"Tanjiro, are you alright?" Tomioka Giyu asked in his calm demeanor. Seeing Ryou and the demon's ashes, he understood the Lower Moon had been defeated.
Ryou, meanwhile, was distracted for a second by the system's sudden reward for slaying a Lower Moon Demon.
'Demon Points +5'
[~ Killed a Lower Moon
Reward: Transparent World (Non-Upgradable) ~]
'I'll check it out later,' he thought, closing the system panel. With that, he turned to face Giyu and Tanjiro.
Tanjiro was huddled protectively with his sister. Ryou's eyes narrowed as he looked at Nezuko. A sudden idea came to him and with a hint of mischief gleaming in his eyes, he thought, 'Let's play a Villain card.'
"Is that girl a demon? She doesn't look like one. I didn't even notice her!" Ryou commented, his Nichirin sword slashing through the air menacingly.
Giyu stood between Tanjiro and Ryou in a protective stance, his hand on the Nichirin blade.
"Oh my, Giyu, are you protecting a demon?" Ryou chuckled. Tomioka remained silent.
"Boy," Ryou shifted his gaze to Tanjiro. "That girl you are protecting is a demon. Please move away! Since you fought the Lower Moon commendably, I won't make this hard for you."
"Please, she maybe a demon, but she's my kid sister. She hasn't hurt any human beings," Tanjiro pleaded, hugging Nezuko tightly.
"Oh, I understand. I will make sure she's beheaded in a single slash. She won't feel any pain," Ryou replied, his tone deadly serious.
"What?" Tanjiro's face went pale.
"Can you move?" Giyu asked calmly. "Make yourself move, even if you can't. Take your sister and run."
"Tomioka-san," Tanjiro muttered, "Thank you very much!"
Tanjiro escaped with Nezuko, disappearing into the forest within moments.
"What are you doing, Giyu? You're aiding a demon; this is against the corps' rules!" Ryou spoke, his voice filled with feigned anger. He slashed at Giyu with his Nichirin sword, which he countered with a strike of his own.
'Clash!'
The powerful collision between the Hashira sent a shockwave that toppled nearby trees, turning them into logs.
Giyu retreated, his feet skidding against the ground. The force behind Ryou's strike sent powerful vibrations through his sword and into his hand, causing a slight twinge of pain.
Ryou didn't attack again, he asked, "What do you see in them, Giyu? You seem willing to go to great lengths to protect that boy and his sister."
Giyu's grip on his sword tightened. "They are not enemies. She hasn't harmed any humans. She is different. I sent a letter to Kagaya-sama, there will be a reply soon!"
"Is that so?" With that, Ryou sheathed his sword and nodded at Giyu. "I trust your judgment, Giyu!"
Giyu relaxed slightly, while somewhat surprised in his heart. He knew Ryou to some extent, having gone on missions with him four times. Ryou's playful character often masked his true thoughts, making it hard to predict what he was thinking.
As for his strength, He's the strongest figure within the Demon Slayer Corps as even the Stone Hashira isn't his match.
The Stone Hashira Gyomei had once remarked, "Ryou's strength could rival that of the Upper Moon demons."
As these thoughts ran through his mind, he looked at Ryou and uttered, "Thank you,"
At that moment, a soft voice interrupted them. "What are you two doing here? Is the demon taken care of?" Shinobu descended gracefully from the sky, her haori billowing as she landed lightly on her feet.
"Yes. It was Lower Moon Five," Ryou replied.
Shinobu pouted. "Why did you kill it so quickly, Ryou? I was looking forward to fighting the Lower Moon."
Ryou shrugged, "It's just another demon, dead with a slash. Considering your strength, it wouldn't pose much of a challenge. If you want, I can take you to play with an Upper Moon."
"Tsk. You're bragging again," Shinobu retorted, rolling her eyes.
Suddenly, a loud caw came from overhead, and Ryou's Kasugai crow delivered a message.
"Message! Message! Caw! Message from Headquarters! Tanjiro and Nezuko are to be taken into custody and brought back to headquarters.
Tanjiro is a boy with a scar on his forehead and a checkered haori. Nezuko is a demon girl wearing a bamboo muzzle.
Bring them back! Bring them back!"
Kasugai crows echoed the message from Headquarters throughout Mount Natagumo.
With that, the battle at Mount Natagumo came to an end. Ryou, Giyu, and Shinobu regrouped with the rest of the Kakushi, who took care of the aftermath.
The surviving Demon Slayers were tended to and sent to the Butterfly Mansion, while the fallen were prepared for respectful funerals. Tanjiro and Nezuko were taken into custody and transported to Headquarters.
"Let's head back," Ryou said, "We have a meeting to attend!"
--
The group made their way to Ubuyashiki Headquarters, where the Hashira were to assemble for an important meeting. The journey was relatively quiet, with Tanjiro and Nezuko being carried by the Kakushi, under the watchful eyes of Ryou and Giyu.
By the following morning, they arrived at the Ubuyashiki mansion. The other Hashira were already gathered in a grand open-air courtyard, surrounded by lush gardens.
Including him and Giyu, there were ten Hashira present: the Serpent Hashira, Obanai Iguro; the Love Hashira, Mitsuri Kanroji; the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku; the Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa; the Stone Hashira, Gyomei Himejima; the Mist Hashira; the Sound Hashira; and the Flower Hashira, Kanae Kocho.
"Oh, Ryou, you're here! Is that the boy traveling with the demon?" Rengoku asked, looking curiously at Tanjiro.
"Yes. Has Kagaya-sama arrived yet?" Ryou inquired.
"No, but he will be here soon," Rengoku replied with a bright complexion.
After greeting every Hashira, Ryou approached Kanae, his usual charm in full display. "With each passing year, you are becoming more beautiful, Kanae."
Hearing his words, Mitsuri, standing next to Kanae, turned red and laughed softly. She thought in her heart, 'Ryou-san is flirting with Kanae-san so openly. How romantic and Bold!'
As for the other Hashira, they were used to Ryou's playful pursuit of Kanae with sweet words.
Accustomed to his flowery words, Kanae rolled her eyes and shifted the topic. "How's Shinobu?"
"She's doing well. I can tell she's become stronger under your guidance. She went to the Butterfly Mansion to take care of the wounded," Ryou replied. Kanae nodded, pleased to hear him praising Shinobu.