Nodding, Himejima Gyomei made no attempt to hide anything.
As the strongest pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps, he has many responsibilities and considerations.
Upon learning of the rumor, his first reaction was neither to believe nor disbelieve.
Instead, all he considered was how to minimize the impact in a short period of time.
Aside from the Scribe, who is an anomaly, it can be said that Himejima Gyomei is the person who has contributed the most to the Demon Slayer Corps after the Oyakata-sama.
"Yeah."
Upon seeing Himejima Gyomei, Scribe made no attempt to conceal his feelings and smiled faintly.
In the blink of an eye, his body disappeared from the spot.
She felt a gust of wind blow by, and to her surprise, Shinobu Butterfly Kocho found that Scribe was already standing beside her.
'Scribe...'
Before she could finish speaking, Scribe patted her and Kanae Kocho on the back.
Staggering, the two women fell forward.
If they weren't pillars with extremely high control over their bodies, they might have fallen straight to the ground.
Looking at the towering Stone Hashira in front of him, the Scribe's eyes revealed a hint of appreciation.
Just by looking at their aura, it's clear that Himejima is far stronger than the other pillars.
Even so, his attacks remained the same as before.
A punch!
When Scribe's fist disappeared from his sight, Himejima was stunned for a moment.
Immediately afterwards, as a chill ran through him, his body reacted instinctively.
Cross your hands together, making a fist.
It slammed down from above with tremendous force.
"Bang!"
A heavy voice came, and everyone present widened their eyes.
Because they clearly saw that the tower-like Himejima had actually taken a step back!
His slightly hunched body and furrowed brows testified to the immense pressure he was under.
"Heavy, and very strong."
The moment they made contact, Himejima realized the difference in power between himself and the Scribe.
They were clearly using a top-down attack method, so logically they should have the advantage.
Moreover, he launched the attack with his hands clasped in a fist.
Given his robust physique, it seemed logical that he should be the one suppressing the Scribe.
But reality slapped him in the face.
The opponent's seemingly casual strike almost overwhelmed him.
I felt as if I had struck a huge mountain; the strength I used to be so proud of was now completely useless.
No matter how hard Gyomei, he couldn't budge Scribe in the slightest.
The two remained locked in a stalemate.
"Open!"
With a loud shout, veins bulged on Himejima's forehead.
The other pillars all knew that the other side was now serious.
In the past, the team members at the pillar level would occasionally spar with each other.
But whether it's the Sound Hashira who came from a ninja background, the Mist Hashira known for his genius, the Flame Pillar who has been passed down for hundreds of years, or the Water Hashira and the Serpent Hashira.
Even when sparring with the Stone Hashira, Himejima Gyomei, he did not show such an expression.
Even when facing demons that are far stronger than ordinary humans, the Stone Hashira slays them with overwhelming force.
Now, just to deflect Scribe's punch, the Stone Hashira is already getting serious.
While everyone else was in shock, Himejima Gyomei himself was also in disbelief.
He knew that the Scribe was very strong.
Even being better than oneself is acceptable.
From the moment he met the other party, he knew that Scribe was an unparalleled expert.
But he was also a person who refused to admit defeat. His well-trained body, combined with Breathing Technique, made him yearn to get closer to the Scribe.
The fact that Scribe continued to discuss the rumors with him was something he secretly longed for.
But even with just one strike, he felt a sense of helplessness.
He didn't know how much force the Scribe used in that punch, but he himself had used more than 80%.
Even so, the Scribe's face did not appear particularly solemn.
It was as if his own strength was far from being a threat in his eyes.
"Ha!"
With both arms working together, Gyomei chose the least desirable approach at that moment.
He intends to confront the Scribe head-on!
I'm determined to experience firsthand the difference between us!
For this reason, he was willing to risk injury!
Upon glancing at Himejima's trembling face, Scribe understood what the other party meant.
"Then, as you wish."
With a silent thought in his mind, the Scribe gradually increased the strength in his arm.
To everyone's astonishment, the Scribe gradually pushed back the Stone Hashira's falling fists.
One centimeter, two centimeters...
One centimeter, two centimeters...
Although it was slow, it was clear to everyone.
Finally, the Scribe exerted his strength.
After slightly retracting, he swung out forcefully, sending Himejima's fist flying.
Immediately following was a spinning turn.
A powerful, long leg kicked out, striking him squarely in the abdomen.
Just then, Himejima's arms were knocked away, and a tingling sensation came over him, which slowed his reaction slightly.
And it was this moment of hesitation that caused him to lose the opportunity to get back on defense.
He kicked him in the stomach, and a tremendous force erupted.
The towering Stone Hashira was sent flying backward like a spring.
"I see. So the gap between me and my husband is really that big."
During the backward flight, Himejima Gyomei couldn't help but think of something.
"Rumors are indeed rumors; they are completely unbelievable."
After spinning around on the ground, he grabbed the ground hard.
The five fingers carved deep furrows in the ground, and by relying on friction, they managed to bring their bodies to a stop.
Feeling a burning pain in his abdomen, Himejima's facial muscles twitched involuntarily.
After taking a deep breath, he felt a sweet sensation in his throat.
"Puff."
A small mouthful of blood spurted out, staining the ground red.
After rubbing his abdomen and taking a few deep breaths, Gyomei felt a little better.
He slowly stood up and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
He raised his hand in a gesture of refusal, indicating to Kanae Kocho that he was alright.
Although he vomited some blood, Gyomei knew very well that it was just some stagnant blood.
The Scribe's attack, though seemingly injuring him, actually helped him expel some "impurities" hidden deep within his body.
Receiving treatment while being beaten is what I just experienced.
He turned his head toward the Scribe and bowed slightly.
"Namo Amitabha Buddha".
"Mister Scribe, I have lost this contest."
With just one punch and one kick, the Scribe defeated the Himejima Gyomei!
Chapter 362 The Pillar-Level Figures in Chaos
Seeing how readily Himejima Gyomei admitted his defeat, the others were still somewhat taken aback.
Even he was defeated so easily by the Scribe, so it seems that their performance just now wasn't so unacceptable.
"Wow, brother, the Mister Scribe is really amazing."
Genya Shinazugawa sighed, and then spoke to Sanemi beside him.
"When will we be able to reach his level?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than the Sound Hashira, Tengen Uzui, interjected.
"Let's talk when you can catch his punch as spectacularly as I can."
"Ha?!"
Upon hearing this, before Genya Shinazugawa could say anything, Sanemi became restless.
Being straightforward, he thought that Tengen Uzui was showing off that he could withstand a punch from the Scribe.
Isn't that a mockery of the fact that he and his brother combined couldn't even withstand a single punch from Scribe?
"Uzui, speaking of which, it's been a long time since we've practiced together."
He flexed his hands, and amidst a series of cracking sounds, a grin spread across his face.
Combined with the scars on his face, it resembled the smile of a villain.
"Perfect, shall we take this opportunity to have some fun?"
"What are you doing, Shinazugawa?"
Sensing the anger of Sanemi Shinazugawa towards him, Tengen Uzui was still somewhat puzzled.
He was just encouraging his teammates to work harder, so how did that make Sanemi angry?
"Further words are useless!"
With a loud roar, disregarding Tengen Uzui's intentions, Sanemi threw a punch.
In the blink of an eye, the two were locked in combat.
Despite Genya Shinazugawa's repeated persuasion, they showed no intention of separating.
After glancing at the Sound Hashira Wind Hashira wrestling together, Tomioka Giyu remained silent and simply took a step to the side.
"Tomioka, you still seem out of place at times like this."