"That demon is my sister," Tanjiro said. "My home was attacked while I was away. When I got back, everyone was dead. Although my sister became a demon, she has never eaten a person. Not then, not now, and not ever! She will absolutely never harm a person!"
Tanjiro's expression and tone were extremely agitated as he spoke the truest thoughts in his heart.
"Don't spout such uninteresting nonsense," Obanai Iguro said with a grim face, his tone sarcastic. His poor impression of Lexon had already extended to Tanjiro. "In the end, it's only natural to harbor a family member. None of the words you've spoken are worthy of trust! At least, I won't believe them!"
Gyomei Himejima clasped his hands together, his face full of pity, two streams of clear tears flowing down. "Ah, ah, ah, he has been possessed by a demon. Let us quickly kill this pitiful child and grant him release!" he said sorrowfully.
"Please, listen to me!"
Seeing their attitude, Tanjiro spoke again.
"I became a swordsman to cure Nezuko. It's been over two years since Nezuko became a demon. In all that time, Nezuko has never once eaten a person!"
"Your words are just going in circles, you fool," Tengen Uzui said with disdain. "She hasn't eaten a person, and she won't in the future. Don't just say these things, give us a flamboyant proof!"
Tanjiro's earnest explanation clearly was not being understood by the others.
"My sister! My sister can fight alongside me! She can act as part of the Demon Slayer Corps! She can fight to protect humanity! So... so!"
"Hey, hey, it looks like something interesting is happening," a teasing voice suddenly came from a distance.
Everyone turned to look. The newcomer was a man holding a wooden box.
The man's hair was white, spiky like a hedgehog's. He had three ferocious long scars on his face and wore a white haori with the large character for "Kill" printed on the back. The uniform of the Demon Slayer Corps was open, revealing a chest covered in scars.
This was the last of the nine Hashira, the Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa.
"Is that idiot corps member who's traveling with a demon that guy?" he shouted, looking at Tanjiro.
"Nezuko!"
Tanjiro knew very well that his sister was in the wooden box Sanemi was holding, and his heart was filled with worry.
Sanemi Shinazugawa stared straight at Tanjiro and questioned in a heavy tone, "Just what is your plan?"
"This is very difficult for me, Lord Shinazugawa. Please put down the box," a female Kakushi member who was following behind Sanemi said hurriedly.
The bent-over Shinobu slowly straightened up, her smile gone. She said to Sanemi with an expressionless face, "Mr. Shinazugawa, please do not act on your own."
But Sanemi ignored Shinobu and continued to speak to Tanjiro, "What did you say about a demon? That a little brat can fight as part of the Demon Slayer Corps to protect humanity? Something like that... how is that possible!!! You idiot!!!"
His tone grew louder, and in the end, he even drew the Nichirin Sword at his waist with one hand and violently stabbed it towards the wooden box in his other hand.
"Nezuko!!!"
Tanjiro cried out in agitation.
"Hah," Sanemi's expression was ferocious and excited, the blood vessels in his eyes bulging.
The next moment, Sanemi, who had expected to see a look of rage on the idiot's face, instead saw a look of relief...
And the strange expressions on the faces of the other Hashira.
"Hmm?" Sanemi couldn't help but look towards the hand holding the box, only to see the blade of his Nichirin Sword had missed, and the wooden box had vanished.
"What's going on?" Sanemi noticed that the gazes of the Hashira were not on him, but behind him!
Sanemi Shinazugawa whirled around.
And then Sanemi saw a man holding the wooden box, looking at him indifferently.
'When?'
His heart jumped in shock.
'Such speed.'
In fact, it wasn't just him; the other Hashira also had the same thought in their minds.
This person's speed was a bit excessive.
Obanai Iguro finally knew why he had lost earlier. The other person was faster than him and stronger than him. How could he not have lost?
However, he still didn't think he would lose in a real fight. After all, a real battle didn't rely solely on strength and speed, unless the opponent was on a completely overwhelming level, and what Lexon had just displayed was clearly not yet at that level.
"What are you doing?"
Sanemi Shinazugawa heard the other's indifferent question.
Although the other's move had just stunned him, Sanemi still didn't back down in the slightest. "Are you the guy who harbored a demon and violated the Corps' rules?"
"I asked, what are you doing?" Lexon emphasized his question from before.
"Killing a demon, of course!! You idiot!!" Sanemi held up his Nichirin Sword and roared arrogantly.
In a flash, Lexon drew his Nichirin Sword.
In that instant, a deep, azure sword light flashed before the eyes of everyone present.
"Clang!"
Lexon's Nichirin Sword struck the blade of Sanemi's.
The violent sound of clashing metal seemed to want to deafen eardrums and shatter consciousness. The force kicked up an invisible aura that swept through the entire courtyard, sending even the pebbles on the ground flying.
The physical strength of Urokodaki Sakonji, the physical strength of Kyojuro Rengoku, and the physical strength of Gyokko's second phase, all stacked together...
This was the purest strength at the strongest limit Lexon had achieved in his human state since he started signing in.
Sanemi Shinazugawa's entire body shot backward like a cannonball. Blood overflowed from his mouth and nose in mid-air, as if he had been struck in the chest by a sledgehammer. He crashed through the courtyard's wooden veranda, smashed through the stone wall, and tumbled for a distance before he managed to bring himself to a stop.
"You bastard! I'll kill you!!" Blood was streaming down Sanemi's face. He plunged his Nichirin Sword into the ground to support himself as he stood up, but he still felt a wave of weakness and couldn't steady his body.
'S-So terrifyingly strong.'
Seeing this scene, Tanjiro's jaw, which had just healed, nearly dropped off again.
The surrounding Hashira all wore solemn expressions, their eyes fixed on Lexon's figure.
His speed from before was one thing, but this strength now was clearly a bit outrageous.
They couldn't help but ponder in their minds what the result would be if they had been the one hit by that slash just now.
The final simulated result was basically the same as Sanemi's fate.
Even the Stone Hashira, Gyomei Himejima, who was the strongest of the nine Hashira and whose wrist strength far surpassed the others, couldn't help but be amazed in his heart at the great strength the other had displayed.
"Wind Breathing, First Form: Dust Whirlwind Cutter!"
Sanemi, having recovered after adjusting his breathing, gripped his Nichirin Sword tightly, the veins on his hands bulging, and charged towards Lexon from the gap in the stone wall.
"Sanemi, stop."
Suddenly, a light and gentle voice came from within the hall.
Sanemi Shinazugawa immediately halted his steps.
Everyone looked towards the open hall.
From within the hall, two white-haired, purple-eyed girls in kimonos walked out first. Following them was the blind Kagaya Ubuyashiki, dressed in a white robe.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]