Hiru looked around and felt there were far too few people here.
Hundreds of years ago, the Demon Slayer Corps had eight Hashira.
Now, even counting Yoriichi and Himejima, there were only three.
What? Him?
He would probably withdraw the moment they finished questioning him about the Bright Red Nichirin Sword. How could he possibly count?
Just as he was thinking that, another person arrived under the guidance of the Kakushi.
Hiru's first reaction upon seeing the newcomer was flashy—so flashy it practically bordered on light pollution.
The man stood tall with white hair and crimson eyes, and his features were undeniably handsome. Unfortunately, he was buried beneath far too many unnecessary embellishments. The diamond-studded ornament on his forehead already drew attention, yet he also wore two conspicuous gold earrings on his left ear. His left eye was framed with bright, radiating red makeup, and his fingernails were painted in alternating colors.
And that still wasn't everything. Below the deltoids of both arms were golden armbands, and each wrist carried two more gold bracelets. A striking red scarf was wrapped around his neck. If he weren't genuinely attractive, Hiru would have assumed some mutated, overly glamorous demon had walked in.
[This guy is weird.]
Hiru noted this silently in his heart.
And once the man spoke, that assessment only became more certain.
"So this is the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters?" he said with a grin, lips curling upward. "What an utterly unflashy place! It's completely unworthy of me—the splendid God of Festivals!"
[This guy definitely has something wrong with him.]
Hiru quickly averted his gaze, though before long he found himself sneaking another glance.
[But his features and bone structure really are nice… And he has white hair and crimson eyes like my brother. Brother's Slayer Mark is red too. If this person would just adjust his aesthetic sense a bit…]
"But fear not! Now that your flashy God of Festivals has arrived, I shall make all of you just as flashy as myself! Hahahahaha!"
[No—don't adjust your aesthetic sense. Just turn mute first.]
Hiru shifted his gaze again, letting it rest comfortably on Yoriichi.
[Yes… much better on the eyes.]
"Now that everyone has arrived, let us begin today's meeting." The young man from earlier spoke once more, bowing deeply. "I would first like to express my gratitude for your contributions to the Demon Slayer Corps. Ubuyashiki Kagaya, on behalf of the Ubuyashiki family, offers you our sincere thanks."
Hiru glanced around. Even counting himself and Ubuyashiki Kagaya, there were only six people present.
Himejima and Yoriichi had each slain members of the Twelve Kizuki recently, meaning they were new Hashira.
The white-haired newcomer clearly seemed to be here for the first time.
So this generation of the Demon Slayer Corps had only one Flame Hashira?!
What were they planning to fight Muzan with?
Or rather—what gave them the right to fight Muzan?!
Courage alone?
What good was that supposed to do?!
"I imagine everyone is quite surprised," Ubuyashiki said, lifting his head. "But when I inherited the leadership of the Demon Slayer Corps from my father, only the Flame Hashira, Rengoku Shinjuro, remained.
The other Hashira had either been grievously injured or had grown too old and retired from the front lines.
The Corps is currently weaker than ever, which is why I urgently sought to replenish our ranks. Fortunately, the heavens have watched over us, and in so short a time, so many remarkable swordsmen have emerged.
At this Hashira Meeting, aside from routine discussions, we will be announcing the rise of three new Hashira."
Hiru quietly nodded. As expected, he really was only here to make up the numbers.
"First is the Sound Hashira, Uzui Tengen," Ubuyashiki continued, still wearing a gentle smile. "He successfully slew fifty man-eating demons."
As soon as he finished speaking, the overly flashy youth stepped forward.
"That's right! I am the splendid God of Festivals, Master Uzui Tengen! Don't worry—I shall make all of you as flashy as myself soon enough!"
Ubuyashiki gave a slight nod, his smile undiminished as he turned toward Himejima. "Next is the Stone Hashira, Himejima Gyomei. During his mission, he slew the Lower Moon Six of the Twelve Kizuki, and he has previously defeated more than thirty other demons. He is a powerful swordsman."
"Namu Amida Butsu…" Himejima pressed his palms together and bowed his head gently. "I only hope I will not fail Oyakata-sama's expectations."
"That's why I say you're far too hard on yourself, young Himejima!" Rengoku Shinjuro clapped him on the shoulder again. "When I was your age, I hadn't even encountered a single member of the Twelve Kizuki!"
"Amida-butsu. This was not solely my achievement," Himejima murmured as he rolled his prayer beads. "If not for Hiru holding back the other demons and drawing the guards' attention, I could not have slain that one so easily."
"I've heard about this incident." Ubuyashiki 's gaze turned to Hiru. "Kitaro mentioned that you are a swordsman who can wield a red Nichirin Blade. Would you be willing to share its secret?"
"It only requires enough strength."
Hiru drew the standard Nichirin Blade at his waist. With a forceful grip on the hilt, the originally aqua-blue blade instantly flushed crimson. "That's all there is to it. When the Bright Red Nichirin Sword strikes a demon, it suppresses its regeneration. But this suppression is limited—the stronger the demon, the faster it recovers.
To use the Bright Red Nichirin Blade, you need a grip strength of over a thousand pounds."
"I see." Ubuyashiki showed not even a trace of disappointment. "Though such a high prerequisite is indeed disheartening, I still appreciate your willingness to share this."
"You're welcome."
After hearing Hiru's explanation, Ubuyashiki smiled softly and nodded before turning his gaze to Yoriichi.
"This is Yoriichi. In this year's Fujikasane Mountain swordsman trial, he ranked first, eliminating every demon within the mountain in just one day. During his very first mission, he encountered and slew the Lower Moon Four of the Twelve Kizuki, and even rescued his companions. Truly a formidable swordsman… though…"
At this point, even Ubuyashiki appeared somewhat puzzled.
"Though I heard some things from the former Water Hashira, Urokodaki Sakonji, and received reports from the Kasugai Crow… I still have not been able to deduce your Breathing Style. Would you be willing to enlighten me?"
Yoriichi lifted his head, a gentle smile forming at the corners of his lips.
"My Breathing Style was born from the sun. So… I believe it should be called Sun Breathing."