To The Stars | Tokito Muichiro x OC

91 • Village of the Isolated Sun

Three months had passed since the final battle, and the last Pillar Meeting was taking place now in the Ubuyashiki Estate.

"Thank you for coming," the master greeted. "You are the only pillars left. The other children have already gone to the stars ahead of us." His smile turned a bit bitter. "But it was thanks to them that we managed to exterminate the demons. Thus, the demon slayers are disbanded as of today." Kiriya smiled at the pillars sitting in front of him. 

"Thank you for your hard work all this time, Giyu, Sanemi, Obanai, Kyojuro, Mitsuri."

The five remaining pillars bowed their heads, answering in unison, "As you wish."

"You have risked your lives for the longest time—"

"You fought and devoted yourselves for the people of this world—"

"We, the Ubuyashiki family, thank you from the bottom of our hearts." Kiriya, Kuina, and Kanata bowed until their heads touched the ground.

"Please raise your heads!"

"We don't need your gratitude!"

The remaining pillars protested, reassuring the three children that the main reason why the corps had never fallen despite the millennium-long battle was because of the efforts the Ubuyashiki family had made. Their ancestors, even the children's father, would surely be proud of them.

"Um, Kiriya-sama, I have a question." Mitsuri tilted her head to the side when the children's sniffles had died down. "What kind of medicine did Inori-chan make? The girls at the Butterfly Estate told us about how it was thanks to that medicine that most of us survived."

Obanai nodded. "The casualties remained minimal because of this medicine." At least, that was what the kakushis whispered about behind closed doors. "Just what kind of miraculous medicine did Hoshizora create?"

"Hoshizora-sama created two drugs amidst her busy schedule, and she calls them her personal project," Kuina answered. "The first is a drug that could stop the disintegration process of demons. It was unfinished, but it managed to save Shinazugawa Genya's life." She held up a second finger. "The second is an antidote containing demon blood that could heal a human's severe injury without turning them into demons. This antidote is the one that managed to save most of your lives."

"Demon blood?"

"Yes." Kuina nodded. "Hoshizora-sama studied the properties of demonic blood and created a miraculous medicine." She noticed the slight unease within the pillars, so she continued, "That medicine will not turn you into a demon, nor does it put you under Kibutsuji Muzan's control. Still, she gave strict orders to the kakushi to never give more than four dosages for the normal demon slayers, and eight dosages for anybody who had the mark. Fortunately, the one who received the most dosages, Shinazugawa-sama, doesn't have any side effects."

"Despite what it's called, there is a limit to how miraculous the medicine could be," Kanata elaborated. "Solidifying blood vessels to stop the bleeding, healing fractured bones and torn muscles, and keeping your organs working for a short amount of time even if they were injured. Those are the known effects the medicine has. However, lost limbs will not regenerate and blood loss, as well as severe injuries like damaged internal organs, could still kill you."

Because while that medicine had saved many lives, it failed to save the life of the one who created it.

"Hoshizora Hizashi had three incomplete research," Kuina said again, holding up three fingers. "An antidote that could turn demons back into humans, a poison that could work on stronger demons, and a potion that could make humans heal at a pace that rivals demons without changing them into demons."