Chapter 173: Brutal Truth

Words : 1105 Updated : Oct 9th, 2025

Chapter 173: Brutal Truth The day gradually brightened. As the sun rose from the horizon, what had been a nightmarish night for the residents of the town finally came to an end. At this moment, the members of the Kakushi were running back and forth in the town, sometimes cleaning up the aftermath, sometimes aiding the wounded, making the entire town seem unusually bustling. However, at this point, the town had truly become a disaster area. Everywhere were either collapsed houses or debris strewn about, and even pools of blood staining the ground, glaringly visible under the sun. In such circumstances, many Kasugai Crows continued to fly back and forth in the sky, sometimes flying out of the town and then returning, seemingly contacting relevant personnel and sending out intelligence. With such a major event unfolding, every member of the Demon Slayer Corps who was out on mission naturally hurried back, especially the Hashira. One by one, they all returned. "Master!" "Master! Are you okay?" "It's such a relief that you're okay." All the Hashira gathered in a clean, temporary house, kneeling before Kagaya, who sat at the head of the room on a tatami mat. Each Hashira entered with a deep sense of concern on their faces, including the previously silent Giyuu and the expressionless Muichirou. It wasn't until they saw Kagaya safe and sound that a sense of relief washed over their faces. "It's good to see you all back." Supported by his wife and children, Kagaya spoke, looking at the row of kneeling Hashira, his face wearing its usual gentle expression. However, amidst the relief, the Hashira also began to voice their concerns. "I mean, Rengoku, what happened?" Sanemi was the first to question Kyoujurou, who knelt beside Kagaya. "Why was Master still under threat with you around?" "You've failed as Master's bodyguard." Obanai said coldly. "You were clearly by Master's side, yet you appeared like this, causing him unnecessary distress. It's so unsightly." At this moment, Kyoujurou did indeed look unsightly, his entire body wrapped in bandages, his clothes stained with blood, turning this once heroic and carefree man into a pitiful sight. "I have no excuses." Kyoujurou lowered his head, closing his eyes, showing no intention of offering any rebuttal. In this era, swordsmen still held true to the samurai code. Swearing allegiance to Kagaya as master meant that being an ineffective bodyguard was a dereliction of duty, a crime. For Kyoujurou to be held accountable by the Hashira was not uncommon in this era. Even Tengen said as much. "If you were a ninja, this would've been a seppuku moment." Tengen chimed in as he crossed his arms. "Need me to do it for you? Though it won't be pretty." Facing his rather blunt remark, the other Hashira each reacted in turn. "I... don't have any objections." Every Hashira spoke up one by one, including Kyoujurou, without exception, indicating Kagaya's revered and high status in everyone's eyes. Kagaya was well aware of this, observing the Hashira with increasingly gentle gazes, yet he had no intention of changing his mind. "Let's not dwell on my security issue anymore. Since our headquarters have been exposed, we need to relocate to a safer place as soon as possible." Kagaya said, turning to Kyoujurou. "Are the people in the town all arranged?" Kyoujurou lowered his head at the question and gave his report. "Someone from the Kakushi just reported that all the wounded have been taken care of, and the unfortunate casualties have been counted. Thankfully, the casualties aren't severe." While the Upper Ranks attacked their respective targets, Gyokko summoned aquatic creatures from his vases to also assault the town. Neither fully human nor demon, these creatures proved powerful, as ordinary Demon Slayers struggled against them. Fortunately, this town was the headquarters of the Demon Slayer Corps, with stationed Demon Slayers, including some higher-ranked ones. Dealing with a group of aquatic creatures summoned as lower-level combatants wasn't much of a problem. As a result, while there were casualties, they weren't particularly serious. Moreover, after Gyokko was beheaded by Riezel, his summoned aquatic creatures disappeared along with him, avoiding further trouble. "The civilians who are safe and sound have been provided with an evacuation route, with the Kakushi offering full assistance. Only Kochou, due to her severe injuries, has not only partially paralyzed the Butterfly Mansion but may also be unable to get out of bed for a while." Kyoujurou reported everything clearly. Except for Shinobu, every Hashira was currently present in this room. Since her injuries were too severe, as soon as the battle ended, she lost consciousness and hadn't woken up since. "Even Shinobu went down?" Mitsuri's expression darkened. Knowing this, the other Hashira fell silent, some even clenched their fists. Since the sudden attack last night had already been relayed to all the Hashira by Kasugai Crows, it was clear that they knew the grim outcome Kyoujurou and Shinobu faced against three Upper Ranks the moment they heard the news. Kyoujurou faced the Upper Four alone, getting completely overwhelmed, sent flying, and if not for falling into the Ubuyashiki Estate, he might have been killed by the Upper Four. Shinobu was even worse off, heavily injured by the Upper Six, nearly losing her life. If it weren't for Daki's fondness for beautiful women and her habit of keeping them as reserve food, Shinobu might have been eaten the moment she fell, rather than being brought to the Ubuyashiki Estate by Daki. Fortunately, although three Upper Ranks attacked together, whether it was Kyoujurou or Shinobu, each only faced a single Upper Rank without being ganged up. Despite this, both of them still suffered devastating defeats. "Are these Upper Ranks really that powerful?" Tengen unintentionally muttered what all the Hashira were thinking at the moment. "Very powerful..." Kyoujurou said, his tone unusually somber. "Even the weakest of them could easily overpower a Hashira. Most of us probably wouldn't stand a chance in a one-on-one fight against an Upper Rank." Such a brutal truth shattered the pride of many Hashira. "What about that guy?" Sanemi questioned with a vicious glare. "Where's the guy who supposedly took down three Upper Ranks with one attack?" Upon hearing this, the other Hashira snapped back to attention, all eyes on Kyoujurou. At the mention of the so-called 'guy' from Sanemi's mouth, Kyoujurou's heavy expression softened a bit. "He's with Kochou... He said he has a way to help her recover quickly."

Chapter 173: Brutal Truth

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