The time it took to return was the same as the time it took to get there; it passed without him noticing.
After getting off the train, Lexon followed the person sent to meet him and soon returned to the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters.
Stepping through the main gate, Lexon first went to visit the Master.
"You've returned so soon?" Kagaya said, surprised. He still looked as frail as ever, needing his wife's support just to stand.
Only a day and a half, approaching two days, had passed since Lexon's departure.
Kagaya hadn't expected him to complete the mission so quickly.
"Yes."
After nodding, Lexon recounted the course of his mission.
"So this is a member of the Upper Ranks?" After listening to Lexon's account, Kagaya Ubuyashiki, though blind, still turned his head towards Gyokko's location, sensing him.
"Only the head is left, but he's still alive. I didn't kill him with a Nichirin Sword," Lexon said.
"How strong are the Upper Ranks?" Kagaya asked, supported by his wife.
Lexon recalled the battle with Gyokko, estimated for a moment, and then spoke, "Even a Hashira would have difficulty defeating him."
He was already being modest. In his heart, he believed that among the current nine Hashira, only the Stone Hashira could secure a victory against Gyokko. The others would all fall slightly short.
"Even an Upper Rank Five is that powerful..." A look of worry appeared on Kagaya's face.
If even the Upper Rank Five, Gyokko, possessed such immense strength, what about the Upper Ranks above him?
The next moment, the Master's brow smoothed, and he faced Lexon.
'An Upper Rank is extremely strong, yet you captured him alive. How strong must you be? Thankfully, you are on the side of the Demon Slayer Corps...'
And so, Kagaya said to Lexon, "You have completed this mission exceptionally well, and you have even captured an Upper Rank alive. You have done an incomparably good deed."
It was a known fact that the current generation of Hashira had never encountered an Upper Rank. The only thing they knew was that historical records of the Demon Slayer Corps showed that Upper Rank demons had killed many Hashira.
'Very strong.'
This was the universal impression that Demon Slayer Corps members had of the Upper Ranks.
Kagaya truly hadn't expected that a member who had just joined would capture an Upper Rank alive on his very first mission. Not only would this prevent him from harming humans in the future, but it would also greatly increase the Demon Slayer Corps' understanding of the Upper Ranks.
"You have already met the conditions to become a Hashira."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki said next.
"Hmm?"
Lexon was a little surprised.
Although he knew the condition to become a Hashira was to either slay a Lower Rank or kill fifty demons, and the difficulty of capturing an Upper Rank alive far exceeded both, he had predicted that since he had only just joined the Demon Slayer Corps, the other party most likely wouldn't bring this up, despite his great contribution this time.
But this was where Lexon's prediction had been wrong.
In Kagaya Ubuyashiki's eyes, Lexon was an extremely powerful demon-slaying swordsman.
And from the letters exchanged between Kagaya and Lexon's master, Urokodaki Sakonji, he understood that this swordsman was not a person with a clear conviction for slaying demons.
If possible, Kagaya wanted to tie Lexon to the great ship that was the Demon Slayer Corps as soon as possible, to make his heart belong to the Corps, to enhance his sense of belonging, and to clarify his conviction for slaying demons.
Therefore, although Kagaya understood that Lexon's seniority was still shallow, he still gave him the stepping stone to become a Hashira.
Using the "pretext" that Lexon himself had provided by "capturing an Upper Rank alive."
"Aren't there supposed to be only nine Hashira?" Lexon asked.
Kagaya asked, puzzled, "Why would you think that?"
Lexon immediately understood his meaning. There weren't necessarily only nine Hashira; it was just that others didn't meet the "conditions."
"Ah... it's nothing," Lexon replied.
"So, what are your thoughts?"
Kagaya Ubuyashiki sought Lexon's opinion on becoming a Hashira.
"I don't mind."
To Lexon, it didn't matter whether he became a Hashira or not.
Although becoming a Hashira would obviously make things much easier. When interacting with other Hashira for the sake of signing in, he wouldn't be a step below them in terms of status.
'If I become a Hashira, couldn't I just summon Tanjiro whenever I want?'
Suddenly, Lexon found a good reason to become a Hashira.
"I will announce this matter at the next Hashira meeting," Kagaya Ubuyashiki's body leaned forward slightly, as if expressing respect.
To be honest, in his heart, Kagaya Ubuyashiki did not want to promote someone without a conviction for slaying demons to the position of Hashira. But Lexon's strength was truly too important. After understanding the strength of the Upper Ranks, he was even more convinced that Lexon was an indispensable and vital combatant.
It was no longer a case of Lexon not being able to do without the Demon Slayer Corps, but the Demon Slayer Corps not being able to do without Lexon.
"Okay." After nodding, Lexon said his goodbyes to the Master.
"I will arrange for personnel to study the Upper Rank you captured alive later. I hope you will not refuse," Kagaya Ubuyashiki said sincerely at the end.
"Alright," Lexon replied.
Lexon once again returned to the room he was borrowing at Kyojuro's home and put away his personal belongings.
"It seems bringing these things along the way wasn't very useful. I won't bring them next time."
Lexon thought.
"Especially that Demon Slayer uniform."
After staying in the room for a long time, Lexon still didn't see Kyojuro Rengoku.
Normally, with Kyojuro's personality, he should have come over in a hurry to say hello after hearing that his friend had returned, not to mention the two had made a promise to have an all-out man's duel upon their next meeting.
"Where is Mr. Rengoku?" Lexon asked a servant in the house.
"Mr. Rengoku has gone on a mission," was the reply he got from the servant.
'Gone on a mission...'
Lexon muttered in a low voice.
'No wonder he didn't come to say hello.'
'That's fine too. I don't have to spar with him.'
But normally, headquarters would arrange for at least one Hashira to be here to protect the Master. Since Rengoku had gone on a mission, another Hashira should have taken his place.
'Should I go find that Hashira for a sign-in?'
Lexon suddenly thought.
'Forget it. It's too much trouble. I'd rather practice my Mist Breathing first.'
He found it troublesome and gave up, instead turning his focus to the sword techniques of Mist Breathing.
And so, Lexon spent the next few days in the courtyard, practicing his self-created breathing style.
Until one day, a woman wearing a haori stood by the house, watching Lexon experiment with a new sword form with a smile on her face.
"Yoo-hoo~ Excuse me, are you Mr. Lexon?"
Lexon stopped swinging his Nichirin Sword, maintained his state of Total Concentration Breathing, and shifted his gaze to the newcomer.
Short black hair with mysterious purple tips at the bangs. A pair of purple pupils that seemed to hold a friendly smile, complementing her beautiful face and revealing the image of a gentle Yamato nadeshiko.
She wore a mint-green butterfly hairpin at the back of her hair, and her haori was embroidered with a butterfly pattern. Underneath the haori was a neatly worn Demon Slayer uniform.
Seeing the newcomer's appearance and attire, her identity immediately came to mind.
The Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]