Mitsuri was watching him!
Such intense jealousy... [En] spread out in a wave-like form, resembling a large bowl inverted over the courtyard, silently enveloping everyone present. Roy glanced at Obanai Iguro and effortlessly captured his inner thoughts. The white snake wrapped around Obanai's neck, Kaburamaru, opened its mouth and flicked its tongue, its vertical pupils glowing...
Replacing Obanai Iguro's nearly blind right eye, the snake stared tightly at Roy. Unfortunately... the young man's gaze swept around the circle, passing directly by him. He paused for a split second on each of the other Hashira before finally looking at Giyu Tomioka and saying, "Senior Brother."
Giyu Tomioka, holding his Nichirin Sword, nodded slightly at him.
Roy disregarded the others, leaning on his sword and standing alone to one side, closing his eyes to rest his mind.
At a certain moment, suddenly...
Sitting beneath the corridor pillars, Gyomei Himejima, who had been silently weeping and chanting sutras, pressed his palms together and chanted a Buddhist name: "Amitabha, the Master has arrived!"
Shwah—
All the Hashira, whether previously lying down, standing, or crouching in trees leaning against pillars, instantly retracted their lazy postures. They lined up in a row, knelt on one knee facing Kagaya Ubuyashiki, who was walking slowly supported by Amane, and bowed respectfully.
"Greetings, my Master!"
For a thousand years, ever since Muzan Kibutsuji became a Demon, the Ubuyashiki family had battled him due to their 'curse'. After countless slaughters, they possessed a natural authority... coupled with the fact that the current head, Kagaya Ubuyashiki, valued his subordinates and possessed both responsibility and boldness, he was deeply loved by the Hashira. Thus, the moment he appeared, no one in the courtyard dared to stand with their back straight. In that instant...
It made Roy, standing upright to the side like a crane among chickens, seem completely out of place with the crowd!
'This guy has such a big attitude!'
'He doesn't bow when seeing the Master? Who does he think he is?'
'I don't care if he's a genius or not; who wasn't a genius back in the day?'
'Since he participated in the Demon Slayer Corps selection, he is a member of the Corps and should maintain at least the minimum respect for the Master!'
Shwah— Numerous gazes, accompanied by the inner voices of the crowd, shot toward Roy.
Invisible pressure was applied...
Giyu Tomioka frowned; he had anticipated this scene. He opened his mouth to explain something... but heard Gyomei Himejima clap his hands together with a pa sound, attracting everyone's attention. He spoke in a booming voice: "Kamado Eiichiro participated in the selection solely for revenge; he never joined the Demon Slayer Corps."
"Between him and us, there is only a cooperative relationship."
Cooperation? The Hashira wore various expressions.
At that moment, Kagaya Ubuyashiki stared with his nearly blind, pale eyes toward Roy and said with a smile, "Eiichiro, thank you for attending."
One sentence set the tone for this relationship.
On the right, a man with white hair sticking up like a hedgehog, scars branded on his face, wearing a white jacket over the black Demon Slayer uniform—Sanemi Shinazugawa—could not suppress his violent temper. He snorted two long streams of breath from his nose, looked up, and glared at Roy, who remained calm and composed as if his mind were wandering, only nodding slightly upon seeing Kagaya Ubuyashiki arrive...
Hand on his Nichirin Sword, Sanemi said, "Master, I will not oppose your decision, nor will I deliberately target anyone, but..."
Clang. Sanemi Shinazugawa drew his sword. The tip pointed distantly at Roy as he said, "A partner is also a companion. I must know if he has the strength to be worth entrusting my back to!"
"Haha!" A man with golden shoulder-length hair resembling a lion's mane, tipped with red embers, laughed loudly. Kyojuro Rengoku looked at Roy with burning eyes, his flame-like pupils equally ignited with fighting spirit as he said, "Sanemi, count me in too."
"Hiss..." Kaburamaru flicked its tongue, representing Obanai Iguro's will.
Tengen Uzui carried dual blades on his back, his index fingers tapping rhythmically as if seeing a flamboyant battle about to unfold. His eyes flashed, eager to try... To his left and right, the Insect Hashira remained silent, while the Love Hashira turned her head like a rattle drum, looking at this one and then that one, confused and at a loss...
Seeing this, Giyu Tomioka was just about to stand up... when he saw... Kagaya Ubuyashiki, supported by his wife Amane, actually bow to Roy. He apologized apologetically, "I am sorry. I offer you my sincerest apologies for failing to restrain my subordinates properly."
With a bend of his knees, Giyu sank back down.
Sanemi Shinazugawa, Kyojuro Rengoku, Obanai Iguro... aside from Gyomei Himejima, whose emotions were unclear due to his tears, all the Hashira:
"..."
"..."
They suddenly fell silent, watching this scene in shock. It was the first time they had seen... Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the noble head of the Ubuyashiki family, treat a person with such courtesy. Could it really be as the retired Water Hashira, Sakonji Urokodaki, had said—
That this young man, dressed in white training clothes with hair swaying like flames, possessed the ability to... kill the Demon King... Muzan Kibutsuji?
Whoosh~ A gust of wind blew past, swirling up a few wisteria petals.
Silence filled the Ubuyashiki mansion today.
Roy manipulated magnetism to lift his hand in a supporting gesture. Without any superfluous movement, he directly lifted Kagaya Ubuyashiki back up. He laughed appropriately and said, "This is a good thing. Master Kagaya does not need to apologize."
The young man's gaze swept around, looking at Kyojuro Rengoku, looking at Obanai Iguro, looking at Tengen Uzui... finally fixing on Sanemi Shinazugawa. He flicked his sleeve and said with approval, "If it were me, and someone suddenly joined such a secret meeting, I would certainly be suspicious too. So... they haven't done anything wrong. Why not let them be?"
His Hanafuda earrings swayed in the wind... Roy narrowed his eyes in a smile and said, "Are you going to come at me all together, or one by one?"
Gyomei Himejima's large hand, which had been moving his prayer beads, paused as he silently chanted a Buddhist name.
Sanemi Shinazugawa, who had been frozen in place by Kagaya Ubuyashiki's gesture, raised his lowered sword again. He stepped forward and said, "I'll do it!"
Without waiting for the other Hashira to react, he was the first to bow to Roy with his sword held high... Roy appreciated his directness and returned the bow. Upon looking up again, he suddenly heard the sound of wind roaring. Blade light wrapped in wind blades rushed straight for his face. Immediately, through Sanemi Shinazugawa's inner voice, he read the 'name' of this move as well as the rhythm and technique of 'Wind Breathing'...
"Wind Breathing · First Form · Dust Whirlwind Cutter!"
If discussing who was strongest among the nine Hashira, the Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa, would rank in the top three. In the original story, it was he, coordinating with the Stone Hashira Gyomei Himejima, who killed Upper Rank One, Kokushibo—who was none other than Yoriichi Tsugikuni's biological older brother, Michikatsu Tsugikuni!
Whoosh!
The sword wrapped in wind, the wind wrapped in blade chi; before it even reached Roy, it had already blown his long, fiery red hair into a chaotic dance.
The young man used [En] to capture Sanemi Shinazugawa's thoughts, savoring the 'Wind Breathing'. Unhurriedly, he reached out a hand and patted toward the surging wind blades... [Magnetism · Repel].
A transparent [Magnetic Field Wall] suddenly appeared, blocking the space in front of him. In an instant, it deflected all the wind blades attacking him!
"Which school of Breathing Style is this?" In a corner of the courtyard, Kenya Murakami, a [Hidden] directly serving Kagaya Ubuyashiki, didn't have great skill but was well-informed. He had some understanding of various schools and the Hashira's 'Breathing Styles', yet this was the first time he had seen...
Someone who could, without even drawing a sword, simply extend a palm and gently pat to block a wind-blade-wrapped strike from Lord Sanemi Shinazugawa!
"Eiichiro has improved again." Giyu Tomioka noticed Kyojuro Rengoku and Tengen Uzui exchanging a silent glance, just as when he had first fought Roy; the depth of the opponent was known from the very first move.
Exchanges between experts were not about trading blows back and forth; instead, victory and defeat were often decided instantly by a 'hair's breadth'.
Obanai Iguro gently stroked Kaburamaru's head to soothe its unease. Noting Roy's relaxed and freehand movements, how could his heart be calm?
He quietly glanced toward the Love Hashira... The girl, who had joined the Demon Slayer Corps only to find a husband stronger than herself, excitedly clenched her fists. A heart, unbeknownst to anyone, quietly shattered...
"Amitabha... it is a new school!"
Just like Muichiro Tokito's 'Mist', the Love Hashira's 'Love', and Obanai Iguro's 'Snake'... Gyomei Himejima had followed Kagaya Ubuyashiki the longest and was the strongest. His comprehension and mastery of 'Breathing Styles' were also the deepest. Just by the 'aura', he could distinguish... that gentle pat from Roy was a style that had never appeared in this world before.
Moreover... from the moment Kamado Eiichiro appeared here, he felt a constant unease in his heart, as if a hole had been opened in his chest and someone was looking right through him from the outside. He felt uncomfortable all over; even silently reciting the 'Calming Mantra' couldn't shake it off. Clearly... this was also the young man's doing.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki was nearly blind in both eyes, so he couldn't see clearly, but just listening to Gyomei's description, he knew clearly... the young man had done something incredible again!
'Very well, only after a fight can they sit down quietly to discuss matters.'
Just as Eiichiro said, since he had come, this battle was inevitable.
Shoo... shoo... shoo... The wind blades attacking Roy were bounced into the air by the [Magnetic Field Wall] and annihilated into nothingness.
Due to his original family and being a 'Marechi', Sanemi Shinazugawa's personality was a bit violent and rough, but he wasn't stupid. On the contrary... his battle IQ was exceptionally high. During the fight with Kokushibo, at a critical moment, he had used his brother Genya's gun to block a fatal strike for himself!
So, after a brief probe, noticing that the 'First Form' was insufficient to break Roy's defense, he immediately launched another strike...
"Wind Breathing · Eighth Form · Primary Gale Slash!"
Borrowing the momentum of a rapid, close-body thrust to close the distance with his opponent, and just as they brushed past each other, he flipped his wrist and delivered a spinning slash, bypassing the [Magnetic Field Wall] to find Roy's opening.
Unfortunately... with his inner thoughts completely exposed, Sanemi Shinazugawa had been anticipated by Roy from the moment he started the move. Being one step ahead, Roy captured his movements and manipulated the [Magnetic Field Wall] to move behind him, hard-blocking this strike and bouncing Sanemi Shinazugawa away!
'Wind... Sun...' The young man didn't turn his head. This time he didn't even move his hand, continuing to savor Sanemi Shinazugawa's understanding of [Wind]. That calm, unhurried manner made everyone look at each other in dismay.
"There is a wall in front of him." Ever since his brother Yuichiro died, Muichiro Tokito had killed a Demon to avenge him. Because of the physical and mental trauma, he had temporarily lost his memory, looking dazed all day long. At this moment... a ripple appeared in his empty eyes.
He stared blankly at Roy and said, "He can control the wall's movement. If you can't break the wall, you can't hurt him."
'A wall?'
"Such a bizarre Breathing Style... not flamboyant at all..." Tengen Uzui crossed his arms and rubbed his chin in thought. In his life, he considered the most difficult enemies to be... those with a 'turtle shell', impenetrable to oil or blades...
"Mn, indeed tough enough!" Kyojuro Rengoku said seriously, "Sanemi is angry."
His eyes widened, and the scars on his face crawled hideously like centipedes... Sanemi Shinazugawa, seeing two strikes fail to take effect, felt his violent temper rise. Refusing to believe in evil, he swung his sword to slash again... This time, disregarding everything else, he poured all his strength into activating his Breathing Style, "Wind Breathing · Total Concentration: Constant!"
Suddenly, two streams of white vapor sprayed from his nostrils. His body temperature rose, his heart rate doubled, and his state instantly elevated, far exceeding the previous level by twofold. He was getting serious!
"Wind Breathing · Second Form · Claws-Purifying Wind... Third Form · Clean Storm Wind Tree... Fourth Form · Rising Dust Storm..."
Whoosh~ A gale rose, making people's faces feel tight!
Wind blades rolled up dust, whipping up a whirlwind of sand that engulfed heaven and earth... The crowd couldn't help but cover their eyes, peeking only through the gaps between their fingers...
Roy stood in the center of the sandstorm. As Sanemi Shinazugawa acted out 'Wind Breathing' move by move, accelerating his understanding of 'Wind', Roy gradually gained enlightenment and whispered lightly: "Ken."
The [Magnetic Field Wall] was suddenly coated with a layer of purple magnetic force, firmly protecting Roy in the center.
His feet were nailed to the ground like an old rooted tree. No matter how Sanemi Shinazugawa 'battered him with wind and rain', he remained immovable... At a certain moment, his eyes lit up. Through [En], capturing Sanemi Shinazugawa's inner voice, he comprehended 'Wind Breathing'.
One must know, all conditioned phenomena are like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a shadow; like dew or a flash of lightning; thus should one view them.
'Breathing Styles' were passed down from Yoriichi Tsugikuni. Since all schools were derived from 'Sun Breathing', they naturally could not escape the restriction of the 'Sun'.
On a physical level, the sun is the primary driving force behind the formation of wind. Because radiation causes uneven heating of the earth's surface, it triggers air movement, thereby forming wind.
So, in the final analysis, the so-called wind is nothing more than a 'byproduct' derived from the sun shining upon the earth...
One slash... two slashes... three slashes... Sanemi Shinazugawa didn't know how many times he swung his sword, but he simply couldn't break the magnetic field wall. In his anxiety... he gritted his teeth, leaped into mid-air directly above Roy's head, and unleashed his ultimate technique, his final resort...
"Wind Breathing · Ninth Form · Idaten Typhoon!"
Whoosh!
The typhoon rose, seemingly about to destroy the courtyard!
Kenya Murakami, responsible for guiding Roy, was caught off guard. Realizing the danger, he turned to run, but was still half a beat too slow. His body floated up, blown directly away by the wind. It was a close call... Kyojuro Rengoku was a step faster, channeling 'Flame Breathing' to transform into a streak of fire, catching him by the waist and saving him, avoiding a face-plant into the dirt!
"Amitabha, having gone this far, it should be enough..."
The Buddhist chant rose. Gyomei Himejima quietly shielded Kagaya Ubuyashiki behind him. With two lines of hot tears flowing from his compassionate eyes, he was about to call a stop to this battle as he spoke.
Unexpectedly—
In a flash, a typhoon strangely whipped up from nowhere again!
The force of the wind was actually more violent than the typhoon whipped up by Sanemi Shinazugawa!