Demon Slayer: Muzan, will you dance too?

Walking on the pavement paved with small stones in the courtyard, Qingchuanquan, who was passing a pond, couldn't help but cough twice due to lung discomfort.

The saliva he coughed up even had a little blood in it, and he seemed weak and listless.

"Is the injury serious?"

A calm and gentle voice came from not far away, and Kiyokawa Izumi subconsciously looked over.

The Demon Slayer Corps' lord wore a pure white haori with bright red edges.

Inside was a pure black kimono, with a brown obi tied around the waist.

His smooth, black, medium-length hair fell naturally. Perhaps because he hadn't seen the sun for a long time, or perhaps because his physical condition was too poor, his skin was very pale, and the upper half of his face was severely disfigured.

This is the soul of the Demon Slayer Corps—Ubuyashiki Kagaya!

Standing beside him was Lady Tenon, whom he had met once before. She was dressed in a dignified and elegant kimono and helped her lord walk slowly towards him.

"Has he already nearly gone blind by this point?"

Kiyokawa Izumi paused slightly, then subconsciously replied, "Overusing breathing techniques can damage the lungs; it'll probably take half a month to a month to recover, right?"

Unlike the other pillars, his attitude was not so respectful, and he did not kneel on the ground.

As a time traveler from the future, he was really, really not used to kneeling.

From as far back as I can remember, I've probably only ever knelt down when I was a child, when I was mourning someone's death—in my past life, I didn't have the habit of kneeling so easily.

Respect is all I ask, but kneeling is out of the question.

When Shinobu Kocho first met him, she felt that he was different from other swordsmen and did not show as much respect to the Pillars.

They weren't that cautious, nor were they that overly respectful.

Even when meeting the lord of the Demon Slayer Corps, Kiyokawa Izumi maintained the same attitude.

Of course, the lord wouldn't care about these things.

Lady Tianyin, who was standing next to him, did not show the slightest change in expression.

"It looks like it's going to be a tough battle, Izumi. May I call you that?"

"Can!"

"My lungs are injured. Is it really okay to only rest for a month? Isn't that pushing myself too hard?"

Kiyokawa Izumi was slightly taken aback upon hearing this—no wonder the other Pillars respected him so much.

This man does indeed seem like a patriarch.

Instead of praising Kiyokawa Izumi's achievements right away, they first asked about his injuries and whether a month of rest would be enough.

"Please rest assured, although the lungs are damaged, it is not serious. A month is more than enough, and you may not even need to rest for that long."

"That's good... Before your next mission, come to me first so I can hear for myself whether your breathing has returned to normal."

"..."

Although, the Butterfly Mansion is indeed quite close to here.

But is it really necessary to come all the way here in person?

I'm not the kind of fool who would force myself; I know the principle of getting half the result with twice the effort.

I forced myself to carry out the mission... I'm not that obsessed with slaying demons... Besides, my luck has been a bit bad lately, so I'm planning to take it easy for a while.

Kiyokawa Izumi thought to himself, but in the end, he did not refuse this person's kindness.

This guy is the type who responds better to gentle persuasion than force.

"Izumi, are you willing to take on the responsibilities of a pillar?"

While he was still in a daze, Kagaya Ubuyashiki suddenly asked a question.

"?"

Upon hearing this, Kiyokawa Izumi fell into a long silence.

This doesn't sound like a joke.

But does he really deserve to be a Pillar? This generation is the strongest besides the first generation, and with his current strength, he's definitely the last one.

In terms of strength, who can his small frame compare to?

Don't be fooled by his constant chatter about Shinobu Kocho behind her back; if it really came down to a fight, the only guarantee he wouldn't lose too badly.

The problem is, they're involved in drugs!

If prepared, they could kill Doma.

They made a significant contribution in the final battle.

In contrast, Kiyokawa Izumi made himself look quite pathetic after fighting a newly promoted Lower Moon Six.

In terms of speed, needless to say, it's also at the bottom.

In terms of resilience, he is even less outstanding.

As for breathing techniques, the core of the core, it's not just about being at the bottom, it's practically buried in the ground, it's undoubtedly the last one.

Of all the attributes, only swordsmanship is truly worth considering.

But, can his decent swordsmanship really compare to that of the current generation of Nine Pillars?

They are not outstanding in any aspect and have nothing to offer, which is why they are speechless at this moment.

Just imagine,

He and a certain pillar went out to carry out a mission.

When he encountered the waning crescent moon, he fought desperately, leaving himself in a sorry state, coughing up blood and injured, and even then, he might not be able to win.

In contrast, their competitors easily eliminate their rivals with a single, effortless strike.

Just thinking about it makes me feel ashamed!

It's absolutely shameful!

Then his colleagues looked at him with strange eyes—wait, how did you become a pillar with your strength?

In another scene, the upper moon is unfortunately encountered.

Kiyokawa Izumi rushed forward but couldn't withstand even one move from his opponent; he was killed in three to five moves.

That's not just shameful, it's downright disgraceful.

Once someone else's markings are activated, Upper Moon Five can easily defeat them in an instant.

Kiyokawa Izumi glared with his Sharingan, and was killed in just a few moves.

Perhaps feeling too embarrassed, he almost couldn't help but laugh out loud, right in front of his lord.