One boy lay unconscious, bound tightly and thrown onto the courtyard floor as if he were nothing more than an object for the crowd to observe.
Another figure stood upright, his robes clean and immaculate. Although he was not wearing the official uniform, there was no real difference between him and the Pillars.
In fact, with his calm and unearthly presence, he appeared even more like a Pillar than the Pillars themselves. The contrast was so stark it felt almost unreal.
"Bind him," Iguro ordered coldly, his mismatched eyes narrowing as he instructed one of the hidden attendants who had followed Tanjiro into the courtyard to tie Li Xuan.
"Forgive me," the masked attendant murmured as he stepped forward, rope in hand, moving cautiously toward Li Xuan.
"I dislike being tied up. It would be better not to," Li Xuan said softly. This was the first time he had spoken since entering the courtyard. His tone was polite, his smile composed, yet his refusal carried a quiet firmness that could not be ignored.
The hidden attendant froze where he stood, uncertain what to do. On one side was the command of a Pillar. On the other stood someone whose very presence radiated that he was no ordinary man.
If I retreat, will the Pillar beat me to death? But if I advance, will this man cut me down? The attendant's heart pounded in panic, leaving him trembling and unable to take a step forward or back.
"Tch."
With a sharp sound of displeasure, Iguro's reclining figure suddenly vanished.
The hidden attendant blinked in shock as the rope disappeared from his hands as if snatched by the wind. It was Iguro who had taken it.
In the next instant, Iguro appeared right beside Li Xuan. His left hand gripped the rope, ready to bind him, while his right fist shot forward toward Li Xuan's stomach, intending to drive the air out of him in one punishing blow.
From the moment Li Xuan had stepped into the courtyard, his calm and detached demeanor had ignited Iguro's irritation. He acted as though he looked down on everyone, as though nothing around him was worth his attention. Iguro's pride demanded that such arrogance be crushed.
Yet the next moment, Iguro's eyes widened in disbelief. His left hand holding the rope and his right hand forming the punch were both completely immobilized. He looked down and saw Li Xuan's arms locking his wrists in an iron grip.
A tremendous force pressed through Li Xuan's fingers, rendering Iguro's arms powerless.
Impossible.
Iguro's mind reeled. Among the nine Pillars, his arm strength was admittedly the second weakest, only stronger than Shinobu's. Even so, no ordinary swordsman should have been able to overpower him so completely. But it was not only strength that shocked him. It was speed.
How had this man read and intercepted his attack so precisely?
"There is no need to bind me. It would only be uncomfortable," Li Xuan said calmly, his clear eyes staring into Iguro's mismatched gaze without a hint of wavering.
This man...
Iguro's pupils shrank. With a swift motion, he twisted his body like a snake, his arms flowing free from Li Xuan's grasp. Leaping into the air, he spun and swung his right fist toward Li Xuan's face.
But before the punch could land, Iguro suddenly felt his body lose control. In the next heartbeat, he realized his leg had been seized.
Li Xuan had caught him by the ankle. With a casual flick of his wrist, Li Xuan hurled him outward.
Iguro's body flew through the air like a ragdoll and slammed brutally against the trunk of the very tree he had been reclining on moments earlier.
"Cough… cough…"
The impact left his head ringing and his chest heaving. He staggered, coughing harshly, before steadying his breathing. Anger surged within him as he forced himself upright, his eyes burning.
"Iguro!"
Mitsuri's anxious voice rang out, her eyes wide with worry.
"I am fine," he muttered through clenched teeth. His expression was dark, fury simmering beneath the surface.
He had always harbored feelings for Mitsuri. Yet now, before her eyes, he had been utterly humiliated. The shame gnawed at him, making his rage even harder to contain.
"See? I told you he was strong," Shinobu remarked lightly, covering her mouth with a delicate hand as she smiled. It was impossible to tell whether her amusement came from admiration or from the chaos unfolding.
"Li Xuan truly is powerful!" Rengoku added with a firm nod, his booming voice carrying no doubt at all.
At that exact moment, Tanjiro stirred and woke.
"Nezuko! Nezuko! Where are you? Li Xuan! Zenitsu! Inosuke! Mr. Murata!"
The moment his eyes opened, his voice rang out in frantic desperation, shouting the names of his companions.
Every head in the courtyard turned to him.
What is going on?
Tanjiro blinked in confusion at the sight of so many powerful figures staring at him with unyielding eyes. Their combined presence felt like a mountain pressing upon his chest.
"You are awake, little one," Shinobu said, stepping gracefully toward him.
Tanjiro instantly recognized her. She was the woman who had tried to kill his sister. His breath caught, and panic filled his voice. "What is happening? Where is my sister?"
"You broke the rules of the Demon Slayer Corps. You carried a demon with you while on a mission. Because of this, you must stand trial before all the Pillars," Shinobu explained patiently. Whatever her irritation with Li Xuan had been, she still found Tanjiro's sincerity disarming.
"My… my sister?" Tanjiro's voice cracked as fear clawed at his chest. He could not stop the image of Nezuko's death from filling his mind. If she were taken from him, if his last family vanished, his very soul would collapse.
"Your sister…" Shinobu began, but her words were cut off by Li Xuan's calm voice.
"She is safe. As long as I am here, nothing will happen to her."
"Li Xuan?" Tanjiro's eyes widened with relief.
To him, Li Xuan's words carried more weight than anyone else's. That single assurance washed away his terror. It was not only trust in Li Xuan's promise but also recognition of his overwhelming strength.
Tanjiro remembered training alongside Li Xuan under Master Urokodaki. Yet he knew very well that Li Xuan's power had grown into something so vast that it now felt like the distance between the earth and the sky.
And still, there was no trace of jealousy in Tanjiro's heart. Instead, Li Xuan's strength became a guiding flame, urging him to work harder and grow stronger.
"Such bold words. Quite dazzling, in its own way," Tengen said with a loud, admiring laugh.
"Hmph. Arrogant," Iguro muttered darkly as he brushed dirt from his clothing, his snake-like eyes fixed on Li Xuan. His body was poised like a coiled viper ready to strike.
Yet he did not launch himself forward again. The exchange just now, combined with Rengoku and Shinobu openly acknowledging Li Xuan's strength, made it clear to him that this man possessed the power of a Pillar. A true battle here in the courtyard would cause immense destruction and perhaps even disturb their master.
For now, Iguro forced himself to swallow his rage. He would wait for the Master's judgment. Then, with the strength of the other Pillars behind him, he would strike like thunder.
"You should not take his words too seriously. He himself has broken the rules. He cannot even protect himself," Shinobu said sweetly, though her eyes flicked toward Li Xuan with irritation at his earlier interruption.
"Broken the rules…" Tanjiro's face fell. His chest tightened with guilt. He knew Li Xuan had broken the rules only because of him, only to shield him. The thought that he had dragged his senior into this mess filled him with shame.
Shinobu leaned closer to Tanjiro, her voice soft but firm. "Kamado Tanjiro, you are a member of the Demon Slayer Corps. Why did you bring a demon with you on a mission? I would like to hear your own explanation. Of course, this is unquestionably a violation of our laws. You understand that, do you not?"
"There is no need to ask," Tengen declared as his hands drifted behind him toward the hilts of his twin Nichirin blades. His tone dripped with disdain.
To him, the fact that Tanjiro had taken a demon along was crime enough for execution.
"Take your time and answer. Speak clearly," Shinobu urged, lowering herself slightly so that her eyes were level with Tanjiro's.
She genuinely wished to understand why he had done it. Was it merely blind affection for family, or was there something more behind his choice?
Li Xuan was one matter, but even Giyu Tomioka had once said, If I had arrived earlier, I too would have broken the rules. Shinobu had not spoken those words aloud, for if she had, even Giyu would have been dragged into the circle of blame.