Chapter 52: Makomo's Surprise |
Kagaya Ubuyashiki was a leader who embodied both profound gentleness and unwavering resolve.
He could calmly dispatch any slayer on a suicide mission, yet he cherished every one of them as if they were his own flesh and blood.
Because of this, the agony that tormented his heart day and night was no less piercing than the pain felt by any slayer on the front lines.
Even the Hashira held Kagaya in immeasurable esteem for this very quality.
He had always been a man of faith, sincerely believing that he would one day see an end to the nightmare of the demons. He did everything within his power to ensure that day arrived within his own lifetime.
Regardless of what kind of deity Yeruashi might be, the fact that he had granted the Kocho sisters a second chance revealed a merciful side to him. Kagaya had no intention of resenting the god's apparent inaction, unlike Sanemi. He understood perfectly well that their fate rested in human hands—or rather, in human will. Only the weak and insecure shift their burdens onto others, even if that other is a god.
Man possesses both free will and the freedom to choose.
"May I ask why the omniscient God has deigned to visit us?" Kagaya inquired politely, inclining his head in a deep, respectful bow.
Yeruashi looked down at him.
Much like Shinobu, who had endured the trauma of losing her parents and then her elder sister, Kagaya was a testament to endurance.
The rest of the Hashira were cut from the same cloth.
Yet, Kagaya possessed a unique brand of mercy and compassion, manifesting in a genuine paternal care for every slayer he led. To him, they were all his children. Consequently, the death of any slayer, regardless of their rank, inflicted unbearable sorrow upon him. It was no exaggeration to say that the burden on Kagaya's heart was far heavier than any of his subordinates could imagine. Yet, despite it all, he remained an optimist.
Yeruashi admired and even felt a certain degree of reverence for individuals with such indomitable will and convictions. He knew that if he were to stand in Kagaya's place, with his powers and memories sealed away, he might survive the pain, but to maintain such a spirit...
"You have done exceptional work. Continue on this path, and when your life reaches its end, I shall grant you a gift," Yeruashi said calmly.
At those words, the Hashira all turned their gazes toward Kagaya. They weren't particularly surprised; while Yeruashi merely admired their leader, they believed in him with all their hearts.
Then Yeruashi continued, his gaze slowly sweeping over the Butterfly Mansion. "It is nothing special. I simply stopped by to see my disciple and pass something on to her."
"A disciple?" Kagaya repeated, his voice tinged with surprise. He maintained his composure even after receiving praise from a deity, but this was unexpected.
'A god has a student?'
A flurry of images raced through his mind until a specific face surfaced, and with it came a sudden realization.
Meanwhile, the Hashira remained in a state of profound shock, unable to immediately grasp which of them he could possibly be referring to.
And right at that moment...
Another person arrived at the mansion.
It was a young girl wearing the Demon Slayer uniform, a Nichirin Sword at her hip. She had matured significantly since her days of training in the valley, her gaze reflecting the hardships she had faced as a slayer.
But that hardened look vanished like mist in the wind the moment she saw the bowing Hashira and the man standing before them—a man she could never forget.
"Teacher?!" Makomo froze. The grief over Kanae's death was instantly eclipsed by the sheer joy of seeing Yeruashi. She bolted toward him, completely ignoring everything else happening around her.
The highly respected and authoritative Sword Hashira, who had slain countless demons over the past two years, transformed in an instant into a sweet, ordinary girl.
"Where... where have you been all this time?" Makomo asked, her voice trembling as she struggled to contain the flood of emotions.
Over the past two years, she had returned to that valley countless times and made many other attempts to find her teacher, all in vain. The crushing thought had begun to take root that Yeruashi didn't want to see her anymore—that he was disappointed by her lack of progress.
"I have been watching you. You have learned much over these years," Yeruashi said softly, reaching out to pat her head. "It is only your swordsmanship that has stagnated."
"I... I have disgraced you, Teacher," Makomo murmured, her head drooping despondently.
It was true that she had grown stronger through her Breathing Technique, which, combined with her martial skill, made her the strongest in the Demon Slayer Corps.
However, Makomo never dared to become complacent. The memory of her teacher cleaving through the entire valley with a single, effortless swing was still vividly etched in her mind.
The Sword Hashira was painfully aware that her progress was insignificant, let alone the total lack of advancement in the higher mysteries of the blade.
Shame flooded her at her teacher's words.
If only she had taken another step forward on the path of the sword. Perhaps she wouldn't have reached Yeruashi's level, but she might have defeated Muzan, or at least avoided looking so pathetic now.
Shame gripped not only Makomo but the other Hashira as well, including Sanemi. Until now, they hadn't felt much respect for Yeruashi, reasonably assuming he did nothing for humanity. But now they realized that Makomo herself was a gift he had bestowed upon the Demon Slayer Corps.
It went without saying that most of them wouldn't have stood a chance against the Upper Moons without the swordsmanship Makomo had shared with them.
As for Yeruashi personally destroying Muzan...
Was expecting a god to descend and solve all their problems not akin to a pet waiting to be hand-fed? To demand such a thing would be a blasphemy against the memory of their fallen comrades.