Chapter 14: The Master's Dilemma
When Akira placed the severed head of the Sound Hashira before Chitose's grave, it signaled the true beginning of his personal war against the Demon Slayer Corps.
Killing the Sound Hashira was not the end—it was merely the beginning.
Chitose would not be avenged with just one head. Akira vowed to collect the heads of every Demon Slayer who had slandered him and his master, offering them all in tribute to his fallen comrade.
While Akira waged his quiet massacre against the Corps, elsewhere, Yoriichi Tsugikuni—still seeking Muzan Kibutsuji's whereabouts—unexpectedly encountered a familiar face in a small town.
"Master Yoriichi!"
The young swordsman, a current member of the Corps, rushed over with admiration shining in his eyes. Despite Yoriichi's retirement, to many, he remained a living legend.
"I didn't expect to run into you here," the swordsman said.
Yoriichi smiled faintly, surprised by the encounter. He offered to buy snacks, and the two sat and chatted like old friends.
"Has anything happened recently within the Corps?" Yoriichi asked casually as he picked up a tri-colored dango.
At the question, the younger man's expression darkened instantly.
"What's wrong?" Yoriichi asked, sensing something grave.
"Master Yoriichi... do you truly not know, or are you pretending?"
Yoriichi frowned, clearly puzzled.
The young man gave a bitter smile. "Akira... has become a demon."
"What?!"
The words struck Yoriichi like a lightning bolt. His heart froze.
"Don't lie to me," he said coldly, his eyes sharp as blades.
As Akira's former master, no one knew the boy better than Yoriichi. Akira harbored a deep, burning hatred for demons—especially Muzan. His hatred bordered on obsession.
Even if he had only a single breath left, Akira would use it to swing his blade at Muzan. That boy, so full of conviction—how could he possibly become the very thing he hated most?
"I'm not lying. Everyone in the Corps knows. If you don't believe me, ask anyone."
The swordsman's voice was filled with pain. "The Sound Hashira and the Wind Hashira were both slain by his hand."
"Have you seen him yourself?" Yoriichi asked, his voice sharp.
The man shook his head quickly. "No one who has seen Akira and lived remains in the Corps."
"Then how can you be so sure it was him?"
The man trembled. "Not long ago, demon crows—Akira's—flew above Corps headquarters. They dropped heads from the sky... like rain. Among them were the disciples of the Sound and Wind Hashira."
Boom!
The words thundered in Yoriichi's mind. He sat frozen, his entire body stiff, his thoughts thrown into chaos.
He stared at the young swordsman's face, searching for any sign of deceit. But he found none. Every word, every emotion, was real.
Could it be... Akira really had fallen?
A vision of the past came unbidden—Akira as a young boy, bright-eyed, always smiling, his spirit warm as the summer sun. He was so full of life, so full of hope.
How could that boy become something as twisted as a demon?
Yoriichi clenched his fists until his nails pierced skin. He didn't feel the pain.
He simply couldn't accept it.
His brother had become a demon—and now, his most beloved disciple had apparently followed that same cursed path.
Was this his punishment? For failing to kill Muzan?
The Sound and Wind Hashira... Yoriichi's thoughts turned to them. He remembered how they had called for his brother's seppuku after he became a demon and slew the Ubuyashiki clan head.
Had they done the same to Akira?
It had been years since Yoriichi parted ways with Akira. He still remembered the boy waving farewell with that bright grin. They exchanged letters for years. Each one radiated Akira's passion, his drive to live and fight for what was right.
So what happened?
What could possibly twist someone like Akira into choosing the path of a demon?
Was it because of the Hashira?
Because of himself?
Had they taken their hatred for Yoriichi and redirected it at Akira?
Yes... that must be it. That's the only explanation.
Yoriichi had left the Corps, but the rumors and resentment didn't die—they only festered. He hadn't cared. His only purpose now was to destroy Muzan.
But if his absence led to Akira's suffering, if Akira was punished because of his past—
Crack!
The glass in Yoriichi's hand shattered.
No matter the reason, he could not—would not—accept that his student had become a man-eating demon.
Akira had learned every technique from him. If Akira had truly become a demon, then the responsibility was his. As a teacher. As a swordsman. As a man.
"Akira... have you really fallen so far?"
His heart trembled with sorrow.
"I will find you. I will ask you, face to face, why you made this choice. And if you've truly surrendered to the darkness—then I will kill you with my own hands...
...and follow you in death."