His voice was incredibly gentle, simply listening to it brought a sense of peace and comfort.
Then, Chiba Yo clearly saw the appearance of the man who walked out of the mansion.
The upper half of his face was mostly disfigured, but even from the intact parts, it was clear he was a handsome man, with a gentle smile on his face, possessing a serene demeanor like a deity.
Is he the one who leads the entire Demon Slayer Corps? His voice is so gentle. Are the marks on his face due to illness?
This was Chiba Yo's first time seeing Oyakata-sama, and he pondered these thoughts as he looked at him.
"Good morning, everyone. It's a lovely day today."
Kagaya looked up and felt the sunlight on his face; the warm sensation brought great comfort to his body, which was gradually worsening due to illness.
"I am delighted that we can hold another Pillar Meeting without any loss of personnel."
Swish!
The next moment, the nine Pillars uniformly knelt on one knee, and seeing this, Chiba Yo also knelt down beside them.
"It is truly wonderful that Oyakata-sama remains in good health. I sincerely wish for Oyakata-sama's continued well-being," Sanemi respectfully stated.
"Thank you, Sanemi." Kagaya smiled and thanked Sanemi, then continued to address the Pillars: "This Pillar Meeting is being held earlier than usual, and I'm sure some of you have questions about that.
The main reason for holding the Pillar Meeting early is the Demon Slayer Corps' new tenth Pillar."
Kagaya said, looking towards Chiba Yo. After hearing his words, the gazes of the other nine Pillars also focused on Chiba Yo at that moment.
???
"Huh?"
Chiba Yo was utterly bewildered at this moment, with everyone's eyes fixed on him, which made him feel a little flustered.
"Originally, our Demon Slayer Corps has always had nine Pillars, and this has essentially never changed. Although there have been times when a Pillar-level member was missing, the number has never exceeded nine.
This is partly because the conditions for becoming a Pillar-level member are somewhat stringent, requiring the slaying of a member of the Twelve Kizuki or fifty demons. On the other hand, the missions undertaken by Pillar-level members are also more dangerous and prone to casualties.
However, the newly appointed Demon Slayer Corps member, Chiba Yo, recently slew Rokuro, a member of the Twelve Kizuki's Lower Moon Two, meeting the conditions to become a Pillar and breaking the previous limit of nine Pillar-level swordsmen.
This is truly a blessing for our entire Demon Slayer Corps," Kagaya said, his words very rhythmic.
He looked at Chiba Yo and continued, "Generally, Pillars use their Breathing Technique as their title. Yo, have you decided on your title as a Pillar?"
He actually remembered my name all this time...
Chiba Yo wasn't surprised that Kagaya knew his name. After all, when Kyoujurou took him in as a successor, he reported the situation to Oyakata-sama, and Chiba Yo guessed that was when he learned his name.
However, what surprised Chiba Yo was that Kagaya, as the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, an organization with numerous members, would remember the name of an ordinary member, which significantly increased his favorable impression of Oyakata-sama.
"Thank you for your kindness, Oyakata-sama. I will use Yang Pillar as my title." Although he wasn't entirely sure what was happening, Chiba Yo still answered Kagaya's question first.
The reason he chose this title was because the character 'Yang' was related to both his Breathing Technique and his name, making 'Yang Pillar' a very fitting choice.
Upon hearing Chiba Yo's answer, Kagaya nodded.
The other Pillars still looked confused. They still didn't quite understand the reason for holding the Pillar Meeting early. Logically, it was just a member being promoted to Pillar-level, which shouldn't necessitate an early Pillar Meeting at all.
However, Kagaya then enlightened them.
"Next is the reason for holding the Pillar Meeting early. Yo, from the report of the Kasugai Crow, I learned that you possess a unique Breath Styles / Marks on your body.
Therefore, I have called this Pillar Meeting early, hoping you can inform the other Pillars present about the conditions for the appearance of the Breath Styles / Marks," Kagaya said to Chiba Yo, his tone carrying a request.
"Breath Styles / Marks?!" The other nine Pillars were puzzled upon hearing Kagaya's words; they had never heard of what Breath Styles / Marks were.
Breath Styles / Marks! A term that Kyoujurou's father once mentioned.
Unlike the other nine Pillars, Chiba Yo had heard this term before. When he visited Kyoujurou's home last time, Kyoujurou's father had mentioned it. At the time, he was completely bewildered and had no idea what it referred to. Now, he heard the term again from Oyakata-sama.
Kagaya then explained to them, "It is said that during the Sengoku period, there was a group of swordsmen who used Origin Breathing and nearly succeeded in slaying Kibutsuji Muzan. They all had Breath Styles / Marks on their bodies, resembling a demon's mark.
However, this is only a legend, so very few people know about it."
After listening to Kagaya's explanation, the Pillars roughly understood what Breath Styles / Marks were. In simple terms, they were marks that appeared on strong individuals, which meant they could very likely enhance a person's strength.
Chiba Yo fell silent. He had always thought that the strange Breath Styles / Marks on his forehead were an ominous sign. His father abandoned him and his mother because of it, causing them immense hardship, and his mother consequently suffered a heavy burden and fell gravely ill.
He had even attributed the reason for the demons being drawn to the village to the Breath Styles / Marks on his forehead, blaming himself endlessly. Now, for the first time, he learned the origin of what he had considered an ominous thing.
Upon learning this, Sanemi somewhat puzzledly asked Kagaya, "This is the first I've heard of it. Why was it kept from us before?"
Hearing Sanemi's question, Oyakata-sama turned to him and replied, "Because many excellent swordsmen, upon learning of this, became emotionally drained and despondent when no Breath Styles / Marks appeared on their bodies... That is why we had no choice but to keep this matter a secret."
He then added, "There are still too many unclear details regarding the inheritance of Breath Styles / Marks. As for whether it was due to insufficient attention to this phenomenon at the time, or if it was inadvertently lost during several near-annihilation crises the organization faced before, it is now impossible to verify."
"Currently, only a mere passage has been passed down in written form:
Whenever a swordsman with Breath Styles / Marks appears, more swordsmen with Breath Styles / Marks will appear around him, as if in resonance."
"This was recorded by a swordsman who used Origin Breathing in his notes during that era. In this current age, you are the first person to exhibit Breath Styles / Marks."
After Kagaya finished speaking, he looked at Chiba Yo.
"I apologize for the trouble," Kagaya said, bowing slightly to Chiba Yo.
As long as it could make the Demon Slayer Corps stronger and eliminate Muzan, he was willing to sacrifice everything, even his life, let alone his dignity as a leader.
"Oyakata-sama..." Kagaya's action made Chiba Yo unsure what to do. The behavior of the other Pillars earlier clearly showed their heartfelt respect for Oyakata-sama, yet now Kagaya was bowing slightly to him, which made him feel very flustered.
At the same time, the fact that Kagaya, as the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, could make such a request to one of his subordinates, also made Chiba Yo hold him in awe.
Feeling everyone's gaze on him, Chiba Yo said somewhat helplessly, "I am very sorry..."