Chapter 173: Brutal Truth
The day gradually brightened.
As the sun rose from the horizon, what had been a nightmarish night for the residents of the town finally came to an end.
At this moment, the members of the Kakushi were running back and forth in the town, sometimes cleaning up the aftermath, sometimes aiding the wounded, making the entire town seem unusually bustling.
However, at this point, the town had truly become a disaster area. Everywhere were either collapsed houses or debris strewn about, and even pools of blood staining the ground, glaringly visible under the sun.
In such circumstances, many Kasugai Crows continued to fly back and forth in the sky, sometimes flying out of the town and then returning, seemingly contacting relevant personnel and sending out intelligence.
With such a major event unfolding, every member of the Demon Slayer Corps who was out on mission naturally hurried back, especially the Hashira.
One by one, they all returned.
"Master!"
"Master! Are you okay?"
"It's such a relief that you're okay."
All the Hashira gathered in a clean, temporary house, kneeling before Kagaya, who sat at the head of the room on a tatami mat.
Each Hashira entered with a deep sense of concern on their faces, including the previously silent Giyuu and the expressionless Muichirou. It wasn't until they saw Kagaya safe and sound that a sense of relief washed over their faces.
"It's good to see you all back."
Supported by his wife and children, Kagaya spoke, looking at the row of kneeling Hashira, his face wearing its usual gentle expression.
However, amidst the relief, the Hashira also began to voice their concerns.
"I mean, Rengoku, what happened?"
Sanemi was the first to question Kyoujurou, who knelt beside Kagaya.
"Why was Master still under threat with you around?"
"You've failed as Master's bodyguard." Obanai said coldly. "You were clearly by Master's side, yet you appeared like this, causing him unnecessary distress. It's so unsightly."
At this moment, Kyoujurou did indeed look unsightly, his entire body wrapped in bandages, his clothes stained with blood, turning this once heroic and carefree man into a pitiful sight.
"I have no excuses." Kyoujurou lowered his head, closing his eyes, showing no intention of offering any rebuttal.
In this era, swordsmen still held true to the samurai code.
Swearing allegiance to Kagaya as master meant that being an ineffective bodyguard was a dereliction of duty, a crime.
For Kyoujurou to be held accountable by the Hashira was not uncommon in this era.
Even Tengen said as much.
"If you were a ninja, this would've been a seppuku moment." Tengen chimed in as he crossed his arms. "Need me to do it for you? Though it won't be pretty."
Facing his rather blunt remark, the other Hashira each reacted in turn.
"I... don't have any objections."
Muichirou surprisingly spoke up, even though it was with a cold tone. It seemed that this seemingly reckless Mist Hashira truly valued Kagaya's safety and was angry about his current predicament.
"I have nothing to say."
Giyuu chimed in with closed eyes, appearing detached from the situation.
"Although losing the Flame Hashira is a significant blow to the Corps, someone has to step up to take responsibility for such a failure."
Gyoumei also chimed in before reciting a Buddhist prayer, looking mournful, tears streaming down his face.
"N-No way, right? Mr. Rengoku did nothing wrong, right?! Master is unharmed!"
Only Mitsuri, very excitedly, spoke up for Kyoujurou, looking very anxious and flustered.
Among the Hashira present, if one were to say who had the closest relationship with Kyoujurou, it would undoubtedly be Mitsuri.
After all, before becoming a Hashira, and even before developing Love Breathing, Mitsuri was Kyoujurou's Tsuguko.
In other words, Mitsuri was Kyoujurou's apprentice.
It was also the reason why Mitsuri was able to develop and research Love Breathing as a derivative breathing style of Flame Breathing and became one of the nine Hashira.
Now, seeing her former mentor being questioned, even falling to the point of having to perform seppuku as an apology, Mitsuri naturally panicked.
Fortunately, Kagaya spoke up to ease the situation.
"Don't blame Kyoujurou too much, none of us expected this incident, Kyoujurou has done well."
"Master." Sanemi spoke up, his expression stern and somewhat terrifying. "I've long felt that the security around you is too weak. If an incident like this were to happen again, your situation could become very dangerous. Please consider assigning more Hashira to your side for closer protection."
"I agree." Obanai nodded, his expression grim as he gestured to the white snake coiled around his neck. "This incident serves as a lesson. We can't afford to repeat it."
"Thankfully, we're only dealing with the Upper Ranks this time. But if Kibutsuji Muzan himself decides to step in, what then?" Tengen chimed in, sounding dead serious. "As much as I'd love to have a glamorous showdown with that Demon King, we gotta ensure your safety first, Master."
"Agreed." Muichirou nodded in agreement.
"I'm fine with that." Giyuu chimed in casually.
"Please consider it, Master." Gyoumei pleaded, tears welling up as he pressed his hands together.
"I-I'm on board too!" Mitsuri exclaimed, noticing the change in topic and eager to go along with it.
Unfortunately, Kagaya shook his head, rejecting their proposal.
"I've said it before. Valuable combatants like the Hashira shouldn't be wasted on a dying man like me..." Kagaya spoke gently. "If I were to pass away, there are plenty in the Ubuyashiki family who could take my place. My children are all outstanding talents. But if any of you were to fall, it would be a significant loss to the Corps."
Upon hearing this, the Hashira chimed in one after another.
"Please don't say that!"
"Your life is the most precious thing to the Corps!"
"Losing you would be the Corps' greatest loss!"
"You should cherish yourself more, Master!"
Every Hashira spoke up one by one, including Kyoujurou, without exception, indicating Kagaya's revered and high status in everyone's eyes.
Kagaya was well aware of this, observing the Hashira with increasingly gentle gazes, yet he had no intention of changing his mind.
"Let's not dwell on my security issue anymore. Since our headquarters have been exposed, we need to relocate to a safer place as soon as possible." Kagaya said, turning to Kyoujurou. "Are the people in the town all arranged?"
Kyoujurou lowered his head at the question and gave his report.
"Someone from the Kakushi just reported that all the wounded have been taken care of, and the unfortunate casualties have been counted. Thankfully, the casualties aren't severe."
While the Upper Ranks attacked their respective targets, Gyokko summoned aquatic creatures from his vases to also assault the town. Neither fully human nor demon, these creatures proved powerful, as ordinary Demon Slayers struggled against them.
Fortunately, this town was the headquarters of the Demon Slayer Corps, with stationed Demon Slayers, including some higher-ranked ones. Dealing with a group of aquatic creatures summoned as lower-level combatants wasn't much of a problem.
As a result, while there were casualties, they weren't particularly serious.
Moreover, after Gyokko was beheaded by Riezel, his summoned aquatic creatures disappeared along with him, avoiding further trouble.
"The civilians who are safe and sound have been provided with an evacuation route, with the Kakushi offering full assistance. Only Kochou, due to her severe injuries, has not only partially paralyzed the Butterfly Mansion but may also be unable to get out of bed for a while."
Kyoujurou reported everything clearly.
Except for Shinobu, every Hashira was currently present in this room.
Since her injuries were too severe, as soon as the battle ended, she lost consciousness and hadn't woken up since.
"Even Shinobu went down?" Mitsuri's expression darkened.
Knowing this, the other Hashira fell silent, some even clenched their fists.
Since the sudden attack last night had already been relayed to all the Hashira by Kasugai Crows, it was clear that they knew the grim outcome Kyoujurou and Shinobu faced against three Upper Ranks the moment they heard the news.
Kyoujurou faced the Upper Four alone, getting completely overwhelmed, sent flying, and if not for falling into the Ubuyashiki Estate, he might have been killed by the Upper Four.
Shinobu was even worse off, heavily injured by the Upper Six, nearly losing her life. If it weren't for Daki's fondness for beautiful women and her habit of keeping them as reserve food, Shinobu might have been eaten the moment she fell, rather than being brought to the Ubuyashiki Estate by Daki.
Fortunately, although three Upper Ranks attacked together, whether it was Kyoujurou or Shinobu, each only faced a single Upper Rank without being ganged up.
Despite this, both of them still suffered devastating defeats.
"Are these Upper Ranks really that powerful?"
Tengen unintentionally muttered what all the Hashira were thinking at the moment.
"Very powerful..." Kyoujurou said, his tone unusually somber. "Even the weakest of them could easily overpower a Hashira. Most of us probably wouldn't stand a chance in a one-on-one fight against an Upper Rank."
Such a brutal truth shattered the pride of many Hashira.
"What about that guy?" Sanemi questioned with a vicious glare. "Where's the guy who supposedly took down three Upper Ranks with one attack?"
Upon hearing this, the other Hashira snapped back to attention, all eyes on Kyoujurou.
At the mention of the so-called 'guy' from Sanemi's mouth, Kyoujurou's heavy expression softened a bit.
"He's with Kochou... He said he has a way to help her recover quickly."
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Chapter 174: Take Responsibility?
Butterfly Mansion.
Usually, the old-fashioned courtyard of the Butterfly Mansion always exuded warmth and provided a truly beautiful view.
Not only were there flowers and plants but also many precious herbs, emitting fragrances that attracted numerous butterflies, making them dance gracefully in the air, a sight to behold.
Located somewhat remotely, the courtyard seemed to have escaped unscathed from the attacks of demons, avoiding destruction.
However, when Riezel arrived at this place, he found many wounded people. Groans and cries emanated from various rooms, reaching even the courtyard, which overshadowed its picturesque scenery.
"Sorry! Excuse me!"
"Make way! Wounded coming through!"
"Hurry, bring the stretcher over!"
One by one, members of the Kakushi brought the wounded into the Butterfly Mansion.
Several little girls in white clothes also emerged from the mansion, directing the others to transport the wounded inside while carrying medicine boxes back and forth, seemingly engaged in constant healing work.
Clearly, this bustling scene caused many people, sweating profusely from their efforts, to lament.
"There are too many wounded! We can't possibly attend to all of them!"
"Moreover, Lady Shinobu is injured. We can't even treat the wounded properly without her..."
"When will Lady Shinobu recover?"
"Enough, let's focus on our work!"
"Yes..."
Conversations like these intermittently arose from the Butterfly Mansion's personnel, making Riezel realize how chaotic this place had become without Shinobu's presence.
Deciding not to disturb them, Riezel proceeded directly into the courtyard, heading toward the room where Shinobu resided.
Surprisingly, the room was quickly revealed by a hurriedly passing little girl, who seemed too preoccupied to spare a thought for who Riezel was or why he was here, saving him the trouble of explanations.
Soon, Riezel arrived at a relatively quiet room, pushed open the door, and entered.
What greeted him was a rather ordinary room.
Despite being a sick room, it was decorated warmly, giving no hint of its true purpose.
Shinobu lay on the innermost bed, sound asleep.
Riezel closed the door behind him and approached the bed, looking at the sleeping Shinobu.
At this moment, she appeared to have received initial treatment, as the bloodstains on her body had been cleaned, and her clothes had been changed to a patient gown.
Shinobu lay in bed, oblivious to his arrival.
As Riezel saw her, her face was pale, lips devoid of color, her hair left untied, cascading into long strands, rendering her appearance much frailer than before. Faintly, he could see bandages wrapped around her body, stained with blood, indicating the severity of her injuries.
"Seriously, your condition is much worse than when I was brought in here before..."
Riezel muttered to himself, then extended his hand and pressed it against Shinobu's forehead.
Perhaps due to being truly weakened, her temperature seemed high, indicating a fever.
Riezel furrowed his brow, then began chanting a magic.
"Healing droplets, tears of light, eternal sanctuary."
"Compose a medicinal hymn - three hundred, sixty, and five. The melody of the healer's almanac saves all things."
"Come, destruction of evil."
"The burial of wounds, interment of disease."
"Curses be gone in the light of vitality."
"In the name of all that is holy - I heal you."
A pure white magic circle expanded beneath Riezel's feet, covering the area of the bed.
"Dia Fratel."
He completed the chant, unleashing the top-class healing magic from the world of Danmachi.
In the next moment, rays of light showered down, landing on Shinobu's body.
Under these rays of light, her pale complexion visibly began to recover, her once bloodless lips regaining color, and even her high body temperature seemed to gradually return to normal, making the breathing of this heavily injured Insect Hashira stable.
Riezel spared no expense in utilizing his mind, maximizing the effectiveness of Dia Fratel, rendering the healing magic's effect surprisingly astounding.
At least, compared to the Level 2 Airmid, Riezel, who had reached the limit of Level 5, surpassed her in both level and MAG.
While Airmid was known as the best healer, capable of supporting an entire frontline single-handedly with Dia Fratel, Riezel, with a higher level and much stronger MAG, displayed a naturally evident effect when he unleashed his magic without holding back.
And so, in just about ten seconds, Shinobu seemed to be completely healed. Although one couldn't see how the wounds under her bandages were, they must have all been fully healed.
With the healing magic finished, Riezel stopped using it and prepared to move his hand away. However, just as he was about to move his hand away, another hand suddenly reached out and grasped it.
"Elder Sister..."
Shinobu tightly held the hand on her forehead, as if feeling warmth and nostalgia, murmuring unconsciously.
With tears welling up in her eyes, she continued her dreamlike state.
"..."
Watching this scene, Riezel fell into silence.
He looked at Shinobu, who was holding his hand tighter and tighter as if she didn't want him to leave. Of course, if he wanted to break free, it would have been easy for him, but he decided not to.
Riezel just stood there by the bedside, maintaining the posture of his hand resting on Shinobu's forehead, quietly watching her sleeping in the bed.
In the end, this went on for a while, for who knows how long.
"Umm..."
At some point, with a vague murmur, Shinobu lying in the bed struggled to open her eyes.
"Are you awake?" Riezel asked lightly.
"Hmm?"
Shinobu's awareness seemed somewhat blurry, unable to immediately grasp what had happened.
It wasn't until a while later that her pupils began to focus, seeing Riezel standing by the bed, seeing herself lying in the bed, and naturally, seeing the scene of herself tightly holding hands with him.
In the next second, Shinobu fell silent.
Riezel didn't rush to speak, continuing to quietly watch her.
After a while, Shinobu finally spoke with a soft voice.
"Given this situation, can I ask you to take responsibility?"
Her words nearly made him roll his eyes.
"I can't take responsibility, but paying you could be considered, actually."
After saying this, Riezel freed his hand from Shinobu's.
"That's too much."
Shinobu complained, though it was unclear whether she was referring to his action of freeing his hand or to his words.
"How do you feel?" Riezel asked calmly. "You shouldn't be feeling any pain, right?"
"...Indeed, I don't..." Shinobu sat up, glanced at her body, and made a surprise expression. "Wait, how long have I been asleep?"
It was not weird for her to ask this question.
She hadn't forgotten the multiple injuries she sustained at the hands of the Upper Six.
Without a doubt, those were injuries severe enough to render even the most robust individual incapacitated. According to her understanding as a professional doctor and pharmacist, recovery to full health would take at least two to three months.
However, now she felt as if all her injuries had healed, aside from the slight discomfort caused by the bandages wrapped around her body, she no longer felt any discomfort.
Clearly, this made Shinobu somewhat skeptical, wondering if she had slept for two to three months straight, sleeping until all her injuries had already recovered.
"You've slept for a night. The demon invasion happened just last night."
Riezel quickly dispelled her doubts.
"A night, you say?"
Shinobu was truly dumbfounded.
Only one night had passed? Did that mean all of her severe injuries were healed within one night? How could that be possible?
With this astonishment, she quickly thought of something.
"What did you do to me?" Shinobu looked at him with intense eyes.
"Your words will cause people to misunderstand, Missy..." Riezel replied calmly. "I didn't do anything, okay?"
"Liar." Shinobu didn't believe a word. "Apart from you, who else could do such a thing?"
It was worth noting that, in the three months prior, Riezel had defied logic more than once.
For the evolution of Sun Breathing, he had been trying desperately. Just when he was at death's door, he would miraculously recover the next day, continuing his practice as if nothing happened.
Evidently, this made Shinobu suspect earlier that Riezel might have some special body constitution.
After all, in this world, there were indeed some people born with very special body constitutions.
Like Tanjirou, who possessed an extremely keen sense of smell, being able to discern others' emotional fluctuations by scent alone, which was unbelievably unscientific and nonsense.
Zenitsu and Inosuke were also examples, one with inhuman hearing, the other with an inhuman sense of touch, both manifestations of special body constitutions.
Among the Hashira, there were also quite a few individuals with special body constitutions.
Kyoujurou was born with greater strength than ordinary people, hence he always saw protecting the weak as the duty of the strong.
Tengen, having been a former ninja before joining the Demon Slayer Corps, possessed a certain degree of poison resistance and tremendous strength, not inferior to Kyoujurou, with even better speed, surpassing the entire Hashira.
Mitsuri's muscle density was eight times that of an ordinary person. When her body was tensed, her defensive power would significantly increase, making her strength even greater than that of males.
Additionally, there was Sanemi, who possessed a rare blood type that demons found irresistibly attractive, just a whiff of its scent was enough to intoxicate them.
All of these were examples of special body constitutions.
Shinobu had previously regarded Riezel's abnormal ability to recover as a special body constitution, but now, it seemed like it wasn't as simple as that.
Nevertheless, she didn't believe that she could recover from such severe injuries overnight without him having done something to her.
"Could you please tell me~? Tsu~gi~ku~ni~" Shinobu asked with a teasing tone.
Following this, she leaned in close to his face with a mischievous smile, getting very, very close.
Looking at her face up close, which was not only fair-skinned but also extremely beautiful, Riezel was at a loss for words.
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