Looking at the butterfly-like figure, Giyu Tomioka fixed his eyes. No matter what, he must save this gentle girl this time.
At that moment, Tengen Uzui, who had already left, suddenly appeared again.
"Oh? Are you interested in that girl?"
"Haha…" Giyu gave a forced smile, then vanished from the spot without a trace.
"Tch, boring~" Uzui shrugged, then dashed off—clearly heading home to see his three wives.
After the Hashira meeting ended, Giyu Tomioka immediately set out for his assigned region, knowing he had much to do. Even in the later stages, each Hashira's jurisdiction was massive—let alone now.
Two years passed in the blink of an eye—
During this time, Giyu's strength growth gradually slowed. He had nearly perfected every form of Water Breathing.
He embodied the true essence of water—overcoming force with flow. Every technique now carried that soft strength, enhancing his already formidable defense.
He'd envisioned an ultimate offensive move—transforming the Eleventh Form: Dead Calm, a perfect defense, into a relentless assault that abandoned all defense. But execution remained difficult.
At the same time, he sought a way to awaken his Demon Slayer Mark, but memories and imagination alone couldn't evoke the raw emotion needed. His body temperature never rose past 39°C, nor did his pulse exceed 200 BPM—both prerequisites.
But more importantly, the first to awaken the mark in this era had yet to emerge. In Yoriichi and Tanjiro's time, once one awakened the mark, others followed.
As for turning his blade red, that was comparatively easier.
Over the two years, whenever he had time, Giyu visited Mount Haku to train with Gyomei Himejima, the Stone Hashira.
After all, Gyomei was known for pushing the limits of the human body. It was a wise choice to train with him.
The results proved it: after just a year and a half, Giyu managed to ignite his Nichirin Blade into a Crimson Blade through sheer grip strength.
However, he avoided using this technique frequently in battle. Forcibly turning the blade red often left his hands numb and wrists sore—ultimately becoming a liability.
Flexing his aching wrist, Giyu muttered to himself, "This is the next thing I'll train for… I can't rely on brute force."
Time flew.
At the Hashira meeting two years later, a young man with spiked white hair and scars on his face and arms arrived.
The Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa, had officially joined—marking a grim reminder that Kanae Kocho's death was near.
Giyu made up his mind: from now on, he would closely monitor Kanae's movements.
When the time came, he'd bring Sanemi along. The two of them—no, three, if he could get Kyojuro Rengoku or Mitsuri Kanroji—would take on Douma together and stall until sunrise.
Compared to Gyomei and Tengen, whose large jurisdictions kept them constantly occupied, Sanemi—newly appointed—was more available.
Giyu didn't know exactly when Kanae would face Douma. Only that it happened when she was 17.
So for the next year, whenever he sensed anything suspicious, he'd drag Sanemi to Kanae's side to intercept any threat.
There would probably be a few false alarms, but there was no helping it. If he wanted to save Kanae, this was the only way.
Thankfully, if Giyu remembered right, Sanemi had a soft spot for Kanae. If he asked him to come along a few times, the man likely wouldn't complain too much.
While Giyu knelt on one knee, deep in thought, Sanemi stood upright, smirking as he stared down Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the master of the Demon Slayer Corps.
"You're pretty arrogant, aren't you?"
"Hey! Watch your mouth around Oyakata-sama!" Tengen snarled.
At his side, Gyomei's face tensed, veins bulging on his forehead. He clenched his fists and said in his deep, thunderous voice:
"Shinazugawa… it seems you've forgotten how to speak with respect."
The sheer weight of his words struck like a hammer, and Sanemi's smirk wavered for a moment.
Still, Kagaya's expression didn't change. With calm kindness, he said softly, "It's alright, Gyomei. Let him speak. I don't mind."
"But, Oyakata-sama…" Kanae said gently, her voice tinged with concern.
"It's fine, Kanae."
Sanemi, despite the oppressive aura from Gyomei and the clear displeasure of the other Hashira, couldn't restrain his rage. He laughed harshly.
"This sickly performance is just disgusting."
"Treating your comrades like disposable pieces on a board!"
"You've never held a sword in your life—I can tell just by looking!"
"And you're the one leading the Corps? Don't make me laugh!"
Tengen's face darkened visibly. He didn't need to speak—his contempt for Sanemi was written all over it.
Gyomei looked ready to pummel him into the ground.
Even Kanae frowned now, although not with hatred—just disappointment.
Giyu, meanwhile, stayed silent. He wasn't surprised. Sanemi's reaction made sense.
His entire family was wiped out overnight.
And the cause? His own mother—turned into a demon.
He'd killed her with his own hands. Then embarked on the path of a Demon Slayer. On that path, he'd met Masachika Kumeno, kind and gentle like Tanjiro.
But Masachika died in battle against Lower Rank One. Only Sanemi survived—and was promoted.
It was too much pain. Seeing the gentle, sickly Ubuyashiki triggered something in him.
Giyu sighed inwardly. In a way, Sanemi's story mirrored his own.
"…I'm sorry."
Kagaya's voice—gentle, full of sincerity—brought the hall to silence.
"I tried holding a blade once… but my pulse faltered, and I couldn't even swing it ten times."
"If I could, I'd have become a swordsman like you. I would've fought to protect others with my own hands."
"But I couldn't. And I'm truly sorry that I must leave such heavy burdens to all of you."
Sanemi stood frozen.
Kagaya continued, his soft voice echoing in the quiet courtyard:
"If I treat you as pawns, then I, too, am a pawn."
"At best, I'm just the one who moves the board. Even if I die, the next will take my place."
He paused, breathing lightly. He'd clearly spoken more than he should have.
"This is your first Hashira meeting, Shinazugawa. I imagine you've misunderstood."
"I'm not a noble or a ruler. People treat me kindly out of their own choice."
"If you don't want to follow them, that's fine. I won't make you."
"But please, Shinazugawa, as a Hashira—protect others. That's all I ask of you."