Hashira would find herself cornered.
And yet...
Was this stranger truly capable of fighting one of the Upper Moons as an equal?
Kagaya remained lost in thought for a long time before he finally reached a decision...
...
A settlement somewhere in the north.
In the corner of a neat, clean hotel room, colorful clothes lay in a pile. In the center were two futons, each occupied by a sleeping girl.
The girls bore a striking resemblance to one another, though one had long hair and the other short. The one with long hair was taller and had a more graceful figure, while the shorter girl was curled into a small ball.
They were...
One of the current Hashira, the Flower Hashira—Kanae Kocho!
And the future Insect Hashira—Shinobu Kocho!
Suddenly.
A faint flash of light illuminated the room for a brief moment.
The sisters woke instantly and sat up on their futons, turning toward the window in near-perfect synchronization.
A crow landed on the windowsill and, after ruffling its feathers, croaked out human words: "Kanae Kocho! Kanae Kocho!"
"An Upper Moon is battling an unknown opponent twenty-five miles north of here. Reconnoiter the situation, but do not engage in battle! You are the only Hashira in the area..."
After listening to the Kasugai Crow's message, Kanae and Shinobu exchanged looks filled with shock and tension.
An Upper Moon!
As a Hashira, second in status only to Kagaya Ubuyashiki, Kanae was well aware of the terrifying power held by the Upper Moons of the Twelve Kizuki!
Over the centuries, the Demon Slayers had killed countless Lower Moons and sacrificed innumerable lives, yet not a single Upper Moon had ever fallen!
To the slayers, facing an Upper Moon was the same as facing Muzan himself... they were six insurmountable peaks!
"An Upper Moon..." Shinobu whispered in awe. Casting a determined look at her sister, she exclaimed anxiously, "I won't let you go alone!"
Kanae thought for a moment before shaking her head. "No, you will stay here. It is too dangerous for you to approach an Upper Moon."
"But—"
"Do not worry. I wasn't ordered to fight. It will only be a scouting mission since there are no other Hashira nearby," Kanae declared firmly, cutting off her younger sister's objection.
In response, Shinobu clenched her small fists.
She was actually quite strong, having recently mastered Total Concentration: Constant, but she was still not quite at the level of a Hashira. She realized that with her current strength, she might not only fail to help but could even hinder her sister in a fight against an Upper Moon.
Both sisters were well aware of this fact. Yet Kanae said nothing that might upset her younger sister, even before a likely encounter with an Upper Moon. That was why she was, in Shinobu's eyes... the kindest and most gentle older sister in the whole world.
"Alright, I'll be back no later than dawn." After donning her Demon Slayer uniform and draping her white haori over her shoulders, Kanae patted her younger sister on the head and nimbly leaped out through the window.
Shinobu immediately rushed to the window and, leaning against the sill, watched Kanae's rapidly retreating back.
'I’ll wait for your return, sister...' She could only pray for her sister's safety in the lonely silence.