Natsunishi did not put on airs; instead, his tone was as casual as if he were handing over an ordinary admission ticket. But for the two priests, it was anything but ordinary.
The jade plaque shimmered faintly under the moonlight. The complexions of the two priests shifted instantly, their expressions a mix of shock, awe, and utter bewilderment. They naturally recognized what this token represented. To see this plaque was to see the Master in person. Or rather, the holder was a core member of the Ubuyashiki family. Within the Demon Slayer Corps, it granted almost total freedom of action, second only to the power to appoint or dismiss the Hashira.
The younger priest even instinctively took a half-step back. He nearly felt the urge to prostrate himself before Natsunishi right then and there. What did the boy just call himself? Kuguruma ? Was it Ubuyashiki Kuguruma ?
The elder priest took a deep breath, suppressing his churning thoughts before stepping aside to clear the path. He bowed deeply and said, "Since you hold this jade plaque, we cannot bar your way, my lord. May I ask... how should we address you?"
The Ubuyashiki kid's 'Tiger Tally' is this effective?
Seeing the pair's attitude undergo a near 180-degree turn, Natsunishi was also somewhat surprised. He had thought that in these remote, rural areas far from the Ubuyashiki power center, it might not carry much weight. He expected at least a few questions or perhaps a verification of the plaque's authenticity. Instead, they didn't offer a single word of doubt.
"Just call me Kuguruma ."
He tucked the jade plaque away, his figure vanishing into the thick night behind the torii gate.
Only after Natsunishi's presence had completely disappeared did the younger priest lower his voice, whispering to his companion in disbelief, "How could the Master entrust something so vital to such a young member? He looks no more than fifteen or sixteen..."
The elder priest gazed into the deep wisteria forest with a complicated look in his eyes. Having lived many years, he had seen more of the world than the younger man. An absurd yet seemingly logical guess surfaced in his mind. He murmured, "Could it be... that he is a child of the main house who was lost to the outside world?"
The previous head, Ubuyashiki Motoki, had passed away very young, leaving only Lord Kagaya—a child not yet four years old—to inherit the family name. But that was the legitimate heir who carried the "Ubuyashiki" name. This youth named Kuguruma ... his age was close to that of the Master, his features were handsome and upright, and his bearing was extraordinary. Coupled with that jade plaque... The second half of the sentence caught in his throat; he didn't dare say it aloud. He exchanged a glance with the younger priest, seeing the same mixture of shock and uncertainty reflected there.
Deep in the mountain forest, the scent of blood and the fragrance of wisteria intertwined eerily.
Tomioka Giyu gripped his Nichirin Sword tightly. His breathing was slightly ragged from tension, and his movements were stiff. Beads of sweat began to seep from his temples. This was the first time he had directly faced these monsters known as "demons."
It was different from what he had imagined. The bloodshot, bulging eyeballs, the foul stench of decay with every breath, and the undisguised desire to devour him in their gaze—all of it transformed into an invisible, heavy pressure. It ground down his mental defenses.
"Is this brat a swordsman too?! Hahahaha! What's the matter? Is the great me scaring you so much you're about to wet your pants? Just stay still, and maybe... the great me will give you a quick death!"
The demon's arrogant jeers exploded repeatedly in his ears. Although it wasn't the same man-eating demon, it still reminded him of that day—the image of a demon pinned atop his sister, tearing and biting while shouting, while his sister endured the intense agony to tell him to run.
His body felt somewhat unable to move. This was entirely different from sparring with Sabito or being lectured by Master Urokodaki. This wasn't striking a target, nor was it receiving "guidance" from Senior Natsunishi.
In a flash, a certain scene from his memory surged into his mind. It was after being soundly thrashed by Natsunishi in the name of training. While the senior applied medicine to his wounds, he had also berated him.
"Oi, why do you look like an idiot the moment you're under pressure? What will you do when you actually meet a demon? Wait to be served as an extra side dish?"
"There's Sabito. (Sabito will help me.)"
Natsunishi: "There's Sabito? You're just going to wait for him to save you, or do you plan to drag Sabito into danger with you?"
"I won't. (I'll never let Sabito meet with danger!)"
Natsunishi: "What use is acting tough with your mouth? Didn't you promise Sabito that you'd live well for your sister's sake?"
".... (I don't know what to do.)"
Back then, he couldn't give an answer. Whenever he thought of his sister, Sabito, and the man-eating demons, his mind became a jumbled mess, and he could only respond with silence.
"What do you like to eat?" his senior had suddenly asked, posing a completely unrelated question.
"Eh? Salmon with daikon..."
Natsunishi had clapped his hands and shouted at him, "If you're truly scared, just squint your eyes and treat your opponent or the demon as salmon—no, treat them as daikon."
"Da-daikon?"
"That's right! Don't worry about anything else, just use your Water Breathing." Senior Natsunishi had pulled him up. He still remembered that day, how Senior Natsunishi looked bathed in the soft sunlight. He had extended his right fist toward Giyu: "For Sabito and your sister, swing your sword at the daikon."
"Giyu! Don't just stand there!"
Sabito's shout dragged him back from his memories. The demon across from him had already lunged toward him. Sabito placed his hand on his own Nichirin Sword. Was it still too early to let Giyu face a demon directly?
Just as he was about to draw his blade and slay the demon, he saw the black-haired boy's breathing suddenly deepen and settle into a steady rhythm.
"Cut down... the daikon..."
Giyu exhaled sharply, forcibly pulling his disordered breathing into the inherent rhythm of Water Breathing. With an instinctive side-step, he let the demon's claws graze past his clothes. Almost subconsciously, he swung his blade in a strike he had practiced thousands of times.
The moment he moved, his muscle memory overrode the fear in his mind.
[Water Breathing]
[First Form: Water Surface Slash]
The opponent's strength and speed were far beyond that of an average person. But to the current Giyu, the demon was as slow as a crawling snail. A light blue arc of water-like light rippled along the blade, gently passing through the demon as it brushed past him.
A second later, the demon's head fell to the ground.
"How... how can this be?! You brat—" In the midst of its constant roaring, the demon slowly crumbled into ash.
Giyu stared at the vanishing ash, stunned. Beside him, a passing swordsman spoke with a face full of admiration, "So... so amazing! In one strike—" As a swordsman who had also just debuted after training in Water Breathing, he knew he couldn't have achieved a strike as fluid and seamless as Giyu's.
Sabito, wearing his fox mask, also breathed a sigh of relief. Giyu was fundamentally much stronger than that demon. He had only been somewhat shackled by the painful memories of his past. But now... he should be able to step out of it.
He walked over and patted the black-haired boy on the shoulder. "Well done, Giyu."
Giyu looked up, a trace of surprise still lingering in his eyes. He whispered to Sabito, "Sabito, this demon..."
"He's much weaker than the demons Senior Natsunishi played during training."
The demon had neither Natsunishi's ghost-like movement nor his fists, which hurt more than being hit with a wooden sword. Just moments ago, Giyu had plucked up his courage, prepared for a life-or-death struggle with this monster. In the end, it was over in a single stroke. Even though that guy had been shouting and acting like he was the toughest thing around not long ago.
Sabito chuckled. "Senior Natsunishi is special; these ordinary demons can't be compared to him."
He wondered what level the senior's cultivation had reached by now. He truly wanted... to see him again. At that thought, Sabito withdrew his smile, his eyes turning serious. "Don't slacken."
"There isn't just one demon on this wisteria-covered mountain. Moreover, I faintly feel that in the depths of the mountain, there is something even more terrifying."
It wasn't an anomaly detected by sharp senses, but an indescribable intuition. Deep in the mountains, there existed some kind of "shackle" faintly linked to his fate.
"Let's go. We'll continue to clear out the other demons."
Hearing this, Giyu turned to the passing swordsman and said, "Keep up. (Let's act together, Mr. Murata.)"
The three of them stayed together, heading once again into the depths of the mountain forest.
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