As the founder of the Flower Breathing style, Kocho Kanae was more than familiar with its techniques and movements. She had already sensed a strange familiarity in Suguha and Kanao's performances earlier, but couldn't quite put her finger on it.
Now, however, as the two girls faced off in the final match, Kanae was sure: their footwork, their swordsmanship—it was without a doubt rooted in Flower Breathing.
Beside her, the equally stunned Shinobu began to notice something off.
"Nee-san… their breathing technique—it feels different somehow."
Kanae nodded slowly.
Then she began mentally comparing Suguha and Kanao's swordplay to her own Flower Breathing style. The more she compared, the more deeply she frowned.
Something was off—but not about the girls' techniques.
No.
It was her own Flower Breathing that felt... incomplete.
Everything she once thought refined now felt clumsy in comparison.
The more she watched, the more she felt their version of Flower Breathing was something natural, intuitive, and perfected.
Kanae's eyes sparkled with a rare intensity.
This wasn't just a modification of her style—this might be the culmination of all breathing techniques.
If the entire Demon Slayer Corps could master this, their strength would surge unimaginably.
Still, as the sisters grappled with realization, Kuzeha was just watching the match with calm appreciation.
After all, he trained these two daily. He knew their strengths intimately.
Talent-wise, Suguha and Kanao were evenly matched.
Suguha, being older, had more developed physical strength, but this also made her slightly less agile.
Kanao, on the other hand, was more nimble, but not as forceful.
In the end, the match came down to execution.
And today, Kanao's performance was simply better.
She seized a narrow opening and won by the slimmest margin.
Even before the referee could announce the result, the Kochou sisters rushed up to the two girls.
"Kirigaya-san, Tsuyuri-san, can you tell us where you learned that breathing style?"
Shinobu asked breathlessly.
The girls blinked in surprise.
Their eyes instinctively flicked to Kuzeha.
"..."
Kanae gently patted her sister's shoulder and turned to the two with a kind, steady tone.
"Hello. I'm Kocho Kanae, the Flower Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps."
"I saw your techniques and was deeply moved. They're unlike any standard breathing style I've seen—refined, yet familiar."
"Could you tell us how you came to learn them? Of course—we're willing to offer you whatever compensation you desire."
Her voice was warm, but her tone was dead serious.
However, both girls simply glanced again toward Kuzeha.
"You'll have to ask Kuze-nii about that..."
Suguha said softly.
Kanae froze.
Kuze-nii?
That name... sounded familiar.
The next moment, they watched as Kanao skipped up to Kuzeha and looked up with sparkling eyes.
"Kuze-nii, I won!"
Her little face lit up with pure joy, clearly seeking praise.
"You were amazing, Kanao."
Kuzeha ruffled her hair fondly.
Her eyes instantly curved into crescent moons.
For her, winning meant being praised by her beloved brother.
He then turned to Suguha and gently rubbed her head too.
"You did great too, Suguha. You fought well. This match wasn't the most important one—what matters is that we keep training."
Suguha had been feeling down—but upon hearing that, she lifted her head.
"Then it's a promise! You're not allowed to slack when I ask you to train me again!"
"Promise."
A bright smile spread across her face.
More than winning or losing, this time spent with Kuzeha was what she truly cherished.
Next time we train... maybe I'll wear those "kendo uniforms" we bought…
Suguha's face flushed as she thought to herself.
The Kochou sisters stood frozen.
Kuze-nii… they're his sisters?
Kanao swallowed her surprise and approached Kuzeha.
"Mr. Kuzeha…"
She opened her mouth but didn't know where to begin.
After everything she had seen this morning…
Even the Council of Swordmasters had tried to recruit him.
What could she possibly offer him?
"Miss Kochou, I heard everything,"
Kuze said gently, his voice calm as always.
"The breathing style they use was personally modified by me."
"Compared to the standard breathing techniques, it roughly doubles their bodily enhancement effects."
That casual tone was like thunder in the sisters' minds.
Double.
This went far beyond what they had assumed.
If all Pillars used this—even the Upper Moons could be soloed!
Their breathing quickened involuntarily.
"Mr. Kuzeha, please… the Demon Slayer Corps desperately needs this."
"We'll offer anything—anything at all!"
Anything?
Kuzeha's gaze swept across the two sisters—so similar in looks, yet so different in temperament—and he smiled faintly.
"If you want to learn my method, you must pledge yourselves to serve me. Can you—and the Corps—accept that?"
The sisters immediately hesitated.
The Demon Slayer Corps existed for one reason: to hunt demons.
Even the longstanding partnership with the Yuuki family had always come after that mission.
Kuzeha saw their hesitation and waved a hand.
"No rush. Think it over. Who knows—maybe I'll be the one to eliminate Muzan Kibutsuji myself."
Then, before the stunned sisters could respond, he turned and left with Kanao and Suguha in tow.
Eliminate Muzan…?
They didn't know whether to believe him.
But if anyone could shoulder the weight of that promise, it would be someone like Kuzeha.
The sisters replayed his words in their minds.
If demons disappeared... the Corps would have no purpose.
In that case, serving someone like Kuzeha wouldn't be betrayal—it would be a new purpose.
Just then, Yuuki Kyouko arrived.
Seeing the dazed Kochou sisters, she asked,
"Kanae, Shinobu, any other students interested in joining our side?"
After this morning's defeat, she had decided to take action herself.
But the two girls didn't respond.
"Kanae? Shinobu?"
Kyouko waved a hand in front of their eyes.
Finally, Kanae exhaled and said softly, her voice tinged with awe:
"Madam Yuuki… that Kuzeha… he might be able to lead the Demon Slayer Corps to destroy Muzan Kibutsuji…"
Lead the Corps?
In just one hour?
Kyouko's mind reeled.
They weren't just losing recruits now—the entire Corps they had invested in for a century might slip through their fingers.
—
Later, inside a conference room, Kyouko sat in heavy silence.
As the head of the Yuuki family—guardians of a banking empire for nearly a century—she had long learned that investment meant betting on people.
A hundred years ago, her ancestors had invested in the Demon Slayer Corps not for honor or virtue—but because they foresaw that when Muzan was gone, those demon hunters would need a place to go.
The Corps had become deeply intertwined with the Yuuki family since.
She never imagined that a single boy's words could shake that foundation.
What could he possibly have… to tempt even the Flower Pillar?
She clenched her fists.
She couldn't just sit and wait anymore.
At the very least, she had to confirm: Was Kuzeha the supernatural force behind the Yukinoshita Group?
—
Shortly afterward, Madam Yukinoshita arrived.
The two titans of the business world faced each other again.
But Kyouko didn't waste time on pleasantries.
"Madam Yukinoshita—Kuzeha is the supernatural power behind your family, isn't he?"
"He's the reason your group rose so fast, isn't he?"
She stared into Yukinoshita's eyes, trying to find a clue.
But the woman didn't flinch.
Instead, she showed something else entirely—awe, reverence... and the devotion of a zealot.
"Kuzeha-sama isn't just the force behind us."
"He is the master of the Yukinoshita family."
The words hit Kyouko like a hammer.
"The... master...?"
She couldn't believe it.
But the way Yukinoshita looked at him—like a believer at the altar of God—was unmistakable.
"You heard what Iaian and the others said. Think carefully. You've yet to grasp the true greatness of Lord Kuze."
And with that, she left the room.
Leaving behind a shell-shocked Kyouko.
Master of the Yukinoshita family?
Suddenly, it all clicked into place.
Kyouko began to recall what Iaian had said earlier.
Northern Mountains.
Why did that sound so familiar?
She pulled out her phone and began to search.
Immediately, images and headlines flooded her screen.
"The Hell Abyss—Heaven's Punishment"
Her eyes narrowed.
Heaven's punishment…
Combining the stories, the facts, and everything she saw today—Kyouko felt a chill down her spine.
She knew who he was.
And then—like a whisper from generations past—she remembered the words passed down from every Yuuki family head: "Investment is betting on people."
She sat quietly in the room for a long time.
Eventually, the door opened.
Yuuki Asuna entered, dressed in a white sundress.
"I'm sorry, Mother… I've disappointed you…"
Her voice was small and bitter.
She had lost her match, humiliated herself by challenging a judge… and then sought out his guidance, like a stray.
She expected scolding.
Instead, Kyouko said gently:
"No, Asuna. You did well. Mr. Kuzeha… is worthy of being your teacher."
"Wait… what?"
Asuna lifted her head, stunned.
Her beautiful face filled with disbelief.
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