Gyomei Himejima's eyes had long since gone blind. He could not see anything.
Yet all this time, in the eyes of others, Gyomei Himejima's life seemed perfectly normal. His blindness did not appear to affect how he lived.
It did not even affect how he fought.
All of this was because Gyomei Himejima had awakened an ability similar to a "Mind's Eye."
What was called the Mind's Eye was the ability to form an image within one's mind through changes in the surrounding aura and movements nearby.
Although he could not see anything around him, everything in his surroundings was as clear as candlelight within Gyomei Himejima's heart.
And so, when Soma's presence suddenly grew stronger, that change appeared in Gyomei Himejima's mind as clearly as a candle burning in the darkness.
This abrupt strengthening made Gyomei Himejima feel very strange, which was why he had suddenly spoken.
Of course, he did not suspect Soma of being a demon. After all, no demon could bathe beneath the sunlight. He merely found Soma's sudden increase in strength strange.
Kyojuro Rengoku, Sanemi Shinazugawa, and even the injured Kanae Kocho would not doubt Gyomei Himejima's words. They all looked toward Soma, curiosity in their eyes.
For an instant, Soma wondered whether his identity as a demon had been discovered. But he forcibly suppressed that thought, keeping his expression calm as he sheathed his blade.
"The mission to hunt Upper Rank Two, Doma, is complete."
Soma did not explain Gyomei Himejima's question or everyone's curiosity. He simply said directly, "Next, we head straight to Upper Rank Six and join the hunt there."
Aside from having grasped the whereabouts of Doma, Upper Rank Two, the Demon Slayer Corps had also currently found traces of Upper Rank Six, the twin demons Gyutaro and Daki.
At present, the Demon Slayer Corps already knew that Upper Rank Six was likely active around the entertainment district.
It was worth mentioning that quite a few Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen had disappeared near that district, including Hashira.
In the past, this had been puzzling. Now, however, they basically understood that those people had likely died at the hands of Upper Rank Six. Perhaps they had even died in a very unsightly way.
"All right. We will set out for the entertainment district immediately."
Kyojuro Rengoku clenched his fist, his face filled with fiery enthusiasm.
Sanemi Shinazugawa looked at Soma curiously, but did not speak.
"Namu Amida Butsu."
Although Gyomei Himejima still had doubts, he also felt that this might be Soma's secret. And since Soma did not seem willing to speak of it, Gyomei Himejima did not wish to pry into another person's secrets. So he pressed his palms together and chanted a Buddhist prayer.
"Then we shall follow Mr. Soma's instructions and head to the entertainment district immediately."
Soma also let out a breath of relief before continuing, "Miss Kanae suffered rather serious injuries earlier. She should not participate in the entertainment district mission this time. Stay behind and rest."
Kanae Kocho felt unwilling. She believed that as long as her wounds were bandaged a little, she could still continue rushing to the next battle. But since Soma had said this, she could only obey.
Kanae Kocho felt unwilling. She believed that as long as her wounds were bandaged slightly, she could still continue rushing to the next battle. But since Soma had spoken, she could only obey.
The successful hunt against Upper Rank Two had allowed Kanae Kocho to personally witness Soma's abilities, leaving her somewhat convinced by him.
Hunting demons—especially powerful Upper Rank demons—almost always came with casualties. Yet this time, they had achieved victory without losing anyone, making Kanae Kocho acknowledge Soma's capability.
...
When Soma announced that the mission to hunt Upper Rank Two had ended, and that Upper Rank Two, Doma, had been successfully slain, the swordsmen who had participated in the operation all felt a sense of unreality.
Since when had demon-slaying missions become this easy?
In truth, when many of the swordsmen later learned that this was a hunt against Upper Rank Two of the Twelve Kizuki, they had already prepared themselves for death. Perhaps swordsmen like them were no match for Upper Rank Two, but they could use their lives to buy time for the Hashira and create openings for them.
Yet from the beginning of the hunt to its end, there had been almost no danger at all.
This made the way many swordsmen looked at Soma noticeably different.
Before this, Soma had possessed a certain degree of fame within the Demon Slayer Corps, but in truth, many swordsmen did not think too much of him. After all, Soma was not a Hashira.
But now, under his leadership, even Upper Rank Two, an opponent the Hashira could not deal with easily, had been surrounded and killed without paying the price of a single casualty.
The meaning behind that was enormous.
...
Almost immediately after the battle ended, news of Doma—the Upper Rank Two known as the Ice Demon—being slain spread throughout the entire Demon Slayer Corps through the Kasugai Crows.
Nearly every swordsman who heard the news found it difficult to believe at first.
After all, that was Upper Rank Two of the Twelve Kizuki.
In the history of the Demon Slayer Corps, there had been almost no cases of an Upper Rank demon being slain.
One had to know that even killing a Lower Rank demon was enough for a swordsman to qualify as a Hashira within the Demon Slayer Corps. Yet this was Upper Rank Two, one of the highest-ranking demons among the Upper Ranks.
"Upper Rank Two was slain, and not a single person died. Only Kanae suffered some injuries."
When Kiriya Ubuyashiki received the news from the Kasugai Crow, he could not help standing up, his face filled with excitement.
"Mr. Soma truly is incredible."
Kiriya Ubuyashiki almost hurried off at once to see his mother, Amane Ubuyashiki.
Amane Ubuyashiki understood her son very well. In certain ways, Kiriya Ubuyashiki was almost a younger version of Kagaya Ubuyashiki.
"Greetings, Mother."
Kiriya Ubuyashiki first bowed respectfully.
"Seeing how excited you are, there must be good news."
Amane Ubuyashiki spoke softly.
"Yes, Mother. It is news regarding the hunt against Upper Rank Two."
Kiriya Ubuyashiki immediately spoke.
Beside her, Hinaki Ubuyashiki, who had been helping her mother handle matters, immediately raised her head nervously. She knew very well that the hunt against Upper Rank Two had been led by Soma.
Amane Ubuyashiki accepted the letter, glanced at it, then raised her head.
"Is there no mistake in the intelligence?"
"No, Mother."
Kiriya Ubuyashiki answered firmly.
For a moment, Amane Ubuyashiki fell silent in a daze. Even when her husband, Kagaya Ubuyashiki, had still been alive, there had never been a case of Upper Rank Two being slain.
And this time, there had not even been any casualties.
It was truly difficult to believe.
"Mother…"
Seeing her mother lost in thought, Hinaki Ubuyashiki felt nervous and worried.
"Take a look."
Amane Ubuyashiki glanced at her daughter and handed over the letter.
Hinaki Ubuyashiki accepted it nervously, reading with an uneasy heart, afraid it might contain bad news. Yet as soon as she finished reading, the girl's tightly furrowed brows relaxed, and excitement appeared on her delicate face.
"Soma-sama really is amazing."
She was so excited she almost jumped up.
"It seems our Hinaki's future husband is very impressive." Amane Ubuyashiki looked at her daughter, her gaze gentle.
The young girl's face reddened, and her small head lowered slightly as her little hands twisted her sleeves. Deep in her heart, she thought the same thing.
Her future husband really was incredible.
In her heart, she felt a small sense of pride.
...
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