When Lin Yoriichi found Giyu Tomioka, he was stunned by the sight before him.
Giyu Tomioka had one arm clamped around Shinobu Kocho's neck, holding her against his waist.
The way he held her, she looked just like a "waist drum" tucked under his arm.
Utterly puzzled, Giyu Tomioka asked:
"Why did you suddenly attack me?"
With Giyu Tomioka holding her in that grip, Shinobu Kocho could only bend at the waist.
Though she still wore a smile, the veins at her temples were bulging:
"Although members of the Demon Slayer Corps are forbidden from fighting each other."
"I believe even the Master would forgive me once he learned the details!"
Before she finished speaking, a blade suddenly sprang from the heel of Shinobu Kocho's shoe.
She kicked backward sharply, sending the blade toward Giyu.
Giyu Tomioka instinctively reached out and caught Shinobu Kocho by the ankle.
Lin Yoriichi watched their entire "interaction" up close.
A thought immediately sprang to mind:
Well, damn. Every time I come to Headquarters, I get to witness an iconic scene!
Last time, I saw Sanemi Shinazugawa and Obanai Iguro surround Giyu Tomioka, putting on a "Giyu Circle."
Today, it's another iconic scene: Giyu Tomioka and Shinobu Kocho's "Anse Waist Drum"!
But why does every one of these scenes involve Giyu Tomioka?
Lin Yoriichi coughed lightly and knocked on the wall beside him.
Hearing the noise, the two immediately separated.
Shinobu Kocho's smile was exceptionally stiff, and her voice sounded rather strange:
"Mr. Yoriichi, you're here."
"I have something to attend to, so I'll excuse myself..."
With that, Shinobu Kocho slipped past Lin Yoriichi in an instant.
She moved so quickly that she even left faint afterimages in the air.
Giyu Tomioka, however, remained where he was, still looking puzzled:
"Mr. Yoriichi, do you have any idea what happened?"
"Didn't you say that as long as I stated my thoughts directly, I would be able to communicate normally?"
"Then why was Shinobu Kocho still so angry that she even attacked me?"
Hearing this, Lin Yoriichi wanted nothing more than to cover his face.
This really was his fault.
He had only told Giyu Tomioka to express his thoughts plainly.
But he had forgotten to tell Giyu Tomioka that he also needed to distinguish between what he could and could not say.
Still, Lin Yoriichi was very curious.
Shinobu Kocho was one of the few Hashira who would take the initiative to talk to Giyu Tomioka.
Usually, even when Giyu Tomioka offended her with his words, Shinobu Kocho would only fall abruptly silent.
So what exactly had Giyu Tomioka said just now to make Shinobu Kocho angry enough to attack him?
Lin Yoriichi voiced his question.
Giyu Tomioka answered:
"It began when Murata and I received a message from a Kasugai Crow. We..."
Even though Lin Yoriichi knew Giyu Tomioka's personality very well, he could feel the veins at his temples bulging when he heard that.
Seriously, man!
I asked what just happened, and you're starting from when you received the Kasugai Crow's message?
He had no choice but to hurry him along:
"I'm only asking what you and Shinobu Kocho said to each other today."
Giyu Tomioka nodded and repeated his conversation with Shinobu Kocho word for word.
After hearing it, Lin Yoriichi went numb.
Now he understood why Shinobu Kocho had said even the Master would forgive her if he knew.
Giyu Tomioka suddenly asked:
"Why are you here? Did you come to see me?"
Lin Yoriichi nodded, then instinctively touched the Disaster-Averting Mask tucked inside his clothes.
After discovering this Disaster-Averting Mask in Kagaya Ubuyashiki's room, he had thought of coming to find Giyu Tomioka.
"Come on. Come with me to Mount Fujikasane," Lin Yoriichi said in a low voice.
Back in Kyogai's demon mansion, Giyu Tomioka had more or less explained why he had said, "I'm different from you."
And as someone who had transmigrated after reading the original work thoroughly, Lin Yoriichi knew even more.
Sabito and Giyu Tomioka had both studied Water Breathing under Sakonji Urokodaki and gone to Mount Fujikasane together to take part in the selection.
But shortly after entering the mountain, Giyu Tomioka had encountered a demon and lost consciousness after being injured.
Sabito, meanwhile, had saved every swordsman, only to die when his blade broke while facing the Hand Demon.
Ever since then, Giyu Tomioka had kept thinking to himself.
If only I had died instead of Sabito.
Sabito saved all the swordsmen, yet he was the only one who died.
All I did was sleep on the mountain for seven days, and somehow I passed the selection.
If Sabito had survived, he would surely have become a stronger swordsman than me.
Compared to Sabito, I don't even qualify as a proper Demon Slayer Corps swordsman.
Then how could someone like me, who doesn't even deserve to be a Demon Slayer Corps swordsman, possibly deserve to become the Water Hashira?
In Giyu Tomioka's heart, that thought had grown ever more firmly rooted-
I'm not worthy.
In fact, when he first met Giyu Tomioka on Mount Kumotori, Lin Yoriichi had already considered how to help him resolve this inner conflict.
And upon seeing that Disaster-Averting Mask, Lin Yoriichi had finally found his answer.
Have Giyu Tomioka go to Mount Fujikasane and face the Hand Demon that had killed Sabito.
Even if slaying that demon did not completely resolve Giyu Tomioka's inner conflict, at least he would no longer feel quite so out of place whenever he stood with the other Hashira...
Lin Yoriichi was still pondering this when he heard Giyu Tomioka ask in confusion:
"Go to Mount Fujikasane with you? Do you know the way to Mount Fujikasane?"
Lin Yoriichi's expression turned awkward again.
This won't do!
I have to speak to Kagaya Ubuyashiki and have him get me a map.
Lin Yoriichi had had quite enough of never knowing the way anywhere, always relying on someone to lead him or a Kasugai Crow to navigate.
In the end, Lin Yoriichi followed Giyu Tomioka to the foot of Mount Fujikasane.
Giyu Tomioka asked in confusion:
"Aren't we here to replenish the demons on Mount Fujikasane? Shouldn't we catch enough demons before coming here?"
"Why did we come straight here?"
Lin Yoriichi smiled and took the Disaster-Averting Mask out of his clothes.
At the sight of the familiar Disaster-Averting Mask, Giyu Tomioka's gaze sharpened, only for even greater confusion to follow:
"How do you have a mask like this?"
Rather than explain directly, Lin Yoriichi pressed the Disaster-Averting Mask into Giyu Tomioka's hands and pointed at Mount Fujikasane.
"On this mountain, there's a creature hiding that's stronger than the other demons."
"Ever since Mr. Urokodaki captured him and brought him to Mount Fujikasane, he's been specifically hunting swordsmen wearing Disaster-Inviting Masks."
"Sabito died at his hands."
Shock immediately appeared on Giyu Tomioka's face:
"So that was why!"
"There's actually a demon like that hiding on Mount Fujikasane?!"
"But Mr. Lin Yoriichi, how did you know..."
Lin Yoriichi waved a hand:
"How I know any of this doesn't matter."
"All you need to know is that your Final Selection begins now."
Before you continue