Anime/Manga: Bankai Starting with Demon Slayer

Asuka and the others were to carry out new orders—

"Emergency summons! All Pillar-level swordsmen, proceed immediately to the Ubuyashiki Mansion!"

"Our lord has ordered all pillars to assemble immediately! No delays allowed! Gaa—!"

Asuka turned her head and saw that even Giyu's perpetually icy face had taken on a rare look of seriousness.

The two Upper Moons were killed on the same night, and the opportunity that had never changed in a century arrived.

Perhaps the time for the final battle has come.

Asuka looked at the crickets circling in the sky and asked curiously, "How come it's so fast? The news from here should have spread in less than an hour."

A member of the Hidden Force, who was dragging the monk's body through the ruins, quickly replied, "Lord Lanzhu, you are unaware! Actually, as long as the Crows send the message to the nearest contact point, someone will find a way to relay it to our lord via telegram..."

"Telegram? What's that?"

Faced with this question, the members of the Hidden Unit were at a loss for words, until Kanao interrupted Asuka's question.

"Instead of this, Mr. Asuka, you should go down the mountain to see your master first."

"Is she seriously injured?"

Asuka only knew that she was covered in blood at the time, and there was no time to check the specific injuries.

"Fortunately, the doctors in the medical team, through dissecting the remains of the monks we provided, formulated a special medicine to counteract the frostbite from the Blood Demon Art, and the lung damage has not continued to worsen..."

"But my master suffered a severe laceration, which caused a lot of blood loss. He may have to rest in bed for a while."

"The best news is that he's not dead." Asuka nodded, relieved.

He can provide cover for Giyu Tomioka's desperate strike, and he can also work with Kyojuro Rengoku to try and kill Akaza at all costs.

He understood that in order to win and kill the demon before him, he would inevitably have to pay a price.

But to be honest, there was a moment when Shinobu was seriously injured that he was very nervous.

He feared that this attack would really kill Shinobu, and he was furious that the other party had hurt Shinobu so badly.

Was it because of the promise he made to her, because he had agreed to protect her?

Asuka couldn't explain it clearly, but as long as she was alright, she was relieved.

"Are you going to your main camp?" Komashi asked in a muffled voice, arms crossed, as he emerged from under the boar's headgear.

Asuka nodded and gave a faint "hmm".

"Then I'll go back to Hayama and wait for your news."

Komashita shrugged. He knew that as a former Demon Moon, the Demon Slayer Corps wouldn't let him swagger into the core area: "When the time is right, have your lord send a message, and I will join you in surrounding Muzan!"

"...So you're from Hayama?"

Upon hearing that familiar name, Asuka's demeanor turned cold, and she glared at Komashi with hostility.

"...I'm sorry, I was a scoundrel back then, and I injured several people. I apologize to you." Komashita said earnestly, and Komashita bowed deeply.

"I will use my life to pay for all the blood debts I have committed."

Asuka's gaze lingered on him for a few seconds before shifting away.

"Whatever you like."

“Let’s go.” Giyu stepped forward without offering any opinion on Komashi’s decision.

He'd seen a ghost that didn't eat people before, more than once in the past two years.

The two figures darted past each other as they raced down the mountain.

At the foot of Mount Miaogao, the house of wisteria blossoms is filled with a rich fragrance.

This is a preventative measure taken by every temporary sanatorium to avoid being disturbed by other spirits during the extermination of evil spirits.

When Asuka pushed open the door to the side room, she saw the Hidden Division member kneeling beside the tatami mat, carefully changing the cold towel on Shinobu's forehead as she slept.

The room was very quiet, so quiet that you could hear Shinobu Kocho's faint but rapid breathing.

"Lord Lanzhu..."

"How is she?"

Asuka interrupted the Hidden Division member's greeting and looked nervously at the woman on the couch.

The team member respectfully reported, "The vital signs are stable... but there's been some organ rupture, so he needs to rest, otherwise there will be long-term consequences..."

As he spoke, the team member's gaze shifted somewhat.

There's something I'm not sure if I should tell this pillar.

"Any other situations?"

"...Lord Insect Pillar contains an unimaginable amount of wisteria poison... While this toxin is theoretically harmless to humans, such a large dose... makes it difficult for us to determine its nature..."

Asuka recalled the day she talked to Shinobu about the poison of wisteria flowers, and how Shinobu was evasive about the topic.

So, was this the reason for your unusual emotions at the time...?

That stupid woman.

Asuka walked straight to the sickbed and sat down next to Shinobu Kocho.

At that moment, her face was as pale as a sheet of paper.

Thick bandages were wrapped around his body, and traces of blood could be seen seeping out, rising and falling with his breathing.

That strong woman who always pretended to be cheerful and hid her anger and pain in her heart is now like a flower ravaged by a storm, so fragile that it would break at the slightest touch.

Seemingly sensing a familiar aura, Shinobu Kocho's long eyelashes trembled, and she slowly opened her eyes.

Those purple eyes were initially somewhat unfocused, but when they focused on the bird's face, a glimmer of light slowly emerged from their pupils.

“Bird…” Her voice was as thin as a whisper, as if drifting from a distant place: “You succeeded…”

"Doma is dead."

Asuka stared into Shinobu's eyes and replied, word by word:

“I personally chopped off his head, injected your poison into his body, and watched him fall completely into hell.”

Shinobu Kocho's breath hitched.

Tears welled up uncontrollably once again, silently sliding down Shinobu's cheeks and disappearing into her temples.

Although she had already cried once before, when Asuka firmly told her how the evil spirit that killed her sister was slain.

The cold, heavy, and almost self-destructive anger that had been lingering deep within Shinobu Kocho's soul finally melted away.

For this day, she transformed herself into a revenge machine, extinguishing her true nature.

I put on my sister's haori and tried to imitate her smile.

He was even willing to replace all the blood in his body with poison, just to perish together with his enemy.

But now, that enemy is dead, and she is still alive.

Is there anything more satisfying than this?

She didn't cry out loud, but just quietly shed tears.

It was a release of pent-up grievances and relief that had been building up for so long, which finally erupted at that moment.

The bird looked at her, remained silent for a long time, and then suddenly stretched out its hand, covered with old cocoons and scars, and clumsily wiped away the tears on her cheeks.

“It’s all over now, bear with it. I don’t want to see you cry, and your sister probably doesn’t want to see it either.”

Shinobu looked at him and suddenly gave a weak smile.

"Asuka...you really haven't improved at all. At times like this, a normal person...should say something...gentler, right?"

"I don't know how," Asuka replied decisively.

"...I know you won't." Shinobu Kocho laboriously reached out a hand and grabbed Asuka's sleeve.

It has little strength, but it holds on very tightly.

"...Thank you, Asuka...Thank you...."

Feiniao felt the slight weight coming from the hem of her clothes, and a strange ripple rose in her chest.

He couldn't quite describe the feeling, but he felt a warm current flowing through his heart, knowing he could help her fulfill this promise.

Overall, it's not a bad feeling.

Asuka looked at Shinobu Kocho and calmly said, "Don't force yourself anymore. Laugh when you want to laugh, and get angry when you want to get angry."

"After all this is over, if you have nowhere to go, you can go to Yeshan."

"The master's temple is still missing a doctor to prepare the medicine."

Shinobu Kocho was stunned. She stared blankly at the bird for a long time before weakly whispering, "Are you... inviting me?"

"I guess so. I hope you take good care of yourself and don't take any more toxins."

"Oh my god... that's so unreasonable..."

The bird stood up, its movements clean and swift, without the slightest hesitation.

He knew that Yoshiyuki Tomioka had been waiting outside for a long time, and that the situation at the Ubuyashiki mansion was probably a thousand times more urgent than it was here.

Without any further hesitation, he resolutely turned and left.

Only when the door closed did Shinobu Kocho seem to have exhausted all her strength, sinking deeply into the pillow.

She turned her head, looking at the morning light streaming into the room through the window, and murmured softly:

"What an adorably clumsy man, sister..."

Chapter 90 Brother's Revenge

The fragrance of wisteria blossoms floated in the cool evening breeze, birds and brave men moved through the corridors, and the wooden floor made a soft creaking sound underfoot.

They traveled through the night and finally arrived at the Ubuyashiki mansion before nightfall.

In the very center of the courtyard, several figures had been standing for a long time.

"Ah... Amitabha... This humble monk hears the footsteps of hope. It must be Giyu and Asuka returning."

The imposing figure of Beimingyu Xingming, as tall as a mountain, sat cross-legged at the front, his hands rapidly turning the Buddhist prayer beads between his fingers, producing a low and rhythmic clinking sound.

Two streams of clear tears flowed continuously from his completely white eyes, seeping into the creases of his cheeks.

I can't tell if I was crying tears of joy or if the wind made me cry uncontrollably.

Under the shade of the tree, Obanai Iguro crouched on a horizontal branch, the white snake 'Bakumaru' around her neck flicking its tongue uneasily.

"...Finally we've arrived. Don't these two know how to take a car?"

His heterochromatic golden-green eyes gleamed in the shadows, his gaze lingering on Asuka: "It seems you're more capable than I imagined, Arashi no Suzuki. Congratulations."

"This is truly cause for celebration, even though it's not Upper Moon One."

"Oh dear, Mr. Iguro, don't be so harsh..." Mitsuri Kanroji sat to the side, trying her best to show a sweet smile: "It's already amazing that everyone was able to defeat the Upper Moon! Mr. Iguro also defeated the Upper Moon Six, didn't he?"

"..." Obanai Iguro sullenly withdrew his gaze, looking helplessly at Mitsuri, who made him unable to get angry.

This made Kanroji Mitsuri somewhat uneasy. Her large, emerald-green eyes were filled with tension. She would glance at the empty spot left by Kocho Shinobu, and then twist her fingers because she felt Mr. Iguro's burning gaze.

"Well done, Asuka!"

Kyojuro Rengoku also attended the meeting today. He patted Asuka heavily on the shoulder: "We're only one more Demon Month away from facing Muzan Kibutsuji! That's truly exhilarating!"

Muichiro Tokito, who had trained Asuka, also looked at him and nodded kindly: "Congratulations."

The only one who remained silent throughout was Shinazugawa Saneya, who sat quietly on the ground.

As a fellow swordsman from Hayama, Asuka, as a junior, repeatedly achieved great feats, making him both happy for Arasaki-sensei and frustrated for himself.

Why haven't I encountered any Upper Moons yet? No way... I have to kill Upper Moon One before this kid does...

At this moment, apart from the severely injured Shinobu Kocho and Tengen Uzui, who was recuperating from being poisoned in the battle with Upper Moon Six, all the Pillars had assembled.

Of course, the fist pillar doesn't count.

Kara -

The door to the Japanese-style room was opened.

Two young girls—Hicca and Hinai—were helping the figure in a plain kimono walk out, one on each side.