On the journey to the hegemony

"Demon Slayer Mark?!" 

After they left Isao's room, Kagaya brought all of them to another room and explained why they had to invite Isao. 

Naturally, all of them were dumbfounded by Kagaya's answer. 

"So... that isn't a tattoo?" 

The stigma that came from tattoos was still so bad since those who had them were either those who were at the bottom of society or criminals. 

While they had to admit that Isao's tattoo was so handsome, especially when it appeared on his neck, they still looked down on him for modifying the body that was given by his parents. 

Yet, unexpectedly, the red spider lily on his neck, which they thought was a tattoo, wasn't a tattoo but a Demon Slayer Mark! 

However, even if they were all Hashira, those who stood above all the Demon Slayer Corps, they didn't know what the Demon Slayer Mark was, but when they heard Kagaya's explanation, they were dumbfounded. 

"During the Sengoku era, there were some swordsmen of the first breath who were one step away from ending Kibutsuji Muzan. They all had marks that resembled the demon crests." 

"—?!" 

"Then, that red spider lily's mark on his neck is...?" 

"Yes." Kagaya nodded. "Even if my vision might have deteriorated, I am not sure that Iinuma-kun possesses the Demon Slayer Mark." He even confirmed when, according to Kanae, the red spider lily mark on his neck appeared after he mastered Flower Breathing. "This knowledge has passed down thought, so some people should know about this." 

"But why haven't we heard it? So why are we hiding this information?" 

All the Hashira were confused since instead of them, a stranger they didn't know mastered such a mark, which made them speechless and also annoyed by their powerlessness. 

"Because a lot of people brooding over the marks never appear, and that's why a lot of information about marks becomes hazy with time. Maybe because it was never laid out on the stone back then, the Demon Slayer Corps was also on the verge of annihilation countless times, so perhaps the succession died out at some point.

"But we do have one piece of consistent knowledge about them: "Once one person has a mark on them, it starts to spread to others, as if they are resonating." That was how one of the swordsmen of the first breath put it. As of now, the first person who had that mark wasn't any Hashiras here, but Isao Iinuma-kun." 

When Kagaya finished his story, everyone fell into silence. 

"Why...? Why did he refuse to join the Demon Slayer Corps when he had so much power?!" 

All of them had a sad background, and most of them also had their future ruined due to the demons, so the flame of hatred in their hearts toward the demons would never be extinguished. 

At the same time, they also didn't understand how someone who could master such a lost technique was such a coward. 

They didn't understand this, and they never tried to understand him, especially when all of them were selfless people. Dying to protect others was their purpose in life. For someone who was selfish, like Isao, they couldn't understand his thoughts at all! 

Yet, Kagaya understood Isao since even if he was frail, he was smarter than most, especially when education didn't exist for everyone. In this era, if they wanted to gain knowledge, they could get it from their parents if they were lucky or beg others like beggars. 

Due to this fact, the members of the Demon Slayer Corps were very grateful to Kagaya, treating him as if he were their parent, so the thought of Isao, who rejected Kagaya's invitation, annoyed them once again. 

Nevertheless, even if Kagaya didn't say anything, they knew that due to their rash attitude, their chance to learn how to gain the Demon Slayer Mark disappeared. 

"Oyakata-sama, what are you planning to do now?" 

"I will still plan to invite him." Kagaya believed that the existence of Isao was necessary. Yes, Isao's personality might not be suitable for the Demon Slayer Corps, but Isao's power was necessary. Moreover, he also had to admit that if he lost Isao in the battle, his heart wouldn't be as painful as others. 

If there was something that Kagaya had to do, he had to attract Isao's attention so he could make him part of the Demon Slayer Corps, but then, how? 

Money, women, or fame? 

Fame might be hard since the existence of the Demon Slayer Corps wasn't something that could be announced to the world, but whether it was money or a woman, it was something easy for Kagaya. 

So, while his health was still better, Kagaya wouldn't give up on getting Isao no matter what. 

Yet, Kagaya's answer made them uncomfortable since they thought that their importance wasn't as good as Isao, who wasn't even part of the Demon Slayer Corps. Yes, Isao might have defeated the Upper-Rank Second, Doma, but even so, they had defeated so many demons and also saved so many people! 

Why should their position be lower than Isao's? 

However, the thought of hating Kagaya never crossed their minds. Instead, they felt even more annoyed at Isao, thinking that Isao wasn't worthy of Kagaya's attention. 

If Isao could be as innocent as the Shounen manga protagonist, give his everything to save people, even at the cost of his life, and let himself be manipulated by the higher-ups, then there was no doubt all the Demon Slayer Corps would treat him as their trusted partner and someone with whom they could entrust their lives. 

Yet, even if Isao had decided to become a good guy, it was impossible for him to act like that. He had his own temper, and the fact that he didn't manipulate them like a mindless doll with his ability was already the greatest act of mercy. 

Still, with that conversation, they finished their meetings, but many of the Hashira had their own thoughts regarding Isao, especially many of them wished to fight Isao to see whether his skill was worthy of Kagaya's attention or not!

Kagaya noticed this, but he didn't stop them. Instead, he wished for them to do that so that he could see how powerful Isao was. 

Isao might be powerful, but Kagaya still wanted to see with his own eyes the difference between Isao and the others. 

If Isao was so powerful, then Kagaya was going to invite him no matter what. 

However, if not, then it would be good news for everyone since if they could defeat Isao, then that meant the demon was weak, and they had a chance to defeat the demon! 

"Amane." 

Still, Kagaya thought he should prepare a backup plan in case he failed. 

"Yes." 

Amane Ubuyashiki, who had been staying by her husband's side, talked for the first time. 

"Try to invite him no matter what the method is." 

"Yes." 

To defeat Muzan and eradicate all the demons in this world. 

This was the obsession of the Ubuyashiki family and the Demon Slayer Corps, and to do that, they were ready to do anything. 

Meanwhile, Isao wasn't sure what everyone was planning to do, and he didn't even plan to eavesdrop on them since it was a waste of their time. However, even if he knew nothing, he could tell that tomorrow, when he was going to leave, he would encounter a troublesome situation. Yet, it didn't matter since this was what he wished for. 

Conflict has always been the fastest way for one to grow. 

Isao didn't hate conflict and loved it much since it gave him a chance to give those brainless idiots a chance to grow their brains. 

As a kind and gentle person, it was his duty to teach them so that next time, they wouldn't die. 

Still, he had to say, living during the Taisho period gave him a unique feeling, and while the thought of getting stronger by replicating and absorbing the DNA of Demon Slayer Corps and demons excited him, the thought of dominating this world was even more interesting. 

Isao felt like he was playing a game, building something small, then becoming a hegemony that controlled the entire universe, but before that, he was going to sleep, resting like a baby, so it would give him the power to work for his ambition. 

Only when he was about to rest, ready to prepare for his first steps on his journey to dominance, was the door of his room knocked. 

"Who?" 

The sliding door was opened slowly, and Kanae poked her head inside with a shy smile. 

"Have you fallen asleep yet, Isao-kun?" 

A wild Kanae appeared in front of his room tonight.