The New path continue'd

Shinobu led the two brothers into a large room in the main building of the butterfly house. They entered the room to see seven more demon slayers with rather eccentric appearances. It was clear they had all seen many intense battles against the demons, as the pressure in the room was suffocating. All eyes turned to Karma and Nagisa as they walked to the center of the room, standing in the center of the hashira. Shinobu took a seat to their right, beside another Hashira. In the back of the room, a frail looking man with a face that seemed to be rotting from the scalp down just passed his eyes led the assembly. "Karma, Nagisa, nice to meet you." The man said calmly "I am called Ubayashiki Kagaya, the ninety-seventh leader of the demon slayer corps. Unfortunately as you can see this weak body of mine isn't much use in slaying demons so I must ask the help of others to help to accomplish that end. The eight people you see here, though we seem to be missing one right now, are the Hashira, the strongest our organization has to offer."

"Hello Mr. Ubayashiki sir." Nagisa said with a respectful bow.

"Sup," Karma said casually.

"Hey brat! You show some respect when you address the master!" A spiky white-haired man, the Wind Hashira Shinazugawa Sanemi, with scars all over his scowling face barked at Karma. His uniform was worn with a cropped coat that only went down to his upper back instead of a haori. The two glared at each other for a second. "What you stupid or something? Address him properly!"

"It is fine Sanemi, no need to get worked up." Ubayashiki said immediately settling him down. Sanemi agreed with a reluctant grumble, but he would not defy the master's wishes.

"So you two are the last survivors of the Zoldyck clan? It's appalling one could commit such an atrocity to their own kin…" The water Hashira, Tomioka Giyu, said with disgust at the Gakushu's actions. He had clear blue eyes like calm waters and a stoic stare. "I offer my apologies for allowing him to escape that night…" A recent event made him think demons should at least be able to value family, especially one that had only just lost their humanity.

"It pains me so that such tragedy was allowed to happen!" The stone Hashira Gyomei Himajima, sobbed. He was a massive man towering over all the others, who had a scar running across his forehead. "May your family rest in peace," he said clutching one of the numerous prayer beads he wore.

"No if you hadn't shown up we wouldn't be here anyways," Nagisa said as he bowed in gratitude. "Thank you."

Karma also bowed sincerely to the Hashira. "Thank you all for saving my brother's life."

"Are you not thankful for your own?" Shinobu asked. "Surely you don't wish you had died there?"

"I may as well have. I was a combat prodigy of the Zoldyck clan yet I could not save a single soul, nor could have I even harm Gakushu. Nagisa only survived because of you" Karma answered with shame. "I failed utterly and completely. If my life was forfeit to save Nagisa I wouldn't have minded." Nagisa who had remained polite and calm the entire two weeks he was there suddenly punched Karma in his face. While it didn't floor his older brother, Karma's nose was leaking like a faucet. "What the hell Nagi-"

"Don't say that Karma! I am an heir of the Zoldyck as well, my elder brother betrayed me too! You think I was content helplessly watching my family be destroyed? You think I want to be the last Zoldyck!? We survived together and we're going to continue to survive, even if I have to drag you onwards." Nagisa huffed heavily trying to calm down. Sanemi snickered, as he was glad someone punched Karma.

"Nagisa…" Karma sat there holding his bloody nose dumbfounded.

"If you're done feeling sorry for yourself, lets figure out how to get stronger and stop Gakushu ourselves. We don't even deserve to call ourselves Zoldyck if we can't do that much."

"There was never a doubt we were going to do that." Karma responded "and

"Well said young man, I am glad your spirit is still strong. What you just said brings us to the reason we have elected to meet with the two of you," Ubayashiki said as he handed Karma some tissues to plug his nose. "We-" Before he could get to the point the doors opened. "Ah, You're not usually tardy. Nagisa, Karma, I would like for you to meet the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku."

The two brothers turned to see Rengoku step into the door. He stepped forward and bowed to Ubayashiki. "My apologies for being late master, there was an issue with my family that required my attention.

"Is your family ok? What happened Rengoku?" A young woman asked. She was the Love Hashira Kanroji Mitsuri. Kanroji was a curvaceous woman wearing a uniform fitted with a skirt, short white haori over it and her shirt open revealing her buxom chest. She had a beauty mark under each of her big round eyes, and her long pink hair that ended in lime green was tied into three large braids. She ran up to Rengoku making sure he was ok, but he simply put a hand on her shoulder and calmed her.

"Do not fret, my family is well. Senjuro has found a teacher…one who's swordsmanship may currently dwarf that of the Hashira." Rengoku's face was dead serious, he had recently had the startling revalation that their ceiling could be much higher. All of the other Hashira went dead silent as Kyojuro doesn't lie, what kind of monster did he run into?

"So the boy has emerged." Ubayashiki asked calmly already aware of the situation.

"Yes," Rengoku confirmed.

"Don't keep us in suspense Kyojuro," Tengen said leaning in to hear what he has to say. "Who is this miracle child? Is he a flashy ally?"

"Yes I believe he is," Ubayashiki answered the question. "In fact, that was the second reason I called this meeting. "The son of Kurogane Gama, the heir of the Ogame Ryu, and the slayer of the sixth demon king, Ogame Jin has descended from sword mountain."

"Jin?" Karma and Nagisa said in unison.

"I suppose it would make sense you know him, the Zoldyck family were well connected." Ubayashiki said calmly again unfazed by new information.

"Yes we used to visit sword mountain all the time," Karma said. "Is something going on up there?"

"It's time for the rebuilding of the Ogame school." The question was answered by none other than Jin's master Iori Sengoku, who had also recently descended sword mountain. All of the Hashira were beyond surprised to see him appear before them. "It seems Jinsuke and the other demon kings have begun to move openly. I thought this would be a good time to make sure things are good on your end Ubayashiki. I don't plan on sending a bunch of inexperienced demon slayers to the die." He said before turning to the Zoldyck brothers. "Oh, and my condolences about the whole Gakushu thing."

"Thanks." Karma said.

Ubayashiki nodded in agreement. "Your concerns were rightly placed Sengoku Iori, preparations for increasing our strength are being made as we speak. With the two of you, a master of the Ogame, and these two, the heirs of the Zoldyck, a union that could wipe the demon scourge from the Earth could possibly be born."

"Wait you planned for us to be here?" Nagisa asked.

"No, I did not. We only thought to bring you here after Gakushu's escape. As Sengoku previously stated, the powerful demons who terrorized the night are becoming more active. More powerful. More organized. I too have no wish to send novices to their deaths, but we are desperate in this coming batte," Ubayashiki answered straightforwardly. "Our goal is to raise the standard of our demon slayers entirely. Among the ways that we must acquire said power, we humbly ask that you allow the demon slayers to learn nen and the Ogame ryu's modes." Ubayashiki continued as he bowed to Karma and Iori as the current decision makers of the two organizations. Seeing his display of sincerity, all the Hashira followed suit bowing as well.

Iori looked around the room and after a brief silence he gave his answer. "I refuse," he said plainly. Everyone in the room was shocked by his answer, why something so selfish? Didn't he just come to talk about helping to raise the bar for the demon slayers?

"But Mr. Iori I thought the aim of everyone here was to work together," Nagisa said among the confused.

"What were you going to offer in exchange for the heritages handed down in the Zoldyck and Ogame? These arts have been passed down for generations to specially selected and trained disciples. Now you expect us to allow them to just be handed out to hundreds of people who don't even know of our history?" Iori answered directly to Ubayashiki.

"HEY! Don't you dare try to berate our master and make his intentions seem dishonarable!" Another Hashira, the Serpent Hashira Iguro Obanai, a shorter man with heterochromatic eyes (one blue and one gold), shoulder length black hair, and tape covering just his mouth said angrily pointing to Iori. His demon slayer uniform was set with a white and black striped haori, and a white snake wrapped casually around his neck. "He even went as far as to bow to you! You should be-"

Obanai was stopped by Ubayashiki putting a hand up. Even though he didn't care since it was in Ubayashiki's defense, everyone noted Obanai was not far from losing his finger. "I apologize for that Sengoku Iori. The demon slayers are rather passionate about bringing this war to a close, but you are right. I do not expect you to give up your heritages for free, the demon slayer corps offers any and all resources at our disposal in exchange for this. I understand you don't have use for the martial arts employed here but money, manpower, intelligence, and weapons, these are but some of the things that we can give generously. I also understand Kurogane Jinsuke and the newly turned demon Zoldyck Gakushu are major enemies for you, who grow stronger by the day. Being demons, they are also our enemies as well. We would spare no expense to defeat them." Ubayashiki explained.

"That's an interesting proposition you have…" Karma said while he was thinking. In all honesty he agreed with Iori for the most part but he and Nagisa weren't going to rid the world of demons, much less defeat Gakushu. He knew all of their clan secrets as well and had the power of a demon, it was now an uphill battle for sure. Adding demon slayer arts to his repertoire sounded more appealing than Iori made it out to be.

"Before you make a choice Karma, there was one more thing," Iori said. "Your master said it was time for your awakening as well."

"I don't have a-" before he finished the sentence Iori tapped him on the forehead with a single finger that was giving off a faint blueish glow. As soon as he did parts of Karma's past that he had no recollection of came flooding back. Karma sat there in a daze for a moment "…master. At least I thought I didn't."

"What's wrong Karma?" Nagisa asked not knowing what Iori just did.

"I remember," Karma answered still processing new information.

"Remember what?" Nagisa asked again.

"Everything…I know what" Karma said looking to Nagisa who gave an approving nod. Whatever he remembered strengthened his resolve as he clenched his fists. "I don't need a master, but I'll take you up on that offer Ubayashiki. I need resources and power fast. You guys have the most experience with slaying demons, so teach me what you know. Nen is all I have to give, so if you can help me reach my goals, I don't mind sharing either…(especially since demons will be using it before too much longer. Gakushu if we're joining in this war, know that I'm fighting to win.)"

"Understood all of the Hashira May our labors bare plentiful results." Ubayashiki said having reached an agreement with Karma. He looked to see if Iori had a change of heart, but he looked indifferent to Karma's words.

"Oh, don't look at me. My stance is still the same. If we're being honest, the Ogame Ryu is no longer mine to give. You'll have to ask Jin if he wants to teach you. However, I can offer you Hashira a few pointers for on your swordsmanship."

"That sounds like you want an excuse to fight us…" The last Hashira to speak, the Mist Hashira Tokito Muichiro, pointed out with a blank expression. The youngster couldn't have been more than a year older than Nagisa but he sat comfortably enough to have been spacing out for this whole discussion. His uniform looked a little too big and was allowed to flow freely without the wraps around his arms and legs or a haori. His black haired hair faded to a pale mint green color at the bottom near his lower back.

Iori's smirked turned into a sadistic grin, "but of course. A swordsman should salivate at the chance to test his steel against a greater foe."