There was no uneven, rotting flesh, no foul pus.
What met his fingertips was the smooth texture of healthy skin.
The frailty that had always weighed down his body was gone, replaced by a powerful heartbeat, as if dead wood had encountered spring and been reborn.
"Husband!"
Ubuyashiki Amane could no longer hold back her collapsing emotions. She rushed to the tatami, threw her arms around her husband, and burst into tears.
The despair that had shrouded the Ubuyashiki Family for a thousand years, the cruel fate that doomed every head of the family to an early death, had been completely shattered in mere minutes by the man before them.
Kocho Shinobu stood frozen in place.
She had witnessed Rin restore Rengoku Kyojuro's vitality just yesterday, but that had only been the treatment of internal injuries.
What Rin had done now had completely surpassed the realm of human medicine.
Reviving the dead, regrowing flesh from bone.
Breaking a curse said to be divine punishment.
This man truly wielded the power of a god.
"No need to cry so soon."
Rin interrupted their tearful joy.
He looked down at Ubuyashiki Kagaya, who had already sat up, and spoke calmly.
"I've returned your life to you. That plan to perish together with Kibutsuji Muzan using explosives can be discarded."
Kagaya froze, a trace of shock flashing through his eyes.
The fact that he had buried explosives beneath the estate, intending to detonate them when Kibutsuji Muzan arrived, was a closely guarded secret. How did Rin know?
Rin did not explain and continued.
"Now that your eyes can see and your body has recovered, sit properly in your position and push the Demon Slayer Corps' intelligence and logistics network to its limits for me."
"I want you to watch with your own eyes as I drag that coward who has tormented you for a thousand years out of his hiding place and grind him into ashes, piece by piece."
Ubuyashiki Kagaya took a deep breath, suppressing the overwhelming shock in his heart.
He gently pushed Amane aside and got out of bed.
Under the stunned gazes of Amane and Kochou Shinobu, the supreme leader of the Demon Slayer Corps knelt solemnly on both knees before Rin, pressing his forehead against the cold tatami.
It was the most formal gesture of devotion.
"Rin-dono, this kindness is something the Ubuyashiki Family cannot repay in a hundred lifetimes."
Kagaya's voice was no longer weak, but steady and resolute.
"From this day forward, all swordsmen, Kakushi, and swordsmiths of the Demon Slayer Corps will be at your command. I am 100% sure that Muzan will die by your hands, and for that future, I, Ubuyashiki Kagaya is willing to die for you!"
[Ding! Detected that the host has used Yin Release and Yang Release to sever the thousand-year curse of fate afflicting the Ubuyashiki Family!]
[You have completely altered the inevitable death of the Demon Slayer Corps' Master and gained his absolute loyalty, along with supreme command over the Corps!]
[The trajectory of fate has undergone an epic reversal!]
[Congratulations! You have obtained 15,000 dimension points!]
Hearing the crisp system notification in his mind, Rin nodded in satisfaction.
Fifteen thousand points.
A worthwhile trade.
Not only had he gained a large amount of points, but he had also completely brought this massive demon-slaying organization under his control.
From now on, he would no longer need to personally handle intelligence gathering.
"It was my pleasure, Master Kagaya, but this is no time for sentiments. Get up. Make preparations. Convene a Hashira Meeting immediately."
Rin turned and walked toward the door as he gave his orders.
"The Demon Slayer Mark training for all members should be put on the agenda as soon as possible."
...
In the early morning at the Ubuyashiki Estate, a gentle breeze drifted through the corridors, stirring a few withered leaves.
Inside the master bedroom, Ubuyashiki Kagaya gently pushed away Amane's support and stepped onto the tatami with his bare feet.
He took a tentative step forward. There was no unsteadiness, no shortness of breath.
His long, powerful legs supported his body with ease.
For the first time since reaching adulthood, he truly felt what it meant to be "healthy."
"Amane, bring me paper and a brush."
Ubuyashiki Kagaya turned around. His eyes, restored from darkness, shone with a sharpness and decisiveness they had never held before.
He was no longer the frail head of the family who could only direct matters from behind the scenes while dragging along a failing body. At this moment, he truly possessed the strength to lead the Demon Slayer Corps in breaking the thousand-year cycle of fate.
"Immediately issue the highest-level summons to all the Hashira. Within half a day, I want them gathered in the courtyard."
Amane's eyes reddened. She nodded firmly and stepped away to carry out his orders.
Rin leaned casually against the doorframe, watching Kagaya's efficient movements, and spoke in an offhand tone.
"Don't just get carried away. Lay out all the industries and hidden bases Muzan has buried in the shadows, along with every piece of intelligence related to suspected Twelve Kizuki sightings. I only care about results."
"Please rest assured, Rin-dono."
Ubuyashiki Kagaya turned and bowed deeply once more.
"The Ubuyashiki Family will not fail this mission."
…
By noon, sunlight poured into the wide courtyard of the Ubuyashiki Estate.
The Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps arrived one after another, stepping onto the white gravel.
The atmosphere was heavy.
Under normal circumstances, the Master would never issue such an urgent summons unless a Hashira had fallen… or his own body could no longer endure.
The Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa, stood at the front with a deep frown, his hand unconsciously gripping the hilt of his sword.
"Hey, Rengoku."
Sanemi lowered his voice as he looked at the equally solemn Flame Hashira beside him.
"You've been at the Butterfly Mansion these past few days. Did you hear anything? Could Muzan have made a move?"
Rengoku Kyojuro shook his head, his voice steady.
"When I left the Butterfly Mansion, everything was normal. However, the tone of the Kasugai Crow's message this morning was extremely urgent. Something significant must have happened."
Perched on a tree branch, the Serpent Hashira, Obanai Iguro, remained silent, his cold expression unchanged as he gently soothed the white snake coiled around his neck.
The Water Hashira, Giyu Tomioka, the Mist Hashira, Tokito Muichiro, the Love Hashira, Kanroji Mitsuri, and the Stone Hashira, Himejima Gyomei, were all present.
Even the Sound Hashira, Uzui Tengen, had set aside his usual flamboyance and stood properly in line.
"The Master has arrived—"
The familiar announcement sounded from the corridor of the main hall.
All nine Hashira in the courtyard immediately dropped to one knee, lowering their heads in perfect unison.
The wooden door slid open.
A steady, powerful rhythm of footsteps echoed across the wooden floor.
Sanemi, kneeling at the very front, was momentarily stunned.
Something was wrong.
The Master usually needed to be supported by his daughters, his steps slow and unsteady, his breathing heavy.
But today, those footsteps were firm and powerful, like those of a warrior in his prime.
Sanemi instinctively raised his head.
In the next instant, his pupils shrank sharply. It felt as if he had been struck by lightning, his entire body freezing in place.
Not just him. Rengoku Kyojuro, Uzui Tengen, and even the usually expressionless Tokito Muichiro all went rigid the moment they saw the figure standing in the corridor.
That person was indeed Ubuyashiki Kagaya.
But the iconic, horrifying purple-red decay that once marked his forehead was gone.
In its place was a clean, gentle face.
He stood there without any support, upright beneath the sunlight, his clear black eyes calmly gazing at everyone in the courtyard.
"My children, I've kept you waiting."
Ubuyashiki Kagaya spoke with a faint smile. His voice was clear and steady, filled with vitality, without even a trace of the hoarseness that had once plagued him.
Silence.
____
Hi Guys! Thanks for the powerstones! Sry I didn't post yesterday, and I also know I have to upload two bonus chapters. I'll do that as soon as I get some time♥
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