DS Chapter 92: Victory! Unyielding Will!
The moment those words rang out, Ren whipped around.
There, before his eyes...
Sanemi was standing once again.
He stood perfectly upright, rigid as a statue.
How...?
Ren's eyes widened.
Instinctively, he tried to activate Bullet Domain, but the pain surging through his head was unbearable. The blow to the back of his neck had left him unable to enter that heightened state again.
His trump cards were exhausted.
If Sanemi still had the strength to fight...
Wait.
Ren suddenly relaxed.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Narrowing his eyes, he staggered toward the Wind Hashira.
The arena fell silent.
Under countless anxious gazes, Ren calmly approached his opponent.
Sanemi's face remained frozen in its fierce expression.
His body was rigid.
His Nichirin Blade was still clenched tightly in his hand, as though it had been welded there.
Then Ren understood.
Sanemi had already lost consciousness.
For a moment, Ren was genuinely moved.
And you called me stubborn...
Even after passing out, you're still refusing to fall?
What kept Sanemi standing wasn't his body.
It was the indomitable pride etched into his very soul.
Ren shook his head with a helpless smile.
"Sanemi..."
"You're a worthy opponent."
"I acknowledge you."
He gently patted Sanemi's shoulder.
As the Phantom Hand took effect, the Wind Hashira's tense muscles instantly relaxed.
The next moment—
His body collapsed like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
Thud!
With Sanemi's fall...
The battle was finally over.
Ren turned toward Tengen.
"...Can you announce the result now?"
His expression remained calm.
There was no excitement.
No triumphant smile.
Only quiet composure.
The arena was deathly silent.
One could have heard a pin drop.
The swordsmiths...
The Kakushi...
The members of the Demon Slayer Corps...
Even the three youngsters...
All stared with their mouths hanging open.
The Wind Hashira...
Had actually lost.
Ren had defeated Sanemi Shinazugawa.
No one could believe that such a feat had been accomplished by a fourteen-year-old boy...
Someone who had held a Nichirin Blade for barely half a month.
---
Tengen was the first to leap onto the stage.
After confirming that Sanemi was merely unconscious, he grabbed Ren's arm and raised it high.
"I hereby declare..."
"Katsuragi Ren is the victor!"
"From this day forward..."
"He shall become the tenth Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps!"
For a brief moment...
The audience remained frozen.
Then the entire arena exploded.
"My God!"
"Wind Hashira-sama actually passed out!"
"Ren won!"
"That was the greatest match I've ever seen!"
"Every exchange between them was incredible!"
"Ren-sama!"
"No... I should call him Hashira Ren-sama now!"
"From today onward, I'm your biggest admirer!"
"Ren-sama!"
"Please adopt me!"
"I'm full of muscles! I can work hard! Please take me in!"
"Get lost!"
"Weren't you calling him 'that kid' earlier?"
"Now you're calling him Ren-sama?"
"Too late!"
"I was his supporter from the beginning!"
The entire venue erupted into joyous celebration.
There was no longer any doubt.
Ren had earned everyone's respect through his own strength.
---
Below the stage—
Inosuke jumped around wildly.
"Nobody gets to compete with the Great Inosuke!"
"I'm Master's number-one disciple!"
"If anyone wants to become his student, you've got to beat me first!"
Zenitsu grabbed him by the shoulders.
"I've told you a hundred times, calm down!"
"Ren-sensei doesn't belong to you!"
"And what do you even mean by 'number-one disciple'?!"
Tanjiro smiled earnestly.
"Ren-sensei is truly incredible."
"I've finally realized why I haven't become a Hashira."
"I simply haven't worked hard enough."
"I'll train even harder and follow Ren-sensei's example."
Inside the wooden box, Nezuko nodded vigorously.
"Mhm! Mhm!"
---
The Hashira each reacted in their own way.
Muichiro rested a hand against his chin.
"How strange..."
"What exactly is Dragon Breathing?"
"I've never even heard of dragons being connected to any Breathing Style."
Mitsuri clasped her hands tightly.
"Ren-sama really won!"
"I have to work harder too!"
"I want to become someone worthy of standing beside him!"
Obanai remained completely silent.
Gyomei quietly folded his hands.
"Namu Amida Butsu..."
Giyu simply stared into the distance, lost in thought.
---
Inside the Ubuyashiki Estate—
Amane carefully supported Kagaya as they descended the stairs.
Even now, she found the result difficult to believe.
Throughout the history of the Demon Slayer Corps, there had indeed been prodigies who became Hashira after wielding a Nichirin Blade for only a short time.
The last person who had astonished her this much...
Was Muichiro Tokito.
Because he descended from the Tsugikuni bloodline, his talent had been extraordinary.
For the future of the Demon Slayer Corps, Amane herself had personally invited him to join.
But now...
An even brighter star had appeared.
Katsuragi Ren.
Only fourteen years old.
Only half a month after taking up a Nichirin Blade...
He had become a Hashira.
Muichiro had accomplished the same feat in two months.
Ren had done it in one quarter of that time.
As far as Amane could remember...
The Demon Slayer Corps had never produced someone with greater natural talent.
Originally, the only requirement for Ren to become a Hashira had been earning Sanemi's acknowledgment.
When he had boldly declared that he intended to defeat the Wind Hashira...
Almost everyone had dismissed it as youthful bravado.
Yet...
He had truly done it.
He had defeated Sanemi.
No one could question his qualifications any longer.
Among the current Hashira...
Perhaps only Gyomei Himejima now stood above him.
---
Supporting Kagaya, Amane led him toward the assembled Demon Slayers.
The Master's gentle smile had never left his face.
From beginning to end...
He had believed in Ren.
He had never doubted him.
As the couple appeared, everyone immediately bowed.
"Master!"
"We respectfully greet you!"
Kagaya smiled warmly.
"Please..."
"Raise your heads."
"Today marks the birth of the Demon Slayer Corps' tenth Hashira."
"You have all witnessed this moment with your own eyes."
"So I hope that from this day onward..."
"You will leave behind any old grievances."
"And accept Katsuragi Ren as one of your own."
After speaking for some time, Kagaya finally dismissed the crowd.
One by one, the Demon Slayers dispersed.
Only Ren and the Hashira remained behind.
Watching the cheering members leave the arena, Ren's emotions became strangely complicated.
By tomorrow...
No...
Within a few days...
The entire Demon Slayer Corps will probably know my name.
Just then, a gentle voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Ren."
"Come with me."
It was Kagaya.
Turning to Amane, he said softly,
"Amane."
"Have our daughters help Ren change into a fresh set of clothes."
"After that..."
"Bring everyone to the meeting room."
Amane nodded and called for her daughters.
The Ubuyashiki couple began walking back toward the estate.
The Hashira quietly followed behind them.
As each of them passed Ren...
They naturally gathered around the Corps' newest Hashira.