The Yuuki Family.
As a family that had operated in Tokyo's banking industry for nearly a century, the Yuukis had always been among the local powerhouses.
They had their ups and downs—never reaching the top ranks, but never declining either.
In these turbulent times, the current head of the Yuuki family, Yuuki Kyouko, had personally witnessed how the Yukinoshita family, once beneath them, rose rapidly and established itself as a powerful financial conglomerate.
Kyouko realized that clinging to past traditions would no longer suffice.
It was imperative to expand the influence of the Yuuki family—immediately.
"Mother, Master and the others are here!"
Inside the grand hall, a girl with ash-brown hair braided into a fishtail walked in.
Beside her stood two beautiful girls with matching butterfly hair ornaments.
This was Yuuki Asuna, the eldest daughter of the Yuuki family and Kyouko's daughter.
"Kanao, Shinobu, thank you for coming."
Yuuki Kyouko nodded at the two girls.
Kocho Kanae—the Flower Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Kocho Shinobu—her younger sister.
A century ago, the Yuuki family had close ties with the Demon Slayer Corps and their master, Kagaya Ubuyashiki.
Since then, they had supported the corps in many ways.
Now, a hundred years later, the Demon Slayer Corps could almost be considered a semi-affiliate of the Yuuki family.
This upcoming Kendo Tournament wasn't just important for the Yuukis—it was a major recruitment event for the Demon Slayer Corps, seeking new talent to bolster their ranks.
"But first, we have to beat the Yukinoshita conglomerate!"
Yuuki Kyouko said gravely.
She turned to Kanae.
"Kanae, their judge will be Awashima Seri. Do you know anything about her?"
Kanae nodded slightly.
"We've crossed paths a few times. I've never seen her fight, but her swordsmanship is said to be far beyond ordinary."
She gave a small, bitter smile.
"If it were Himejima, the Stone Pillar, we'd have nothing to worry about!"
Originally, they had intended to send the Stone Pillar to represent them, but he was too busy to make time.
So the responsibility had fallen to Kanae.
"Don't sell yourself short, sis!"
Shinobu spoke up seriously.
"Besides, this tournament doesn't involve combat between judges. With your charm and demeanor, you'll definitely win over more contestants."
Yuuki Kyouko agreed.
Kanae might not be the strongest among the Pillars, but compared to the other emotionally scarred or antisocial young men in the corps, her beauty and gentle nature made her a rare and valuable presence.
As a judge, she could leave a wonderful impression on the participants.
Kyouko turned to Shinobu.
"Shinobu, you're not participating this time?"
Shinobu shook her head and glanced at Asuna.
"With Asuna entering, that's more than enough. With her current skill, she's sure to win first place."
They practiced together daily, and Asuna's swordsmanship now rivaled hers.
In a high school-level tournament, victory was all but guaranteed.
"Plus, as the Yuuki family's eldest daughter, her win would show everyone how well we nurture talent."
Kyouko gave Asuna a brief look, saying nothing more.
But in Asuna's heart, the pressure mounted.
As head of the family, Kyouko had always been strict with her, emphasizing criticism over praise.
It had left Asuna somewhat repressed in personality.
"Don't worry—you'll win."
Shinobu gave her a thumbs-up.
Asuna took a deep breath, gradually calming down.
"It's about time. Let's go."
Elsewhere, Madam Yukinoshita and Yukinoshita Haruno arrived at the orphanage.
Seeing the familiar, slightly run-down building, Haruno's gaze turned distant.
The last time she was here, she came to buy the place.
Now, days later, its owner had become the head of the Yukinoshita family.
Just days earlier, she had promised Kuzeha five years to hand over the conglomerate.
But to her surprise, less than five days after taking action himself, he had already taken control of it.
Just then, Kuzeha stepped out with his sisters.
Haruno's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly.
From the outside, it looked like a run-down orphanage.
Who would've thought it housed such a collection of uniquely charming girls?
Madam Yukinoshita's elegant face showed deference.
"Kuzeha-sama, the cars are ready."
The girls blinked in confusion.
"Kuzeha-sama?"
"That elegant lady is calling Kuze-nii... 'sama'?"
Suguha, carrying her bamboo sword, looked at Kuzeha in surprise, suddenly appearing a bit stiff.
"Get in—we can't be late."
Kuzeha ushered them into two black seven-seater vans.
Of course, Sora and Akiko clung to Kuzeha, boarding the same van.
With them were Kanao and Suguha.
In the car, Suguha looked at the driver, then at Kuzeha.
"Kuze-nii, who are these people?"
She couldn't stop staring at the beautiful older woman from earlier—her aura practically screamed nobility.
But she called Kuzeha "sama"...
"They're from the Yukinoshita Conglomerate," he replied.
"The Yukinoshita Conglomerate... wait, aren't they one of the sponsors of the tournament?"
Suguha suddenly remembered and gasped.
Kuzeha nodded with a smile.
"Exactly. And I'm one of the three judges."
Suguha was stunned.
Even Kanao, usually expressionless, looked mildly surprised.
It wasn't until they neared the arena that Suguha composed herself.
"Kuze-nii, you really keep things hidden, huh?"
"I only decided yesterday," he said.
"Does Busujima-senpai know?"
"Nope."
"She'll be shocked when she sees you on the judges' panel!"
Kuzeha grinned, a little excited himself.
He turned to his sisters.
"Let's go. I'll take you to the VIP box."
He led them to a second-floor suite.
There, they sat on a couch behind a huge pane of glass that gave them a clear view of the arena below.
"Wait here—I have other things to take care of."
After leaving, Madam Yukinoshita came up.
"The Yuuki matriarch has arrived. Do you wish to meet her?"
"No need."
Kuzeha shook his head.
He was only here to watch Suguha, Kanao, and Busujima Saeko's matches and act as a guest judge.
The rest could be left to Madam Yukinoshita.
"Very well. If you need anything, please speak to Awashima."
As she left, Awashima Seri approached in her pale blue, almost military-like uniform.
Due to her outstanding figure, even the stern design of her clothes seemed alluring—exactly Kuzeha's type.
"Awashima, is that your official outfit for the Yukinoshita Group?"
She blinked, surprised by the question.
"No, it isn't."
"From now on, when you're with me, that's your uniform."
"Y-Yes, sir..."
She then followed up with info about another judge—Kocho Kanae.
"The Flower Pillar from the Demon Slayer Corps?"
Kuzeha raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
Awashima was surprised he knew that detail.
She nodded, then explained the relationship between the Yuuki family and the Demon Slayer Corps.
"So, they're short on fresh blood too?"
Awashima nodded.
"They're still stronger in talent than we are, but constant battles against demons lead to high attrition."
Right then, Kuzeha casually said,
"If I wipe out all the demons... wouldn't I be able to take over both the Corps and the Yuuki family?"
Awashima was stunned.
The Corps had hunted demons for a thousand years, dreaming of tearing the Demon King apart.
If someone really could slay every demon, they could absolutely take control of the Corps.
And given that Kuzeha could casually carve a chasm several kilometers wide with a single attack…
Maybe the Demon King would be nothing more than an insect to him.
Kuzeha sat at the judges' table, awaiting the tournament's start.
Soon after, Kanae arrived, accompanied by Yuuki Kyouko and others who had just finished their meeting with Madam Yukinoshita.
Everyone looked exhausted.
Their discussion had covered more than just the tournament.
As a real estate conglomerate, the Yukinoshita family naturally had deep ties with a banking family like the Yuukis.
They had worked together for years.
But they were also competitors.
Business negotiations were battles of wit and force, especially between two cold, iron-willed matriarchs.
Just then, they saw the proud Madam Yukinoshita quietly whispering to a teenage boy.
The stark contrast left Kyouko and the other women stunned.
"Who is that, to make Madam Yukinoshita speak so humbly?"
Outside the arena, a dark-skinned beauty carrying two swords suddenly stopped.
Her gaze was drawn to the tournament banner.
"Wow, such a high prize pool! Shido, let's enter too!"
The man named Shido was tall, with a scar running across half his face.
"Registration's closed. And you're from the Council of Swordmasters' Society—you can't just bully regular people..."
"So what? It's not like they pay me a salary!"
Yuta, the girl, argued confidently.
"Even Master Takeda's off making money as a hero now!"
Shido was speechless.
"But what about the others? They'll be looking for us soon..."
Yuta was already headed for the entrance.
"Let them come inside if they want to find me! I'm going in!"
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