"Ubuyashiki, I need your help."
She didn't know if this was worth the risk anymore. Kyoko looked at the man protected by layers of swords, all pointed towards her. The moon cast an eerie glow over the desolate landscape, amplifying the tension in the air. Ubuyashiki, a stoic figure with an ancient wisdom etched into his expression, regarded Kyoko with a calm intensity. His piercing gaze seemed to penetrate her soul, as if assessing the depth of her desperation.
"Why should I help you?" Ubuyashiki spoke with a voice that resonated like the gleam of each sword pointed at her, a silent testament to the power he held despite being the most frail person in the corps. "You are the very thing we promised to kill."
Kyoko took a deep breath, her eyes never leaving Ubuyashiki's. She knew convincing him would be no easy task, considering the centuries-old enmity between demonkind and the Demon Slayer Corps. The chilling wind swept through the barren landscape, carrying the weight of her plea.
"Ubuyashiki, I understand the history, but circumstances have changed. There's a new threat emerging, one that endangers the very foundation of the Corps itself," Kyoko pleaded.
Ubuyashiki remained silent, his gaze unwavering. The moon continued its silent vigil as the seconds stretched into an agonizing silence. Kyoko decided to reveal the information she had gathered, hoping it would be enough to sway the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps.
"I've stumbled upon the blue spider lily."
"Impossible!" A voice cried. Ubuyashiki's gaze shifted from the demoness to the newcomer who had uttered the word. Rengoku, the Flame Hashira, stood tall with his fiery mane cascading down his shoulders. His eyes, ablaze with determination, locked onto Ubuyashiki's.
"Impossible, you say? Rengoku, do you doubt the veracity of this revelation?" Ubuyashiki inquired, his voice carrying a quiet authority.
Rengoku hesitated for a moment, then spoke with a tone of unwavering conviction. "Forgive my interruption, Oyakata-sama. It's just that the blue spider lily is considered a myth, a legend. To hear of its existence is perplexing, and the implications are staggering."
Kyoko seized the opportunity to address Rengoku directly, her gaze meeting his intense stare. "I understand your skepticism, Hashira Rengoku. I, too, had my doubts until I stumbled upon one. The blue spider lily is real, and its power is the catalyst for the impending disaster."
Rengoku studied Kyoko for a moment, then turned his attention back to Oyakata-sama. "If this is true, then we must act swiftly to prevent the demons from obtaining such a formidable weapon. Ubuyashiki-sama, I believe we should investigate this matter further, for the sake of our duty and the safety of humanity."
"Why do you trust her now, Rengoku?" Ubuyashiki's question hung in the air, prompting Rengoku to offer a solemn explanation. "It's not about trusting her, Oyakata-sama. It's just...."
"Spill it, Rengoku." A masked figure stepped in, the blue tint of his sword revealing who he was. "You're hiding something."
".... there once was a former Hashira; the creator and teacher of the first breathing styles-"
"His name was Yoriichi Tsugikuni." Rengoku paused, noticing the wistful expression on Kyoko's face as she interjected.
"...so that's the sun-breather's name, I assume," Rengoku's tone carrying a reverence for the legendary figure. "His legacy has shaped the very essence of the Demon Slayer Corps. His teachings, his techniques... they are the foundation upon which our strength is built. Always behind him was a girl who soon went missing after his family got attacked."
Kyoko chuckled, a flicker of nostalgia mingling with determination in her eyes. "Yoriichi's always been the one who's worried that his family would get attacked. I merely took that burden off of him."
"So we're just assuming she's the same girl?" the blue tinted blade wielder questioned, his voice muffled by the mask.
"Whether or not she's the same girl, that's just useless information." This time a small slim female walked in the moonlight, her messy yellow bob tinted with orange seem to flutter. "I'm sure she's changed in those hundreds of years she's been missing."
"Why not just killing her at this point?" A man seethed as he continued to glare at Kyoko. "She know where the spider lily is, it's best to shut her mouth."
"As a Hashira, you truly act like the wind. Quick and forceful," Kyoko shot back.
"You-"
"Step down Tanigawa." Ubuyashiki's quickly shut down the two hot headed figures. A hand silently raised up to catch everyone's attention.
"Kawaguchi." Tanigawa, the Wind Hashira, snapped.
"I'm not provoking you, Tanigawa," Kawaguchi, the Water Hashira, let out a muffled sigh behind his mask whilst slowly sheathing his katana. "I just wanted to point out the fact her fate is already decided."
"Huh? Stop speaking in damn riddles-"
"The sun is soon coming up. Whether she dies is now up to whether she's telling the truth. We've been just stalling her, this was Oyakata-sama's plan all along."
____________
"Name's Komoyo." the elegant thunder Hashira introduced herself, "yours?"
"Kyoko," came the reply, with a nod acknowledging the exchange.
"Damn it! Why didn't you just scatter like the rest of the demons?! Let me- MPH!"
"Sorry about Tanigawa, his mouth is normally leashed. Kiri usually keeps him in check, but it seems her absence has left him unrestrained." The demoness watched as the Wind Hashira was kidnapped by the Water Hashira as Komoyo shook her head, "Hope she gets back soon before this guy's temper gets worse."
"Kiri?"
"Kawaguchi Kiri, Kawaguchi's younger sister and Mist Hashira. Tanigawa's friend. Now, Kyoko, let us prepare for the council meeting."
Komoyo slides open the door in front of her and Kyoko followed Komoyo into the meeting room, where the other Hashira had already gathered. The air was thick with tension as the council prepared to discuss the revelation of the blue spider lily and Kyoko's connection to it.
Ubuyashiki, seated at the head of the table, regarded Kyoko with a measured gaze. "Let the council meeting commence. Kyoko, share the details of your encounter with the blue spider lily."
Kyoko took a deep breath "No. That's not what I'm here to discuss."
As she spoke, the Hashira engaged in a heated discussion, each expressing their concerns, skepticism, or determination.
Tanigawa, now back in the room after being escorted away, glared at Kyoko. "See? This demon is a liar! Just kill her already!"
Rengoku, the Flame Hashira, intervened. "Regardless of our doubts, her being alive right now after what happened in the courtyard proves she's worth listening to."
"Tch."
"What do you mean by that, Kyoko?" Ubuyashiki inquired, his eyes seemed to pierce through her.
"Rengoku, do you remember your interaction with Muzan?"
"Wait, wait, wait. Rengoku? When was this?" Komoyo turned to the Flame Hashira in disbelief.
Rengoku cleared his throat before responding, "It was around a year ago."
"....and you didn't think to tell us?!?!"
Ubuyashiki raised his hand in an attempt to calm the thunder Hashira down, "Stop, Komoyo, it was my decision to keep this matter a secret. I apologize."
"Oyakata-sama, you said he ended up in that state of life or death because of Shinsai!" Tension filled the air as if summoned by the name.
"Oyakata-sama, are you suggesting that we've exiled Shinsai without cause?" Kawaguchi inquired from behind his mask, concealing his expression. The Wind Hashira sat deadly silent beside him.
"....Kyoko, if you may, please give me some time with my children."
Kyoko nodded before silently leaving the room and closing the sliding door behind her.
Oh boy, why must relationships be this hard?
------------ SYSTEM ERROR REPLAYING DATA----------
"Ubuyashiki."
"Kyoko-sama." The blinded man nodded in greeting, "It's been years since I last saw you."
"To think you were the naïve boy that hid behind his father." Kyoko snickered at the blushing man, "how's the corps?"
"Kawaguchi has left this world and Urokodaki's protégé is now the new Water Pillar." Ubuyashiki sighed, his eyes glazed with nostalgia.
Kyoko's gaze softened as she caught the undercurrent of sorrow in Ubuyashiki's words. The passage of time had left its mark on both of them, and the changing dynamics within the Demon Slayer Corps weighed heavily on the blind leader.
"I see," Kyoko replied with a touch of sympathy. "Change is inevitable, even for an organization like the Demon Slayer Corps. It's a testament to the ebb and flow of life."
Ubuyashiki nodded in agreement, his face betraying a mix of emotions. "Indeed. The Corps faces new challenges, and the Hashira shoulder the responsibility of preserving our legacy."
Kyoko's eyes flickered with curiosity. "And what of the blue spider lily, Ubuyashiki? How much do the current Hashira truly know?"
The blind leader's expression tightened, a subtle indication of the complexities he navigated. "The Hashira are aware of its existence, its significance, but not the full extent of its power. Some truths remain veiled to maintain stability and prevent unnecessary discord."
Kyoko raised an eyebrow, sensing the delicate dance of secrets within the Corps. "Stability at the cost of ignorance, Ubuyashiki?"
"The delicate balance of knowledge and duty," he mused. "It's a path we tread carefully. The demons are growing bolder, and the threat they pose demands a cautious approach."
A moment of silence lingered between them, the weight of unspoken truths hanging in the air.
"I'm glad you're back, Kyoko."
"Well as your god-grandmother who recently came back to life, thanks."
Author's Note:
光明 (Kōmyō) - Thunder Hashira
谷川 (Tanigawa) - Wind Hashira
川口 (Kawaguchi) - Water Hashira
喜理 (Kiri) - Mist Hashira
煉獄 (Rengoku) - Flame Hashira
震災 (Shisai) - ????
Well, well, well, here's a long chapter to make it up for 1.14! Thank you so much for following this series and I really hope you've been enjoying it!
Each of their last names (I'm trying my best to incorporate how people are called by their last names in japan) are chosen depending on historical people, places, or just full on foreshadowing. Hope you guys have fun brainstorming on what will happen next! I have a rough plan to the end of the KNY arc and it's still pretty far away. I will be making the chapters as long as possible to accommodate these new characters.