"You're back, Giyu." Ubuyashiki Kagaya signaled his wife, Amane, to pour the young man a cup of tea.
Giyu Tomioka respectfully accepted it and took a sip, slightly dispelling the fatigue accumulated from days of travel. He nodded slightly to Gyomei Himejima, who was to the side.
The latter was fingering his prayer beads, still wearing that tear-streaked, compassionate expression. Yet, his physique was as burly as a bear, and sitting cross-legged, he was a full head taller than Giyu Tomioka standing. It was impossible to ignore him.
"Have you met that child?" Ubuyashiki Kagaya raised his hand in a gesture, indicating that Giyu Tomioka didn't need to bow. This wasn't a Hashira meeting, after all; there was no need to be so formal.
"I have," Giyu Tomioka replied truthfully.
"How was it?"
"There was some discrepancy."
Gyomei Himejima's large hand, fingering the beads, paused for a moment. Ubuyashiki Kagaya smiled unexpectedly, "Does this mean Senior Urokodaki exaggerated somewhat?"
Giyu had a cold personality, but he never lied, and was incapable of lying... Since he said there was a discrepancy, it meant the child named Eiichiro was somewhat unworthy of his reputation.
"No,"
"It's that Master was too conservative!"
?!
Ubuyashiki Kagaya was stunned for a moment. He signaled Amane to bring Giyu Tomioka a cushion. "Speak clearly."
Behind him, Hinaki and Nichika looked over curiously, and even Gyomei Himejima quietly perked up his ears.
"I lost." Giyu Tomioka's words were concise, but they landed like a bombshell, shattering the calm.
The room fell silent instantly. The young man thanked Amane, knelt on the cushion, and said with utmost seriousness, "Eiichiro already possesses the standard of a 'Hashira'."
"I gave it my all and could not defeat him."
Roy's blade, carrying that 'illusory intent', was still vivid in his mind. Giyu Tomioka carefully described what he had seen and heard on his trip, relaying it in detail... Ubuyashiki Kagaya listened quietly, his pale eyes shining brightly from time to time. Beside him, Hinaki and Nichika listened with their mouths slightly open, as if hearing a story.
"Learned a Breathing Style in one day," "Created his own move in less than half a day," "Manifested an Asauchi that seemed like 'Man-Blade Fusion'"... Such an incredible person... The two little ones seemed to have only seen such things in storybooks, and even...
Even the legendary figures described in storybooks weren't as outrageous as the guy named 'Kamado Eiichiro' that Giyu Tomioka was describing!
"Amitabha. Truly a demon-subduing lord descended from heaven, or a living deity among men." Gyomei Himejima stopped chanting scriptures, put his palms together, and invoked the Buddha's name.
Ubuyashiki Kagaya glanced at him, "Are your hands itching, Gyomei?"
Gyomei Himejima neither admitted nor denied it, saying sincerely, "I am happy for you, Master, happy for the Demon Slayer Corps, and I should be happy for all the people under heaven."
"Amitabha, Master's lesson is correct."
"Oh, you..." Ubuyashiki Kagaya smiled, not exposing him, and looked warmly at Giyu Tomioka. "Giyu, you did very well."
"Senior Urokodaki taught two good disciples."
Two 'Hashira' from under his tutelage. This was something no other retired 'Hashira' had managed to do.
"I didn't do much," Giyu Tomioka's cool voice echoed as he looked up seriously at Ubuyashiki Kagaya. "Master, please grant me permission to draw my sword."
The young man paused, then said deeply, "I ask you, Master, to look upon the 'Crimson Sword'."
"Crimson Sword?!"
"Yes, the Crimson Sword!"
All eyes focused on Giyu Tomioka. Having received permission, the young man drew his blade. He gripped the hilt tightly with both hands, and the blade vibrated, instantly turning red. It was like a crimson sun dispelling all darkness, making the four large words "Destroyer of Demons" etched on it look exceptionally ferocious!
"Mm, it is the 'Crimson Sword' recorded in legends." Gyomei Himejima's mastery of Breathing Styles was extremely profound. Even though blind, relying solely on his sense of smell, he could detect the "killing intent and scorching heat" emanating from the Nichirin Sword.
In the original work, Urokodaki Sakonji once told Tanjiro that when a Breathing Style is trained to a high level, one can even judge how many people a demon has eaten just by catching its scent.
As the current strongest 'Hashira', it was not surprising that Gyomei Himejima possessed such a 'sense of smell'.
"Giyu." Ubuyashiki Kagaya stared at the Crimson Sword, faintly guessing something. After a long moment, he said, "Is this what that child, Kamado Eiichiro, taught you?"
He clearly didn't know it before he left, but he knew it after he returned... Ubuyashiki Kagaya was an intelligent man. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to win over all the Hashira with his strategy and magnanimity, nor fight against Muzan for so long.
"Yes."
Klang~ Giyu Tomioka sheathed his sword, faced Ubuyashiki Kagaya, and bowed deeply. "Eiichiro wishes to exchange the method of the 'Crimson Sword' for a file of intelligence on all Demons."
"I implore you, Master, to agree."
"Giyu..." Ubuyashiki Kagaya said softly, "Is that child, Eiichiro, planning to participate in the Final Selection?"
"Yes."
"Good." Ubuyashiki Kagaya bent down and helped the young man up. "When the time comes, I will deliver it to him personally."
As he spoke, he smiled and asked Gyomei Himejima, "Gyomei, will you go?"
Gyomei Himejima invoked the Buddha's name, "Amitabha, of course."
He said righteously, "I must protect the Master, and incidentally..."
"Take a look at the boy!"
"Just incidentally?"
"Yes, monks do not tell lies. If I say incidentally, it is incidentally. Amitabha..."
The sound of chanting resumed. It was unknown if the "Stone Hashira" was reciting the 'Diamond Sutra' or the 'Sutra of Repentance'.
Full-time calendar, January 25th, morning.
Bidding farewell to his master and senior brother, he left Sagiri Mountain and headed straight for Fujikasane Mountain.
Roy left the Demon Slayer world and returned to the Hunter world. He ran an extreme test on the time... As it turned out, one day in the Hunter world equaled two rotating days in the Demon Slayer world!
In other words, from now on, Roy's "one day" not only had "48" hours, but could also have "72" hours. In the future, as his "Aura amount" increased and his understanding of "Nen abilities" deepened, it could even expand to "96"... "120"... or even "240" hours!
This greatly expanded the time available to him for training!
[Notification: "Sun Breathing" operated at Total Concentration for one day, "Constitution" +1".....]
A new day, a new start. Without Xiao Jin pecking him, the panel prompted Roy to get up.
The young man rolled out of bed and heard the great bell, located in the center of Zaban City, strike the hour.
He habitually glanced at the "curse" on the back of his hand and was momentarily stunned!
The "time" that was supposed to count down "second by second" seemed to have missed a second... From seven last night to five this morning, ten hours had passed. The numbers should have stopped at "9 years, 9 months, 8 days, 23 hours, 9 minutes, 9 seconds."
But the result was "9 minutes, 10 seconds"... It clearly didn't add up.
'Could it be because my Constitution has improved a little compared to yesterday?'
Roy suddenly thought of a saying... "When you are strong enough, even the gods will make way for you."
He glanced at the mark mockingly, got up, went for a morning run, ate, and then, bringing Gotoh and Kurajing, returned to the venue at three in the afternoon, right on time for the appointment.
Klang~
The elevator doors opened, and the young man appeared before Botobai at an unhurried pace.
Chen Long, who had been resting with his eyes closed, heard the footsteps and opened his eyes. He stared intently at him and said, "You've come."
"Yes, I've come."
"You shouldn't have come."
"But I am already here."