Hope

[3rd POV]

"Is what you are saying true?"

Ubuyashiki moved his body forward to hear the Kasugai crow better. A small trail of blood flowed from his lips due to the sudden increase in his heartbeat and because of the way his body tensed.

"Kanae Kocho encountered an Upper Moon during one of her missions, she was nearly killed but the Hashira Seiji Shigan immediately came to her rescue. In the following battle, Seiji Shigan emerged victorious and successfully slew the Upper Moon 2,"

"Is that so.." Ubuyashiki's face split into a rare smile of unbridled joy. "Is that really what happened,"

The relief and the myriads of emotions going through his heart couldn't be expressed in words, but Ubuyashiki felt more alive than he ever did in a decade. After all, this was proof that they were on the right path to ending this war, it was also an assurance that all the work his clan had done was not a waste.

"For 110 years, the Upper Moons have remained unchanged. They stood as an absolute evil that could not be brought down. But all of that changed today," he said before he started coughing out blood due to the excitement. His wife immediately came to his side to support him.

"Amane, can you feel it? The war had taken a new turn. It is the start of a new era where the demons would not only be the hunter but also the hunted," Ubuyashiki expressed his feelings.

"Thank you, Seiji, thank you Kanae,"

...

"Send all of the Kasugai crows out, spread the news to every Demon Slayer fighting for humanity. Tell them that their sacrifices were not meaningless, tell them that we are not simply surviving against the demons anymore,"

"Go forth at once, tell them we are fighting back. Muzan Kibutsuji will be killed in our generation,"

All of the crows who were in the Demon Slayer Headquarters took flight, guided by the Ubuyashiki's crow. Their sheer number cast a show in the morning sky.

They flew fast and carried good news. Their numbers spread across all of Japan, to every samurai working as a Demon Slayer.

"Go on," Ubuyashiki looked out from the Veranda and at the rising sun.

"Give them hope,"

...

/////////////////

That day, all of the crows went to their assigned Demon Slayer, telling them how the Upper Moon 2, a being that was thought to be unkillable, was cut down by a pillar.

The other Hashiras who got the news smiled at the feat achieved by the strongest amongst them. The news had lit up a fire in their heart.

A chain of oppression and despair that had been unbroken for over a century was finally broken. That inspired them to work harder than ever before.

They were already at the pinnacle of strength but they started training again, following the example of the strongest.

They didn't want to be left behind.

But the effects of the news was even more impactful to the average Demon Slayers. They fell to their knees, crying tears of joy upon hearing that an Upper Moon was killed.

All this time, they thought they were fighting an impossible war. Everyone knew that the Upper Moon Six and the Demon Lord were completely untouchable. The best they could do was survive and protect the innocents from the lower rank demons.

But the news broke their perspective. They had a chance, to not only survive but to win.

That gave them purpose once more, a reason to keep fighting, a reason to keep on being strong. They now knew that their pillars were capable of fighting against even the demons who worked directly under the Demon Lord.

The impossible was proven to be possible.

It was a victory in a constant losing war that stretched since the death of Yoriichi.

"Hashira, thank you," Satsuki and many other Demon Slayers said in their mind. They all took their swords out in the morning when there was no enemy to fight.

A sword was not only a weapon to a Samurai, It was also a symbol of their pride and honour. Some even went as far as saying that the sword was a part of them, a part of their very soul.

On that auspicious morning, they sharpened their nichrin sword and cleaned them under the sun. A traditional behaviour, of a samurai who just won battle.

To all of them, Seiji Shigan was the pillar of hope.

..

..

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[3rd POV]

In a dimension of infinite castle, a meeting was called after 110 years. All of the Upper Moon who were still alive were gathered by the Demon Lord.

"We have all been summoned here, that could only mean..." Akaza said and then his eyes suddenly went wide in realisation.

"An Upper Moon was killed,"

He looked around at the dimension. He was standing on top of a moving platform while many buildings folded and shifted like clockwork around him. They moved in a chaotic pattern with perfect order, making houses and creating castles before tearing them down again, piece by piece.

Like a continuous puzzle, solved and then unsolved.

"Upper Moon six, here," suddenly, Akaza heard a voice from behind him. Upper Moon six, Daki stood on top of a different platform that soon joined with his to form a bigger platform.

Akaza almost sneered because the woman was too weak to call herself that. But the other demon - her brother Gyotaro - who laid dormant in her shadow made him stop.

Her brother was only slightly weaker than Akaza. If not for her, he should be Upper Moon 4.

"Upper Moon five, here," said a pot that suddenly appeared beside Akaza. From said pot, a demon slowly came out like a genie in a lamp.

The demon had baby arms, mouths for eyes and a single eye instead of a mouth. He was an abomination, a grotesque construct of flesh and soul.

Akaza glanced at the demon briefly before looking in another direction where an old demon was crying and shivering on a staircase.

"U-Upper Moon Four, here," the demon managed to form the sentence before he started cowering in fear again under Akaza's glare.

"Upper Moon Three, here," he said afterwards.

And then, silence.

The only sound was the folding of constructs, buildings and the moving of space. The world around them was like a kaleidoscope of buildings that was constantly moving, creating and destroying rooms.

The longer the silence went, the bigger the feeling of foreboding in their heart.

'It couldn't be?' Akaza thought to himself, his eyes turned red and his fist clenched.

"Upper Moon One, here,"a voice suddenly echoed in the dimension. The source of the sound was not seen but his presence was felt with his words.

That was all the confirmation needed.

Upper Moon 2, Doma was killed.

'That bastard, that bastard!! How dare he die before I killed him,' Akaza gritted his teeth and his fingers drew blood due to clenching too hard.

{I guess you now know, which one amongst you was the failure,} A voice suddenly said and with the sound came immense pressure that made them all kneel.

{I don't even know why I bother keeping you around.}

The pressure of unadulterated power and the killing intent of the vilest creature in the world fell upon their shoulders. Even Akaza himself started sweating under such pressure.

{You have failed to kill the Ubuyashiki family, you have failed to find my flower, you failed to weaken the Demon Slayer Corp and now, the second strongest amongst you died at the hands of a mere human.}

The wood cracked under the pressure and Muzan slammed his hands on a table. As every demon had a part of his blood, they could feel his boiling rage.

{Why should I keep you alive when all you prove to be are disappointments? You all are absolutely worthless.}

....

{I'd like to advice you all to move with a sense of urgency because my rage nearly reached its boiling point. Destroy the Demon Slayer Corp and start hunting this human who killed Doma.} Muzan said.

{Seiji Shigan. He has grown rapidly in power and is becoming a genuine threat among the Demon Slayers. I want his head.}

..

And suddenly, the pressure was lifted from them. All the killing intent was withdrawn and you could not even feel malice from the Demon Lord anymore.

"Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes my lord," all of them answered in unison.

With the sound of a single strum, Muzan disappeared, leaving all the Upper Moon by themselves and discussing on their own.

"Lord Muzan is magnificent as always. All that malice, all that bloodlust, how wonderful!!" Upper Moon 5, Gyokko said with a giant blush on his grotesque face.

Daki followed soon after. She fell on her knees completely and started touching her breasts and crotch. She was so aroused by what happened, she could hardly hold herself back.

On the other hand, the Upper Moon 4, Hangtengu was crying pools lo tears. He mumbled apology after apology while grovelling on the ground.

Looking around at his fellow Upper Moon, Akaza felt like vomiting. Their character and behaviour were completely revolting to him. How they were able to rise the ranks, he did not know.

...

But then, another sound befell his ears. It was not Muzan's voice but held the same weight.

"Akaza,"

As a warrior of the highest degree, Akaza could feel the strength of Kokushibo in his voice. Upper Moon 1 usually completely erased his presence but when he appeared, the weight of his presence could not be ignored.

"Do you think you can kill this human?"

Akaza gritted his teeth and veins popped all over his body. He stared right in the direction where the voice was coming from and he saw Kokushibo sitting in another section of the infinity castle.

He was insulted.

Of course, he could kill a mere human!!

"Are you questioning my strength?" Akaza spat out in barely hidden rage.

"..."

"It is as you say," Kokushibo admitted, adding fuel to Akaza's anger.

"I was just thinking of how if you prove to be incapable...."

"I'll have to do it myself,"

Six eyes opened after years of being closed and laying dormant. A being no weaker than Muzan himself was thinking about fighting once more.

"Don't worry, I will kill him," Akaza said, "And I will kill you too."

Right after, Akaza took a giant leap and went away from the place. He felt that if he had stayed a second longer, he wouldn't be able to hold himself back anymore.

..

..

[IMAGE]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author : That's two chapter already but 700 stones today will get you extra chapter again.

Join my patreon to support me and read two weeks worth of chapters ahead!!

Patreon : Emmanuel_Capricorn

Thanks for reading!!