"Is this the place, Darling?"
"Yes... I was told this is the location."
We headed to the address provided by Kagaya Ubuyashiki, a place called Kimetsu Village. This time, Kaina accompanied me. Following the doctor’s advice that she needed more outdoor activity for her recovery, she came along under the pretext of being my guard. Though she quietly muttered things like, "A date with my Darling... ♡" I focused on our arrival. I couldn't help but wonder how such a village had remained hidden for so long.
"Welcome, Michikatsu Tsugikuni."
A young boy with black hair approached us. He was Kagaya Ubuyashiki’s son—if I recalled correctly, Kiriya Ubuyashiki, the 98th head of the family.
"My name is Kiriya Ubuyashiki. I have been sent as a messenger to escort you at my father's request."
"You are quite mature for your age..."
"You flatter me."
Seeing him bow with such practiced, rigid etiquette, I realized that the Ubuyashiki family raised their children under incredibly strict discipline. Most children his age would be far more carefree.
"He's so admirable for a little one," Kaina remarked.
I nodded and reached out to pat Kiriya’s head. He flinched slightly but seemed to enjoy the touch, struggling to suppress a tiny smile. It was quite endearing.
"Ahem! Then, I shall lead you to the Master."
Snapping back to his professional self, Kiriya began to lead us through the village.
"Darling... that child is so cute, isn't he?"
"Perhaps..."
He was, indeed, quite cute.
The Ubuyashiki Estate
"We are here. My father is waiting for you inside."
Following Kiriya, we entered the main hall of the estate. Then, without warning—
"Wind Breathing, First Form: Dust Whirlwind Cutter!"
"Flame Breathing, Second Form: Rising Scorching Sun!"
"Water Breathing, Second Form: Water Wheel!"
"Stone Breathing, Second Form: Upper Smash!"
"Serpent Breathing, First Form: Winding Serpent Slash!"
"Love Breathing, Third Form: Catlove Shower!"
"Flower Breathing, Second Form: Honorable Shadow Plum!"
"Sound Breathing, First Form: Roar!"
"Mist Breathing, Second Form: Eight-Layered Mist!"
A barrage of Breathing techniques surged toward me. Detecting them instantly through the Transparent World, I drew Kyokuseibo and extended it into its greatsword form, parrying the combined assault in a single motion.
"A rather... violent greeting."
"So, I finally see that face of yours again! Hah?! Upper Rank One!!!"
A man with wild white hair and scars across his entire body—Sanemi Shinazugawa—snarled. The other swordsmen looked at me with varying degrees of hostility and caution.
"Since I have received a greeting... I must offer a response."
I steadied my breath.
"Moon Breathing, Eighth Form: Moon-Dragon Ringtail."
With a massive horizontal sweep, I unleashed a giant slash that radiated dozens of smaller, irregular blades. The swordsmen quickly leapt away. Gyomei Himejima, the hulking user of Stone Breathing, swung his spiked iron ball.
"Stone Breathing, First Form: Serpentinite Bipolar!"
Following him, Sanemi surged forward like a gale.
"Wind Breathing, Second Form: Claws-Purifying Wind!"
"Moon Breathing, Fifth Form: Moon Spirit Calamitous Eddy."
I effortlessly deflected the descending iron flail and the wind-based slashes by generating a defensive vortex of blades.
"Do not forget we are here as well. Serpent Breathing, Third Form: Coil Choke!"
"Your Breathing is impressive, but it’s also a bit scary! Love Breathing, Fifth Form: Swaying Love, Wildclaw!"
Obanai Iguro’s sword snaked through the air while Mitsuri Kanroji unleashed a flurry of acrobatic, wide-range strikes. They aimed for my blind spots, but through the Transparent World, their movements were as clear as day.
"Fine coordination... but... Hooooooooo."
I reinforced my physical stats with the breath and swung.
"Moon Breathing, Ninth Form: Waning Moonswath."
I neutralized both their techniques with a horizontal sweep that filled the room with crescent blades.
"I’ll entertain you flashily! Flashily!! Sound Breathing, Fifth Form: Symphony of Shrill Strings!"
Tengen Uzui spun his twin blades on their chains, creating a rhythmic storm of explosions and steel meant to disorient the opponent.
"Noisy... Moon Breathing, Sixth Form: Perpetual Night, Lonely Moon - Incessant."
"That’s what makes it flashy! Sound Breathing, Fourth Form: Constant Resounding Slashes!"
Tengen countered my raining slashes by spinning his blades fast enough to create a shield of explosions.
"Now! Tokito! Kocho!"
"Right... Mist Breathing, Fourth Form: Shifting Flow Slash."
"Yes! Flower Breathing, Fifth Form: Peony of Futility."
I prepared my counter for Muichiro Tokito's direct dash and Kanae Kocho's nine-hit aerial descent.
"Moon Breathing, Sixteenth Form: Moonbow, Half-Moon."
Several massive vertical slashes crashed down from above like bolts of lightning, blocking their advance.
"Hmph! Try blocking this as well! Flame Breathing, Fifth Form: Flame Tiger!"
"Going in... Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash."
"....Moon Breathing, First Form: Dark Moon, Evening Palace."
Kyojuro Rengoku’s heavy, tiger-shaped strike and Giyu Tomioka’s horizontal water slash collided with my horizontal sweep. A massive roar and a powerful shockwave erupted, wreaking havoc on the courtyard.
"Incredible... we all attacked at once, yet we couldn't even graze his clothes. Truly an Upper Rank."
"No... Kyojuro. He is even stronger than back then. Last time, we only managed to slay him through the sacrifice of four Hashira and Genya. Even if this wasn't a fight to the death... to think we couldn't even cut his robe when almost all of us were here..."
The Hashira—all of them present except for Shinobu Kocho—realized that despite their efforts, it felt like facing a force of nature.
"What are you all doing?!!!"
Kaina, her face twisted in a scowl, deployed her rifle Quirk and loaded her hair bullets.
"You invited us here and then launch a full-scale ambush?! What is the meaning of this!!"
Enraged by the assault on her Darling, she prepared to treat them as villains and open fire on their limbs.
"It is enough... it was merely a welcome ceremony."
I sheathed Kyokuseibo as if nothing had happened. While the Hashira were gasping for breath and covered in sweat, I remained perfectly calm, my breathing steady.
I turned my gaze toward a specific spot in the estate and spoke.
"Quite a rough welcome... Ubuyashiki."
"I apologize. My 'children' insisted they wanted to cross blades with you at least once."
The screen door slid open, revealing a man who appeared perfectly healthy, with none of the scars or sickness from the original story: Kagaya Ubuyashiki.
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