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[Crossover] Ch 91: Calligraphy
🕑 Added 2025-06-15 17:20:13 +0000 UTC— — — — — —
Inside the estate of the Ubuyashiki family—
After the Hashira meeting, Ryo Yagami had officially become the new head of the household.
The seven remaining Hashira had acknowledged Ryo's leadership and pledged their loyalty.
By late afternoon, this news was already spreading through the ranks of the Demon Slayer Corps via messenger crows, along with a formal order: full mobilization for the final battle.
Once those urgent matters were handled, the day quietly slipped into night.
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In the study, Ryo glanced at the pocket watch on his desk. The number [9] gleamed back at him. He let out a faint chuckle, picked up a calligraphy brush, and began practicing.
This hobby? He picked it up from none other than Sōsuke Aizen.
The big boss from the Bleach world had a deep love for calligraphy.
Aizen had so much insight into it, he even merged sword techniques into his brushwork.
His blade embodied deception in its purest form.
Naturally, Ryo's interest in learning Aizen's calligraphy wasn't just about appreciating art—it was about understanding how the man thought.
But the more he analyzed it, the more Ryo realized: even when he acted on his own will, he was still moving according to Aizen's designs. He might have gotten the results he wanted, but it unsettled him just how easily he could be manipulated.
He needed to surpass Aizen in every way—because when the time came for Bleach to be under Little Garden, he had to be sure Aizen would work for his community, not scheme against it.
As Ryo focused on his practice, the door creaked open. A breeze drifted in, gently flickering the candlelight. Shinobu's older sister, Kanae Kocho, silently stepped into the room and sat beside him.
Without looking at her, Ryo muttered a complaint.
"Why are those guys still yelling outside at this hour? Don't they ever sleep?"
He was talking about the Hashira. Even now, their shouts and groans echoed from the courtyard. Frankly, it was starting to feel like a public disturbance.
"They're probably still working on the Sun Breathing technique you passed down," Kanae said, rolling her eyes before breaking into a soft laugh. "They spent the whole afternoon studying the scroll you wrote. Everyone's trying to modify their breathing style based on your notes. Now their rhythm's all messed up, and they're paying for it."
All the Hashira had mastered the Total Concentration Breathing: Constant—being able to maintain their breathing form 24/7. In battle, that was a major advantage.
But now? It was a nightmare.
Trying to revamp it messed with their bodies and left them dizzy or in pain. Still, the Sun Breathing version Ryo created was so effective that the pain came with results. So yeah—painful, but worth it. Love and hate in equal measure.
Ryo chuckled. "What about you? Not interested in learning it yourself?"
"For me, Flower Breathing is enough," Kanae replied, shaking her head. "Instead of chasing a short-term boost in power, I'd rather spend that energy prepping medicine for the others."
She hesitated for a moment, then added, "Actually, I was thinking about bringing over Shinobu, Kanao, and even little Makomo. I want them to help out at the Butterfly Mansion."
The Butterfly Mansion was the Corps' medical facility.
With the final battle looming, all major healing operations were being moved to Edo for faster response times.
The problem was—since the mansion had been attacked by demons before, it had already lost a lot of staff. They were severely understaffed, and Kanae wanted to bring her sister and the others out of the front lines for their safety.
But she knew… this wasn't purely about logistics. It was a personal choice. A selfish one, even.
She was worried Shinobu would say no.
Ryo could see right through her and smirked. "So… what? You want me to play the bad guy? Just order Shinobu to stand down? You think she'd listen to me?"
Shinobu was impulsive and driven. Telling her to stay behind and do logistics instead of demon-slaying? Might as well tell a shark to stop swimming. Honestly, she'd probably be better off making poison from wisteria.
Unexpectedly, Kanae smiled brightly. "Well, if you were the one giving the order… even if she gets annoyed, she'll still listen."
He sighed, then finally gave in. "Alright, alright. I'll talk to her."
As soon as he said it, he felt someone press against his back, followed by a soft whisper—
"Thank you~"
Ryo just smiled quietly, saying nothing more.
A moment later, Kanae frowned slightly, a bit worried. "Hey… you're using your real name as the new leader. What if that tips off the Six Kizuki?"
She paused, hesitant. "Couldn't that cause… misunderstandings?"
If any of the Upper Kizuki revealed that the Demon King's name was also Ryo, the Demon Slayer Corps would probably lose its mind.
But Ryo just gave her a strange look. "You really think demons can say the Demon King's name? Especially the last name?"
"Huh?" Kanae blinked, then suddenly remembered—
Muzan Kibutsuji had placed a powerful curse on all demons—they couldn't speak his full name or reveal any of his secrets unless he was present.
So even if a demon ran to the Demon Slayer Corps screaming that Ryo was the Demon King, no one would believe them. As for mentioning even his last name, Yagami, no demon was foolish enough to say even half of it—knowing it would 100% mean their death.
Realizing this, Kanae couldn't help but laugh. "Wow. You really thought this all through, didn't you?"
Ryo gave her a faint smile. "I just laid out the facts. If anyone misinterprets them, that's their problem."
"You really are a bad guy~"
Kanae giggled, resting her cheek against his back without even noticing it.
Just then, a knock came at the door.
"Lord Yagami, are you in there?" came the voice of Kagaya Ubuyashiki.
Kanae jumped slightly, quickly adjusting her clothes and whispering, "Come in."
Kagaya froze on the other side of the door.
Wait… wasn't I calling for Ryo? Why did I just hear a woman's voice?
Hang on—that sounded like Kanae Kocho, the Flower Hashira.
Now Kagaya was seriously conflicted.
Should he leave and come back later?
But there were still handovers and official matters to deal with...
Then Ryo's voice came from inside, calm and composed: "It's alright, come in, Lord Ubuyashiki."
After a moment's hesitation, Kagaya slid the door open—and found Ryo seated at the desk, while Kanae had moved a fair distance away, pretending to act all proper.
"Seriously? Now you're pretending?" Kagaya thought to himself, suppressing a sigh.
Still, he stepped forward with a letter in hand.
"A response from Edo."
Ryo took the letter, glanced over it, then let out a snort.
"That idiot in the Imperial Palace is beyond saving."
He handed the letter back to Kagaya, who skimmed through it—and his face turned pale.
"He… he thinks our warning is a joke? After a thousand years of cooperation, how can they be this blind?"
The Ubuyashiki clan had been fighting demons for over a millennium. Working with the government was basically tradition.
And now, despite clearly warning them about the Demons gathering, the officials in Edo just… ignored it?
They weren't ignorant of the demon threat—far from it. Reports were filed every year. Victims were counted. Everything was recorded.
And yet, now they were acting like it wasn't their problem?
"Look at the last line," Ryo said. "At least they're planning to mobilize the shrine maidens."
He chuckled at the thought.
The shrine maidens in this world did have some ability. In fact, the Ubuyashiki clan had married into priestess families for generations to resist Muzan's curse.
But throwing them into a demon war?
That was just sending lambs to slaughter.
"They're dooming themselves…" Kagaya sighed.
If the highest levels of power in Edo didn't take this seriously, the people below sure wouldn't. And once the Demons reached Edo, the chaos would shake the entire world.
Ryo turned back to his calligraphy with a resigned expression.
"If the ones at the top won't listen, we'll just go down the chain. Someone will hear us."
He paused, then added quietly, "Let's save as many as we can."
Kagaya nodded silently, then turned and left to begin the arrangements.
Meanwhile, Ryo's brush moved with purpose, boldly writing two kanji on the paper in front of him: "ばか ~ Fool."
Foolish—yet perfectly timed.
Ryo narrowed his eyes and smiled.
Once the demons make their move on Edo, there'll be no stopping the chaos.
And for Ryo Yagami?
That was exactly what he needed.
Because the final three points of influence he needed…
Would all come down to just how much noise those demons could make.
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.
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