Amid the constant beatings—ahem, and the endless exchanges of swordplay, Ren Kuroda and Kyojuro Rengoku naturally forged a close friendship.
Not only did Ren get along well with the Flame Pillar, Kyojuro Rengoku, but he also developed good relationships with the Love Pillar, Mitsuri Kanroji; the Serpent Pillar, Obanai Iguro; and the Mist Pillar, Muichiro Tokito.
Mitsuri Kanroji, the Love Pillar, was an exceptionally charming girl. Not only was she sweet and attractive in appearance, but the reason she had joined the Demon Slayer Corps left Ren feeling both amused and helpless.
In Ren's eyes, Mitsuri—who excelled in every imaginable way—had repeatedly failed at matchmaking simply because of her unusual hair color and her overwhelming physical strength.
As a result, she had joined the Demon Slayer Corps with the goal of finding a suitable partner…
To Ren, however, both Mitsuri's prodigious appetite and her superhuman strength were undeniably adorable traits. Not only did he not look down on her for them, he actively encouraged her to eat more.
When Mitsuri deliberately tried to hide her incredible strength, Ren saw through it immediately and, without hesitation, challenged her to an arm-wrestling match.
Naturally, the Flame Pillar, Kyojuro, shot Ren a frantic look, silently warning him not to seek his own death.
Yet the outcome was completely unexpected.
Despite being a girl with monstrous strength, Mitsuri Kanroji lost the arm-wrestling match—because Ren, who possessed a superhuman strength ability, was even stronger than she was.
Once their initial misunderstanding was resolved, the two naturally became friends.
The Serpent Pillar, Obanai Iguro, was in a situation similar to Mitsuri's, having also faced rejection in the past—though in his case, it was due to his family background.
As for his heterochromia, Ren didn't think it was a big deal at all. After all, in his modern world, plenty of people with chūnibyō tendencies deliberately wore colored contact lenses just to achieve that effect.
Ren could also tell that the normally calm and taciturn Obanai harbored feelings for Mitsuri, so he quietly acted as a wingman behind the scenes.
As for Muichiro Tokito—although he always seemed absent-minded and slightly dazed, there was no denying that he was a genuine prodigy.
Compared to Kyojuro Rengoku, whom Muichiro almost always defeated mercilessly, Ren actually preferred sparring with Muichiro. Every exchange taught him something new.
As for Giyu Tomioka, the Water Pillar… well, there was no need to mention him. He was still just as distant and unapproachable as ever.
Regarding Shinobu Kocho, the Insect Pillar, Ren's relationship with her was merely average. However, her perpetually narrowed smile gave him an inexplicable sense of danger, so he never dared joke around with her.
After all, it was common knowledge that women who wore a classic Yamato Nadeshiko smile were either terrifyingly powerful monsters—or incredibly cunning schemers.
Thus, aside from the Stone Pillar, the Sound Pillar, and the Wind Pillar—whom Ren hadn't interacted with much—he had gained the approval of most of the Pillars compared to six months earlier.
This time, Ubuyashiki Kagaya had summoned both the nine Pillars and Ren Kuroda for two announcements.
The first reason was Ren's outstanding mission completion rate and the reputation he had built within the Demon Slayer Corps since joining.
Ubuyashiki Kagaya decided to appoint Ren as the tenth "Pillar."
When this decision was announced, everyone present—except for Ren himself, who was momentarily stunned—remained calm, as though they had already expected it.
In fact, Ubuyashiki Kagaya had consulted the other nine Pillars beforehand and obtained unanimous approval.
That was precisely why Kyojuro had immediately suggested celebrating when he first saw Ren.
Upon hearing that he was to become the tenth Pillar—dubbed the "Demon Pillar"—Ren glanced around at the Stone Pillar and the others, before finally looking toward the Wind Pillar, Sanemi Shinazugawa.
Ren wasn't surprised that Kyojuro and the others had agreed—but why hadn't Sanemi, who had always disliked him, raised any objections this time?
Seeming to notice Ren's gaze, Kyojuro clapped him on the shoulder and said cheerfully,"Don't hold it against him. That guy might be arrogant, but he's actually very good to his comrades.
"And because of what he's been through, he truly hates demons. When Master suggested you become a Pillar, he didn't object at all."
In truth, Sanemi Shinazugawa had initially disliked Ren's identity and had secretly kept an eye on him.
However, after discovering that Ren ate normal food, could walk freely under sunlight, and had indeed slain more demons than Sanemi himself—as Ren had claimed—Sanemi finally fell silent.
An apology was impossible for the proud Wind Pillar. The fact that he now maintained basic civility toward Ren was already a considerable sign of respect.
With Ren's overwhelming strength, solid character, and growing fame and prestige, his promotion to the tenth Pillar was practically inevitable.
That concluded the first announcement.
The second was that this year's Demon Slayer Corps recruitment exam was about to begin.
In previous years, this matter wouldn't have concerned the Pillars much. However, during the last recruitment exam, a monster had emerged—someone who single-handedly wiped out nearly all the demons on Fujikasane Mountain.
Now, a serious problem had arisen.
The demon population on Fujikasane Mountain—already bordering on extinction—was no longer sufficient to support the upcoming exam.
As a result, Ubuyashiki Kagaya instructed the current Pillars to capture demons alive and release them into Fujikasane Mountain as reinforcements.
This was a task that only the strongest Pillars could possibly accomplish.
Ordinary Demon Slayer Corps members already risked their lives just fighting demons—capturing them alive was unthinkable.
Therefore, the responsibility fell solely on the Pillars, and the captured demons needed to be relatively weak, since the exam participants were mostly inexperienced recruits.
After issuing these instructions, the Pillars prepared to depart.
Ren wasn't particularly interested in the task of capturing demons alive.
But there was no escaping it.
After all, the shortage of demons was ultimately the result of his actions at Fujikasane Mountain. Even the other nine Pillars were now cleaning up his mess—he had no grounds to refuse.
Just as everyone was about to leave, a violent coughing fit sounded once more from behind the curtain.
"Ren,"
Kyojuro, walking beside him, suddenly pulled him aside and whispered urgently,
"Tell me honestly—do you still have any of that purple crystal you gave to Master? If this continues… his body won't be able to endure it for much longer."