After that, Vincent Fox was invited to join the Hashira meeting.
"Kid, talk. How did you awaken the mark?"
Sanemi Shinazugawa, the Wind Hashira, stared Vincent down and demanded an answer.
"Mr. Vincent," Shinobu Kocho added smoothly, sensing Sanemi's tone was a perfect way to earn Vincent's dislike, "based on what Rengoku said, your state when you fought Upper Rank Three, Akaza, was extremely close to what we call the mark. Do you have any tips you can share?"
They were all monsters in their own right, and Shinobu's gentle phrasing immediately made Vincent's mood lighten.
At that moment, Amane Ubuyashiki, the Master's wife, stepped forward.
"The Master, Kagaya, is unwell. I'm afraid it will be difficult for him to appear before you all from this day on. Please allow me to speak in his place, and accept my sincere apologies."
With that, Amane lowered herself into a formal kneel and bowed deeply.
The room fell silent. Every Hashira sobered at once.
Gyomei Himejima, the Stone Hashira, pressed his palms together. Two streams of tears rolled from his eyes.
"I understand. I hope the Master can extend his life as much as possible. Lady Amane… please stay strong."
"Thank you," Amane replied softly. "Amane thanks all of you Hashira."
Then the meeting's true agenda began.
Amane sat before them. She did not have Kagaya's overwhelming presence, but she carried herself well.
"You all should already know this. In the last battle, a demon appeared that, according to our records, is the first to resist sunlight."
"If nothing changes, Kibutsuji Muzan will certainly launch a total assault to obtain what he wants. A final large-scale war is close."
"According to the reports, during the fight against the Upper Ranks, Mr. Muichiro Tokito and Ms. Mitsuri Kanroji manifested a special mark."
"Additionally, based on Rengoku's report, Mr. Vincent also seems to have entered a similar state."
"I heard Mr. Tokito's explanation earlier. Ms. Kanroji, could you share what you felt at the moment your mark awakened?"
Everyone turned, curious, toward Mitsuri.
"Yes!"
Mitsuri nodded hard and stepped into view.
"At the time, it was like… bang! And then I suddenly felt super hot, and my ears went woo woo woo, like my hearing got way better, and my heart went thump thump thump, and then it just… gua gua gua, it came, really really fast!"
Everyone blinked.
This was… some kind of abstract genius at work.
Thump.
Realizing how embarrassing that sounded, Mitsuri folded forward into a deep bow.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry… I want to dig a hole in the ground and crawl into it…"
"And Mr. Vincent?" Amane asked, clearly no longer placing her hopes on Mitsuri's explanation. She turned to him.
Vincent considered for a moment. He realized they might be mistaking his Ultra Instinct-like state for the Demon Slayer mark.
"If we're talking about experience… back then, it felt like my mind sank."
"Everything slowed down in my eyes. But it doesn't seem exactly the same as your mark state. What's different… I can't really explain."
Great.
Another explanation that somehow said everything and nothing.
After the meeting, the Demon Slayer Corps established specialized guidance for its members. With war approaching, everyone had to maintain peak condition.
The Hashira trained the corps members in stages. Even Amane, who normally stayed out of the front lines, joined the training efforts.
Tanjiro and the others also participated. Their impressive stamina made them stand out.
As for Vincent, the Hashira all agreed he already met the requirements to be a Hashira. He simply needed time and missions to raise his Corps rank. Their training would do nothing for him except waste time.
So Vincent returned to his own tasks.
One day, Amane Ubuyashiki summoned Vincent personally.
"Mr. Vincent, please don't resent me for taking your time. The Master specifically instructed me to entrust you with an important mission."
"Of course not," Vincent said calmly. "Please, go ahead."
He sat before her, listening closely.
Amane nodded and produced a letter from her sleeve.
"Long ago, the Master noticed a demon woman. Lady Tamayo. Like us, she considers Muzan her mortal enemy, and for hundreds, even thousands of years, she has been fighting him in her own way."
"Now that the final war is near, time is short. The Master wishes to invite Lady Tamayo to Demon Slayer headquarters, so we can discuss how to destroy Muzan."
Vincent paused, then spoke carefully.
"Invite a demon… to Demon Slayer headquarters?"
"If that feels like too much pressure, then please forget I said anything," Amane replied, bowing again as she rose, as if preparing to withdraw the request.
Vincent lifted a hand gently.
"It's fine. Leave it to me. Right now, I'm probably the only one who still has time."
He wasn't wrong. The entire Corps was on high alert. Even the Hashira were so busy they could barely breathe.
Vincent accepted the letter and tucked it into his clothing.
"Wait for my good news."
With that, Vincent turned and left headquarters.
Guided by the Ubuyashiki messenger crow, Vincent fully unleashed his speed on the road.
He didn't take long to reach the estate where Lady Tamayo lived.
"They really are hidden deep," Vincent muttered. "If it weren't for the crow, even knowing she existed, finding her would be a nightmare."
He sprang lightly, vaulted the wall, and slipped inside.
On the second floor, lamplight cast the silhouette of a woman through a window.
Vincent leapt up and swung himself onto the sill.
Inside, Lady Tamayo sat at her desk, studying the blood samples Tanjiro had delivered, the blood of the Twelve Kizuki and Nezuko.
"Unbelievable…" she murmured. "Nezuko's blood has changed so much in such a short time."
"If my assessment is correct… she may become the first demon in a thousand years to fear no sunlight."
"And this…"
Tamayo looked to the side, at a newly developed serum.
This was a first-generation formula derived from the Twelve Kizuki's blood.
"If nothing goes wrong, it may be our best hope of returning demons to humanity."
"But it's only the first generation. I can't guarantee what side effects it might carry… I should confirm its safety before sending it to Tanjiro."
She exhaled slowly and opened the window.
Even for a demon, maintaining that level of concentration for so long wore her down.
Then she saw a figure, sitting casually on the window frame.
"Lady Tamayo," Vincent said, lifting a hand in greeting. "Hello."
"Good evening," the visitor continued lightly, "though leaving your window open really isn't safe."
"But tonight's moon is truly beautiful. It's been a long time since I've seen one this lovely."
----------------------------------------------------
The deeper he goes, the more the truth unravels. Don't wait read ahead and witness Vincent's rise before the world catches up!
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