At noon, in a sunlit clearing, several Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps had gathered.
From left to right stood the Stone Hashira—Gyomei Himejima, the Sound Hashira—Tengen Uzui, the Forest Hashira—Shinichi Moriki, the Flower Hashira—Kanae Kocho, the Wave Hashira—Sabito and the Wind Hashira—Sanemi Shinazugawa.
Six Hashira in total.
The Insect Hashira—Shinobu Kocho and the Water Hashira—Giyu Tomioka were away on missions, while the Flame Hashira—Shinjuro Rengoku had not been seen for a long time.
Even so, it was rare for the Demon Slayer Corps to have all nine Hashira assembled in over a century.
However, among the six Hashira in the clearing, one figure stood out particularly—a young man with vibrant golden hair tipped in crimson, wide orange eyes burning with determination and bold eyebrows that gave him a strikingly righteous appearance, almost identical to his father, Shinjuro.
Indeed, seated there, clad in his father's flame-patterned haori, was Kyojuro Rengoku—a Kinoe-ranked slayers of the Demon Slayer Corps.
For the other Hashira, the sudden appearance of an unfamiliar face at a Hashira meeting—an event meant exclusively for Hashira—was perplexing.
Sanemi Shinazugawa, for instance, glared at Kyojuro with clear displeasure.
Of course, his irritation wasn't directed at Kyojuro himself but rather at his father, Shinjuro.
Everyone in the Demon Slayer Corps was aware of the Flame Hashira's current state—a demon slayer of his rank, yet shockingly apathetic, having neglected his duties for two whole months.
It was disgraceful.
Still, though annoyed, Sanemi restrained himself, especially with Kanae nearby.
He had no desire to frighten the kind-hearted woman with his usual roughness.
Shinichi studied Kyojuro thoughtfully.
He was well-acquainted with the Rengoku family's troubles—so much so that he had even visited Shinjuro recently, only to be turned away at the door.
As for Kyojuro, Shinichi had only learned from Obanai that during a mission, Kyojuro had pierced his own eardrums to slay a Demon.
Such unwavering resolve had deeply moved even Shinichi.
The other Hashira's reactions to Kyojuro varied.
Kanae and Sabito sympathized with Kyojuro's plight, while Tengen, much like Sanemi, regarded him with disapproval—though his disdain too, was reserved for Kyojuro's father.
As for Gyomei… well, the towering man's expression remained as sorrowfully serene as ever, impossible to read.
"Oyakata-sama has arrived~"
Just then, two little girls escorted the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps—Ubuyashiki Kagaya—before the assembled Hashira.
"Oyakata-sama!" The Hashira, including Kyojuro, bowed in unison.
"Good afternoon, everyone," Kagaya greeted warmly. "I am delighted to see you all gathered here today. Though Shinobu and Giyu could not attend this Hashira meeting, witnessing the Demon Slayer Corps' nine Hashira reunited after a century is truly exhilarating."
At this point, Sanemi who had been listening nearby, couldn't hold back any longer.
Being hot-tempered by nature, he abruptly stood up and pointed at Kyojuro and said.
"Oyakata-sama, what's the deal with this guy? And what exactly is Shinjuro doing? Does he even deserve to be called the Flame Hashira anymore?"
Sanemi's words instantly drew everyone's attention to Kyojuro, including Kagaya himself.
However, despite being scrutinized by the Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, Kyojuro's expression remained unchanged and the determination in his eyes never wavered.
*****
When the Hashira meeting concluded, Kanae Kocho quickly pulled the fuming Sanemi away.
She felt that if she didn't intervene, the impulsive Sanemi might really end up fighting Kyojuro.
After all, Sanemi was deeply dissatisfied that Oyakata-sama had casually assigned a mission potentially involving the Twelve Kizuki to Kyojuro.
Fortunately, thanks to Kanae's intervention, Sanemi didn't escalate the conflict with Kyojuro further.
Before leaving, Sabito enthusiastically patted Kyojuro on the shoulder and encouraged him.
"Do your best. We look forward to the return of the new Flame Hashira."
Tengen Uzui, on the other hand, gave Kyojuro a sidelong glance.
Although he didn't have high expectations for Kyojuro, he had to admit that he admired how Kyojuro had stood his ground against Sanemi earlier.
"No matter the outcome, give it your all and put on your most dazzling performance!" Tengen also patted Kyojuro on the shoulder.
However, from Kyojuro's perspective, with his eardrums ruptured, he couldn't make out what Sabito and Tengen were saying—he only saw their lips moving.
But Sabito's warm smile and Tengen's sparkling appearance left a deep impression on Kyojuro.
Of course, Shinichi's encouragement meant a lot to him as well.
Shinichi gave Kyojuro a small notebook containing his insights combining Forest Breathing and Flame Breathing.
He sincerely hoped it would be of help to Kyojuro.
Watching the departing figures of the Hashira, Kyojuro recalled the trusting gaze of Oyakata-sama, the admiring eyes of his younger brother Senjuro, the downfall of his father and his mother's final words before her passing.
"I will become the Flame Hashira. I will use all my strength to help others and burn brightly to illuminate everything!"
*****
After all the Hashira had left the Master's residence, only Shinichi remained behind.
"Forest Breathing, Ninth Form: Eternal Cycle!"
A surge of immense vitality flowed into Kagaya's body, slightly alleviating the pain caused by the curse.
This was one of the few things Shinichi could do for Kagaya.
During this process, Kagaya earnestly asked Shinichi for his opinion on Kyojuro.
"Shinichi, do you think Kyojuro can live up to the title of Flame Hashira?"
Shinichi's left eye shimmered with a brilliant light, but he answered Kagaya question with unwavering confidence.
"Kyojuro absolutely can. The fire burning in his heart is bright enough to illuminate everyone. I believe you think so too, Oyakata-sama."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki smiled and then asked another question.
"Shinichi, do you know why the Demon Slayer Corps has always had nine Hashira since ancient times?"
This question took Shinichi by surprise.
Why nine?
Come to think of it, when Shinichi first joined the Demon Slayer Corps, he had heard many members discuss this very question and had listened to numerous speculations.
"Is it because there were nine Hashira when the Demon Slayer Corps was founded? Or because the character for 'Hashira' has nine strokes?..." Shinichi listed several guesses, but each was gently dismissed by Kagaya with a smile.
"Truthfully, there's no convoluted reason behind it. The Demon Slayer Corps has only nine Hashira for a very simple reason—since its founding, there have never been more than nine Hashira-level swordsmen serving at any given time.
Becoming a Hashira doesn't just signify immense strength and honor—it also means taking on far more dangerous and terrifying missions.
In fact, the mortality rate among Hashira is much higher than that of other members.
Claiming that the Demon Slayer Corps has only nine Hashira is, in a way, our way of encouraging everyone."
"But Shinichi, do you know something? Never before have I felt such hope for the future of the Demon Slayer Corps as I do now. Not just because the nine Hashira are gathered, but because, in the near future, more children will rise to become Hashira."
"Tokito, Rengoku, Iguro... The nine Hashira are not the limit of the Demon Slayer Corps. Our future... is boundless."
Shinichi lifted his head and looked into Kagaya's eyes, which had nearly lost their focus.
Though they appeared clouded, the light within them filled Shinichi with an unprecedented sense of inspiration and encouragement.
"Yes... Our future is boundless."
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