Kagaya felt that Sanemi and Obanai knew where to draw the line. He also genuinely wanted to see whether this method would work, so he did not stop them.
Without a word, Giyu drew his Nichirin Blade as well.
"Heh heh heh heh, here I come."
Sanemi chuckled, then swung his Nichirin Blade and charged at Giyu, bringing it down on him with all his strength.
Giyu raised his blade to block.
Clang!
The blue and green blades collided, sending sparks flying. Then the points where the two Nichirin Blades had struck each other turned red, and the color gradually spread along their lengths.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Yet Sanemi did not stop as soon as he saw this. He struck at Giyu three more times, and Giyu blocked every blow. By then, both their Nichirin Blades had turned entirely red.
Only then did Sanemi step back, looking somewhat satisfied, and Obanai stepped forward to take his place.
"My turn now."
With that, Obanai gripped his Nichirin Blade and began trading blows with Giyu as well. After four exchanges, Obanai's Nichirin Blade turned red again. He returned to his place, looking as though he still wanted more.
Giyu's expression remained unchanged as he silently sheathed his Nichirin Blade.
Everyone present had clearly seen what had just happened.
"It seems the method Gyomei mentioned works as well. However, you will all need to test just how effective the Bright Red Nichirin Blade is during your future missions. I hope it will give you an advantage in your battles against demons.
"And thank you, Yo, for discovering this ability and being willing to share it."
After witnessing what had happened, Kagaya addressed all the Hashira, then turned to Chiba Yo with a smile to express his gratitude.
"It was only right that I did, Master," Chiba Yo replied, bowing his head slightly.
Kagaya smiled at his answer, then turned to all the Hashira. "That concludes the two matters we needed to discuss today. Thank you all for coming.
"Until we meet again, my children."
Those parting words expressed both Kagaya's hope that the Hashira would defeat the demons and return safely, and his hope that his own body would hold out until the next Hashira Meeting.
What would ordinarily have been a simple farewell carried a heavy sadness here. Thinking of the Master's steadily declining health, the Hashira all felt a little sorrowful.
"Until we meet again, Master."
They had wished for Oyakata-sama's well-being so many times already. Now, the Hashira simply returned Kagaya's words, expressing the same hope as him.
After saying their farewells, the Hashira left the courtyard together. Except for Giyu, of course-he always came alone and left alone.
"Teacher, about today..."
His opinion had been at odds with Kyojuro's this time, and it still weighed on him a little. He intended to apologize to Kyojuro, but the moment he began, Kyojuro cut him off.
"Don't let what happened today bother you! It's perfectly normal to have your own opinions! And there was nothing wrong with your reasoning! That final test convinced me, too! I'm willing to accept those siblings for the time being!" Kyojuro declared loudly.
Kyojuro's words warmed Chiba Yo's heart.
Teacher really is considerate of others...
"Thank you, Teacher," Chiba Yo said with a smile. The lingering unease in his heart had vanished completely.
Sanemi left on his own after hearing their conversation. Though Nezuko had passed the rare blood test, he still did not want to accept the siblings. However, he had already said he would acknowledge them if Nezuko passed, so there was nothing more he could say now.
After walking some distance, the Hashira gradually went their separate ways. Remembering Tanjiro and Zenitsu, whose severe injuries had left him wrapped up like a mummy, Chiba Yo turned toward the Butterfly Mansion.
In the Butterfly Mansion's courtyard
Chiba Yo walked in and spotted Kanao surrounded by butterflies.
Seeing no one else around, Chiba Yo had no choice but to walk over to her.
"May I visit the injured patients brought here, Zenitsu Agatsuma and Tanjiro Kamado? Could you tell me where they are?"
Chiba Yo addressed his questions to Kanao.
He had not really wanted to ask Kanao, because she never responded to him. Quite some time had passed since they first met, yet Kanao had not said a single word to him.
"..."
(^_^)
Kanao did not answer him, merely smiling as she always did.
I knew it...
Chiba Yo felt rather helpless.
"Then I'll go inside and look for them myself. Is that all right?" Chiba Yo asked again. Sure enough, she still said nothing, so he went inside on his own. Kanao did not stop him.
Once inside the Butterfly Mansion, Chiba Yo was still wondering how to find Zenitsu and Tanjiro's room when he spotted the Kakushi member who had just carried Tanjiro away approaching with the girl who had previously served Kyojuro his meal.
By now, Chiba Yo had learned the girl's name from conversations among the other Corps members. She was a girl who handled logistics for the Demon Slayer Corps, named Aoi Kanzaki.
With that, Chiba Yo no longer had to worry about finding the room. He stepped forward and asked, "Miss Kanzaki, are Zenitsu and Tanjiro here?"
"Lord Chiba." ×2
Upon seeing Chiba Yo, the Kakushi member and Aoi Kanzaki first bowed respectfully in greeting. After all, he was now a Hashira, a position that commanded great respect within the Demon Slayer Corps.
"You really don't have to do that..." Chiba Yo was still unused to it and felt a little awkward.
"Have you come to visit them, Lord Chiba?" Aoi Kanzaki asked with a smile.
She had heard a few things about Chiba Yo as well. He had slain Lower Rank Two and become a Hashira less than a month after joining the Demon Slayer Corps-an unparalleled genius. His exploits had already spread throughout the Corps, though Chiba Yo himself was not quite aware of that.
There were also rumors that Chiba Yo was good-natured and friendly toward ordinary Corps members and lower-ranking swordsmen. That made him stand out among the Hashira and left Corps members who had never met him with a favorable impression.
Now that she had met him in person, Aoi Kanzaki fully believed the rumors about Chiba Yo.
"Yes. They're friends I met during Final Selection," Chiba Yo answered with a nod.
"You're truly kind, Lord Chiba. Even as a Hashira, you've come to visit them yourself," Aoi Kanzaki said admiringly.
Chiba Yo was one of the few Hashira she had met who was both normal and good-natured.
"They're in the room just ahead. I'll show you the way."
"Sorry for the trouble," Chiba Yo said with a smile.
Aoi Kanzaki then led Chiba Yo toward Zenitsu and Tanjiro's room.
"How is their recovery going? Is the treatment going smoothly?" Chiba Yo asked Aoi Kanzaki.
At his question, Aoi Kanzaki's expression grew troubled, and she replied with a hint of complaint, "Tanjiro was only just brought here. His injuries aren't too serious, so he should recover soon.
"But Zenitsu's condition is more serious, and he doesn't cooperate with his treatment. He cries and fusses for ages before he'll reluctantly agree to take his medicine."
Thinking of how much longer Zenitsu would need to recuperate, Aoi Kanzaki felt a terrible headache coming on.
"Uh... thank you all for your hard work."
Recalling Zenitsu's personality, Chiba Yo could already imagine the scene.
Before you continue