Three Hashira

Seeing the strange expression on Lin Yoriichi's face, Miss Tamayo could not help asking:

"Mr. Lin, is there something wrong with this address?"

Lin Yoriichi waved a hand.

"Nothing's wrong. Something just occurred to me."

Miss Tamayo did not press him further. She turned and called softly a few times.

Then a cat's cry rang out in the room:

"Meow!"

As Lin Yoriichi watched, a little cat with black, white, and yellow fur suddenly appeared out of thin air.

A talisman hung around the little cat's neck.

On its back was a small bundle.

Miss Tamayo picked up the cat and smiled at Lin Yoriichi.

"This is my cat, Chachamaru."

"That boy Yushiro's Blood Demon Art is on this cat. Before Chachamaru cries out, you can't see this cat directly with your eyes."

"But after another cry, Chachamaru will disappear."

The moment Lin Yoriichi saw the little cat named Chachamaru, he understood Miss Tamayo's intention.

Sure enough, Miss Tamayo turned and took out a wooden box. She opened it to reveal a small knife with a hollowed-out handle and tiny tubes along its blade.

"This is also that boy's work-a small knife that can automatically collect blood."

"Mr. Yoriichi, I have a favor to ask of you."

"When you encounter demons in the future, I hope you can use this knife to collect blood from their bodies after slaying them."

"Once you use this knife, Chachamaru will appear by your side."

"Then you only need to put the knife into the little bag on Chachamaru's back, and the blood sample will be delivered to me."

Lin Yoriichi nodded and put the small knife away.

He had been about to get up and leave, but suddenly paused.

Then Lin Yoriichi pointed at the Demon Slayer Mark on his forehead and said:

"Speaking of which, do you know anything about Demon Slayer Marks?"

Miss Tamayo looked rather bewildered at his question.

"Do you mean the mark on your forehead?"

So Miss Tamayo didn't know about Demon Slayer Marks?

That made sense, though. In the original story, she had devoted herself to researching a medicine to turn demons back into humans. She had also worked with Shinobu Kocho to develop a poison for Doma, followed by drugs targeting Muzan Kibutsuji.

Miss Tamayo really hadn't had much opportunity to study Demon Slayer Marks.

With that in mind, Lin Yoriichi carefully explained the Demon Slayer Marks to Miss Tamayo, voicing his concerns as well.

"With Demon Slayer Marks, once one swordsman awakens one, other swordsmen will awaken theirs in succession, as though resonating with it."

"I... was more or less born with my Demon Slayer Mark, so it won't affect me much."

"But I'm worried that if I stay in the Demon Slayer Corps, I'll cause the other swordsmen to awaken their Demon Slayer Marks too."

"And reportedly, no swordsman who awakens a Demon Slayer Mark later in life can live past twenty-five..."

Lin Yoriichi was not someone who liked to keep his knowledge to himself.

Besides, eliminating Muzan Kibutsuji and all the demons was not something he could immediately accomplish alone.

Teaching the Demon Slayer Corps the Transparent World and the bright red Nichirin sword had long been on his agenda.

But whether to teach them about Demon Slayer Marks was something he had been hesitating over all along.

He knew perfectly well that even if he told the swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps that awakening their Demon Slayer Marks would doom them to die before they lived past twenty-five,

they would not hesitate in the slightest if it meant they could eliminate demons.

Miss Tamayo took a fresh syringe and disinfected it before saying:

"I understand what you mean. But I'll need to draw some of your blood for my research."

Lin Yoriichi extended his arm. As he watched Miss Tamayo draw his blood, he heard her say softly:

"I'm terribly sorry, but I'd still like to ask one more question."

"Is there something wrong with the address I wrote down?"

Lin Yoriichi shook his head, looking as though he could barely keep a straight face.

"You'll find out when the time comes."

Murata tightened his grip on his Nichirin Blade, staring in horror at the tall, fat demon with horns on its forehead before him.

After investigating for several days, he and Mr. Tomioka had finally discovered this strange mansion.

Yet no sooner had they entered than Murata realized he had become separated from Mr. Tomioka.

Immediately afterward, Murata encountered a demon that crawled along the ground and could spit out a long tongue.

While dodging its tongue attacks, Murata inadvertently turned into a corridor.

But the moment he looked up, he saw this towering demon!

Bang!

The towering demon abruptly slapped a palm toward Murata!

Murata dodged the slap by the narrowest of margins, only to hear the demon say viciously:

"You dodged it, huh? What a lively human."

Murata gritted his teeth, raised his Nichirin Blade, and slashed at the demon.

He clearly saw his Nichirin Blade nearly sever the demon's arm, yet the blade became firmly lodged in it.

The towering demon swung its arm sharply as though swatting a fly.

The tremendous force sent Murata flying backward, even knocking down a room's sliding door.

"Murata, are you all right?"

To Murata, Giyu Tomioka's voice sounded positively heavenly!

"I-I think I'm still all right..."

Murata checked himself over once again.

Sure enough, he was only aching a little and had no serious injuries.

He instinctively turned toward Giyu Tomioka, only to discover a demon with drums embedded in its body standing before him.

Murata's pupils instantly contracted.

Though it was only a glimpse, he clearly saw characters inscribed on the eyeball of the demon standing before Giyu Tomioka:

[Lower Rank Six]

Although Murata did not understand why there was also a cross-shaped scar on its eyeball,

the words "Lower Rank Six" left no doubt as to its identity!

Murata's heart instantly leaped into his throat.

Meanwhile, the demon with drums embedded in its body was staring at the Nichirin Blade in Giyu Tomioka's hand.

"'Destroyer of Demons' engraved on it, huh? To think a brat like you is actually a Hashira."

"As long as I eat you, I'll definitely gain greater power and prove my strength to that lord!"

"A Hashira's strength may be troublesome, but if you're the only Hashira here..."

Before he could finish, a deafening crash suddenly came from the wall of the room.

A storm of blades like a meat grinder instantly tore through the wall.

Murata's eyes widened at once.

Through the billowing dust, he actually saw Sanemi Shinazugawa holding his sword up, glaring at the demon with an irate expression.

The demon with drums embedded in its body also widened its eyes when it saw the Nichirin Blade in Sanemi Shinazugawa's hand, likewise engraved with the words "Destroyer of Demons."

"T-two Hashira?"

Immediately afterward, a loud, hearty voice rang out:

"Oh! You're here too, Giyu!"

Although Kyojuro Rengoku had not drawn his sword, the demon clearly saw the haori he wore.

The demon's voice trembled.

"Th-three Hashira??!!!"