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With Akaza slain, the mission was officially a complete success.
On the way back, Alex asked Hestia for the envelopes that updated blessings and granted level-ups. After that, he refreshed Butterfly Kanae's blessing and helped her advance to Level 2.
Once they returned to the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters, Alex immediately resumed training the three Butterfly sisters.
Less than three days later, the Flame Hashira arrived together with Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu. They asked Alex to train them as well.
Alex didn't refuse. He agreed without hesitation.
Training three people was training. Training a whole group was still training.
And so, under Alex's brutally efficient regimen, the seven of them improved at a frightening pace.
Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu, the three kids, trained for just half a month before their strength reached Hashira level.
That result left the other Hashira completely unable to sit still. One after another, they came to Alex, asking him to train them as well.
Alex agreed just as readily and put them all through hell.
As long as they didn't die, he trained them like they were going to.
Exhausted? At their limit? Bodies breaking down?
One healing spell, and back to training.
Under those conditions, the Hashira and the three youngsters all grew stronger at an astonishing speed.
On top of that, Alex held nothing back. He taught them the battle aura cultivation method from the world of Mushoku Tensei, as well as the three great sword schools, sharing everything with the Hashira and the three kids alike.
In his eyes, these people would all become part of Hestia's familia someday, so there was nothing wrong with teaching them early.
Besides, he already had Roxy's permission to freely pass on the battle aura method and the three sword schools to others.
The Hashira were overjoyed at gaining these new paths of cultivation.
They trained like tireless iron men. During the day, they strengthened their bodies and pushed their limits. At night, they cultivated battle aura and practiced the three sword schools.
In just one short month, every Hashira reached the pinnacle of martial mastery. Their combat power rose to a level comparable to Kokushibo, the Upper Rank One.
The Butterfly sisters, Shinobu and Kanae, went even further. Their strength reached the same realm as Yoriichi Tsugikuni himself.
Tanjiro, Inosuke, Zenitsu, and Kanao Tsuyuri all firmly reached Hashira level as well.
Even Nezuko's strength climbed to the level of an Upper Rank demon.
And this Nezuko didn't need to lose her mind to berserker transformation to reach that level. If she did go berserk, she could even fight Muzan Kibutsuji head-on.
Alex was very satisfied with everyone's progress over the month. So he spent another 500 points in the chat group's shop and purchased the magic spell Dia Fratel.
That's right. The most broken healing magic from the DanMachi world.
It was the signature spell of Amid Teassanare from the Dian Cecht Familia.
The reason Amid was called the Saint of the Battlefield was precisely because of this magic.
Dia Fratel was a top-tier healing spell. It healed wounds, restored stamina, removed poisons, and dispelled curses all at once.
What made it even more terrifying was that its healing, detoxification, and curse-removal effects could be separated and used independently. It could affect multiple targets at the same time and even maintain a sustained effect.
Before coming to the Demon Slayer world, Alex had accumulated a total of 10,460 points.
Buying Dia Fratel cost him 500 points.
Buying the resurrection magic Dia Orpheus cost him another 1,000 points.
After nearly three months in this world, daily sign-ins earned him 710 more points.
That left him with 9,670 points remaining.
These points couldn't be spent recklessly. In the future, bringing people from other worlds to Orario would also require points.
One person cost 100 points. Ten people meant 1,000 points.
It was a lot, but Alex didn't feel the slightest bit of pain over it.
Back when he was still an ordinary person, it was Luo Hao and Hestia who helped him grow stronger.
Now that he had finally risen, it was only right to repay them.
No matter how many points he spent on those two, he would never begrudge it.
Without them, there would be no him today.
As for the others in the group, Alex would help them when he could.
Like now, helping Shinobu resolve the issue of demons.
When poor, you focus on saving yourself. When capable, you help the world.
Alex was a selfish person by nature, but he was never stingy toward those who had helped him.
Before, he lacked the ability, so he pursued strength with everything he had, no matter the cost.
Now that he had the power, he wouldn't turn away.
After purchasing the magic, Alex had Shinobu invite the family head, Kagaya Ubuyashiki.
Then, under the curious gazes of everyone present, Alex began to chant.
"Drops of healing, tears of light,Eternal holy ground, let the hymn of medicine answer my call.
Three hundred and sixty-five melodies.The calendar of healing shall save all things.
Come forth now, banish all evil.Bury the wounds, lay sickness to rest.
Send curses to the far shore, deliver them to the machinery of light.In the name of the gods, by my hand, be healed.
Dia Fratel!"
As the chant ended, a soft green light bloomed in Alex's hand and enveloped Kagaya Ubuyashiki.
In the next instant, the curse afflicting him was completely erased.
Not only that, every injury caused by the curse vanished as well.
When the healing ended, Kagaya's blind eyes slowly opened.
The sunlight felt faintly piercing at first. After adjusting for a moment, he finally realized it.
He could see again.
More than that, his body felt whole and restored.
"I'm healed… I can see!" Kagaya looked again and again at his own hands, then at the Hashira around him, tears streaming down his face.
"This is amazing! The master has recovered!"
"As expected of the Slaying Hashira's magic, it's incredible!"
"That's right. We all owe our thanks to Lord Alex."
The Hashira were overjoyed. Together, they turned and bowed deeply to Alex.
"Hey, hey, don't do that. Just call me Alex. 'Slaying Hashira' sounds way too awkward. It almost sounds like 'slaughtering pigs,'" Alex said, waving his hands and joking with them.
Everyone burst out laughing.
To celebrate their master's recovery, the Hashira decided to hold a feast.
That night, the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters became livelier than ever.
They prepared all kinds of delicious food, drinking and eating together in high spirits.
Alex loved this kind of atmosphere and drank quite a lot.
Even though he used divine power to purge the alcohol from his system, a Godslayer's physique was absurdly strong. Add in the skill "Infinite Regeneration," and the result was simple. He literally could not get drunk.
"..."
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