Kagaya believed that Sanemi and Obanai would know where to draw the line. Moreover, he truly wanted to see whether this method would work, so he did not stop them.
Giyu said nothing and also drew his Nichirin Blade.
"Hehehe… I'm going in."
Sanemi laughed a few times, then flicked his blade and charged straight at Giyu, swinging down with all his strength.
Giyu raised his sword to block.
At that instant, the blue and green blades collided, sparks bursting forth. The point of impact immediately turned crimson, the color spreading rapidly along both blades.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Seeing this, Sanemi did not stop. Instead, he slashed three more times at Giyu. Giyu blocked every strike. By then, both of their Nichirin Blades had completely turned red.
Only then did Sanemi step back, looking thoroughly satisfied. Obanai immediately stepped forward.
"My turn."
With those words, Obanai also engaged Giyu, their blades clashing repeatedly. After four exchanges, Obanai's Nichirin Blade turned crimson as well. He withdrew with a look of lingering reluctance.
Giyu's expression never changed. He quietly returned his blade to its sheath.
Everyone present had clearly seen what had just occurred.
"It seems Gyomei's method is also viable," Kagaya said. "As for how effective the Crimson Blade truly is, that will have to be verified during future missions. I hope it can grant you all a greater advantage when fighting demons.
"And once again, thank you, Yō, for discovering this ability and being willing to share it."
After witnessing everything, Kagaya turned with a gentle smile to Kazuki and expressed his gratitude.
"This is what I should do, Master," Kazuki replied with a slight bow.
Kagaya smiled, then addressed all the Hashira. "That concludes the two matters for today. Thank you all for coming.
"Until next time, my children."
Those four words—until next time—carried a deeper meaning. They were Kagaya's hope that the Hashira would safely triumph over demons, as well as his own hope that his body would endure long enough to see the next Hashira meeting.
What would normally be an ordinary farewell felt heavy and bittersweet here. Thinking of their master's steadily declining health, the Hashira all felt a trace of sorrow.
"Until next time, Master."
They had spoken wishes for Kagaya's safety countless times before. Now, they simply echoed the same words back to him, expressing the same hope he held.
After exchanging farewells, the Hashira left the courtyard together—except for Giyu, who, as always, came alone and departed alone.
"Master, about what happened today—"
Because his stance today had been opposed to Kyojuro's, Kazuki felt a slight knot in his heart and intended to apologize or say something. However, before he could finish, Kyojuro interrupted him.
"Don't worry about it! Having your own perspective is perfectly natural! And your reasoning wasn't wrong at all! The final test convinced me as well! I'm now willing to temporarily acknowledge that pair of siblings!"
Hearing Kyojuro's words, warmth spread through Kazuki's heart.
Sensei really is good at understanding people…
"Thank you, Sensei," Kazuki said with a smile. The lingering discomfort in his heart had completely vanished.
Sanemi, after overhearing their conversation, left on his own. Even though Nezuko had passed the rare-blood trial, he still couldn't truly accept them. However, he had already stated that he would acknowledge them if she passed, leaving him with nothing more to say.
After walking some distance, the Hashira gradually went their separate ways. Thinking of Zenitsu—who had been wrapped up like a mummy with severe injuries—and Tanjiro, Kazuki turned toward the Butterfly Mansion.
He stepped inside and immediately saw Kanao surrounded by fluttering butterflies.
Not seeing anyone else around, Kazuki could only walk toward her helplessly.
"Excuse me, may I visit the injured patients who were brought here—Agatsuma Zenitsu and Kamado Tanjiro? Could you tell me where they are?"
He asked Kanao.
He really didn't want to ask her, because she never responded. Ever since he'd met her, quite some time had passed, yet she still hadn't spoken a single word to him.
Kanao didn't answer, merely smiling as usual.
I knew it…
Kazuki felt a bit helpless.
"Then I'll go in and look for them myself, all right?" he asked again.
As expected, she still didn't speak. Kazuki went inside on his own, and Kanao didn't stop him.
Entering the Butterfly Mansion, Kazuki was still wondering how to find Zenitsu and Tanjiro's room when he spotted the Kakushi who had carried Tanjiro earlier, along with the girl who had once brought food to Kyojuro, walking toward him.
By now, Kazuki had learned her name from other members' conversations. She was a logistics staff member of the Demon Slayer Corps, named Kanzaki Aoi.
At once, his worries about finding the room disappeared. He stepped forward and asked, "Miss Kanzaki, are Zenitsu and Tanjiro here?"
"Kazuki-sama." ×2
Seeing Kazuki, both the Kakushi and Kanzaki Aoi bowed respectfully. After all, he was now a Hashira—highly respected within the Demon Slayer Corps.
"You really don't have to do that…" Kazuki said, feeling a bit awkward. He still wasn't used to it.
"Are you here to visit them, Kazuki-sama?" Kanzaki Aoi asked with a smile.
She had also heard rumors about Kazuki—how he had joined the Corps less than a month ago, slain Lower Rank Two, and become a Hashira. His feats had already spread throughout the Corps, though Kazuki himself wasn't very aware of it.
There were also rumors that he had a gentle temperament, being kind to ordinary members and lower-ranked swordsmen alike. That alone made him stand out among the Hashira, giving many who hadn't met him yet a favorable impression.
Now that she'd met him in person, Kanzaki Aoi found those rumors completely believable.
"Yes. I met them during the Final Selection—they're my friends," Kazuki nodded.
"Kazuki-sama, you're really kind. Even as a Hashira, you came personally to visit them," Kanzaki Aoi said admiringly.
He was one of the few Hashira she'd seen who was both normal-tempered and kind.
"They're in the ward up ahead. I'll show you the way."
"Thank you," Kazuki replied with a smile.
Kanzaki Aoi then led him toward Zenitsu and Tanjiro's room.
"How are they recovering? Is the treatment going smoothly?" Kazuki asked as they walked.
Hearing the question, Kanzaki Aoi's expression turned troubled, and she complained softly, "Tanjiro was just brought in, and his injuries aren't too severe. He should recover fairly quickly.
"But Zenitsu's condition is more serious—and he's very uncooperative with treatment. Just getting him to take his medicine takes ages of crying and fussing before he finally agrees."
Thinking about how Zenitsu would need to recuperate for quite some time yet, Kanzaki Aoi felt a headache coming on.
"Uh… then you've really had it rough," Kazuki said.
Recalling Zenitsu's personality, he could already picture the scene vividly.
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