Two days later.
Marcus stood at the entrance of the estate, gazing at the two swords on his waist.
Makomo was on the left side, but Butterfly didn't occupy the right.
For this trip, he'd chosen to leave Kanae at home.
In her place, he carried the spare sword he'd lent to Hakuji.
It couldn't be helped; the three sisters had only just been reunited, and Kanae had only started communicating yesterday.
Seeing Shinobu and Kanao with teary eyes, hugging the sword and unwilling to let it go, Marcus didn't have the heart to separate them.
After all, he was only going to fetch someone, and it wouldn't take too long.
Just then, Yushiro came out of the gatehouse. Though a smile he couldn't hide was drawn across his face, he insisted on putting on a serious expression and, in a stiff tone, handed over a stack of folded talismans.
"The invisibility talismans you asked for. Leave quick and come back late!"
Smiling at him, Marcus took the talismans without making much of it, tucked them into his chest, and settled Nezuko onto his neck.
The little girl wore a new kimono, pink with white flowers, and her hair tied up in two small buns. She sat upright, gripping Marcus's hair with one hand and pointing outside the gate with the other.
"Marcus, let's go!"
"All right, let's go."
Marcus stepped out of the estate.
From Asakusa to the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters, going by horse took more than half a day.
Marcus went running.
His body's capabilities after the transformation far surpassed what they'd been before, and combined with the boost from [Divine Speed], traveling on foot turned out to be far faster than any horse.
Nezuko lay against his head, wrapping her hands around his forehead. The wind puffed up her cheeks, but she felt no fear—instead, she was having fun.
"Marcus, faster! FASTER!"
"If we go any faster, we'll fly off."
"Jiji~"
After running like that for an hour, Nezuko's voice began to fade.
Marcus slowed his pace, brought her down, and cradled her in his arms.
The little girl wrapped her arms around his neck, pressed her cheek to his shoulder, and let out a little yawn.
"Are you sleepy?"
"No... I'm not..."
Before she could finish the sentence, she'd already closed her eyes.
Laughing, Marcus pressed her head against his chest.
"The one who kicked up a fuss to go out was you, and the one who falls asleep the moment she's out is still you."
He adjusted the haori to cover her and picked up speed again.
The wind whistled in his ears as the trees on either side turned into blurred shadows.
Without having to worry about Nezuko, his speed was even greater now.
Half an hour later, the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters came into view.
The main entrance looked the same as always. The Slayers at the gate were new faces who, upon seeing Marcus, were stunned for a moment before bowing.
"Demon Hashira-sama!"
Marcus nodded and walked inside with Nezuko in his arms.
Judging by the guard's reaction, it was obvious the matter of his conversion only circulated among the Hashira.
The lower-ranking Slayers were unaware of it.
Better that way—it saved him the explanations.
He crossed the courtyard, went around the meeting hall, and made his way down the covered corridor to the property at the far end.
In the courtyard were several wisteria plants. The blooming season had passed, and all that remained were trellises full of green leaves.
Amane stood waiting beneath the covered corridor. Upon seeing Marcus, she gave a slight bow.
"Marcus-kun..."
Marcus looked at her.
Amane had faint shadows under her eyes, her lips a little dry, and though her smile was still gentle, she couldn't hide her exhaustion.
"Lady Amane, you've worked hard."
She shook her head and opened the door.
Marcus entered and immediately saw Kagaya.
He was seated on a couch beneath the corridor, covered with a thin blanket and reclining against a thick cushion.
As soon as Amane settled beside him, she supported his back with her hand.
Kagaya's face looked even more haggard than two months ago: the cheekbones pronounced, the sockets sunken, and the sores spread all the way to his mouth.
"...Kagaya."
"Marcus-kun."
Kagaya's voice sounded even weaker than on his last visit, but it kept its usual warmth. "Have a seat."
Marcus settled cross-legged on the tatami, adjusting Nezuko in his lap.
The little girl was still asleep, curled up like a small ball and breathing slowly.
"Your body..." Marcus hesitated a moment.
"I can still hold on for a while." Kagaya offered a faint smile. "Please, don't worry about me."
Marcus stayed silent for a few moments before speaking.
"I came about several matters today."
"In that case, let's go through them one by one."
"All right, let's start with Shinobu."
Before Marcus could continue, Kagaya let out a soft laugh. "She's been at your estate for two months—have you already transformed her?"
Marcus raised an eyebrow, a little surprised, but didn't hide it. "Yes, and Kanao too."
Kagaya nodded, no displeasure showing on his face. "How are they?"
"Wonderful. The injuries to their lungs healed, and their physical conditions doubled."
Kagaya nodded. "I'm glad."
"...You're not angry?"
"Why would I be?" Kagaya tilted his head.
"Shinobu is a girl I've watched grow up. What she could do for the Demon Slayer Corps, she's already accomplished. Now that she's found her own path, I should be happy for her."
Marcus watched him for a few seconds and found no trace of falsehood.
"...And what about you?"
"What about me?"
"Your own body. If you keep holding on like this, how much longer can you last?"
Kagaya didn't speak.
Amane lowered her gaze, clenching her skirt with her fingers.
Marcus didn't press him.
The courtyard remained in absolute silence as the wind passed through the wisteria.
After a long while, Kagaya spoke.
"Marcus, some time ago you sent Shinobu to ask me whether I'd be willing to become a vampire."
"Yes."
"My answer is still the same as it was back then."
Kagaya's voice was serene, as if he were speaking of a third party.
"The Ubuyashiki lineage has endured for a millennium, and it won't die out in my hands. If I transform, the Ubuyashiki lineage will break."
"You can have children after the transformation," Marcus remarked.
"I'm not talking about a biological break, but the passing down of the legacy." Kagaya shook his head. "The Demon Slayer Corps is the backbone of the Ubuyashiki. To keep it united, the leader must be a human."
"It's the mandate of the ancestors and our fate as well."
"Fate..." Marcus made a face with his lips but added nothing more.
Everyone makes their own choices, and Kagaya had chosen the hardest path. Marcus didn't share it, but he respected it.
"And my master?" he changed the subject. "Has he been here this whole time?"
"Yes." Kagaya's tone grew less serious. "Sakonji has helped us enormously. He took charge of training the members and has put a lot of effort into it."
"He can't sit still," Marcus remarked. "I came today intending to take him with me."
"Understood."
Kagaya agreed at once.
"There's also the matter of the money we agreed on..."
"It's been ready for a while. You can take all of it on this trip."
Marcus nodded. "There's one more thing."
"Go ahead."
"The Asakusa branch is ready now, so I'm also planning to take Mitsuri with me."
This time Kagaya didn't answer right away.
"...Is there such a rush?"
Marcus tilted his head. "Is there a problem?"
"There's no problem, but the timing isn't ideal." Kagaya shook his head. "Mitsuri isn't at Headquarters."
"Where is she?"
"At the Swordsmith Village. Her sword was due for maintenance, and she left yesterday."
The Swordsmith Village?
Marcus froze.
Could it be that the Swordsmith Village arc was about to begin…?
The attack by Upper Rank Four and Five happened precisely while Mitsuri was having her weapon maintained.
At the thought, he narrowed his eyes.
"What's wrong?" Kagaya sensed his silence. "Is there a problem?"
"Not a big problem, but there is a detail." Marcus recovered his composure.
"If it's no trouble, I'd like to make a trip out there."
"To fetch Mitsuri?" Kagaya hesitated. "Are you afraid she might be in danger like Shinobu and Kanae?"
"Yes. Though bringing her back is only one reason. While I'm at it..." He paused briefly. "I'd also like to obtain something."
"At first I thought of asking you the favor of bringing it to me, but on second thought, it's more convenient for me to go in person."
"Obtain something?"
Marcus readjusted Nezuko in his lap—she was about to slip to the floor—so she could rest more comfortably.
"My maid broke her puppet while playing, and I promised to get her a new one."
The image of a fiery-red figure crossed Marcus's mind, and he smiled with anticipation.
"I heard there's a suitable replacement over there."
"You heard…?"
Kagaya remained silent for a few seconds, with a somewhat strange expression.
"Marcus-kun, there's a question I've wanted to ask you for a long time. Why does it seem like you always… know everything?"
A look of confusion crossed his face.
"That place is the most strategic position of the Demon Slayer Corps. You've never been there—how could you know what's inside?"
"Did Shinobu tell you?"
Marcus shook his head. "Not at all. You know her personality—if you don't speak, she'd never tell me these things."
"Then..."
"Just take it that I have my own intelligence network."
"Intelligence network?"
Kagaya sighed.
"In that case, why would you need to ask my opinion? Go if you want. No one could stop you anyway."
Marcus tilted his head. "It's just that I don't know where the Swordsmith Village is."
Kagaya fell silent.
You know everything that's inside, but you don't know the location?
Damn vampire, you do nothing but tell lies!
__________
Throw your stones, drop them ALL! 💎
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P-a-t-r-e-o-n → Athome790