In the end, the incident of the Mugen Train was classified as a derailment accident by the authorities.
This was bound to thrust the Mugen Train back into the headlines, and the maintenance personnel associated with the train would inevitably face a series of repercussions.
After all, the Mugen Train had undergone factory inspections beforehand, and it was only after they adamantly declared 'no anomalies' that the train was allowed to resume operation.
Now, barely setting off, such a major incident occurred.
It was impossible for those who previously mocked the 'man-eating' rumors about the Mugen Train in the newspapers to escape responsibility. Perhaps the only thing worth celebrating was that all two hundred passengers on the train emerged unscathed.
Without a doubt, this might be considered a miracle by many.
As for the existence of the Demon Slayer Corps, it was never mentioned from beginning to end.
Because the Demon Slayer Corps was an unofficial organization, strictly speaking, even parading around with swords on the streets was not allowed.
Therefore, how could they be regarded as heroes who saved two hundred passengers?
In fact, very few people in the world were aware of the existence of demons. Demons were nothing more than fictional creatures in the eyes of many. Even if someone told them that the incident of the Mugen Train was caused by demons, most people would scoff at the idea.
As a result, whether it was demons or the Demon Slayer Corps, in this incident, they were destined not to be reported on.
In a sense, the Demon Slayer Corps, like demons, could only operate in the darkness. Although their existence had a long history, they were grassroots organizations formed spontaneously by people persecuted by demons.
Fame and fortune mean nothing to them.
Regardless, Riezel didn't necessarily see this as a bad thing.
"Our enemies are demons, human-eating monsters. If we operate conspicuously outside, it's not impossible for demons to actively attack us, or even attack people around us. That's very dangerous and must be avoided."
That was the argument Kyoujurou put forward before, telling Riezel that the Demon Slayer Corps had narrowly escaped being wiped out by demons several times in history by being hidden.
Needless to say, the Demon Slayer Corps mostly operated covertly and was not publicly acknowledged.
Especially the whereabouts of the Master, the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, were top secret. Not only was his location absolutely concealed, but the routes to get there were changed periodically.
Apart from the Hashira, few people know how to reach there.
And now—
"I'll take you to see the Master! Young Tsugikuni!"
Kyoujurou declared such, even addressing Riezel by the name he said to Akaza.
"Is that okay?" Riezel didn't refuse, just asked curiously.
"No problem!" Kyoujurou nodded. "It's more like, it's what the Master requested. He wants to meet you!"
"He requested?" Riezel was surprised. "Does your leader already know about me?"
"Umu!" Kyoujurou admitted openly. "Because we have Kasugai Crows. My Kasugai Crow has already sent back information about you, Young Tsugikuni!"
Kasugai Crows were a type of crow trained by the Demon Slayer Corps. Not only could they speak, but they also had distinct self-awareness.
The Demon Slayer Corps specifically trained these crows to serve various purposes such as communication between members, transmitting information, and assigning missions, thus creating a fairly convenient intelligence network.
Basically, each member of the Demon Slayer Corps received a Kasugai Crow when they joined. The Corps relied on Kasugai Crows to assign missions to their members located in various places, sending them to hunt demons.
At the same time, Kasugai Crows would gather various information and send it to the headquarters of the Demon Slayer Corps, where the Master resided, ensuring he was informed about the latest events and developments without leaving his abode.
Needless to say, Riezel's presence and his performance on the Mugen Train were promptly reported back to the headquarters of the Demon Slayer Corps by Kyoujurou's Kasugai Crow and delivered to the Master.
As a result, the Kasugai Crow delivered the Master's instructions to Kyoujurou, expressing a desire to meet Riezel in person.
"How, Young Tsugikuni? Let's go see the Master together!"
Kyoujurou insisted, pressing down on Riezel's shoulder even before he could respond as if to prevent him from escaping.
"Okay, okay, let's just get it over with, but don't get too close to me."
Riezel pushed away Kyoujurou's face, which had leaned in too close, agreeing to the arrangement.
Riezel actually wanted to meet the Master of the Demon Slayer Corps for one simple reason—to ask for a favor.
Upon learning that his destination for this dimensional travel was the world of Demon Slayer, Riezel had a plan in mind from the outset—to gather information about the breathing styles of this world.
Moreover, since collecting breathing styles required involvement with the Demon Slayer Corps, Riezel had no choice but to do so.
For this reason, upon hearing about the Mugen Train, Riezel headed straight to the train because he knew that Kyoujurou, the Flame Hashira, along with the three main characters, would be there.
As for Akaza and Enmu, Riezel was merely interested in understanding the strength of the Twelve Kizuki and the general strength of demons in this world; he wasn't specifically targeting or caring about them.
Now, with Kyoujurou presenting this opportunity to Riezel, there was naturally no reason for him to refuse. With the assistance of the Master of the Demon Slayer Corps, collecting breathing styles would be a breeze.
"Excellent!" Kyoujurou exclaimed happily, patting Riezel's shoulder repeatedly. "No time to waste, let's set off immediately!"
His words prompted Tanjirou, Zenitsu, and Inosuke to gather around eagerly—or rather, it was Tanjirou who was the most eager.
"Mr. Rengoku, can I come with you guys?" Tanjirou asked.
"Hmm? Got something important, Young Kamado?" Kyoujurou paused for a moment before adding. "If it's not urgent, better not casually visit Master's place. Meeting Master isn't something that happens easily."
He said it like that was also to conceal the location of the Master of the Demon Slayer Corps, ensuring the safety of both the Master and the Corps' headquarters.
"I just have some questions to ask you two..." Tanjirou explained. "Even if I don't go to Master's place, it's fine."
Saying so, Tanjirou stole a glance at Riezel, evidently concerned about the relationship between Hinokami Kagura and Sun Breathing that Riezel had previously used.
"Umu! If that's the case, then it's no problem!" Kyoujurou, having learned the whole story, said very frankly. "Since that's settled, why don't you all come to my place first? Let me treat you!"
"Thank you!" Tanjirou said excitedly, smiling as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
Zenitsu and Inosuke seemed to have no objections.
"Hey! Big Eyes! Do you have something like a locomotive there? Let me borrow it to work out my fists a bit!" Inosuke raised his fist and made an unreasonable request.
"Work out your fists? That's a very good idea!" Kyoujurou nodded earnestly. "But I don't have one!"
Upon hearing his answer, Zenitsu's motivation grew stronger.
"If we go to the Flame Hashira's place, we won't need to go on missions temporarily, and if we don't need to go on a mission, we won't need to hunt demons, and if we don't hunt demons, we won't encounter any danger so I won't die!"
Zenitsu said with a torrent of momentum and struck a victorious pose on his own.
"Well said, young man!"
Kyoujurou gave Zenitsu a thumbs-up, saying with much appreciation.
'But that won't do! Trying to escape missions at my place? You probably don't know how to write the word 'Hashira' of the Flame Hashira!'
After thinking that way, Kyoujurou had already figured out what kind of mission to assign to Zenitsu.
And so, Riezel, Kyoujurou, Tanjirou, Zenitsu, and Inosuke, the group of five, prepared to set off to the headquarters of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Meanwhile, the other members of the Demon Slayer Corps, stayed behind at the scene to clean up the aftermath.
However, not a single person noticed that in a corner, a headless corpse, which had not instantly disintegrated to ash after being beheaded by a Nichirin Sword, lay silently, devoid of all vitality, suddenly moved its fingers.
By the time one of the members of the Demon Slayer Corps came over, there was already nothing left.
===
At the same time, within a luxurious mansion, a figure emitted a dark and dangerous aura.
"Tsugikuni Yoriichi?"
A man stood in front of a bookshelf, seemingly reading a book in his hand, muttering in a daze.
*RIP!*
In the next moment, the book in his hand suddenly tore in half and shattered into pieces by some unknown power.
Unaware of this, his hand holding the fragments of the book was trembling.
"It can't be..."
As the man murmured, veins bulged on his forehead.
"Absolutely impossible!"
Tsugikuni Yoriichi.
That name awakened a certain unbearable past hidden deep in the man's heart, making him feel as if this body that had survived for a thousand years was throbbing faintly as if some wound were acting up.
At the same time, a slight fear in his heart was also awakened.
"He can't possibly still be alive... He's already dead, that's for sure..."
Otherwise, he wouldn't be here.
If Yoriichi were still alive, there would be no way for him to be active again. It was because he confirmed Yoriichi's death that he appeared again in this world.
Now, hundreds of years have passed, and that man, who was a genuine monster compared to himself, should have long been dead.
Yet, why did that man suddenly appear again out of the blue?!
"Is someone impersonating him?"
Lowering his head, the man in the study muttered in confusion.
"But the breathing style that beheaded Akaza, it's indeed Sun Breathing..."
Such swordsmanship, such strength, it was terrifying and powerful just like Tsugikuni Yoriichi he knew.
"No, I must confirm who that human really is before I can be at ease..."
After making a decision, the man pressed his hand to his temple and called out two names.
"Hantengu, Gyokko, come to me quickly."
After the call, a few seconds later, two voices echoed in his mind.
""Yes, Lord Muzan.""