[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 5): You can earn lots of points by completing tasks.]
[Rias Gremory (Level 2, Stage 9): I've seen that in the chat group introduction. But do the tasks give a lot of points?]
[Arifureta (Level 4, Stage 2/Group Leader): The task rewards aren't much by themselves, but tasks usually involve systems or the chat group. Both are extremely valuable.]
[Rias Gremory (Level 2, Stage 9): I see. Thanks for explaining.]
Rias finally understood why they were so generous with points. Although she wasn't sure what "systems" were, she assumed they were similar to the chat group.
As the day of her engagement grew closer, she still didn't know when Eriri would come to visit her world. More than anything, she needed to gain the strength to defy her fate.
After giving Muzan a "sunbath," Kanae quickly returned to the Ubuyashiki estate. The entire process of leaving to kill Muzan hadn't taken long, so the Hashira and Kagaya Ubuyashiki were still gathered, waiting for the final outcome. The last Hashira meeting hadn't been officially dismissed yet.
Beside Kagaya was a woman with white hair, a gentle expression, and a beautiful face. Dressed in a traditional kimono, she was the epitome of a Yamato Nadeshiko.
This woman was Kagaya Ubuyashiki's wife, Amane Ubuyashiki, who hailed from a family of priests. Despite being four years older than Kagaya, she had quietly supported him throughout their marriage, giving birth to four daughters and one son.
As Kanae gently descended from the sky, no one was surprised anymore. Ever since she had mastered flight, word had spread across the Demon Slayer Corps about how she flew over the Butterfly Mansion, causing more of a stir than even her immense strength had.
Several Hashira had even come to the Butterfly Mansion to ask Kanae how to fly. After all, who wouldn't want to soar through the skies? Unfortunately, they left disappointed.
Kanae's ability to fly was instinctual, something even she didn't fully understand, so teaching others was impossible.
As Kanae softly landed, everyone, including Kagaya and Amane, approached her.
"Kanae, how did it go? Has Muzan been destroyed?" Kagaya asked nervously.
Even though he had faith in Kanae's abilities, Muzan's fate would determine humanity's future and the Ubuyashiki family's thousand-year struggle. He couldn't afford to take it lightly.
Kanae looked around at everyone and then smiled.
"Mission accomplished."
With just those four words, the joy and excitement among the group were indescribable.
"I see... It's finally over. After over a thousand years of fighting, it's ended. No more Demon Slayer Corps members will have to die, and our Ubuyashiki family's mission is complete." Kagaya murmured, his expression distant.
His family's thousand-year goal had finally been realized. There was nothing more satisfying than that.
Amane gently held Kagaya's trembling hand, silently standing by his side.
"Haha, what a glorious conclusion! Well done, Kanae." Tengen Uzui, the flamboyant Sound Hashira, laughed, his headscarf adorned with gems shimmering as he spoke.
The other Hashira felt the same. They had existed solely to slay demons, and no one wanted to see the demons eradicated more than they did.
After concluding the final Hashira meeting, Kanae ended the live stream as well.
Streaming was quite the profitable job. In less than an hour, Kanae had earned tens of thousands of points through donations—something she could have never imagined before.
Rias, in particular, was envious. As the member in the group most desperate for points, she was probably already considering starting her own live stream to earn some.
Returning to the Butterfly Mansion, Kanae informed Shinobu and Kanao that Muzan had been slain.
Shinobu was no longer the innocent little girl who knew nothing. She had long since learned from Kanae the truth behind the creation of demons, and thus knew of Muzan, the progenitor of all demons.
Unlike Kanao, who remained as quiet and indifferent as always, Shinobu was deeply emotional. Their parents had been killed by demons, so Shinobu had always harbored hatred toward them.
Now that Muzan, the root of all evil, had been slain by her sister, their parents' deaths had been avenged. Even Shinobu, with her typically stoic and serious demeanor, couldn't help but shed tears of joy.
With demons gone and the Demon Slayer Corps no longer necessary, the Butterfly Mansion, which had served as a medical facility for injured demon slayers, was essentially obsolete.
The members who worked as caregivers would soon disperse, and Kanae, Shinobu, and Kanao would need to find new paths in life.
That night, Kanae opened the chat group's exploration system once again.
She intended to track down the last two remaining demons in the world: Tamayo and Yushiro, whom Tamayo had turned into a demon.
Kanae knew that neither of them posed any threat to humans. They survived on small amounts of human blood, enough to maintain their rationality and strength.
However, as long as demons existed, they were a threat to humanity.
Still, Kanae didn't intend to kill them. After watching the memory images, she had grown to admire Tamayo, a demon who had freed herself from Muzan's curse and dedicated herself to finding a way to turn demons back into humans.
Kanae's goal was to help Tamayo achieve that dream.
Now that Muzan had been slain and the Twelve Kizuki were no more, without samples of their blood, Tamayo would never be able to develop the serum to revert demons back into humans.
But Kanae had foreseen this. When she killed the Twelve Kizuki, she had deliberately collected samples of their blood. Additionally, she had even managed to extract some blood from Muzan himself when she dragged him out for his final "sunbath." All of this was now stored safely in her inventory space.
With these blood samples, Kanae was confident that Tamayo would eventually succeed in developing the serum to turn demons back into humans. When that day came, the world would finally be rid of demons, once and for all.
Using the chat group's powerful exploration function, it didn't take long for Kanae to pinpoint Tamayo's location. What surprised her was that Tamayo wasn't far—just a few kilometers away.
At Kanae's current speed, the distance could be covered in mere moments.
In no time, she arrived at a hidden wall. Kanae's advanced abilities allowed her to easily see through the blood demon art barrier that Tamayo had set up.
She walked through the barrier and found herself in a serene courtyard. The area was vast, with flowers and trees scattered about, glistening under the soft moonlight.
Beyond the courtyard was a large residence, its windows tightly sealed to keep out all sources of light.
Together with the courtyard, Tamayo's current hideout spanned several hundred square meters. It was impressive how Tamayo had used her blood demon art to hide this place in a bustling city, evading both Muzan's gaze and the Demon Slayer Corps.
As soon as Kanae passed through the barrier, Tamayo, who was inside the mansion, sensed her presence. Though she had no knowledge of recent events, the fact that someone had breached her blood demon art immediately alarmed her.
To detect and break through her barrier, the intruder had to be incredibly strong—there was no other explanation. Tamayo had avoided detection for centuries, so this was no small matter.
"Tamayo-sama, is something troubling you?" Yushiro, who stood guard by her side, noticed her furrowed brow and asked with concern.
Tamayo, who had stopped aging when she was nineteen, had the appearance of a youthful woman, her delicate features always calm and composed. With her long black hair tied into a large, low bun secured with a flower hairpin, and her gentle demeanor, she embodied a timeless beauty.
"Someone has entered the barrier, and they are heading straight for us," Tamayo said, her voice steady but serious.
Yushiro's expression hardened immediately. He loved and revered Tamayo above all else, and nothing infuriated him more than the thought of someone threatening her.
"Tamayo-sama, stay here. I'll go deal with the intruder!" Yushiro declared, ready to defend her at all costs.
However, before he could leave, Tamayo stopped him.
"Wait, Yushiro. The person outside is powerful, far beyond your ability to handle."
"But—"
"There's no point in hiding. It's too late for that. Whoever they are, they already know where we are and have come here with a clear purpose." Tamayo's voice remained calm and soft, despite the situation.
With a gentle sigh, Tamayo made her way toward the mansion's entrance, Yushiro reluctantly following close behind, his fists clenched in anger and determination. If the intruder posed any threat to Tamayo, he would fight to his last breath.
Moments later, they reached the mansion's front door. Just as Tamayo opened it, Kanae arrived at the entrance. Their eyes met.
"Good evening, Lady Tamayo," Kanae greeted her with a soft smile, casually waving her hand. She had expected this meeting, as the chat group's exploration system had given her a clear image of Tamayo and Yushiro's location.
Seeing Kanae in her Demon Slayer Corps uniform and the Nichirin blade at her side, Yushiro immediately became tense. He stepped protectively in front of Tamayo, glaring at Kanae with hostility.
"Oh my, no need to be so defensive," Kanae chuckled, resting a finger on her chin as she tilted her head playfully. "I'm not here to harm you."
Yushiro didn't lower his guard. Though he had only been a demon for about twenty years and didn't prey on humans, his survival instinct was strong, and he knew the Demon Slayer Corps existed to eradicate all demons.
Given the Corps' merciless reputation, Yushiro couldn't afford to let his guard down, especially since they were facing one of its powerful members.
But before he could say anything, Tamayo stepped forward, gently pushing Yushiro aside. She looked Kanae in the eyes.
"Yushiro, it's fine. I believe her. I can sense kindness in her smile."
Tamayo then turned her attention back to Kanae.
"You possess an extraordinary aura. If I'm not mistaken, you must be one of the Hashira, correct? Did you hear of me from the Ubuyashiki family?" Tamayo asked calmly.
It wasn't a strange assumption. Long ago, Tamayo had cooperated with the Ubuyashiki family, and every generation of Demon Slayer Corps leaders knew of her existence.
Kanae smiled. "No, I found out about you through another source. I know that you're different from other demons, and I also know about your research to find a way to turn demons back into humans."
Tamayo's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
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