Chapter 11 — Hikaru-Style
As for who he would choose as his personal mentor...
The answer had been clear from the beginning.
"I'll be in your care once more… Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho-sama."
Hikaru turned slightly to the side. His calm black eyes reflected the noonday sun, like the surface of a still lake shimmering with light.
Shinobu, as always, smiled gently.
"Since this is a direct request from Oyakata-sama, of course I won't refuse."
Her soft voice carried no surprise, no hesitation.
Hikaru returned her smile without words.
After parting ways with Kagaya Ubuyashiki, they walked side by side, heading back toward the Butterfly Mansion. The sun stood high overhead, and the shadows cast by their steps followed closely at their heels.
Then, without warning, Shinobu stopped.
"…May I ask something?" she said, still smiling. "Why did you choose me?"
It wasn't pride or doubt that prompted her question—only simple curiosity.
She was known as the Hashira most suited for guidance and instruction. But Hikaru no longer seemed like someone who needed to be taught.
He had crafted his own martial art. He possessed a unique system that allowed him to comprehend techniques at a speed most would find impossible.
He didn't appear to need guidance—at least not in the traditional sense.
So why?
"Because…" Hikaru said calmly, "you're just like me."
"…Like you?" Shinobu tilted her head.
He nodded slightly, his pace matching hers again.
"I know most of the Hashira have some kind of inborn gift. Physical strength that defies logic, heightened senses, or a body far beyond ordinary limits."
"For example, the Love Hashira—she possesses physical strength six times greater than the average person."
Shinobu listened quietly, not interrupting.
"But you," he continued, "don't have that."
Though he'd stayed within the Butterfly Mansion, Hikaru hadn't been blind to the outside world. From the girls who cared for him—especially Aoi Kanzaki—he'd heard many things.
"You rely on knowledge. Poison, medicine, treatment strategies… Physically, you're no stronger than a normal human. Even with a Breathing Technique, you can't behead a demon on your own."
"But despite that… you became a Hashira."
"I have no talent. But I want to be like you."
"To overcome monsters… with the strength of a human."
That last line wasn't just a nice-sounding phrase.
It was the truth.
The system he possessed was merely a tool. Hikaru had never forgotten who he really was. In this world, he wasn't a genius. He wasn't born with a body that defied logic. He wasn't someone chosen by fate.
He was just a normal person.
But that didn't mean normal people couldn't surpass demons.
Humanity's greatest strength wasn't muscle or instinct.
It was intelligence.
It was knowledge.
That was what he had brought from his modern world into this one.
Shinobu looked at him, her expression softening. The smile she always wore—like a mask of calm and cheerfulness—faded slightly.
For the first time, she wasn't smiling.
Because in Hikaru…
She saw the shadow of someone precious.
Her sister—the previous Flower Hashira, who had died at the hands of a demon.
They were alike. People who walked the path they believed in. People who chose their road without hesitation.
"…I see."
After a moment of silence, Shinobu's smile returned.
"Hm… I suppose I've spoken too much," Hikaru said lightly. "Anyway… starting today, I'll be relying on you."
A new chapter had begun.
Intensive training would start.
The path toward greater strength was opening.
"…If you don't mind, I'd also be willing to teach you the martial art I've developed," he added. "Think of it as… a fair exchange."
There was no arrogance in his voice.
No hidden motives.
Just a sincere desire to share.
Because when one's mind is calm, it becomes easier to look within and understand one's own heart.
"Let's go," he said.
Shinobu didn't answer.
She simply turned around… and walked ahead.
Hikaru followed quietly behind her.
A soft summer breeze drifted through, brushing against his dark hair.
A blue-violet butterfly fluttered across the path, tracing a trail of color beneath the sun.
Its wings shimmered…
Like petals in the wind.
Or perhaps…
Like the girl walking before him.
— — —
Elsewhere, in the courtyard of the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters…
Kagaya Ubuyashiki still sat quietly on the veranda, eyes turned toward the path Hikaru and Shinobu had taken.
He coughed softly.
"Oyakata-sama…"
One of the female attendants moved to help him, but he gently raised a hand to stop her.
Then, Kagaya looked up toward the roof.
"You can come out now… all of you."
His voice was as soft as a spring breeze—yet carried a weight no one could ignore.
In an instant—
Eight figures emerged into the courtyard.
Tall, short, graceful, massive, calm, intense—each one unique, and yet all of them…
Hashira.
"Greetings, Oyakata-sama," they said in unison, bowing with reverence.
Kagaya raised a hand to settle the mood.
"No need for formality," he said softly. "Please… take a look at this."
He held out the manuscript Hikaru had written—the foundation of his martial art.
Each page was filled with neat, compact black ink. Handwritten, yet detailed enough to serve as a guidebook.
One by one, the Hashira took turns reading it.
"Whoa!! This is incredible!!" roared Kyojuro Rengoku, the Flame Hashira, his booming voice full of energy.
"Indeed," Giyu Tomioka, the Water Hashira, said quietly. Having once fought alongside Hikaru, his opinion carried weight.
This wasn't just a style of unarmed combat—it could be blended with swordplay. It had potential both as a supplementary skill for current members and as a training system for the next generation.
"It might just lead to a major shift in the Corps…" Mitsuri Kanroji, the Love Hashira, said with a soft smile.
"Un… un… un…" Iguro Obanai, the Serpent Hashira, nodded quickly.
"Then let's settle it here," Kagaya said, glancing around at the others.
"Shinobu may not be present, but I already know her thoughts."
He glanced at a blue-violet butterfly resting atop a wooden pillar.
"She has no objections."
"Agreed."
"I support it."
"No issues here."
One by one, the Hashira gave their unanimous approval.
"In that case," Kagaya said as he rose to his feet, "let the order be issued."
"Every member of the Demon Slayer Corps will be scheduled for this training."
"All trainers and instructors responsible for guiding new recruits will receive a full copy of this manuscript."
"Should we give this technique a name?" Rengoku asked cheerfully.
Kagaya paused for a moment…
And then answered clearly:
"Call it… Hikaru Style."
A style born from a single young man named Hikaru.
A name that would, in time, become a symbol of transformation.
And a light in the darkness.
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