Interlude: Kagaya Ubuyashiki

Word Count: 2477

<—>

It was early morning that day, with the sun just beginning to peek over the horizon, its rays casting a warm glow across the earth.

In a hidden village perched atop a mountain, a two-story manor stood proudly, its white walls surrounded by a fence and a lush garden. The design was a charming blend of Western-style manors and Japanese architecture.

Inside one of the rooms, which one would typically expect to be filled with furniture and decor for an office, there was only a futon, two lamps to prive lighting and a large rectangular tatami mat, leaving the space surprisingly empty.

On the futon lay a man with light skin and shoulder-length black hair, dressed in a simple black kimono, a white haori, and a tan obi over a white juban. 

However, he was a frail man, with lavender-colored rot spreading across his face, having already reached his eyes and leaving them a sickly white, rendering him blind.

Despite this, one might assume he would be perpetually in a bad mood, cursing doctors and the world for his condition, as he had been destined for such a fate since birth.

Yet, a smile graced his face—a peaceful, warm smile that could light up an entire room with its sincerity. He had found contentment of his predicament since childhood, accepting his circumstances.

But there was another reason for that smile.

"Kiriya, Kanata, it's wonderful to see you both again."

In front of him stood two children, whom he could confidently say were the greatest joy of his life.

"Oto-san!"

"Oto-san!"

The children rushed into their father's embrace, burying themselves in the crook of his neck. Though such a gesture could have toppled him, he held firm, understanding the pain of being away from a father.

After a moment, the twins—who were part of a quintuplets—pulled away from their father. They looked almost identical, except one had black hair like his, while the other sported white hair like their mother.

Though they might seem like girls, one of them was dressed as such, as he was actually a boy. In Japanese society, this kind of behavior was typically unthinkable, but unfortunate circumstances had forced his hand.

"Could you please update me on the final selection?" Kagaya inquired politely. Even without seeing, he could sense that both of his children were putting on a professional demeanor.

It pained him deeply; children should be allowed to be children, not act like adults. It felt as if their childhood was being taken away from them.

"The 523rd annual final selection event started about a week ago and just concluded yesterday. This year, there were around 31 participants, which is a 10 percent decrease from last year," Kiriya reported.

Kagaya nodded in understanding. In recent years, fewer individuals had been joining the Demon Slayer Corps, largely due to Japan's increasing openness to the outside world, with more young people traveling abroad and a growing skepticism about the existence of demons.

This downward trend could pose an issue in the future.

"Although there was a potential fight about to erupt, it was fortunately quelled before it could start, and all participants proceed smoothly from that point," Kanata added.

Such altercations were, regrettably, quite common, as some individuals, motivated by monetary gain, would sabotage their fellow participants in hopes of gaining better recognition.

Those who resorted to such tactics always ended up disqualified.

"Out of all 32 examinees, only four managed to pass this year..." Kiriya continued, trailing off.

Kagaya could only nod in response. Unfortunately, most participants do not succeed in the selection process, which is notoriously challenging—Downright life threatening—and only the best of the best can prevail.

"The names of those who passed are as follows: Tanjiro Kamado, Shimada Tetsuya, Genya Shinazugawa, and Kanao Tsuyuri."

What about the casualties? This question was always difficult to confront. The exam pushed individuals to their limits, and failure often felt like a death sentence.

Kiriya's voice, though professional, carried a touch of relief and cheerfulness that Kagaya quickly noticed. "Surprisingly… there were only 10 casualties this time."

Kagaya took a moment to absorb this information. In most years, those who didn't succeed faced dire consequences. The fact that so many had survived, even if they didn't pass, was remarkable.

"I see… While I'm truly glad to hear this, it's, unfortunately, quite unusual for such a situation to arise. Do either of you have any insight into why this might be?"

The twins fell silent. Although Kagaya was blind, he could sense when his children struggled to share something or were holding back.

"Oto-san," Kanata finally spoke, shedding her earlier professionalism. "Once the examination began, there were participants who were injured and dropped off right at the start. I spoke to some of them about what happened, and their stories were… unbelievable."

"And?"

"Some claimed that a man saved them from demon attacks and brought them here, while others… said that a demon itself had saved their lives."

Kagaya blinked in surprise.

He found it hard to wrap his mind around this. A demon helping a human? That was completely unheard of. Typically, demons would devour their victims and move on, so the idea of one saving lives was astonishing.

Though it was difficult for Kagaya to accept such a notion, he trusted his children, who knew themselves better than anyone else, and his instincts urged him to believe them.

"And that's not all," Kiriya continued after his sister. "I spoke with those who passed to confirm this information. Shimada Tetsuya verified that a demon saved him from certain death."

"And that's not all, Tanjiro Kamado, also ran across him and told me something ever more unbelievable." Kiriya hesitated for a second before continuing.

"He claimed that once he came accross the hand demon, a participant appears out of nowhere and… according to him, "drank some of the demon's blood and transformed into one. He tried to question him but he ran away."

"…"

Kagaya was stumped, to put it simply. Which was surprising conserding how shrewd of a leader he was. He was sure THAT has never happened before.

But once again, his gut told him that it was tbe truth, that they weren't misinterpreting anything and that a human can somehow transform into a demon at will and then revert back.

Kagaya wondered, how would such a… being effect the demon slayer corp. would they be helpful, assisting them in their war against kibitsuji muzan, or would it bring them ruin?

He would sleep with that question in mind for next couple of days.

<—>

"Kocho-san, Tomioka-san, I truly appreciate your help on such short notice. It brings me comfort to know that even as my health declines, The demon slayers are always there to support one another."

In the same room, Kagaya Ubuyashiki sat with his head bowed in appreciation. Before him were Shinobu Kocho and Giyu Tomioka, the insect and water Hashira, respectively.

"There's no need for such formalities, Ubuyashiki-sama. We were simply fulfilling our duties. And please, don't say such morbid words; We all pray for your recovery," Shinobu said, raising her arms in an attempt to ease the somber atmosphere.

After a moment, Kagaya lifted his head and spoke to them. "I'm grateful for your kind words, Kocho-san. Could you please share how your intervention in Mount Natagumo unfolded?"

Shinobu glanced at Giyu, who remained silent, seemingly lost in thought. She rolled her eyes and let out a small huff; ever since he had stopped her from killing the demon sister, he had been unusually quiet. It seemed she would have to take the lead in reporting.

Even if he got away with protecting a demon, she planned to punish him personally... By annoy him for an entire month.

That should do it.

"It didn't go as planned. We arrived too late. By the time we got there, most of the demon slayers had been killed, with only a few managing to survive. After rescuing them, Tomioka-san and I proceeded to slay the remaining demons."

She hesitated before continuing. "The demons acted like a family, resembling spiders in appearance and dressed similarly. We managed to exterminate all of them except for Nezuko, the demon sister of that slayer, and… regrettably, one managed to escape my grasp."

"That's alright. As long as my children are safe, you've fulfilled your duty. Now, could you describe that demon for future reference?"

Shinobu took a moment to gather her thoughts before responding. "It was… unusual. He wasn't like the other demons, he was well-kept, dressed in what I think is western attire. He also had a sword, likely one taken from a slayer he had defeated."

Kagaya considered her words, trying to recall where he had heard such a description before. 'Ah… Yes, that had to be him. There's no other explanation.'

"Kocho-san… does the sword this demon carries have a bluish hue? Similar to Tomioka's?"

Shinobu hesitated for a second, a flicker of recognition crossing her face. "Yes… I believe the sword he wields is blue. How did you know?"

Kagaya let out a light chuckle, which immediately drew the attention of the Hashira. He rarely showed such a side of himself.

"Ah, I apologize. I think my oversight might lead to some complications later on," Kagaya replied, causing concern among the slayers.

"What complications?! Ubuyashiki-sama, if you're facing any issues, please let us know, and we'll do everything we can to assist you," Shinobu urged, with Giyu actually participating in this conversation nodding in agreement for once.

"No, it's nothing serious. I just need to share something with you both." Once he was sure he had their undivided attention, he continued.

"During the final selection, an unusually large number of participants survived. Upon investigation and eye witness reports, it was revealed that some were rescued… by a human who can somehow transform into a demon by consuming their blood."

Shinobu stared at the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Such a phenomenon was unheard of and almost impossible to accept. If it weren't Kagaya Ubuyashiki who said that sentence, she would have dismissed it entirely.

Now, it dawned on her. If that were true... she had almost taken the life of an innocent man, mistaking him for just another demon, and everything about their encounter suddenly made sense. That had to be why he had killed that spider demon and how he managed to survive her wisteria blood; he must have transformed to counteract its effects.

Looks like her poisen recipe needs little bit of tinkering

Tanjiro was indeed telling the truth. Giyu's voice pulled Shinobu out of her daze. "Giyu-san?"

"When I met Tanjiro on that mountain, he mentioned that a Lower Moon demon was around, and the demon you mentioned was also present. He claimed that human-turned-demon managed to kill the Lower Moon."

"Hold on… A Lower Moon was there? And that human-demon was involved too? And you didn't think to tell me?" A vein throbbed on his forehead. The punishment just escalated to two months.

"You attacked Tanjiro's sister, Then when I intervened, you decided to fight me instead. Then there was the trial, and we came here to report right after. So how was I supposed to let you know?" he deadpanned.

"Ah… I suppose you have a point," she conceded, reducing the punishment to a month and a half, Shinobu's a good girl and she believed in fairness.

"Fujino Yuki," Kagaya's voice interrupted their exchange.

"His name is Fujino Yuki. Kocho-san, Tomioka-san, I have a task for both of you. I need you to locate Yuki-san and bring him here. It's of the utmost importance."

"If I may be so bold to ask, what is the purpose of this?" Shinobu inquired.

"To extend an offer to him… and to apologize for any wrongs he may have faced from members of the Demon Slayer Corps," Kagaya said, causing Shinobu rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.

'For you to defeat a Lower Moon… That must be a divine sign that you are on our side. I look forward to meeting you soon so I can personally thank you for your service.'

<—>

The Demon Slayer Corps consists of hundreds of members, each with different roles, from the brave slayers who put their lives on the line to protect humanity, to the kakushi, whose main job is to support and assist the slayers.

All demon slayers are acutely aware that danger is always lurking as they carry out their missions, and very few make it to retirement age.

As a result, Kagaya views them all as his children, feeling a deep sense of responsibility for their well-being.

Like any parent, it deeply saddens him to learn of their deaths, especially since their bodies often return in pieces.

This is why he has made it a point to remember the names of every member who has died under his command. While life may be fleeting, he believes that memories endure forever.

Today was particularly tragic, as one of the Corps' pillars, the Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku, lost his life at the hands of an upper moon demon.

Sitting on a balcony, Kagaya received the news of Kyojuro's death from his crow, which was perched on his shoulder.

Kyojuro had been sent to investigate the incidents surrounding the Mugen Train, accompanied by a small squad of slayers. They discovered that Lower Moon 1 was behind the chaos, having "merged with the train itself," but was swiftly defeated.

The train, as expected, crashed, but fortunately, there were no casualties, which was a great relief.

However, they were ambushed while recovering, and Kyojuro heroically sacrificed himself to save his comrades from certain doom.

"I see," Kagaya sighed sadly, finding solace in the fact that Kyojuro's body was still somewhat intact, allowing for a proper burial.

"But that wasn't the entire story," the crow's deep voice announced. "It turns out that Fujino Yuki was also involved in the incident, assisting the slayers in defeating Lower Moon 1 and attempting to help Rengoku against the upper moon, but he was ultimately beaten."

"Fujino Yuki? He was there?" he asked, a hint of surprise in his voice. After weeks of searching for him among the Hashira, there had been no sign of his whereabouts. Yet, he appeared out of the blue to lend a hand.

'Like a guardian angel.'

"Where is he now?"

"He's staying at the Butterfly Mansion, being looked after by Shinobu Kocho due to his injuries."

"I understand… Please send a message to Shinobu-san. Once he's fully healed, I'd like him to come to headquarters. I want to thank him personally."

"As you wish, Ubuyashiki-sama ," the crow replied before taking off, its wings flapping as it flew toward the mansion.

'Fujino Yuki, I'm curious about the kind of man you are.'

<—>

And we're done! The final chapter of this volume comes to a close, with the head of the Ubuyashiki clan taking an interest in him. How would the events play out? Keep reading to know!

Also, I would like to mention this because I know someone would eventually ask me about it: the reason they are surprised that someone can transform into a demon and back is that Genya wasn't discovered to possess a similar ability. Just like the demon slayer mark, any, if not all, information about the phenomenon was lost to time.

One more thing before I leave is that the next volume would mainly focus is on Fujino as a character, his backstory, motivation, you name it. So it would focus on world-building and character development and less on fights, like the previous two.