Chapter 25 : 25th Stance

After a couple of hours, it was now morning.

In the courtyard, numerous Kakushi surrounded Sanemi's split body. They couldn't belive a Hashira was dealt in so easily, by one of their own especially....

"That traitor, he need's to pay!" some of them shouted in anger.

Whilst most were angered, a small minority were actually scared. Not of Takeo....but the threat the Upper Ranks of the Demon's posed now that they had one Hashira less.

"W-What are we gonna do?"

In a hospital room laid Tanjiro, Zenitsu and Inosuke. They were currently asleep, but they still heard the commotion outside.

Wondering what was going on, Tanjiro stood up and looked out the window.....he saw numerous Kakushi running towards the main courtyard.

"What is going in?" Tanjiro asked.

"What? What's happening?" Zenitsu retorted.

"I don't know....but there's a-lot of Kakushi running towards the courtyard," he stated.

They were all interested but didn't mind it anymore. Going back to his bed, Tanjiro was about to lay down when they all heard, "THE WIND HASHIRA HAS BEEN MURDERED BY ONE OF OUR OWN!!"

"Eh?" Tanjiro, Inosuke and Zenitsu all stated at the same time, before they all slowly walked towards the window.

Peering out, they saw a Kakushi screaming at the top of his lungs....

However, he was quickly apprehended by some others....

"What are you thinking!" they stated, as they held his mouth shut.

But it was too late....soon rumours spread and spread and not long after, everyone knew.

"Hey did you hear? Sanemi Shinazugawa was murdered."

"Yeah I heard. Apparently it was a fellow Demon Slayer." people chattered amongst themselves.

Walking around, minding his own business, a young man named Genya Shinazugawa was angered when he heard what the two people conversed about.

TAP! TAP! TAP!

Quickly approaching them, he looked at them with a deathly expression...."What did you say!" he stated with numerous veins appearing on his forehead, scaring the two.

After telling him everything, the two ran away leaving Genya staring at their backs with fury.

'Whoever you are....when I find you!' he thought, before he stomped away.

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Inside his Mansion, Kagaya was having a dilemma. After a couple of hours of searching, the Hashira hadn't even caught a whiff of his trail. They were stuck in the mud, but didn't give up due to their rage, and kept searching.

'If they don't find him....thing's could get bad.' he thought, before he called his Kasugai Crow.

"Notify every available Demon Slayer...no matter what rank they are to come to headquarters," he told his crow, before it immediately took flight, notifying other crows to spread the message to others.

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5 Hours later,

It was the afternoon, and standing in-front of the Demon Corps Leader's mansion was more than a hundred Demon Slayers, all with different ranks.

Since Kagaya hadn't appeared yet, they talked with themselves :

"Hey did you hear the Wind Hashira was murdered by one of our own."

"Yeah, but I wonder why were all here," another replied.

And as if it was timed.....

CREAK!

"The Master has arrived!" Nichika Ubuyashiki and Hinaki Ubuyashiki bellowed, gathering all of their attention immediately.

TAP! TAP! TAP!

Kagaya's gracefulness captivated them all and he hadn't even spoke yet.

"Hello my children," he proclaimed with a smile.

"I am glad to see all of you are safe and healthy.....I've called you hear to discuss something very important," he stated, before his face turned serious.

"As you may already know....one of our strongest Hashira was murdered in cold-blood by a fellow Demon Slayer. He has since been removed from our ranks....however, I fear for the other innocent people...who know's what he could get up to....all the murders he could commit without any remorse."

At this point, they were all completely focused and angry with Takeo's actions.

"With the other Hashira chasing him, he has somehow evaded their detection....and so I call upon your help....will you help all the innocent people of this country and eradicate this person?"

"....." there was silence for a couple of seconds before they all roared....

"YES MASTER!"

Smiling at this scene, Kagaya then continued, "The person or people who do manage to eradicate him will become a Tsuguko, the designated successor of any Hashira of their choice"

They all wanted to scream but couldn't as Kagaya continued :

"This is a picture of the perpetrator," before he showed them all a picture of Takeo.

Making multiple copies, Kagaya handed them to each one of their Kasugai Crows, which then handed them to their Demon Slayers.

'Short White hair, Purple eyes.' they thought, as they stared at the photo.

After a couple moments of silence as they all looked at the photo....

"Now....go my children, find him for our late Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa" Kagaya proclaimed, before turning around and entering his mansion.

"YOSH!." the Demon Slayers before they shouted and ran out of Headquarters, searching for Takeo.

Staring at the photo in his hands, Genya's eyes were filled with exasperation, before he put the photo away and walked away.

And with that, more than a hundred Demon Slayer's and the now 8 Hashira's were searching for Takeo.

The person, Takeo....was walking around the countryside leisurely, unaware of what was coming his way.

Whilst he was walking, he felt something watching him, but couldn't see or feel anything abnormal when he turned around, and so kept walking leisurely.

In dark location a young man was watching Takeo. He had pale skin, his pupils were vertical, like a cat's and coloured red.

"Hmm~." he sounded out-loud as he watched Takeo with interest.

TAP! TAP! TAP!

Appearing from behind him, a demon bowed towards him, "Lord Muzan. It appears that boy was kicked out of the Demon Slayer Corps because he killed a Hashira. Apparently Kagaya sent numerous Demon Slayer's after him"

'Interesting~'

"There's something about him that gives me a sense of nostalgia....bring him here." The man named Muzan stated.

"Yes my lord." the demon stated.

Whilst he walking, he cracked his knuckles, itching to fight Takeo before his eye-ball rolled, revealing the inscription, "Upper Rank Three"