Chapter 77: Eye Balls
----
Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters
Clear tea flowed from the pot into the cup, releasing a faint fragrance.
Kanae Kocho picked up the cup, took a sip, and her eyes lit up slightly. "Good tea!"
Mrs. Amane smiled and said, "I know Kanae likes tea, so this is specially prepared for you."
"Kanae, you mentioned that Mr. Aomura wants to see me?" Ubuyashiki Kagaya interrupted with a gentle smile.
Kanae's face straightened, and she put down the cup. "Yes, my lord."
Kagaya nodded slightly. "It's perfect timing. I also have something to discuss with Mr. Aomura. Kanae, when he returns, please let him know I'm always available."
Kanae asked curiously, "My lord, is Mr. Aomura still in Kumotori Mountain?"
Kagaya replied, "Yes. Mr. Aomura seems to have something important to do and has temporarily paused his mission."
Kanae couldn't hide her surprise. After these few months of contact, she knew how active Mr. Aomura was in killing demons. She wondered what was so special about the boy named Kamado Tanjiro that made Mr. Aomura put aside even the Demon hunting.
In the Demon Slayer Corps, members cannot refuse missions. However, Aoki and the Corps are in a cooperative relationship. As a non-staff member, the rules don't constrain him. More importantly, Aoki had been almost sleepless for the past few months, never needing recovery time, and had killed more demons than all the Hashira combined. He needed rest, and no one could object.
Kagaya took out a picture. "Kanae, the real reason I called you here today is this."
Kanae took the picture in confusion and looked down, her expression growing serious.
On the paper was a strange eyeball with several tentacles below it and the character "Six" engraved in the center.
"My lord, what is this?"
Kagaya said slowly, "These have appeared suddenly in the past few days. They are definitely related to demons. They are distributed everywhere and there are many of them, but they are very fragile and have no attack power. Their origin and function are still unknown."
Kanae Kocho frowned slightly. "I feel like they are used for exploration."
Kagaya agreed. "That's also my guess. These eyes seem to be searching for something and don't concern themselves with our members. This gives us a chance to study them."
Kanae was silent for a moment. "The 'Six' character in the eyes indicates they are related to the Upper Six or Lower Six. Given their number and distribution, it likely involves the Upper Six. Has a new Upper Six been born already?"
"And it has the ability to explore," Kagaya said.
Kanae looked serious. "In that case, my lord, our members must be more cautious. Not just the members, but your safety is paramount."
The Demon Slayer Corps has always had an advantage in intelligence. However, the appearance of a new Upper Six may change that. From ordinary members to the Hashira, to the lord, including non-combat personnel such as the swordsmith village, all are in greater danger.
Kanae thought of many potential issues, each more troubling than the last. Although it's just an Upper Six, the trouble it brings may be greater than that of the Upper Three or Upper Two.
Kanae quickly organized her thoughts. "My lord, I think there are three crucial tasks now. First, ensure your safety. Second, inform all members about the eyeballs and urge caution. Third, find a way to determine the origin of these eyeballs, and ideally, locate the new Upper Six."
"Don't worry about my safety. I will take precautions. Even if I die, there is still Kiriya," Kagaya said calmly. Not giving Kanae time to refute, he continued, "The second task is already underway. As for the third..."
He shook his head. "There is no clue about their origin or how they appeared. We also know nothing about the new Upper Six. This is one reason I want to meet Mr. Aomura. He knows a lot about demons and may have some information."
Kanae asked, "Shall I contact Mr. Aomura now?"
Kagaya waved his hand. "Mr. Aomura wants to be alone with the Kamado family. It must be very important. Do not disturb him for now."
Kanae took a deep breath. "Yes, my lord, I am too anxious."
Kagaya smiled slightly. "Kanae, don't worry. The Demon Slayer Corps has faced more dangerous situations in history, but we have always persevered. Now, there's just a demon with the ability to detect. The previous Upper Six died, and the Upper Two was killed not long ago. Many Lower Ranks have been defeated. The current situation is much better than it has been in the past hundred years."
Listening to the lord's words, Kanae fell into memories. "It seems Mr. Aomura caused all this."
"That's right," Kagaya nodded. "I had a premonition in the past, and now, it's stronger. Mr. Aomura will be key to defeating Muzan Kibutsuji."
"I understand," Kanae said. "However, my lord, your safety is equally important. Let's arrange for two Hashira to protect you personally."
She tried her best to persuade him but was eventually rejected. Ubuyashiki Kagaya was not willing to let Hashira protect him.
---
**Infinity Castle**
Kibutsuji Muzan's mood wasn't very good either.
He thought that after Nakime's abilities were enhanced, she would quickly find defectors or the Ubuyashiki clan.
But a few days later, despite finding many things, none of the targets he really wanted were located.
The huge table was filled with various equipment. Muzan picked up a test tube, sucked out a few drops of blood, and carefully dropped them into a beaker.
Nakime said, "Master Muzan, we have found a Hashira."
The test tube shattered in Muzan's hand, blood flowing down his palm. His face expressionless, he said, "Those ants are of no concern. Focus entirely on finding the defectors and the Ubuyashiki clan!"
If he had nothing else to do, he wouldn't mind sending someone to deal with the Hashira. But now, defectors were the highest priority. He had to concentrate all efforts to ensure they were dealt with in one fell swoop.
"Yes, Master Muzan" Nakime responded respectfully.
=====
T/N: There is a patreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early access of 30+ chapters.
Patreon link:- patreon.com/ANelite