***
In one of the many mansions made for the Ubuyashiki family, Ubuyashiki Kagaya was sitting in the room whose doors were open to let him see the garden outside.
He and his family had moved here right after the last Pillar meeting which Yuu attended.
"Kagaya-sama please sleep, it isn't good for your health to stay awake so late," Amane who was sitting near a neatly laid out futon spoke.
Given Kagaya's condition staying awake this late was surely putting a strain on his body, but…
"I'm sorry for worrying you Amane, but I have to see this night through no matter what," Kagaya looked back at his wife and spoke in a soft tone.
'I have sent Kanae into a dangerous situation while knowing that it might be a trap, so unless I hear about it…' Kagaya clenched his hands tightly as…
"Then I shall keep you company," Amane sat down near Kagaya and placed her hands on his in order to calm him down.
She knew that he was feeling guilty, he had always felt so when he heard about the young demon slayers that passed away fighting the demons while he himself wasn't able to do anything.
"I couldn't ask for anything better," Kagaya smiled slightly at Amane and the two waited for the news to arrive.
And soon it did…
"CAW* CAW* Kocho Kanae and Tachibana Yuu have defeated the Upper Moon Six, CAW* CAW*" A crow flew into the courtyard and started to shout at the top of his lungs. It repeated the news a few times but…
"They did it!!" Kagaya jumped to his feet the first time he heard it, but because of his frail body and the fact that he hadn't slept for the night, his body stumbled and he was about to fall down but…
"Kagaya-sama please be careful," Amane caught him and sat him down again, her former straight face was full of worry as she looked at Kagaya but he wasn't calming down.
"After so long, Finally ….finally things have changed!" And it was normal that he was that excited, it has been a long time since an upper moon was slain.
For over a hundred years, the Demon Slayer Corps has lost many pillars to the Demons, but they haven't been able to deal the same damage in return.
'It was the correct decision to let him go,' Kagaya thought of Yuu, the young man was suspicious but he was capable, no he was more than capable as he had shown his ability firsthand.
This is why Kagaya went through the trouble to change the location of the headquarters after Yuu visited because even if Yuu's eyes and ears were covered, it felt he could still find them if he wanted to.
That was the type of image Yuu had instilled into the minds of everyone present in that meeting.
'I need to wait for Tengen's report,' Kagaya thought as he was laid down on the futon by Amane since he was breathing heavily.
And it wasn't Kagaya alone who got the message about the defeat of the Upper Moon Demon.
All of the Pillars got the message and when the entire Japan was asleep. The atmosphere in the Demon Slayer corps was the total opposite. It has been so long since an upset like this occurred.
Not to mention that Demon Slayers weren't the only ones who got this news.
"Ah, I've been summoned to the Infinity Fortress~?" Doma exhibited a shocked expression as he appeared inside an ever-changing building.
The floor moved, the door slide across the walls and the ceiling rotated, the room was never the same as it kept spinning around with the ceiling and floor changing their position, not to mention that I could see similar rooms through the doors when they opened and closed but it was a different room every time, the same was true for the room beyond the first room.
It was almost like the whole structure was alive as Doma was carried by the floor to the place where he needed to be.
"Oh! Akaza-dono! I am very happy to see that you are ali-!" Doma who was going to greet Akaza the Upper Moon Three had his jaw punched off clean.
"Don't come near me," It was clear that Akaza did not like Doma at all.
"Enough prattling around you all, I see that all of you have gathered," But things couldn't go any further as they heard a strong voice coming from above which caused all of them to kneel.
Who else was there? Upper Moon One Kokushibo, Upper Moon Four Hantengu, and Upper Moon Five Gyokko.
And the one they were kneeling to, was the progenitor of all demons as well as their Master, Kibutsuji Muzan.
"I am very happy to see you in good health Muzan-sama," Doma spoke cheerfully with a big smile while…
"Gyutaro is dead," Muzan didn't even bother with him and got to the heart of the topic.
"Oh! So it was Gyutaro? I am deeply ashamed Muzan-sama since I was the one who introduced him, I'll take responsibility should I commit seppuku? But that won't kill me, should I do it a few hundred times?" Doma kept going on and on until.
"I don't need you to do that, Gyutaro met his match and he lost, his own nature was his downfall which was exploited that is all," Then Muzan narrowed his eyes again and looked at Doma, "It is also you're fault since you couldn't kill that human when you had the chance."
'Wait? Doma knows the one who killed Upper Six?' Akaza thought as he processed the information while…
"Ohhh! So it was him!! I never thought I would hear something about him," Doma seemed exhilarated, he was too happy to hear about Yuu.
"Why did you let him go last time? Are you that useless?" Muzan didn't seem to match Doma's energy on this topic.
"No No! Muzan-sama you have to understand that the poison that guy used was too good I really couldn't move, not to mention that weird trap he used, my upper body was gone with many burns alongside it, It was too good, I was seriously blown away~," Doma was getting more and more excited as he talked about it.
'Poison? Traps?' And Akaza on the other seemed enraged just at the mention of these things.
"I do not care about your thoughts, because of your stupidity you let him get away and that lead to him hunting down another upper moon, The demon slayers are going to increase their activity thanks to this, Why have you failed to destroy it till now?" Muzan looked at Doma sending a wave of pressure that destroyed his surroundings while also breaking his legs. But his warning was issued to all of the demons.
"EEK!" Doma still had the same smile on his face but Hantengu was the one who screamed in fear.
"I have …no excuses," Kokushibo said since locating the demon slayer's headquarters was as tough as finding the Ubuyashiki Family. They were completely hidden with careful planning and it was hard to locate them.
"That is why, I am giving you all this last chance, hunt down this slayer and end the Ubuyashiki bloodline, If you fail to complete this task," Muzan looked at the five demons before continuing, "Then I have no use for you all."
And with that Muzan left them there.
"Ah, That was so scary, I couldn't even move because of fear~," Even though Doma said that everyone could tell that he didn't take that seriously because of his carefree look.
"Doma tell me about this person Muzan-sama spoke of," But Akaza did not care about it at all and talked straight about the topic.
"Ah, Akaza-dono is talking to me? This is a really joyous occasion," Doma was really happy if one had to go by the look on his face.
"Cut the bullshit and tell me about this person," But Akaza was not in the mood for this farce.
From the time he had heard that this person used poison and traps his mind has been set.
'I'll kill him, No I'll destroy him!' Akaza did not know why but this urge was bubbling inside him like a fire that was only getting bigger with time without any signs of slowing down.
"Umm, Akaza-dono I may respect you but this man is my prey, I want to savor all he has to offer nicely so I will not be telling you about him,"