Gyokko thought it, and Gyokko did it.
The porcelain pot he was hiding in rolled toward the Swordsmith Village's dining hall.
Of course, ever cautious, he had left other porcelain pots scattered throughout the forest, ready for a quick escape if needed.
Meanwhile, the dining hall was buzzing with activity.
"Umai!"
Kyojuro sat before a towering stack of plates.
With each bite, he erupted in a resounding praise.
Beside him, Mitsuri was equally engrossed in her meal.
The rice bowls piled before her were already taller than Mitsuri herself!
"Namu Amida Butsu."
Though blind, Gyomei could still sense the clatter of Mitsuri stacking her bowls and hear her energetic cry of "Another bowl, please!"
He couldn't help but marvel, "What an appetite! So full of vitality!"
Hearing this, Mitsuri set down her bowl, a blush creeping across her delicate face.
She couldn't help but explain, "Really? I actually didn't eat that much today."
Shinobu, one of the only two women present, smiled. "Actually, it wasn't that much at all. After all, eating more is how you get stronger."
"I've always envied your appetite and physique."
These words were genuinely heartfelt.
Compared to the other Pillars, Shinobu's physical strength was arguably the weakest.
That's why she used a specially modified Nichirin Blade, significantly lighter than standard models.
Hearing this, Kyojuro slammed his chopsticks down with a resounding clack and declared with characteristic fervor:
"While you may not excel at slashing, your thrusting sword techniques are truly exceptional!"
"Even with my eyes, I struggle to fully grasp the speed and precision of your thrusts!"
"I believe that when combined with a Breathing Technique, your thrusts could pierce through solid rock!"
Shinobu's smile widened at Kyojuro's praise.
Meanwhile, Tomioka silently noted Kyojuro's words.
He mentally dissected this method of praising someone using a "although... but..." structure.
'Could I use this approach to compliment Shinobu next time?' he wondered.
But in the next instant, Tomioka recalled Yuki's warning:
If you don't need to speak, then don't!
Thus, Tomioka resolved to continue eating silently, avoiding unnecessary conversation.
But why did it seem like he had been squeezed into a corner?
Could it be that he was truly disliked?
No!
Beside him sat another silent figure, equally engrossed in his meal:
The Mist Pillar, Tokito Muichiro.
With Muichiro sitting beside him, he couldn't possibly be disliked, right?
Yet Yuki's words resurfaced in Tomioka's mind.
Yuki had mentioned something about this situation before.
Something about...
Sitting at the kids' table?
Just then, Tengen enthusiastically joined the conversation:
"Speaking of which, Miss Kanroji, didn't you join the Demon Slayer Corps with the goal of finding a good man to grow old with?"
At these words, Obanai unconsciously straightened his posture.
Though Gyomei couldn't see, he clearly sensed the sudden shift in Obanai's aura.
Mitsuri shyly covered her face with her hands.
"Yes, yes, as a girl, I naturally want to find someone stronger than myself."
"Someone who can protect me!"
"It's so embarrassing to say this in front of everyone!"
Obanai unconsciously straightened his posture.
Tengen chuckled. "In that case, why don't I, as someone with experience, offer you some guidance?"
Obanai frowned instinctively.
What right does this guy have to advise Mitsuri? Why is he acting like he's some kind of expert?
Tengen suddenly pointed at Obanai. "Actually, I've always thought Obanai is quite impressive."
Obanai's face flushed crimson.
'I was just questioning Tengen...'
'But then again, Tengen truly lives up to his reputation as an experienced man. His judgment is impeccable!'
Hiss—
Kabumaru, the small snake coiled around Obanai's neck, curiously poked its head out and flicked its tongue. It sensed the temperature around it had suddenly risen sharply.
Sanemi looked up in confusion. "Why do you think Obanai is impressive?"
As a member of the "Surround Giyū" duo, Obanai had always considered Sanemi a kindred spirit.
But after hearing his words, Obanai suddenly found Sanemi rather irritating!
Tengen burst into laughter.
"I can't explain it to you in detail. Just take it as advice from someone who's been there."
Obanai nodded in agreement.
Indeed, Tengen, the experienced one, is the reliable one here.
However, Sanemi persisted.
"Actually, I've been wanting to ask this since earlier: why do you keep calling yourself someone who's 'been there'?"
Tengen crossed his arms and declared solemnly, "The reason is quite simple."
He scanned the room, a proud expression spreading across his face.
"Because all of you here are still single! Only I have gloriously settled down!"
"Doesn't that make me someone who's 'been there'?"
"Moreover, I..."
With a flourish, Tengen dramatically raised three fingers.
"I don't just have a wife—I have three!"
A hush fell over the room.
Even Muichiro sensed the strange silence and instinctively looked up, his gaze drifting blankly toward Tengen, who was now the center of everyone's attention.
Sanemi wore an expression as if he had choked on something.
He was seething with frustration, yet he couldn't find a single angle to refute Uzui's claim!
For a moment, an awkward tension hung in the air of the dining hall.
Many Pillars found themselves thinking the same thing:
If only a demon would suddenly appear right now, we could slash it to pieces and break this awkwardness.
Just then, everyone heard a peculiar sound:
Rumble, rumble...
A porcelain pot rolled to a stop at the dining hall entrance.
In the next instant, the gazes of all nine Pillars in the room converged on the pot.
The pot wobbled twice before mysteriously righting itself.
A figure squeezed out of the pot's mouth.
Swish!
The dining hall erupted with the synchronized sound of swords being drawn, punctuated by the whistling of a meteor hammer....