Muzan looked as though he were admiring a resilient little bug.
"Why are you so obsessed with killing demons?"
Muzan's voice was very soft, yet every word struck the young man's heart like a heavy hammer.
The young man's face flushed crimson, his eyes wide, but he could not utter a single word.
His throat was tightly gripped by Muzan, making even breathing exceptionally difficult. Yet, despite this, there was not the slightest trace of backing down or fear in his gaze.
"Is it because of... your family?"
As if seeing right through the young man's thoughts, Muzan spoke slowly.
The young man's eyes flickered slightly, as though recalling some painful memory. But immediately afterward, he struggled even harder, as if trying to break free from Muzan's restraint.
"Cough, cough... Let go of me! You evil demon!"
The young man squeezed out the words with difficulty, his voice hoarse and filled with hatred.
Muzan gave a light chuckle and released his grip on the young man's throat.
As if granted a reprieve, the young man gasped for breath, his eyes still fixed intently on Muzan.
"Hmph, how tedious."
Muzan shook his head and turned to leave. But right at that moment, the young man's voice rang out once more:
"Do... do you think you can escape? The Demon Slayer Corps will never let you go!"
Muzan halted his steps, turned around, and upon seeing the resolute look in the young man's eyes, suddenly found it somewhat amusing.
"Oh? Is that so? Then by all means, come and try."
With that, Muzan's figure vanished from the spot, leaving only the young man sitting paralyzed on the ground, gasping heavily.
"Such a powerful demon... I must report this intelligence to the Master...."
"Ugh, cough, cough—"
"! Sir, are you alright?!"
Noticing the man curled up in the corner of the alley, the young man hurried over, helped him up, and prepared to take him for medical treatment.
"Don't be afraid, sir. The evil demon has already left."
"Cough, cough... Evil demon? What evil demon...?"
The man coughed twice, letting out a puzzled sound.
"Huh? The man in the kimono who was just here—"
"What evil demon... If it weren't for—ugh, cough... cough, if it not for that gentleman showing up and driving off those damned robbers... I probably would have been beaten to death by them...."
"! What?!"
Hearing what the man said, the young man froze instantly.
That evil demon had driven off the robbers and saved this gentleman?
Only now did it belatedly occur to him that in the clash just then... that demon hadn't had the slightest intent to kill him at all.
...
Meanwhile, Muzan had already left the alley and continued moving through the town. As he walked, he pondered his next plans:
The number of demons was still far too small, intelligence gathering wasn't fast enough, and several had been killed by the Demon Slayer Corps...
Although Muzan had issued orders for the demons not to mindlessly consume humans and cause trouble, there were always some brainless fools who insisted on acting stupid... and Muzan had no way to deal with that.
The urgent priority now was to search for information regarding the Calamity Demon, as well as to recruit more powerful kindred.
Otherwise, relying solely on Kokushibo as a trump card was still too dangerous.
The dark night gradually faded as a new day poked its head out.
In a certain mountain range, however, the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters was in an uproar:
"What did you say?! You saw Kibutsuji Muzan?!"
The Wind Hashira's boisterous personality and loud voice rang out first, as he pointed and shouted at the young man who had met the Demon King the previous night. You've got to be kidding—this recruit who couldn't even use a Breathing Style had actually survived coming face-to-face with Muzan?!
"Calm down."
Stopping the Wind Hashira was none other than the current Sound Hashira, who genuinely feared that his hot-tempered comrade might slice the recruit down with his sword.
The Hashira meeting commenced once again today. The Hashira gathered in the courtyard were the same as before, with only one exception: the Sun Hashira, Yoriichi Tsugikuni, was missing.
Ever since Yoriichi Tsugikuni left the Demon Slayer Corps, they had never seen him again, as though he had vanished into thin air, leaving them utterly baffled.
"Cough..."
Ubuyashiki's soft cough quieted the previously noisy surroundings. They all knelt down in unison, looking up at the Master seated on the platform.
The health of the Demon Slayer Corps Master was growing worse by the day, yet even so, he persevered.
"Let us hear what Aizawa has to say..."
Aizawa was the swordsman who had encountered the Demon King the night before and lived to tell the tale. Hearing the Master call his name, he immediately acknowledged the prompt, composed himself, took a deep breath, and honestly recounted what had happened the previous night:
"Last night, I happened to pass by that alley. I smelled blood and, thinking someone had fallen victim to an attack, ventured deeper inside. When I reached the inner part of the alley, I saw Muzan squatting next to the injured gentleman from a distance. I couldn't make out what he was saying."
Aizawa paused for a moment and swallowed hard.
To be honest, he had suspected Muzan's identity. But the moment he truly learned that the other party was the Progenitor of all Demons, Kibutsuji Muzan, he still felt an unavoidable lingering fear.
"Thinking he was going to harm someone, I rushed forward with my sword drawn. But Muzan effortlessly snapped my Nichirin Blade and pinned me against the wall by the throat..."
"My Nichirin Blade couldn't inflict any damage on Muzan; even when I struck his neck, it felt as hard as steel... I knew I couldn't use my Breathing Style, but—"
Aizawa paused again at this point.
"But you didn't expect Muzan's physical strength to be that high, did you?"
It was the Master, Ubuyashiki, who took over the conversation. Hearing those words, Aizawa nodded vigorously and continued:
"Yet he didn't kill me, nor did he choose to harm the injured person over there. He merely mocked me a couple of times and let me go... And later I learned that the injured man wasn't harmed by Muzan at all, but was cornered and beaten by local robbers. Muzan just happened to be passing by."
Aizawa told the whole story exactly as it happened, but such an account was quickly met with skepticism from the other Hashira:
"Ha?! Are you saying the heinous Demon King spared your lives?"
It was the Wind Hashira who spoke; clearly, he was the first to lose his patience.
"Indeed! Such a thing is truly hard to believe!"
The next to speak was the Flame Hashira, his voice resolute, equally reluctant to believe the fact.
Yet Aizawa nodded, not a shred of retreat in his eyes.
"I know this sounds absurd, but that is indeed the truth. Kibutsuji Muzan... he is not as bloodthirsty as the legends claim."
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire meeting room fell into a brief silence. For a long time, members of the Demon Slayer Corps had regarded Kibutsuji Muzan as an irreconcilable enemy, his name synonymous with sin and terror. Yet now, a recruit was telling them that Muzan wasn't as terrifying as they had imagined.
This was practically telling them that a monster who treated them as food had suddenly decided not to kill them one day and had even turned over a new leaf!
"Th—this is impossible, isn't it?"
Finally, someone broke the silence; it was the Sound Hashira. A trace of disbelief laced his voice, seeing as Muzan's infamous reputation was already deeply rooted within the Demon Slayer Corps.
"Aizawa, are you certain you didn't see wrongly? That is Kibutsuji Muzan, the Progenitor of all Demons, our eternal enemy!"
Aizawa nodded once more, his gaze filled with conviction.
"I am certain I did not mistake him. His appearance, his aura—I remember them all clearly. Moreover, his strength is definitely unlike that of any ordinary demon."
"All the intelligence matches up with that Demon King!"
At this, Aizawa couldn't help but recall his brief clash with Muzan the previous night, which was nevertheless enough for him to deeply appreciate Muzan's might and terror. Yet even so, Muzan had chosen not to kill him.
"Then... why did he let you go?"
It was the Water Hashira's question, carrying a hint of curiosity and inquiry in his voice. After all, according to the Corps' understanding, Muzan would never easily spare anyone who might pose a threat to him.
Hearing this, Aizawa fell into deep thought. He recalled the look in Muzan's eyes from the previous night—a profound and complex gaze that seemed capable of seeing through everything, yet was filled with doubt and incomprehension.
"Perhaps... he is searching for something as well."
Aizawa ultimately offered this reply; though somewhat vague, it was full of profound meaning. His words plunged everyone present into contemplation. After all, as the Progenitor of all Demons, Muzan's actions and motives were never something ordinary people could comprehend.
Right at that moment, the Master, Ubuyashiki, spoke once more. Though weak, his voice was filled with strength and resolve:
"Regardless of Muzan's objective, we must not lower our guard. The duty of the Demon Slayer Corps is to eradicate all evil demons and protect human safety. Therefore, we must continue to intensify our training, enhance our strength, and prepare ourselves for the battle that may come."
The Master's words gave everyone present a mental boost, and they nodded in agreement one after another. After all, as members of the Demon Slayer Corps, their duty and mission were to eliminate all evil demons and safeguard humanity. Whatever Muzan's intentions might be, they had to maintain vigilance and resolve, fully preparing for the battle ahead.
For their own sakes, and to bring closure to the innocent souls brutally slaughtered by demons!