The Marvelous Uses of [En] and Enlightenment in the Mansion (A Double Chapter)

Mitsuri is watching him!

Such intense jealousy... The [circle] rippled like a large bowl inverted above the courtyard, silently enveloping everyone present. Roy glanced at Obanai Iguro, easily catching his thoughts. The white White Snake [Kaburamaru] coiled around the other's neck opened its mouth and flicked its tongue, its vertical pupils brightening...

Replacing Obanai Iguro's nearly blind right eye, he stared intently at Roy, but alas... the Sun-Earring Boy's gaze swept around, passing right past him, lingering briefly on the other pillars before finally looking at Giyu Tomioka and saying, "Senior."

Giyu Tomioka, holding his Nichirin Sword, nodded slightly to him.

Roy ignored everyone else and stood leaning on his knife, while Ziran stood alone to one side, resting with his eyes closed.

At one point, I suddenly heard...

Himejima Gyomei, who had been silently weeping and chanting sutras while sitting at the foot of a pillar, clasped his hands together and uttered a Buddhist chant. "Amitabha, the Master has arrived!"

"Whoosh--" All the "pillars," whether they were lying down, standing, or even leaning against the pillars in the trees, immediately abandoned their lazy posture, lined up in a row, knelt on one knee, and bowed respectfully to the Ubuyashiki Kagaya, who was slowly walking towards them with the help of Amane.

"Greetings, my Master!"

A thousand years have passed since Muzan, and the Ubuyashiki Clan has fought him for a millennium due to a "Curse." Through countless battles, they have amassed considerable power... Furthermore, the current head of the Ubuyashiki Family, Ubuyashiki Kagaya, values his subordinates, is responsible and decisive, and is deeply loved by the Pillars. Therefore, the moment he appears, not a single person in the courtyard can stand up straight; for a moment...

Roy, on the other hand, stood out from the crowd, looking completely out of place!

"This guy has such a big ego!"

"He doesn't bow to his Master; who does he think he is?"

I don't care if he's a genius or not. Who wasn't a genius back in the day?

Since you've participated in the Demon Slayer Corps Selection, you're now a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, and you must maintain at least the minimum respect for your Master!

"Whoosh—" All eyes, reflecting the thoughts of the crowd, turned to Roy.

Invisible pressure...

Giyu Tomioka frowned, having anticipated this scene. He opened his mouth as if to explain something, but then Himejima Gyomei slapped his hands together, drawing everyone's attention. He said in a deep voice, "Kamado Eiichiro participated in the selection only for revenge; he never joined the Demon Slayer Corps."

"His relationship with us is purely cooperative."

Cooperation? The expressions of the pillars varied.

At that moment, Ubuyashiki Kagaya, his nearly blind light-colored eyes fixed on Roy, smiled and said, "Eiichiro, thank you for attending."

That one sentence set the tone for the relationship.

To the lower right, Shinazugawa Sanemi, with his white hair standing on end like a hedgehog, several scars on his face, and wearing a white coat over a black Demon Slayer Corps uniform, couldn't contain his temper. He snorted two long gusts of breath from his nostrils, glared at Roy, who seemed lost in thought, and who nodded slightly to Ubuyashiki Kagaya upon his arrival...

He placed his hand on his Nichirin Sword and said, "My Master, I will not oppose your decision, nor will I deliberately target anyone, but..."

With Shinazugawa Sanemi drew his sword, pointing the tip at Roy, and said, "Cooperation means partnership. I need to know if the other party has the strength to trust me with my life!"

"Haha!" With long, golden hair flowing down his shoulders like a lion's mane, ending in Rengoku Kyojuro laughed loudly, his eyes burning with the same fighting spirit as Roy's as his fiery pupils. "Sanemi, count me in too."

"Hiss..." Kaburamaru spat out its tongue, representing Obanai Iguro's will.

Uzui Tengen, carrying two swords on his back, moved his index fingers rhythmically, as if he were witnessing a magnificent battle about to unfold. His eyes gleamed, eager to participate... Beside him, the Insect Hashira remained silent, while the Love Hashira turned her head like a rattle-drum, looking at this one and that one, bewildered and at a loss.

Seeing this, Giyu Tomioka was about to get up... when he saw... Ubuyashiki Kagaya, supported by his Amane, bowed deeply to Roy and said apologetically, "I apologize for failing to control my subordinates."

His knees bent, and he fell back down.

Shinazugawa Sanemi, Rengoku Kyojuro, Obanai Iguro... Except for Himejima Gyomei, whose emotions are obscured by tears, the other Pillars:

He fell silent abruptly, staring in shock at the scene before him. It was the first time he had ever witnessed such a thing... that Ubuyashiki Kagaya, the current head of the Ubuyashiki Clan, would treat someone with such disrespect... Could it really be as that retired Water Hashira Urokodaki Sakonji, had said?

That Sun-Earring Boy, dressed in white with hair that swayed like flames, possessed the ability to... slay the Demon King... Muzan Kibutsuji?

"Whoosh~" A gust of wind blew by, swirling up a few Wisteria that drifted down.

Silence reigns at the Ubuyashiki Estate today.

Roy manipulated the Magnetism to lift his hand and, without any further movement, directly helped Ubuyashiki Kagaya to his feet. He then smiled and said, "This is a good thing, Kagaya, there's no need to apologize."

The Sun-Earring Boy's gaze swept around, looking at Rengoku Kyojuro, then at Obanai Iguro, then at Uzui Tengen... finally settling on Shinazugawa Sanemi. He flicked his sleeve and said with a hint of agreement, "If someone suddenly joined such a secret meeting, I would definitely be suspicious too. So... they haven't done anything wrong, why not let them be?"

Hanafuda Earrings swayed in the wind... Roy smiled and said, "Are you going to come at me all at once or one by one?"

The large hand holding the Himejima Gyomei paused, and he silently uttered a Buddhist chant.

Shinazugawa Sanemi, who had been Ubuyashiki Kagaya, raised his sword, which had already sunk, and stepped forward, saying, "I'll do it!"

Before the other Pillars could react, he was the first to draw his sword and bow to Roy... Roy appreciated his directness, returned the bow, and then looked up. Suddenly, he heard a whooshing sound, and the sword flashed, its blade swirling and aimed straight at his face. In an instant, through Shinazugawa Sanemi's inner thoughts, he read the "name" of this Qi Circulation, as well as the rhythm and technique of "Wind Breathing"...

"Wind Breathing - First Form - Dust Whirlwind - Slash!"

If we're talking about who's the strongest among the nine pillars, the Wind Hashira Shinazugawa Sanemi be in the top three. In the original story, it was he who, together with the Stone Hashira Himejima Gyomei, killed Upper Rank One Kokushibo, who was Tsugikuni Yoriichi's older brother, Tsugikuni Michikatsu!

"Whoosh!"

The wind whipped up the blades, and before they even reached Roy, it had already sent his long, fiery red hair flying wildly.

The Sun-Earring Boy, through the [Circle], captures Shinazugawa Sanemi's inner thoughts, savoring the "Wind Breathing," and unhurriedly reaches out to strike the incoming wind blade... [Magnetism Repulsion]

A transparent [Magnetic Field Wall] suddenly appeared, blocking his way and instantly deflecting all the wind blades that were attacking him!

"Which school of Breathing Style is this?" In a corner of the courtyard, Murakami Kenya, a [hidden] Ubuyashiki Kagaya (his direct subordinate), wasn't particularly skilled but was well-informed, possessing knowledge of various schools and the "Breathing Style" of the Pillars. This was the first time he'd seen one like this...

Some people can even block Shinazugawa Sanemi Sanemi's wind-blade attack without even drawing their swords, simply by gently patting their palms!

"Eiichiro, you've improved again." Giyu Tomioka noticed that Rengoku Kyojuro and Uzui Tengen exchanged a silent glance, just like when he first fought Roy, he knew the strength of his opponent from the start.

The battle between masters is not a back-and-forth exchange; rather, the outcome can be decided in an instant by the slightest difference in skill.

Obanai Iguro gently stroked the head of the Kaburamaru snake, calming its unease. Noticing Roy's relaxed and carefree movements, how could he remain calm?

He glanced furtively at the Love Hashira... The girl who joined the Demon Slayer Corps only to find a husband stronger than herself clenched her fist in excitement, her heart silently breaking without her realizing it...

"Amitabha Buddha... is a new school of thought!"

Just like Tokito Muichiro's "Kasumi," the Love Hashira's "Koi," Obanai Iguro's "Snake"... Himejima Gyomei followed Ubuyashiki Kagaya the longest, was the strongest, and had the deepest understanding of "Breathing Style," able to distinguish them solely by "breath"... Roy's gentle pat was a style that had never appeared in this world before.

Moreover... from the moment Kamado Eiichiro appeared here, he always felt uneasy, as if there was a hole in his heart, and someone could see right through him. He felt uncomfortable all over, and even reciting the "Calming Mantra" couldn't get rid of it. Clearly, it was also the Sun-Earring Boy's doing.

Ubuyashiki Kagaya was nearly blind, so he couldn't see clearly, but just from Gyomei's description, he clearly knew... what incredible thing the Sun-Earring Boy had done again!

That's fine; only after a fight can we sit down and talk things out in peace.

As Eiichiro said, now that he's here, this battle is inevitable.

"Whoosh... whoosh... whoosh..." The wind blades that attacked Roy were deflected into the air by the [Magnetic Field Wall] and vanished without a trace.

Due to his family background and the fact that he has "Rare Blood," Shinazugawa Sanemi has a somewhat irritable and rude personality, but he is not stupid. On the contrary, his battle intelligence is extremely high. At a critical moment in his battle against Kokushibo, he used his younger brother Genya's pistol to block a fatal blow for himself!

So, after a brief probing, noticing that "First Form" was insufficient to break through Roy's defense, he immediately launched another attack...

"Wind Breathing - Eighth Form - Primary Gale Slash!"

Using a swift, close-range thrust, he closed the distance with his opponent, and as they passed each other, he flicked his wrist, unleashing a spinning slash to bypass the [Magnetic Field Wall] and find Roy's weakness.

Unfortunately... with his inner thoughts fully exposed, Shinazugawa Sanemi was anticipated by Roy from the very first moment he attacked. Roy anticipated his move, anticipated his actions, manipulated the [Magnetic Field Wall] behind him, and withstood the blow, sending Shinazugawa Sanemi flying!

"Wind... Sun..." The Sun-Earring Boy didn't turn around, and this time he didn't even move his hand. He continued to savor Shinazugawa Sanemi's understanding of [wind]. His calm and composed demeanor left everyone looking at each other in bewilderment.

"There was a wall in front of him." After his brother Yuichiro died, Tokito Muichiro killed the Demon to avenge him. Due to the physical and mental trauma, he temporarily lost his memory and was in a daze all day. At this moment... a circle of fluctuation appeared in his empty eyes.

Staring blankly at Roy said, "He can control the walls to move; if you can't break the walls, you can't hurt him."

A wall?

"What a bizarre Breathing Style... not elegant at all..." Uzui Tengen crossed his arms, stroked his chin, and pondered. He considered his most formidable enemy to be... a being with a "turtle shell" that was impervious to oil and blades...

"Yeah, it's definitely tough!" Rengoku Kyojuro said seriously, "Sanemi's angry."

His eyes widened, and scars crawled out on his face like grotesque centipedes... Having failed to inflict any damage with his two strikes, Shinazugawa Sanemi, his temper flaring, stubbornly swung his sword again... This time, disregarding everything, he unleashed his full power, channeling his breathing Breathing Style, "Wind Breathing - Total Concentration - Normal!"

Suddenly, two puffs of white air shot out from his nostrils, his body temperature rose, his heart beat twice as fast, and his condition instantly improved, far exceeding twice as fast as before—he was getting serious!

"Wind Breathing - Second Form - Claws: Koto Wind... Third Form - Clean Storm Wind Tree... Fourth Form - Rising Dust Storm..."

"Whoosh!" A strong wind blew, making everyone's face feel tight!

The wind blades whipped up sand and dust, creating a whirlwind that swept across the sky... Everyone instinctively covered their eyes, peeking only through their fingers...

Standing in the heart of the sandstorm, Roy watched as Shinazugawa Sanemi demonstrated the "Wind Breathing" technique, accelerating his understanding of "wind." Gradually, he gained insight and murmured, "Strong."

The [Magnetic Field Wall] was instantly coated with a layer of purple Magnetism, firmly protecting Roy at the center.

His feet were planted firmly on the ground, like an old tree rooted to the ground, unmoved by the "wind and rain" that Shinazugawa Sanemi endured... At a certain moment, his eyes lit up, and through the circle, he captured Shinazugawa Sanemi's inner thoughts, understanding the "Wind Breathing."

Know that all conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows, dew, and lightning; thus should they be viewed.

The "Breathing Style" was passed down from Tsugikuni Yoriichi. Various schools of thought have emerged from the "Sun Breathing" method, but they are all inevitably bound by the "sun".

From a physical perspective, the sun is the main driving force behind wind formation, because radiation causes uneven heating of the Earth's surface, triggering air movement and thus creating wind.

Therefore, in the final analysis, the so-called wind is nothing more than an "additional effect" arising from the sun shining on the earth.

That's all...

One slash... two slashes... three slashes... Shinazugawa Sanemi swung his sword countless times, but he couldn't break through the Magnetic Field Wall. In desperation... he gritted his teeth, leaped into the air, and, facing Roy's head, unleashed his ultimate technique, his last resort...

"Wind Breathing - Ninth Form - Idaten Typhoon!"

"Whoosh!"

A typhoon is blowing, and it looks like it's going to destroy the yard!

Murakami Kenya, who was leading Roy, was caught off guard and realized something was wrong. He took off running, but he was a beat too slow. His body was blown away by the wind. Rengoku Kyojuro was one step ahead and used "Flame Breathing" to turn into a flame and save Roy by the waist, preventing him from falling flat on his face!

"Amitabha Buddha, it's gotten to this point, that's enough..."

As the Buddhist chant began, Himejima Gyomei quietly Ubuyashiki Kagaya, behind him. Two streams of hot tears flowed from his compassionate eyes, and he was about to call a halt to the battle.

Cooked food -

Suddenly, a typhoon appeared out of nowhere!

The wind was so strong that it was even more powerful than the typhoon that Shinazugawa Sanemi had stirred up!