At six in the morning, Jack, who hadn't slept all night, finally finished reading the Complete Manual of Demon Slayer.
"Damn it! You call this Demon Slayer? This is clearly Hashira Slayer!"
"The Water Hashira and Wind Hashira, who barely survived, will also die at the age of 25 because of their demon slayer mark."
"In the end, the only one who truly survived was the retired Sound Hashira, wasn't it?!"
Suddenly, Jack thought of that guy having three wives, and his eyes rolled back as he collapsed onto the bed, seemingly unconscious.
"Ah, he's finally awake, that's great!"
"Yes, yes, but what about Sabito..."
"Hiss!" Jack instinctively clutched his temples; he felt as if his head had been filled with a large amount of paste.
"Damn it, I can't stay up late anymore, or I'll die suddenly sooner or later..."
Mid-sentence, a large segment of memories flooded into his brain like a tide, replaying on him as if he were there.
"This is, Father... Mother... Tsutako-nee-san... Master... Sabito?!
Jack looked incredulously at his hands, which were one or two sizes smaller, and he finally understood that he had transmigrated into a book.
And he had become Tomioka Giyu, the strongest Water Hashira in a hundred years!
"How did I transmigrate so inexplicably? Just because Tomioka Giyu and I both have an older sister? That shouldn't be..."
Thinking this, Jack re-examined himself, then his expression froze.
This was when Tomioka Giyu was thirteen years old, saved by Sabito, and had successfully passed the Final Selection.
"Damn it, if only time could have been a little earlier..."
Jack sighed, having no choice but to accept the fact that he had become Tomioka Giyu.
To be honest, he had longed for this world when watching the anime; he was already tired of his unchanging life.
Now that he was actually here, the excitement completely outweighed all other emotions.
"I'm sorry, Giyu, for not being able to save Sabito, but I, who knows the future, will continue to walk this path for you!"
His thoughts raced, and Jack's eyes firmed, thinking, 'From today on, I am Tomioka Giyu!'
One of the boys wiped away tears and stammered, "There's one more thing, Sabito..."
The other boy also looked sad, but he was more rational and recounted everything that had happened on that mountain.
Essentially, Sabito had single-handedly defeated almost all the demons on that mountain and saved many other boys and girls participating in the selection.
But in the end, he himself was left behind on that mountain forever.
If it weren't for saving people everywhere, which resulted in his stamina and nichirin blade being damaged, how could that Hand Demon have possibly killed Sabito?
Tomioka Giyu waved his hand, "I understand. Thank you for telling me. Someone will avenge him in the future!"
"Mm-hmm, there definitely will be!" The two boys said in unison, firmly.
Then, the boy in the striped kimono composed himself and reminded, "Oh, by the way, Tomioka, those who pass the Final Selection will be assigned a Kasugai Crow."
"You also need to choose a piece of tamahagane to forge your own nichirin blade."
"Someone should bring them to you shortly. You should rest well. We'll be leaving now."
Tomioka Giyu thanked them again. After the two left, he began to sort through his memories.
"Although I know all ten forms of Water Breathing, none of them are currently mastered, and I can't maintain Constant Full Focus Breathing."
"It's a bit awkward, but then again, it's pretty good for a thirteen-year-old Giyu to have achieved this."
"Becoming a Hashira in about three or four years? This time, I will try my best to improve my strength."
"Before the plot begins, I will make myself even stronger!"
Knock knock knock------
Hearing the knock, Tomioka Giyu reined in his wandering thoughts and said calmly, "Come in!"
The door opened, and a man dressed in black, similar to a samurai uniform, entered. His face was obscured, so his true appearance couldn't be seen, but his relatively young voice could be heard.
"Please follow me, Oyakata-sama wishes to see you!"
Tomioka Giyu was stunned, clearly not having processed it. At this time, he was just an unknown nobody.
If he were to be summoned, it should be at least a year or two later.
Although he was puzzled, he was still carried by a member of the 'Kakushi' to where Oyakata-sama was.
Leaving the Butterfly Mansion, Tomioka Giyu still found this mode of travel awkward. He could actually walk normally now.
But clearly, the 'Kakushi' didn't think so.
Soon, the 'Kakushi' brought him to a beautiful garden, complete with flowers, rockeries, and a small stream.
Inside the garden, Ubuyashiki Kagaya had long been waiting. He sat calmly on the tatami mat, a smile on his face.
At the same time, a small girl with snow-white hair stood by a table, on which lay several'stones'.
"Oyakata-sama, the person has been brought. I shall take my leave."
"Thank you for your hard work."
Ubuyashiki Kagaya's voice was as refreshing as a spring breeze, making one instinctively trust him.
Seeing this, Tomioka Giyu knelt on one knee, bowing his head slightly, and softly said, "Oyakata-sama."
From the bottom of his heart, he admired this Oyakata-sama. He remembered the name and life story of every fallen Demon Slayer Corps member, and he diligently visited their graves every day.
At the same time, he frequently used his abilities to foresee danger.
In the end, he even used his own life, along with his wife's and daughters', to initiate the final battle.
At this moment, Ubuyashiki Kagaya smiled and softly said, "You don't need to bow to me, stand up, child."
Tomioka Giyu shook his head, slowly rising, and said, "You are worthy of it."
Ubuyashiki Kagaya was slightly taken aback, clearly not expecting such reverence from this child who had just passed the Final Selection.
"I already know about Sabito. You don't need to blame yourself too much; his choice was not wrong."
"You must carry his part and walk forward with determination."
"I will, Oyakata-sama. Thank you for your guidance!" Tomioka Giyu smiled and bowed again.
Seeing Tomioka Giyu like this, Ubuyashiki Kagaya finally nodded with relief, then pointed towards his daughter and said,
"To slay demons, choose the steel that will protect you."
"And that Kasugai Crow..." As he spoke, a black crow flew onto Tomioka Giyu's shoulder.
"From now on, it will follow you. Kasugai Crows are mainly used for communication, and in the future, it will inform you of Demon Slayer Corps missions."
Tomioka Giyu stroked the Kasugai Crow's small head, thinking, 'How great would it be if this were a Spirit Beast~'
Walking to the table, he looked at the dozen or so pieces of tamahagane. He truly couldn't see any particular differences.
Finally, he chose what looked like the largest piece of tamahagane and said to the little girl, "This one."
The white-haired little girl, seeing his decision, softly said, "Alright, but the blade will take at least ten to fifteen days to forge."
"At that time, the swordsmith will personally deliver the blade to you. Please wait patiently."
Tomioka Giyu expressed his understanding, then bowed slightly to Ubuyashiki Kagaya, "Then I shall take my leave, Oyakata-sama."
Leaving the garden, Tomioka Giyu decided to return to his master's place first.
Sabito's death must have been a significant blow to Master Urokodaki, after all, he was the one who put that Hand Demon in the mountain.