Looking at Himejima Gyomei's vacant eyes, Kujo Tachibana couldn't hold back any longer and asked the question that had been on his mind.
"Gyomei, you can't see. How can you still drive a carriage?"
Himejima Gyomei clasped his hands around his prayer beads and held them before his chest. Facing Kujo Tachibana, he replied:
"Rumble Hashira, although I can no longer see, my hearing is exceptionally keen. Amitabha!"
At that, a light bulb went off in Kujo Tachibana's head!
He believed Gyomei was telling the truth, because he himself had extraordinary senses as well.
Take Tanjiro, the protagonist of the series. He could even smell danger and predict good or bad fortune, as well as sense the strength and goodness or evil of others.
Even Tanjiro's discovery of the Line of Interval early on might have owed something to his keen sense of smell!
And if Gyomei's senses were just as exceptional...
What if Gyomei trained in his family's inherited swordsmanship method for strengthening the five senses?
If he succeeded, Gyomei could awaken a sixth sense!
Awakening that sixth sense was practically the same as opening the door to the Supreme Territory—the Transparent World!
By then, Gyomei's strength would surely increase tremendously.
After all, this was the strongest member of the Demon Slayer Corps in the series, the Stone Hashira: Himejima Gyomei!
Even if he couldn't complete the entire training or awaken a sixth sense, he could still strengthen his other four senses!
Then Tachibana could guide him in controlling his blood vessels and muscles.
Maybe Gyomei could even awaken the Transparent World ahead of time!
That's right—awaken it early!
In the original story, Gyomei didn't grasp how to use the Transparent World until he was twenty-seven, during his life-or-death battle against Upper Rank One, Kokushibo.
Unfortunately, Gyomei died that very day!
His Demon Slayer Mark had been released, and his injuries were too severe. In the end, he gave up on treatment.
Since Gyomei had the talent, Kujo Tachibana wasn't going to keep this to himself. He would change the fate of this big-hearted gentle giant!
Kujo Tachibana led Gyomei straight to the training ground outside Dongchang Town, where he usually sparred with Kuwajima Jigoro.
"Gyomei, our family has a training method for strengthening the senses."
"Once you complete the training, you can develop a sixth sense beyond the five that humans are born with!"
"Our family calls this sense Sword Heart Clarity!"
"This sixth sense can help you observe even the slightest changes in your surroundings, with no blind spots."
"If you concentrate, you can even sense the internal structure of objects."
"I've noticed you have a talent for this. Today, I'll teach you this training method!"
Himejima Gyomei was stunned!
This...
Though Gyomei desperately wanted to be able to "see," he couldn't bring himself to accept Tachibana teaching him such a precious family technique for nothing. It would be taking unfair advantage.
"Rumble Hashira! Thank you very much, but I don't need it. Amitabha!"
Kujo Tachibana rolled his eyes and said firmly:
"I say you do!"
"You're a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, too. If you grow stronger, you'll be able to save more innocent people!"
"You say you don't need it. Does that mean you don't want to save those innocent people?"
"Besides, what's the big deal about teaching you? Do you think this training method is easy? Just because I teach it to you, you think you'll be able to learn it?"
"Let me tell you, in the thousand years since the Kujo Clan was founded, only two people have awakened the sixth sense and reached the realm of Sword Heart Clarity!"
Kujo Tachibana's words left Gyomei speechless. After hesitating for a while, he finally made up his mind and said:
"Rumble Hashira, thank you very much! I'll carry your kindness with me and help more people in need. Amitabha!"
"All right, let's not waste any more time. Let's get started!" Kujo Tachibana waved a hand and said casually.
He was willing to teach Gyomei such a precious training method.
It was simply because he wanted to!
Three days later, they were back at the same training ground. Gyomei had arrived in the woods, fully equipped and carrying his specially made Nichirin Sword.
Gyomei's Nichirin Sword was a strange one. It was made from Scarlet Crimson Sand Iron and Scarlet Crimson Ore.
This thing had nothing to do with a Nichirin Sword. Could it even be called a sword?
Tachibana couldn't help laughing when he saw it. Gyomei held a chain flail in his right hand and a chained axe in his left, with the chain connecting the two.
Was he going to cut off demons' heads with that?
He was more likely to smash their heads in!
And Tachibana?
Kujo Tachibana had come, of course.
Gyomei's opponent today was him!
It all started because Tachibana's new enchanted weapon had finally arrived that day: a Nichirin Sword modeled after the proportions of his previous long sword.
Now that his new weapon was here, he naturally needed someone to test it on. He had originally planned to ask Kuwajima Jigoro.
Unfortunately, the old man was too proud. With Master present, he didn't want to lose face in front of him.
So he'd refused the spar.
With Kuwajima Jigoro out, Tachibana had no choice but to settle for Gyomei.
It wasn't that Gyomei was weak.
It was just that he'd only been training in the Breath of Stone for a year. It was only natural that he was a little weaker than Kuwajima Jigoro.
If Gyomei were already at Hashira level, he would definitely have inherited the title of Stone Hashira.
After all, his Breathing Style teacher, the current Stone Hashira, was already old.
His strength had declined considerably, so it wasn't suitable for him to keep the position.
That was true both for the Demon Slayer Corps and for him personally.
All right, enough digressing. Back to the spar!
The woods were especially lively today. Besides the two main participants, Gyomei and Tachibana,
Master of the Demon Slayer Corps and the former Rumble Hashira, Kuwajima Jigoro, had also come to watch.
On top of that, every member of the Kakushi stationed near Dongchang Town who wasn't away on a mission had shown up!
They had gathered to watch this "ultimate showdown"!
Kujo Tachibana slowly drew the new weapon from his waist. A strand of blue-and-yellow thread was wrapped around the sword's hilt, and the guard beneath it had been cleverly shaped like a lightning bolt.
Lowering his gaze to the blade beneath the guard, he saw four small characters engraved there: "Destroyer of Demons"!
The bright blade had been polished to a gleam. Just looking at it gave rise to a sharpness so keen it seemed to sting the eyes!
The heavy spine of the blade had been left untreated, retaining the dark original color of the iron ore. The stark contrast of black and white made the sword look incredibly cool.
Tachibana nodded in satisfaction. Now that was a Nichirin Sword!
The next instant!
As if enchanted, a faint yellow glow spread along the blade, starting from the hilt!
Kujo Tachibana swung the Nichirin Sword twice to get used to its weight, then turned to Gyomei and said:
"I'm ready. Let's begin!"
Himejima Gyomei nodded. "Amitabha!"
"Breath of Stone—First Form: Serpentinite Bipolar!"
The hammer and Giant Axe shot forward like meteors, their tremendous momentum carrying them across more than twenty meters in an instant as they slammed toward Kujo Tachibana, who stood motionless!
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