The Sword of the Demon Slayer Corps

Shinobu Kocho's words were impeccable, yet contained a subtle warning—if you continue to entangle yourself, you might offend a powerful figure that even your boss can't afford to mess with.

The major's face flushed red and then turned pale, and fine beads of sweat even appeared on his forehead.

He opened the document in his hand again, trying to find even the slightest possibility of forgery.

Unfortunately, the seal is clear and the format is rigorous.

".....Hmph!" He irritably threw the file back at Shinobu Kocho, suppressing his anger, and reluctantly withdrew his hand.

He glared at Asuka, his voice low and menacing, "Since you're from the Ubuyashiki family, we'll let it go this time! But remember this: don't even think about causing trouble or hindering our military affairs on Utsunomiya territory! Otherwise, even the noble families can't protect you!"

After saying that, he turned and walked away with his soldiers, cursing and swearing. Then he grabbed a soldier who hadn't straightened the note and took the opportunity to slap him hard twice.

Shinobu Kocho breathed a sigh of relief as she watched the officer walk away.

The smile faded from her face, revealing a deep and complex expression of disgust as she carefully put the documents away.

"Shinobu, what did you mean just now?" Asuka asked, somewhat puzzled.

He has no memories of the present world, and the only violent organization he knows is the Death Swordsmen, but those people would never capture a wandering soul like himself to become a Death God.

"I know what you were thinking, Asuka." Shinobu's expression was serious, her gaze still fixed on the menacing soldiers in the distance. "Drawing your sword won't solve anything; it will only drag us into bigger trouble. That's the rule of human society, no easier than facing demons."

She gestured for Asuka to follow her, and they walked towards the direction of the Rengoku family.

"As you can see, this is the vortex that our lord is trying his best to prevent us from getting involved in."

Her voice was soft, yet unusually heavy: "The country's bigwigs are preparing for a new war in earnest for the sake of land, resources, or so-called imperial glory... These recruitment drives are the signal."

"They treat those young people as disposable bargaining chips, pushing them onto brutal battlefields just to satisfy their own ambitions."

At this point, her tone was filled with undisguised contempt: "For profit, they can so easily deprive others of the chance to live, robbing everyone of their peaceful daily lives... What's the difference between such behavior and that of demons..."

Asuka listened quietly, her grip on the oilcloth bundle tightening. "Would the world be better if we killed them?"

"You can't kill them all, Asuka." Shinobu Kocho shook her head and sighed softly. "As long as this extreme ideology doesn't disappear, new ambitious people will always emerge. This is something we lowly swordsmen can't control..."

After listening to Shinobu's words in silence, Asuka felt that this matter was even more complicated than slaying demons. At least with slaying demons, he only needed to swing his sword.

"Furthermore, our Demon Slayer Corps is not a government-approved organization. Our Master can only rely on the influence of the Ubuyashiki family to keep our forces as far away as possible from these unjust wars and prevent our members from being forcibly conscripted..."

Shinobu Kocho added, "Revealing my identity just now was out of necessity. Remember, in Utsunomiya or anywhere else in the future, stay away from these people and don't have any contact with them."

She extended her little finger, her gaze fixed intently on Asuka: "Do you remember our agreement? The Demon Slayer Corps' swords can only be used to slay demons, not to harm ordinary people."

"I understand." Asuka nodded, her voice low and firm.

"Let's not talk about this anymore. The Rengoku family is not far away. I hope Mr. Kyojuro is doing well."

Shinobu Kocho adjusted her emotions and regained that gentle, comforting smile.

After walking for about half an hour, they stopped in front of an old mansion hidden in a suburban residential area.

This is a traditional Japanese-style building, with a dark wooden structure weathered by time, and thick, bright tiles that shimmer in the sunlight.

The courtyard is surrounded by low stone walls, topped with tiles of the same dark color, and some of the roof tiles seem to still have faint flame patterns remaining.

This was once the family crest of the Purgatory Clan as warriors, but it has since fallen into decline.

The heavy brown wooden door was ajar, exuding a profound sense of history.

Asuka and Kocho announced their names loudly at the door and went straight in.

From the outside, it's not apparent that the Purgatory family also has a rather spacious courtyard: it has no elaborate decorations, and the ground is paved with fine white gravel, carefully raked into neat water ripple patterns, symbolizing purity and order.

A few ancient-looking boulders dot the landscape, backed by two lush and resilient dwarf pines, creating a unique and secluded tranquility.

In the center of the courtyard, on the wooden corridor near the main house, a familiar figure was sitting leaning against a pillar.

It was none other than the Flame Pillar, Rengoku Kyojuro.

He was wearing a loose white shirt, his eyes slightly squinted, letting the warm sunlight fall on his face, as if absorbing this warmth to heal his inner wounds.

However, the occasional muffled coughs revealed his physical weakness.

The signature flame-patterned haori casually draped over his shoulders trembled with each cough, and his long, golden-red hair seemed to have dimmed slightly, losing its former flamboyance.

Not far from him, a rather thin boy was intently sweeping the courtyard.

The boy had similar orange-red hair to Kyojuro, but a slightly lighter color. He had delicate features and a gentle gaze with a lingering worry.

"Brother, are you alright?" he asked anxiously, looking at Kyojuro.

He is none other than Rengoku Kyojuro's younger brother, Rengoku Senjuro.

Senjuro had no talent for swordsmanship and always admired his older brother.

During Kyojuro's recovery at home after the attack, he carefully took care of his daily needs, trying his best to help as much as possible.

"Haha, it's nothing! My throat is just a little itchy!" Kyojuro coughed a few times and laughed heartily.

He turned his head and caught a glimpse of the figure at the door out of the corner of his eye.

Those golden-red eyes, which always burned like flames, lit up instantly, as if a spark had been rekindled.

"Hmm! Asuka! Shinobu!" Kyojuro's voice was still loud and strong, and a sunny smile bloomed on his face as he struggled to stand up from the corridor to greet him.

However, this was clearly a bit of a stretch, causing him to cough violently again, and his hand unconsciously pressed against his left chest.

Shinobu Kocho quickly appeared beside him in a flash, gently placing her hand on his chest to feel Kyojuro's heartbeat:

"Don't push yourself too hard, Mr. Purgatory. Your bones are only just beginning to heal, so be careful."

"Haha! Sorry, Ren! I made you all worry!"

Kyojuro waved his hand to indicate that he was alright, then looked at Asuka: "Long time no see! Asuka-kun! It's so good to see you looking so energetic!"

Asuka walked slowly over, nodded to Senjuro as a greeting, and then said to Kyojuro:

"Your health doesn't look very good. Maybe you should consider stepping down. It just so happens that I've become a pillar, so there's an extra position available."

"Hmm! I heard! Arashi Pillar, you're amazing!"

He stood up and patted Feibiao's shoulder firmly, the force still steady:

"That kick from Upper Moon Three was really hard! Looks like I'll have to...cough...take some time to fully recover!"

"I really envy you, Asuka! Such amazing regenerative abilities! You're practically...cough...as resilient as a weed!"