Early this morning,
The highest-ranking person in charge of the Butterfly Mansion, Lady Flower Hashira Pillar, exudes an amazing radiance from the inside out.
She linked arms with Giyu, her stunningly beautiful face adorned with a sweet smile that could melt glaciers.
Standing by the doorway, responsible for seeing them off, was Shinobu Kocho, the current medical director of the Butterfly Mansion. She had not yet been officially promoted to Pillar rank, so she was not qualified to attend the Hashira Meeting.
"Snap!"
The dried herb that Ren was holding in her hand was broken into powder by her own hands.
Acid!
It's so sour!!
She knew perfectly well that her sister went to the men's bathhouse in the backyard wrapped in a bath towel last night!
"Ara ara~"
With his arms crossed and leaning against the doorpost, he instantly activated his max-level sarcastic and aloof mode.
"Mr. Tomioka looks great today!!"
"It seems that your rest at the Butterfly Mansion last night not only relieved your post-battle fatigue, but also thawed your frozen brain."
She narrowed her purple eyes, and the sourness emanating from them could be smelled from miles away.
"Could it be that some kind of irresistible love potion has been added to the hot spring water of our Butterfly Mansion?"
Giyu Tomioka stopped and turned around, calmly looking at Shinobu Kocho, whose face clearly showed her displeasure.
"No sleeping potion!!"
Looking at Shinobu's cheeks puffed up with anger, Giyu inexplicably reached out his left hand.
A warm palm landed naturally on Shinobu's head and gently rubbed it twice.
"You've worked hard taking care of the wounded these past few days. If you're tired, next time... I can help you rub your back."
"Boom--!"
Help... help me rub it?!
Who asked you to scrub my back?! You shameless pervert!!
Ren's cheeks instantly flushed red from her neck to the tips of her ears. She took two steps back and covered her burning face with her hands.
"Who... who asked you to help me!"
"Mr. Tomioka, you hopeless idiot!!"
He stammered and cursed, but there was no real anger in his purple eyes. Instead, his eyes revealed a panic at having his secret thoughts exposed.
Kanae watched her younger sister, who was so embarrassed she was practically fuming.
Not only was she not jealous, but she covered her mouth with the back of her hand and burst into laughter, even secretly pinching Giyu's arm and giving him a pat on the back.
"Alright, Shinobu, you're not a Pillar yet, so you'll have to stay here and be a good girl at the Butterfly Mansion today!"
"Giyu and I are going to the Hashira Meeting!"
Kanae waved goodbye, in high spirits, and dragged Giyu along as they headed towards the Ubuyashiki Estate.
Watching the two figures gradually walk away, Shinobu stood at the gate, covering her still burning cheeks, and gave a haughty snort.
"You idiot! Next time we meet, I'm definitely going to add two extra pounds of bitter melon to your food!"
In the garden of the Ubuyashiki Estate.
At this point, several of the Demon Slayer Corps' top fighters had been assembled.
"Namo Amitabha Buddha... All people suffer; only by vanquishing all evil spirits can one find liberation..."
[Stone Hashira] Gyomei Himejima, with his hands clasped together and two lines of clear tears hanging from the corners of his eyes, was gently moving his huge prayer beads.
Hey! Can't you guys be a little bit more fancy?!
[Sound Hashira] Tengen Uzui crossed his arms, his diamond headband glittering in the sunlight, striking a flamboyant pose.
"Today is a rare Hashira Meeting. Later, before our Oyakata-sama, everyone must display their most magnificent spirit and energy!"
And in a corner of the courtyard.
Sabito, the good brother enhanced by Tamayo Technology, was leaning against a tree trunk, dozing off, clutching his light blue Nichirin Blade.
Just then, footsteps came from the entrance of the courtyard.
Sabito opened his eyes and immediately saw Kanae walking in, being held Giyu by Kanae's arm.
The corner of the Sabito's eye twitched violently twice.
"That damn guy..."
Sabito cursed inwardly, feeling like he'd been force-fed a mouthful of dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing public displays of affection).
However, before Sabito could even make a couple of sarcastic remarks...
"Bang!"
A figure carrying a violent aura darted out from around the corner of the inner courtyard.
With his white hair and hideous scars covering his body, the [Wind Hashira] Sanemi Shinazugawa charged toward Giyu with bloodshot eyes.
"Ha! Who do we think is so high and mighty, always showing up at the last minute!"
Sanemi walked up to Giyu, his face contorted with a menacing expression, and he even rolled up his sleeves in a fit of rage.
"Tomioka! You bastard, you're still alive!"
Sanemi pointed at Giyu's nose and immediately pressed his face against Giyu's, unleashing his ultimate attack.
"I thought you'd died somewhere deep in the mountains and forests, living like a savage!"
"He's been nowhere to be seen for a whole year, missing three entire Hashira Meeting!"
"What do you take the Demon Slayer Corps' discipline for?! What do you take us, your comrades, for?! Huh?!"
Sanemi's voice was so loud it could practically shatter eardrums; his spittle was practically flying out.
Giyu stared at Sanemi, who was in a frenzied state, without taking a single step back.
Based on the principle that sincerity is always the ultimate weapon.
Water Hashira replied very seriously:
"I'm still alive, I'm not dead. Thank you for your concern."
Giyu paused, then added expressionlessly,
"Furthermore, I did not disregard discipline. I requested paid annual leave from the Master, and the process was legal and compliant."
Paid... annual leave?!
Sanemi's lips twitched violently.
Paid annual leave?! What the hell?!
I'm out there slaying ghosts until I'm spitting blood every day, I don't even get a weekend off, and you, you expressionless bastard, are going on vacation?!
And he even brought back a stunningly beautiful woman?!
I don't care if it's paid annual leave or not!
Sanemi was so angry he jumped up and down, grabbing Giyu's collar.
"Your expressionless face is just asking for a beating! I'm going to punch that ice-cold face of yours today!"
Just as Sanemi and Giyu were pushing and shoving each other like two childish brats,
"Hiss~"
A white snake slid down the tree trunk.
Immediately afterwards, a man with a bandage wrapped around his mouth and heterochromatic eyes (one gold and one green) floated down to Sanemi's side like a ghost.
It was Obanai Iguro [Serpent Hashira].
But at this moment, Obanai's condition was not right.
His heterochromatic eyes, one gold and one green, were filled with a kind of... heartbreaking grief at the collapse of his faith!
It's important to know that in Obanai's heart, Giyu Tomioka has always been a special person.
He actually greatly admires Giyu!
I admire Giyu's lofty attitude of cutting off all distractions and having only the way of the sword in his heart.
This is his perfect idol!
But now!
His aloof kendo idol was actually letting a woman hang on his arm, and there was even a damn tenderness in his eyes!
The idol filter that Obanai shattered into pieces at this moment!
"Tomioka- senpai! You've disappointed me so much!"
Obanai pointed her finger, her tone sounding like a crazed fan turning against their idol, accusing them of self-degradation.
"You, Kenshin, were once so pure!"
"Your eyes, which cut through everything, are the goal I've always been chasing!"
"But what kind of state do you look in now!"
Obanai stared at Kanae Kocho, who was clinging tightly to Giyu, her eyes filled with a heartbreaking disappointment.
"You've actually become a slave to beauty! You've actually let a woman cling to you!"
"A gentle embrace is Heroes' Tomb, senior! Women will only slow you down the speed at which you draw your sword!"
"Do you deserve your unparalleled mastery of Water Breathing?!"
The white snake Kaburamaru in Obanai also flicked its tongue, as if echoing its master's heartbroken accusations.
This outrageous statement from a toxic, career-driven fan left everyone else in the courtyard completely dumbfounded.
Tengen Uzui dropped open:
"Hey, hey, Iguro, is Iguro a huge fan of Tomioka after all?"
"This visual is so unappealing!"
The Sabito clutched its stomach desperately, leaning against a tree, almost laughing itself to death.
As the femme fatale criticized by Obanai, Kanae Kocho not only didn't get angry, but her strong cunning side was aroused instead.
"Oh dear, Mr. Iguro, that's quite a sour remark."
Kanae didn't let go; instead, she hugged Giyu's arm even tighter.
She pressed her proud, soft breasts against Giyu's body without any hesitation, looking at Obanai with a beaming smile.
"What does it mean to be reduced to a slave? Mr. Giyu, this is called knowing how to enjoy the beauty of life."
Kanae tilted her head and gave him a very sharp look.
"Mr. Iguro, are you so agitated because you've been single for too long and are jealous of others being in couples?"
"A single snake that's always on edge will lose its scales."
"You... you're talking nonsense! Don't let your worldly emotions taint the supreme way of the sword!!"
Obanai's face flushed red after being touched on her sore spot of being single, and her finger trembled even more as she pointed at Kanae.
One left and one right.
A grumpy and arrogant wind, a heartbroken snake!
The two most temperamental male Pillars of the Demon Slayer Corps launched a frenzied verbal attack on Giyu at this moment.
Faced with the close-range attacks of these two teammates,
Giyu Tomioka pulled Kanae behind him, using his broad back to block Sanemi and Obanai's view.
"First."
Giyu looked at Sanemi,
"I took a year's leave, not absenteeism!"
"Furthermore, my training at Mount Kumotori has made me even stronger!"
"This proves that leave is beneficial to combat effectiveness!"
Then, he turned to look at Obanai, who was on the verge of collapse.
"Second."
"I have not been enslaved!!"
"Kanae didn't slow down my sword-drawing speed either!!"
Whether Kenshin is pure or not has nothing to do with whether he has a woman or not!
Giyu's tone was so honest it made you want to vomit blood.
Looking at his two bristling comrades, he delivered the final blow:
"Third."
His thumb rested lightly on the hilt of his Nichirin Blade at his waist, his deep blue eyes sweeping over the two men.
"I am different from you!"
The defenses of reason have completely collapsed!
"I'm going to tear that infuriating, expressionless face of yours to shreds today!"
Sanemi Shinazugawa let out a wild roar and pounced like a wildcat with its fur standing on end, grabbing Giyu's neck tightly with both hands and shaking him violently!
"Unforgivable! I will rouse you from your depravity, you fallen swordsman! I will free you from lust!"
Obanai Iguro completely lost her guard and jumped onto Giyu's back, attempting to wrap the white snake around his head.
The three pillar-level powerhouses were actually wrestling around like three-year-old children in the courtyard of the Ubuyashiki Estate!
"Creak--!"
The paper door of the Japanese-style room in front was pulled open from the inside.
"My Master, you have arrived."
Lady Amane's cool, clear voice instantly acted like a powerful pause button.
The three who were just fighting separated in an instant, straightening their disheveled clothes.