Chapter 97: Giyuu's Consistent Performance
Akira and Kanae shared a pleasant lunch at the Kanroji residence, where the Kanroji couple officially became acquainted with Kanae. Thanks to the easygoing nature of everyone involved, the meal was a thoroughly harmonious affair.
However, the two didn't linger for long. After finishing their food and exchanging pleasantries, they took their leave. Their next destination was the Rengoku estate. It was only proper; Shinjuro had been graciously looking after Kanae's patrol district for the past two days, and since they were in the area, it would have been discourteous not to pay him a visit.
Besides, Akira was keen to see if the advice he had given some time ago had borne the fruit he intended.
...
"Welcome, Kanzaki-senpai, Kocho-senpai."
"I've told you before... ah, forget it..." No matter how many times he heard it, Akira still couldn't quite acclimate to the title of 'senpai' coming from Kyojuro, a young man who was his own age.
Still, judging by the fact that Kyojuro's voice wasn't booming at an unnaturally high volume, Akira's earlier words must have had their desired effect.
Seeing the rare flicker of unease on Akira's face, Kanae elegantly covered her mouth with her hand, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. "You must be Kyojuro. You're just as passionate and spirited as Shinjuro-senpai."
"Thank you for the compliment," Kyojuro responded with a bright smile, leading the two of them into the house.
As they walked, Akira initiated the conversation. "Kyojuro, have you encountered any particularly troublesome demons on your missions lately?"
"Hmm," the young Flame Breathing user mused, "I haven't run into any overwhelmingly powerful demons, no. But there was one with a rather tricky Blood Demon Art—a demon that could control a person's body through the sound of its flute. Fortunately, thanks to your reminder, Kanzaki-senpai, I carried earplugs with me. While they couldn't block the influence entirely, it was enough to buy me the time I needed to slay the demon."
Hearing Kyojuro's account, Akira gave a subtle, satisfied nod. In the original story, the reason Kyojuro's voice was so famously loud was because he had encountered that very demon early in his career. To defeat it, he had been forced to rupture his own eardrums, resulting in a permanent decline in his hearing that made him speak at a much higher volume.
Remembering this, back when he was training in Flame Breathing at the Rengoku estate, Akira had casually mentioned that demon abilities were strange and varied, with some affecting their targets through sight or sound. He had suggested that Kyojuro carry a pair of earplugs on missions, just in case.
Kyojuro's answer, combined with the knowing look on Akira's face, did not go unnoticed by Kanae. Her gaze lingered on him for a moment longer than usual, but she simply filed the observation away in her heart.
"I was wondering why Kocho took leave as well," a boisterous voice suddenly cut in. Shinjuro appeared, slinging a familiar arm around Akira's shoulders with a teasing grin. "So you two little lovebirds are out on a date?"
"Our dates are a bit more involved than this," Akira replied smoothly, deftly sidestepping the tease. He then changed the subject. "Where's Obanai? I don't see him around."
At the mention of the boy, Shinjuro's expression softened, and he sighed. "That child... I sent him off to learn a Breathing Technique. There's always been a hurdle in his heart, and he's chosen to overcome it by dedicating himself to killing every last demon."
Shinjuro was well aware of the immense burden that frail-looking boy carried. The decision Obanai had made came as no surprise.
"It's just that his body is still quite weak," Shinjuro continued, a note of concern in his voice. "Even after nearly a year of recuperating here with us, he still looks so fragile. With his level of physical strength, the only real option for him was Water Breathing, which has the lowest barrier to entry."
"So you sent him to Urokodaki-senpai?" Akira asked, having already assumed that Obanai's physical condition would lead him to Water Breathing.
"How could I?" Shinjuro countered immediately. "With that child's constitution, he'd never survive the traps Urokodaki has set up all over that mountain."
"True," Akira conceded with a thoughtful frown.
...
After spending a while longer at the Rengoku estate, the pair finally set off on their journey back to the Butterfly Mansion. They were about halfway home when a Kasugai Crow descended from the sky with a message—a Hashira Meeting was to be held at the Ubuyashiki Estate in two days' time.
Sabito had finally met the demon-slaying quota for promotion to Hashira.
"Oh, Sabito has finally become a Hashira," Kanae remarked, a playful light dancing in her eyes. "I'm actually a little curious what kind of expression he made when he heard that you, the newest member of the Corps, became a Hashira before him. It's a pity I didn't have a chance to go to Mount Sagiri and see it for myself."
"Knowing Sabito-shixiong's personality..." Akira mused, picturing his friend. "He'd probably be surprised at first, then genuinely happy for me. After that, he'd just channel it all into a burst of energy and work even harder at his training and demon slaying."
"That's true," Kanae agreed with a soft laugh. "If it were just him, that's exactly what would happen. But if Giyuu was standing beside him... I wonder if he would say something that accidentally stabs him in the heart."
Akira nodded in solemn agreement. Sabito's nature was to be inspired by those around him, not to feel envy. In that respect, he was quite similar to Kyojuro. "Giyuu-shixiong's mouth..."
The fact that even the ever-gracious Kanae trailed off, unsure of how to properly evaluate him, spoke volumes about the phenomenon that was Tomioka Giyuu. He was truly a good person, but he was cursed with that mouth.
"Speaking of which," Akira began, a new thought occurring to him, "Makomo is already the Water Hashira. Will Sabito-shixiong change his title, or will he take Makomo's place? I don't think there's ever been a time in the history of the Demon Slayer Corps with two Hashira using the same Breathing Style simultaneously."
A mischievous glint appeared in Akira's eyes as an idea struck him. "How about this: Makomo is the Water Hashira, Sabito can be the River Hashira, and when Giyuu gets promoted later, he'll be the Sea Hashira. What do you think?"
The warm smile on Kanae's face stiffened for a fraction of a second. "Is Kanzaki-kun telling some kind of cold joke?"
"It seems it wasn't very funny," Akira noted, immediately abandoning the topic. "In any case, having two or even three Water Hashira at the same time shouldn't be a problem."
He quickly pivoted to a more serious line of thought. "Although the title of 'Hashira' carries a certain symbolic weight, for the ultimate goal of slaying demons, the more Hashira, the better. It wouldn't be a very good rule to deny a promotion to someone who has the strength and has met all the criteria. No matter how you look at it, that would be counterproductive."
"Kagaya-sama shouldn't be such a rigid person," Kanae added.
"The Master... although I haven't had much contact with him, he really doesn't seem like the type who is incapable of being flexible."
"Well, we'll know for sure in two days," Akira concluded. "In any case, since the meeting has been announced, Sabito's promotion is a certainty."
Just like that, two days passed in a flash.
Early that morning, Akira arrived at the Ubuyashiki Estate alongside Makomo and Kanae. As they approached the entrance, they saw Sabito and Giyuu, who had also just arrived together.
Akira couldn't help but notice the faint, but distinct, dark circles under Giyuu's eyes. It was an odd sight; with the physical enhancement granted by Total Concentration Breathing, a swordsman shouldn't show signs of fatigue unless they had stayed up the entire night.
"Congratulations, Sabito," Akira said with a genuine smile.
"Thanks," Sabito replied, his eyes already burning with competitive fire. "How about we spar after the meeting?"
Before Akira could even form a response to the challenge, Giyuu spoke from the side, his tone perfectly calm and level.
"I really admire your courage."
The unspoken meaning hung in the air, thick and heavy: Knowing you're no match for him but still daring to issue a challenge—your courage truly earns my respect, shixiong.
"Pfft—"
Three distinct sounds of suppressed laughter broke the morning quiet. Akira, Kanae, and Makomo all turned away, trying desperately to hold back their mirth. Nearby, Shinjuro and Gyomei, who had been about to walk over and offer their greetings, both froze in their tracks, momentarily stunned.
"Well, a spar is no problem, of course," Akira said quickly, seeing Sabito's face begin to flush as if he were about to overheat. "I'd also like to see how much progress you've made this past year. By the way, why did Giyuu come along?"
He skillfully diverted the attention. The Hashira Meetings were exclusive to the Hashira and those specially invited by the Master. Any special invitees would have been notified by a crow in advance. Giyuu's presence was indeed a source of curiosity.
"He happened to complete his own quota by slaying his last required demon last night," Sabito explained, clapping a hand on Giyuu's shoulder. "It was just before dawn, so there was no need to send an extra notification."
'Good grief,'Akira thought, glancing at Giyuu's tired eyes.'He really did stay up all night.'
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