At a glance, Xia Feng recognized the identities of the two newcomers.
Flame Hashira — Kyojuro Rengoku!
Sound Hashira — Tengen Uzui!
Both of them wore serious expressions, completely on guard.
Before they even arrived, they had already sensed the terrifying aura here.
The pressure released by Kokushibo had set off alarm bells in their minds!
Both were veteran Hashira who had seen countless battles, but even so, they had never encountered such a terrifying opponent.
Looking around, Tengen Uzui showed a puzzled expression.
"Where's the enemy?"
Mitsuri giggled.
"Mr. Xia Feng already drove him away."
Both men were stunned.
Before coming here, they had fully prepared themselves for a desperate battle to the death.
And now she was telling them—
The fight was already over?
Rengoku looked at Xia Feng in surprise.
"You must be… Special Advisor Xia Feng, correct? I am the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku! It's a pleasure to meet you!"
His voice was full of energy, his eyes wide open—he looked like a man overflowing with vitality.
Xia Feng nodded.
"I'm Xia Feng."
Uzui blinked.
"Um… can I ask something? What level was that demon just now?"
"Upper Rank One."
Xia Feng answered simply.
Uzui inhaled sharply.
Upper Rank One!
According to the Demon Slayer Corps' records, that demon had killed more than one Hashira.
Even until now, the Corps still didn't have detailed information about him.
Because every swordsman who fought Upper Rank One had died.
Including Hashira.
Uzui's gaze toward Xia Feng immediately carried a hint of respect.
Rengoku's eyes lit up.
"You actually drove away Upper Rank One?! Incredible! Truly incredible!"
"Can you tell me more about him? I really want to know!"
Xia Feng laughed slightly.
"If you want to hear about it, there'll be plenty of time later."
"For now, we should investigate Mount Fujikasane and make sure the examinees don't get dragged into this."
The two Hashira suddenly realized the situation.
"Understood! We'll go immediately!"
Rengoku and Uzui exchanged a glance, nodded together, and dashed off in different directions.
Meanwhile, Xia Feng headed toward the direction where Kanao had gone.
Seeing this, Mitsuri quickly followed him.
Running behind Xia Feng, she couldn't help but observe him.
Since meeting Xia Feng, she had already seen many sides of him.
The side where he joked casually with examinees who weren't even official Demon Slayers yet.
The side where he ran all over Mount Fujikasane, scouting for enemies to ensure safety.
The side where he ignored rules and secretly helped Kanao just because she was cute.
The lazy side where he slacked off from work.
The fearless side where he faced Upper Rank One without retreating.
The dramatic side where he pretended to be a mysterious master to scare the enemy.
And…
The moment when Kokushibo released that terrifying killing intent—
Xia Feng had stepped forward and shielded her from it.
Thinking about all those scenes, Mitsuri's face slowly turned red.
Xia Feng, however, didn't notice her reaction at all.
Even if he did, he probably wouldn't think much of it.
After all, Mitsuri practiced Love Breathing—she was naturally a hopeless romantic.
She could blush at almost anyone.
If he assumed she liked him just because she blushed, that would be way too narcissistic.
At that moment, a system notification sounded in Xia Feng's ear.
[You have gained Kanroji Mitsuri's Favorability.]
[Level: Trust]
[Reward: One Gold Card Draw!]
Xia Feng nodded with satisfaction.
He wasn't surprised by this result.
After fighting together in a battle of that level, if they still couldn't build some trust, Mitsuri would have to be extremely calculating.
Before long, Xia Feng spotted his target.
Kanao was moving quickly toward the final destination of the selection exam.
Not long ago, she had encountered a terrifying enemy like Upper Rank One.
Yet now she wasn't panicking, nor was she rushing back recklessly to interfere with the battle.
Instead, she calmly continued with the selection.
With that level of composure, it was no wonder Shinobu had chosen her as a Tsuguko.
After confirming Kanao was safe, Xia Feng changed direction and headed straight for the selection's endpoint.
Soon, the two arrived at an open clearing.
Seeing the blooming purple wisteria flowers around them, Mitsuri sighed with relief.
"Finally back among the wisteria… I feel so much safer now."
Xia Feng chuckled.
"Against Upper Ranks, wisteria alone isn't very effective."
"Otherwise, think about it—how did Upper Rank One get in here?"
Mitsuri shivered slightly after hearing that.
After a while, Rengoku and Uzui also arrived.
They walked up to Xia Feng.
"Special Advisor! We've checked everything."
"Although several examinees have died, their deaths were normal results of the selection process. No one was affected by Upper Rank-level interference!"
Rengoku reported loudly.
Uzui added,
"However, I did encounter a somewhat unusual demon along the way."
"That demon had probably eaten many humans and evolved into a special form."
"I was going to kill it casually, but before I could do anything, a red-haired kid took it down himself."
Xia Feng blinked.
Uzui was probably talking about the Hand Demon.
If Uzui hadn't mentioned it, Xia Feng might have forgotten about it entirely.
As for the red-haired boy—
It was almost certainly Tanjiro.
Xia Feng asked,
"A boy who uses Water Breathing?"
Uzui nodded.
"Yeah, Water Breathing. But…"
"His techniques looked a bit strange. Like he had modified part of the sword style."
"I'm not very familiar with Water Breathing, so I can't be completely sure."
Xia Feng felt slightly surprised.
From Uzui's description, Tanjiro might have already begun integrating Hinokami Kagura into his own swordsmanship.
That level of talent was truly terrifying.
After confirming everything was under control, Xia Feng asked Rengoku to write a report of the incident and sent it to headquarters using a crow.
Not long after, the crow returned.
"CAW! CAW! Headquarters orders!"
"After the Final Selection ends, all participants involved in the incident must report to headquarters for a Hashira Meeting!"
Hearing this, everyone exchanged glances.
A Hashira Meeting.
The highest-level meeting in the Demon Slayer Corps.
And this would be the first one since Xia Feng joined.
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed.
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