Giyu Tomioka was a calm and introverted child. Protecting the Master and eradicating demons was his life's ambition.
At the same time, Giyu was also a very nostalgic and sentimental child. He would always write letters back to greet his master during holidays. The red haori he wore was a memento left to him by his sister, Tsutako. When his sister was killed by a demon while protecting him, the boy decided to live on for his sister's sake as well.
He took the letter from Ubuyashiki Kagaya. With just one glance, he confirmed it was his master Urokodaki Sakonji's handwriting.
Thinking about how he hadn't returned for the New Year this year because he was investigating Akaza's traces, the young man felt a pang of guilt. He collected his thoughts and began to read seriously...
"May the Master be well. From Urokodaki Sakonji."
"Half a year ago, I took on a student named Kamado Eiichiro. His talent is extraordinary. I am specially reporting this to the Master."
'So Master has taken a new student.' Giyu Tomioka couldn't help but feel happy for his master. He actually always knew his master was suffering, especially after Sabito died protecting him from the Hand Demon. He had fallen into despair. For him to be able to move on from that was truly not easy.
Giyu lifted his spirits and continued reading:
"Eiichiro is the most outrageously talented child I have ever seen in my life. According to his younger brother, Tanjiro, before he even became my student, he had already killed demons on his own twice."
Giyu's eyes shifted. 'This new junior disciple of mine really has some skill.' He continued reading:
"When I first met him, he spent less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to pass my selection test..."
"After that, in less than half a month, he completed his first ten thousand practice swings. His slash can leave his blade, reaching a distance of three meters..."
"Hmm... Ten thousand swings in half a month, and a slash that leaves the blade. Eiichiro is stronger than I was!" The man with yellow hair tipped with red was the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku.
"Talent must be realized before it becomes 'flamboyant.' Kyojuro, no need to be modest." A man with white hair wrapped in a gorgeously jeweled headband, gold ornaments on each ear, and two short swords on his back connected by a chain—the Sound Hashira, Tengen Uzui—heard this. He recalled his own difficult "ninja" path as a youth and wasn't too surprised. On the contrary, the dazed kid next to him was even calmer...
Muichiro Tokito, as usual, wasn't interested in anything, indifferent to everything. 'Ten thousand swings in half a month?'
'Sorry, but he was the man who became a Hashira in only two months!'
Hiss... hiss... The white snake "Kaburamaru" flicked its tongue, seeming impatient. If the Master hadn't asked Giyu Tomioka to read the letter, Obanai Iguro wouldn't have been interested in listening at all. It wasn't as interesting as the "haiku" he wrote. Beside him, the Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa, was even more irritable. He was desperately suppressing his inner agitation, trying not to be rude in front of the Master. As for some genius... some Eiichiro, it wasn't nearly as satisfying as killing demons!
"Giyu, continue reading." Sensing the restlessness, the Stone Hashira, Gyomei Himejima, pressed his palms together with a clap. "Silence!"
The air in the main house seemed to stagnate for a moment, and it immediately fell silent.
Giyu Tomioka looked at Ubuyashiki Kagaya. The latter nodded at him encouragingly. The young man continued to read:
"Eiichiro... two sets of ten thousand in two months, three sets in three months, four in four, five in five, and now, he is approaching his sixth set. His slash can even leave his blade and reach a distance of twenty meters..."
"And this is before I have taught him any Breathing Style, based only on his own efforts..."
Hm?!
The atmosphere in the room, after being restless... then forcibly quieted... finally had a subtle change...
The Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho, had a flicker in her eyes. "If it's truly as Master Urokodaki says, then we must admit, this child is talented."
The young Shinobu Kocho had been interested in "pharmacy" since childhood. To prescribe the right medicine, she had devoured medical books on human anatomy. She had a deep understanding of what the human body was capable of. She stated frankly, "At the very least, it proves one thing: Eiichiro was born with a powerful physique, no less than that of an average demon."
As she spoke, she glanced at Gyomei Himejima. Here was another one whose physique was no less than a demon's, perhaps even greater.
"Namu Amida Butsu..." Gyomei Himejima fiddled with his prayer beads and began to cry again. It was unclear if he had found a kindred spirit or what, but he was moved to tears.
Giyu Tomioka took all this in. He continued to look at the end of the letter, reading. But when the words reached his lips, he couldn't get them out.
He just froze. And then, the room instantly lost all sound, falling back into silence.
"Finished?" Sanemi, not hearing anything for a long time, couldn't help but glare at him, his widened pupils filled with blood vessels.
Giyu Tomioka didn't answer. The other Hashira also looked over in surprise... The young man finally seemed to react. He turned his stiff neck to look at Ubuyashiki...
Kagaya smiled. "I will read the rest."
"Yes."
The letter returned to his hand. The head of the Ubuyashiki family, who had been fighting Muzan for nearly a thousand years, looked around the room.
He said meaningfully, "So, I have rated this child, Eiichiro, as 'Kinoe-Upper'."
"If anyone in the future can kill Muzan Kibutsuji, it will be my disciple—Kamado Eiichiro."
'It's that name! Urokodaki Sakonji, was it? He's got some nerve!'
BOOM! The atmosphere in the room instantly ignited.
Kyojuro Rengoku burst out laughing. "Hahaha, I really want to meet this guy!"
"To have the former Water Hashira vouch for him, he must be truly remarkable."
"Maybe it's all for show? I'd like to see if that kid is as 'flamboyant' as imagined, to even be able to kill Muzan!" Tengen Uzui was also interested.
Beside him, Muichiro Tokito stared with his blank eyes and said, "Is it over?"
The Love Hashira, Mitsuri Kanroji, nodded emphatically. Her stomach rumbled; she was hungry again. "I wonder if this Eiichiro kid can eat as much as I can..."
The Hashira's reactions varied. Finally, the Stone Hashira, Gyomei Himejima, said, "Master, please bring that child here to see. If he is truly talented, we must cultivate him."
"Who will go?" Ubuyashiki Kagaya asked, agreeing.
The Hashira... all except for Muichiro, who was daydreaming, turned to look at Giyu Tomioka.
Ubuyashiki Kagaya also turned his gaze to him.
Giyu Tomioka: "..."
He coolly spat out two words: "I'll go."
His hand grasped the hilt of his sword. He had made a decision. 'Let me, his senior disciple, test him... test whether he truly deserves such an evaluation from Master!'
The normally quiet and reserved young man was rarely, so fired up...
That same day, a Kasugai Crow took flight towards Mt. Sagiri, carrying the news that Giyu Tomioka was returning.
At the same time, it was 5:30 in the morning.
Roy, having finished dinner served by Gotoh, once again used "Deep Sleep" to pass through the dream passage and arrive at the familiar Sea of Cognition. He swam briefly in the sea, then reached out and pushed open the door to the Demon Slayer world.
The familiar falling sensation washed over him. When the boy opened his eyes again, Makomo's beautiful eyes were no longer in front of him.
It seemed that ever since she found out Roy could see her, the little girl had been avoiding him. When they did talk, she would bury her head, seemingly afraid to look him in the eye...
It was a little funny, and also a little frustrating. In any case, Roy paid her no mind. As usual, he ate breakfast with his master and went out to practice his sword.
Today... his constitution had skyrocketed. He wanted to see if he could break the bottleneck that he hadn't been able to overcome for days!