"What!?"
Upon hearing the message from the Kasugai crow, Kagaya Ubuyashiki almost dropped the teacup in his hand, so agitated was he. "You said an Upper Moon was slain!?"
The Kasugai crow, exclusive to the master, perched on a tree branch and spoke, "The ones that were killed are Upper Moon Six and Upper Moon Nine. In addition, five Lower Moon Twelve Kizuki were also killed."
Just now, after landing in the courtyard, it had promptly summarized the news—merely stating that Upper Moons were killed, letting the master understand the basics first.
"So many!?"
Even the usually composed Kagaya Ubuyashiki couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, his voice tinged with doubt. "According to our previous information, aren't there only six Upper Moons and six Lower Moons in the Twelve Kizuki? How could there be an Upper Moon Nine?"
"We are still investigating this matter. The preliminary assumption is that Muzan Kibutsuji has expanded the structure of the Twelve Kizuki and recruited more powerful demons."
The Kasugai crow replied. It itself didn't possess high intelligence, simply repeating the information given by its sender.
Upon hearing this, the joy Kagaya initially felt at the news of the Upper Moons' deaths was somewhat diluted. Worry for the children of the Demon Slayer Corps began to set in. "Casualties… what are the numbers?"
This was what he cared about most at the moment. This battle involved so many Upper and Lower Moons—an extravagant lineup not seen by the Demon Slayer Corps in centuries. Even if several Hashira had rushed to the scene to fight demons, casualties were bound to be severe.
"According to current statistics, in the battle that broke out in Yoshiwara, nineteen civilians were injured, three were left disabled with severe injuries, but no deaths occurred. Among the Demon Slayer Corps members, there were no casualties."
The Kasugai crow reported.
The Oyakata-sama was momentarily stunned, thinking he must have misheard. Although he never wished for his children to be hurt, he wasn't naïve—he knew that in this war against demons, deaths were inevitable. He'd already braced himself for a report of heavy losses.
But what did he just hear? No civilian deaths, and no injuries among the Demon Slayer Corps?
Such a wonderful result was like a dream. While it brought joy, it was also hard to believe. "Which Hashira participated? Did Gyomei go?"
He couldn't shake the feeling that something was odd. With his excellent memory, he knew well the areas and assignments of the Hashira. He remembered that the domain of Gyomei Himejima, the Stone Hashira, was far from Yoshiwara. For him to suddenly turn up in Yoshiwara and slay demons seemed unlikely.
"Master Himejima did not participate. In fact, no current Hashira fought in this battle. All these demons were slain by a single person."
The crow paused before continuing, "...the newly promoted Demon Slayer, Gusion."
"Gusion!?"
Amane, who had been supporting the Oyakata-sama and was just about to refill his tea, exclaimed in shock. "Didn't he just pass the selection yesterday? How could he have gone to Yoshiwara already?"
She immediately grew suspicious. With so many absurd reports in a row, she wondered if the crow had fallen under some Blood Demon Art's control. Had the Oyakata-sama's secret location been exposed?
Still, the Oyakata-sama remained calm and raised his hand for Amane to compose herself. "What exactly is going on? As I remember, Mt. Fujikasane is three hundred kilometers from Yoshiwara, and there are no trains in between. The only way is by foot or horseback. Is this information accurate?"
The Kasugai crow answered honestly, "According to reports, after last night's final selection, swordsman Gusion set out for Yoshiwara on foot, arriving at dawn. Without resting, he encountered a siege by demons and achieved victory after a hard battle."
The Oyakata-sama and Amane were left speechless after hearing this report. Both wanted to grab the crow and check it over.
Just then, a few more Kasugai crows arrived at the residence. Amane recognized them as the personal crows of Tengen Uzui's three wives.
These crows also gave reports similar to the master's exclusive crow, increasing the credibility of the news. Even so, Gusion's achievement was so extraordinary as to be unbelievable.
Running three hundred kilometers in a single night—was he made of iron? Was he even human?
Even the strongest Stone Hashira couldn't possibly exhaust themselves so much and still go on to fight demons.
Moreover, why did Gusion rush to Yoshiwara? How did he know there were demons there?
Despite all these questions, the fact that Gusion slew Upper Moon Six, Upper Moon Nine, and numerous Lower Moons was undeniable—the greatest victory for the Demon Slayer Corps in centuries. The Oyakata-sama was still elated.
With a gentle smile, he instructed, "Let the crows send word. I am convening a Hashira meeting. The Tenth Hashira has been born."
Amane bowed respectfully, offering no objection to the Oyakata-sama's arrangements.
According to the Demon Slayer Corps' original rules, slaying any one of the Twelve Kizuki—even a Lower Moon—qualified one to become a Hashira, let alone Gusion, who in a single battle slew seven Kizuki.
Clearly, Gusion possessed overwhelming strength, even surpassing most of the current Hashira. With such achievements, no one could object to his promotion.
Amane asked while preparing to leave, "What title should we give Gusion?"
"Gusion is Grandpa Jigoro's disciple. He should inherit his title. Until we meet him, let's temporarily call him the Thunder Hashira."
The master explained. Generally, Hashira titles were based on their breathing style—such as Flame, Water, Wind, Stone—classic styles that each generation of Hashira often represented and thus were passed down.
However, there were exceptional talents whose masters used traditional breathing techniques, but who themselves developed a style more suited to them—like Mist or Love Hashira. In such cases, their title reflected their new breathing style, honoring their innovation.
So, the master said it was only a temporary title—they would consult Gusion at the Hashira meeting.
…
As the crows flew off to the four corners of the land, news of Gusion's demon-slaying feat spread throughout the Demon Slayer Corps. The incredible achievement made many Hashira doubt the report's authenticity.
But after the initial shock, the Hashira only felt delight, for this meant the Corps had gained a powerful new ally, bringing them closer to victory.
The Oyakata-sama's crow was sent directly to find Gusion, to deliver the news of his promotion to Hashira and to assign him a crow for information exchange.
After all, Gusion had left Mt. Fujikasane in such a hurry, the Corps hadn't even had time to assign him a crow, which explained how he could reach Yoshiwara in a single night without anyone knowing how he managed it.
...
While morale soared within the Demon Slayer Corps as they prepared to welcome the new Hashira, Gusion himself, having rested and recuperated, arrived in Asakusa that evening.
Actually, Yoshiwara was quite close to Asakusa, which was why Gusion had previously tried to fish out for demons to see if any would come to aid their comrades.
To his disappointment, even with new explorers joining, Muzan was still a difficult boss to serve; his team was deeply divided.
Keep in mind, Yoshiwara was less than five kilometers from Asakusa. If Muzan's faction truly wanted to help, they could have surrounded Yoshiwara in minutes. Yet, even as Gusion finished off the demons, no others showed up.
Considering this, Gusion concluded Muzan really wasn't very bright. When he first encountered Tanjiro, despite having Upper Moon Six nearby, Muzan, troubled by psychological shadows, simply sent two weaklings instead of taking action himself or sending Gyutaro. If he had, the story would have ended there.
As for whether there were demons in Asakusa now, that was almost certain. By his calculations, Muzan should still be playing house in Asakusa, and new explorers would need to receive Muzan's baptism to gain powers.
Since not much time had passed since their arrival, the explorers couldn't have dispersed far. Plus, since Muzan was paranoid, he'd probably keep several strong explorers close, so Gusion guessed Asakusa was full of treasure chests.
[Pioneer Reputation has broken 3000, reaching 'Respected' level]
As Gusion wondered how to find Lady Tamayo after entering Asakusa, he heard the End Space's prompt.
At the same time, a somewhat familiar voice called down from above.
"May I ask, are you swordsman Gusion?"