Demon Progenitor Development Project

Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters, Pillar Meeting.

A new generation replaces the old; nowadays, there are hardly any familiar faces among the pillars.

Opposite the young master stood Ginjiro, the Wind Pillar; Ikki, the Lightning Pillar; Yoriichi, the Sun Pillar; and Kokushibo, the Moon Pillar.

Yes, Kokushikatsu Tsugikuni eventually joined the Demon Slayer Corps, abandoning his wife and children, and his Tsugikuni family.

Because Yoriichi joined.

"What? Yoriichi, you encountered Kibutsuji Muzan?"

Raiju interrupted Yoriichi's narration with a loud outburst.

"Mr. Yihui, please calm down," the young master said helplessly.

Don't let Lei Zhu's appearance as a weathered old farmer fool you; he just looks old and older than Feng Zhu.

He has a belligerent personality but lacks composure; he seems to be missing a screw in his head.

"Oh, oh, oh." Lei Zhu slapped himself.

Everyone tacitly ignored Raiju's self-fanning behavior, and Yoriichi continued to recount the scene from that night.

"A woman? Isn't Kibutsuji Muzan a man?" Raiju asked instinctively.

"This..." The young master was also confused. "According to the family records, Kibutsuji Muzan was indeed male."

Jiguo Yansheng gradually became lost in memories, and sweat began to bead on his forehead.

Why did he feel like he had seen two of the three demons Yoriichi mentioned before, including Muzan Kibutsuji, whom Yoriichi had mentioned?

A man whose hair, eyelashes, and even pupils are all white.

A stunningly beautiful woman with black hair and red eyes.

Isn't that Fujiwara Shugo and his wife?

Jiguo Yansheng began to question the meaning of life.

After repeatedly searching his memory, he confirmed that he had never seen them appear in the sunlight.

While Jikkoku Yen-seung was reminiscing, the others continued their conversation.

"The Pipa Demon?" asked Ginjiro, the Wind Pillar.

"Is it a female ghost with long black hair covering her face?"

Yuan nodded.

"It's that demon from Nara Castle." The Wind Pillar's expression darkened. After searching for so long, it had actually run to Muzan Kibutsuji's side.

All eyes turned to the Wind Pillar, who then explained what had happened.

"It seems that this female demon's Blood Demon Art can not only transfer itself, but also other demons. In that case, it will be even more difficult for her to kill Muzan Kibutsuji."

The pillars are all experienced demon hunters, and they are generally quite intelligent. Those who are not intelligent would have been killed long ago by the demons' endless stream of magical blood demon arts.

The faces of those present were generally grim. With a female demon possessing spatial-type blood demon arts, killing Muzan was virtually impossible.

"We must find a way to kill that pipa demon first!"

The young lord temporarily halted the discussion on this matter, for slaying the progenitor of demons is a long and arduous task, a long-term goal.

Now, an even bigger problem is facing the Demon Slayer Corps.

"Gentlemen, the investigation by Hidden and the physicians has revealed that the reason why Mr. Flame Pillar and Mr. Stone Pillar passed away was because of the Mark." The young master took a deep breath, his face grave.

All the pillars were startled.

"What's going on?" Even the seemingly calm and reliable Kokushiro Tsugikuni could no longer remain calm.

Aren't the stripes supposed to enhance their strength?

With the addition of Yoriichi, a powerful individual born with a Demon Slayer Mark, the Pillars of the Demon Slayer Corps gradually awakened their own Marks, greatly improving their strength.

Now you're telling me this is a death warrant?

"The powerful strength of those who awaken with the markings comes at the cost of their future life force. Those with markings do not live past the age of twenty-five. Mr. Rengoku passed away on his twenty-fifth birthday, and Mr. Stone Pillar passed away much earlier than twenty-five."

"After a medical examination, both of them were found to be as aged as elderly people."

The young lord smiled wryly.

Everyone looked grave.

After awakening their Demon Slayer Marks, the Pillars, whose strength had greatly improved, were filled with pride. As the strongest generation since the founding of the Demon Slayer Corps, they were generally confident that they could completely end the calamity of "demons" in their generation.

Reality dealt them a heavy blow.

Among them, the one with the worst expression was Jikuni Kokushige, because there were less than three months left until his twenty-fifth birthday.

Less than three months to live?

How can he continue his training, improve his swordsmanship, and catch up with Yoriichi?

The young lord's words nearly sealed his future.

Kokushikatsu Tsugikuni, who joined the Demon Slayer Corps to become stronger, was extremely anxious.

The atmosphere immediately became somber. The young master, observing the changes in the pillars, knew that this news would inevitably be a blow to them.

He was so young, yet his death was already sealed.

As a young lord who wouldn't live past twenty, I deeply sympathize with this feeling.

This is when he comes into play.

My father once said that Ubuyashiki, with his frail body, led the Demon Slayer Corps and guided them forward in spirit.

The young lord no longer sat, but stood up, his small body straight, his thin figure exuding a resolute temperament that was inconsistent with his age.

He cleared his throat and said in a slightly immature yet powerful voice, "Gentlemen, we are ultimately mortals, unable to escape the erosion of time, and no matter what, we cannot escape death."

"However, even though our lives are as short as a shooting star across the night sky, we can still leave something behind."

He paused briefly, his gaze sweeping over everyone, before continuing, "In the beginning, the Demon Slayer Corps could only hunt demons with their weak bodies and feeble swords. Later, the Demon Slayer Corps discovered the Crimson Sand Iron and Crimson Ore, creating the Nichirin Blade. In our generation, we have Breathing Techniques, enabling us to fight demons head-on."

"The legacy passed down from generation to generation has created the strongest generation in the Demon Slayer Corps today. All we can pass on are our unwavering will and invaluable knowledge. I also believe that the Demon Slayer Corps will become even stronger in the future."

At this point, the young lord's eyes brightened even more.

Then, he took a deep breath and shouted with all his might, "Warriors of the Demon Slayer Corps, let our names be etched in history, let our spirit live on forever!"

This shout seemed to possess a magical power that penetrated people's hearts, and everyone present was moved by it.

Aside from Kokushikatsu Tsugikuni and... Yoriichi Tsugikuni.

Yoriichi Tsugikuni himself had this kind of calm personality, and he agreed with what his lord said.

You don't have to laugh out loud to show you're happy, nor do you have to cry out loud to show you're sad. That's Yoriichi's idea.

Yoriichi suffered from facial paralysis for many years, which may be why Kokushikatsu Tsugikuni could not understand him.

Jiguo Yansheng could not agree with his lord's statement.

After the meeting, Kokushige sought out Yoriichi for a private conversation.

"Yoriichi, you and I are too strong. There is no one in the Demon Slayer Corps who can match us. How are we going to find a successor for our Breathing Technique?"

“Yoichi, especially, no one has learned your Sun Breathing technique to this day.”

Ji Guoyan Sheng sounded extremely agitated.

The Demon Slayer Corps initially learned Sun Breathing, but because they couldn't master it, they developed the Five Basic Breathing Techniques to popularize it, which is enough to prove the difficulty of Sun Breathing.

Even Kokushikatsu himself couldn't do that; he simply created the Breath of the Moon.

Yoriichi's expression remained unchanged, and his tone was very calm.

“Brother, just as the lord said, there will always be someone who will reach the same level as us, or even stronger.”

Seeing his brother's anxiety, Yoriichi gently comforted him, "Don't worry too much, let things take their course."

Kokushikatsu, however, froze completely, staring at Yoriichi with an indescribable look.

The two eventually parted ways unhappily.

Jiguo Yansheng sat quietly indoors, staring blankly into the void, his heart filled with intense resentment.

He thought that by joining the Demon Slayer Corps and training by fighting demons, he would eventually catch up with Yoriichi's level.

But why?

Why do those who awaken their markings not live past the age of 25?

Jigoku Yansheng touched the mark on his forehead as if he had been burned, pulling away immediately. The next second, he frantically rubbed the mark with his left hand, trying desperately to wipe it away.

His bloodshot eyes stared into the mirror, at the still-present scar, as if the approaching Grim Reaper was mocking him, a cowardly survivor.

Kokushige gritted his teeth, his mind replaying Yoriichi's words.

Passing on the breathing techniques to the next generation, so they can become stronger?

What's the point if you don't become stronger yourself?

Why was Yoriichi so fearless of life and death?

Yoriichi's noble and serene appearance kept appearing in Kokushige's mind.

"what----"

Kokushige suddenly drew his sword and began hacking at the surrounding furniture haphazardly, leaving behind a series of knife marks.

After destroying everything, Jiguo Yansheng finally calmed down.

A terrifying thought gradually formed in my mind.

Since the markings can draw on life force, what if he becomes a demon?

Ghosts never die young; they are full of vitality. The progenitor of ghosts even lived for over five hundred years.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

In my opinion, Kokushibo's twisted worship of Yoriichi was influenced by his scumbag father, because Yoriichi's talent and his desire to change his successor clearly showed that he was a person who admired strength.

Kokushikatsu joined the Demon Slayer Corps to become stronger, not to kill demons; that was secondary.

Finding a worthy opponent to hone one's skills is no easy task, and demons are generally powerful in combat.

If they were human swordsmen, they would value their reputation and lives above all else. Who would be willing to sacrifice themselves to help others become stronger?

Kokugoro Kumamoto inherited his father's scumbag father's strong-willed personality, which reminds me a lot of Caiyun Zhuzhu from the drama "The Cursed Episode."

Yoriichi's personality is probably influenced by his mother; he is quiet and introverted.

Look at the good son you raised, you scumbag father, and the good son your wife raised.