Chapter 31: Becoming a Hashira
[Seiji's POV]
That shit was so cool.
I mean, swinging a sword to kill demons was one thing but having a spar like real samurai? That's another level of awesome.
What kind of boy had not dreamt of having a cool swordfight? With my eyes, I was able to see the special effects of breathing styles as well, which made the experience even more awesome.
For real this was a cool anime-type shit. If there are people watching me, please make a cool edit of that fight with those trending songs in the background and let the beat synch with our clash.
"That should be enough, I hope you are satisfied." I said the tone of my voice was dead, as usual.
Whatever it was I was feeling inside, I did not let it show. My outer appearance was stone-cold because it was cool only as long as you didn't acknowledge it. That was the line between being cool and cringe.
"You...!!" Sanemi said through gritted teeth but he stopped when Ubuyashiki spoke.
"That is enough Sanemi."
He threw his head to the side and clicked his tongue but otherwise, he obeyed the words of Ubuyashiki.
"The outcome was just as I expected." he said with a knowing smile, "Seiji here is the national champion of Kendo. He was hailed as a one-in-millennia genius and his swordsmanship is said to be unmatched."
The Hashiras acknowledged his words and even Sanemi was forced to accept the fact. My swordsmanship was undoubtedly superior to his.
"Well, if there is no more opposition let us officially welcome our new pillar" Ubuyashiki said, "Seiji?"
I blinked, and when I noticed everyone's eyes on me I got down on one knee.
"Do you Seiji Shigan, accept the title of Hashira and promise to become a pillar that supports the Demon Slayer Corps?" He asked me with a fond smile.
"Yes."
"The title of Hashira is proof of your strength. Do you, Seiji Shigan, promise to use your stregth to protect the weak?"
"Yes."
"Then rise, Hashira." he said and I rose.
"Stand firm on your beliefs and never falter - like an unshakable pillar. From now on, slay the demons in front of you not only out of hatred but also to protect the people behind you." he said.
"The title of a Hashira comes with heavy responsibilities. But I know you will do well to carry them, my dear boy." he finished with a proud smile that reminded me of my father.
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"That is all for now, I will give you time to get to know each other. And Seiji, please meet me after you are done." Ubuyashiki said weakly before he disappeared into the house.
Now that left all of the Hashiras in the courtyard. The situation reminds me of when parents leave thier children - who never knew each other before - in a room and tell them to play with each other.
The rest of the Hashiras started talking amongst each other.
Uzui approached Gyomei with a friendly smile before they engaged in some kind of gossip. Giyu went to Sanemi but the Wind Hashira yelled at him to leave him alone.
Giyu was yelled at and ignored but before things escalated, Kanae got in the middle of the two. Sanamei behaved like a well-mannered kid in front of her.
And that left me with the only remaining Hashira and the one I least wanted to interact with.
"Tell me kid, where did you learn Flame Breathing?"
It is Shinjuro Rengoku, the Flame Hashira. But I know him as the asshole father in my mind. I immediately did not like him jus because I was friends with his son.
"Your son taught me."
"Kyojiro?" He asked, his face showed surprise. "You know him?"
"Yes, I do." I said. "We participated in the same final selection which is where we first met. He taught me the Flame Breathing style while I taught him swordsmanship."
"...I see." He said and looked down, "So you are telling me that you learned Falme Breathing only recently and you are already that good with it?"
"Yes."
"Some people really are born with unparalleled talents people like us can't hope to match no matter how hard we work." he said with dry chuckles.
Yeah, I did not like him.
He stayed silent and took a swig of alcohol from the gourd he had at his side. But then I saw something flash in his eyes and his next words came out hesitant.
"So....how is Kyojiro." it started off low but with each question asked, it grew expectant, "How is he compared to you? How did he do in the Final Selection? What is he like when fighting a demon?"
I did not answer instantly. My eyes carefully observed his face, trying to read his emotions and I was only met with genuine curiosity. So I replied genuinely.
"He is incredible." my voice didn't falter because it was the turth, "I wish my spirit could burn half as fiercely as his."
Unexpectedly, Shinjuro laughed. It was a genuine laugh that came from irrepressible joy.
"You jest." he said but my eyes could not ignore the pride on his face - pride for his son.
"Be careful in your missions kid. We don't want to lose a talent like you." he said with a tap on my shoulder before he took another swig of his alcohol and walked past me.
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That was weird.
I looked at the back of the veteran Hshira. He was just a broken man barely held together by his sense of duty. But at one point, he used to be the strongest of his era.
Maybe...I was wrong in my judgement.
After Shinjuro was gone, the other Hashiras came up to me one by one to introduce themselves. It was quite the experience - meeting people whom I once thought of as a fictional character.
Since it was our first time meeting, there was not much interaction. They said thier names, thier title and how they looked forward to working together with me.
I imagined this is what it would feel like when there was a new worker in the office.
But amongst all of them, one Hashira in particular stood out to me. And surprisingly, it was not the Flower Hashira.
It was...
"Gyomei Himejima, the Stone Pillar. It's a pleasure to feel your presence." he said in a voice I imagined to be as firm as a boulder.
He was absolutely stunning. And I swear I'm not gay.
He was easily the strongest Hashira, heck he might be the strongest human alive. His body was a sculpture, a masterpiece created by the greatest mason.
Thick fibres of muscle wrapped around his gigantic skeletal frame. His muscles are far more than mortal flesh. If Gods were real, they would be made of the same thing as Gyomei was.
Even demons did not have the monstrous physique that he had. Even Muzan himself could not compare to the sheer raw power emanating from his body.
A God of War.
If Rengoku's body was bred to fight, Gyomei was built to demolish everything that stood in his way. Normally, I would find such a monstrosity ugly but there was a weird beauty in him. It was the charm of the pinnacle of strength.
White eyes - blind and unseeing - stared down at me. I felt like those eyes saw more than normal eyes could ever see. I could feel his gaze into my soul.
"If you need any help, be sure to come to me." he said before he walked away, all 8 feet of him.
After all the introductions were done, I headed into the traditional Japanese house to meet Ubuyashiki. The moment I entered, I found him lying down on a futon and Lady Amane was beside him.
The thing Ubuyashiki wanted to talk about was regarding last night, He wanted to know in detail about the 4th lower moon demon since the twelve kizuki were the strongest demon.
I briefed him about how the battle went. The stregth of the demon, and the abilities he possessed. I also informed him about what the demon said to me.
Muzan Kibutsuji was giving orders to the twelve Kizuki to kill as many Demon Slayers as possible. He promised his blood as a reward to the demon who did a good job.
"That would explain the sudden loss of my children. We had more causality in the past two weeks than we ever did in a month." he said. The spike in his blood pressure displayed his grief.
Then he asked me an unexpected question. It was regarding my encounter with Muzan in Tokyo. I was surprised he even know about it since I did not make a report.
He said it was good that Muzan was blending with the humans instead of committing genocide. But he still thinks that we are not ready to face him yet so he has done nothing to provoke him. He said the information they got because of me was invaluable and so was my ability to see through his disguise.
When he asked me what I thought of the Demon King, I said.
"Even if all of the Hashrias here fought against him at once, we would only be slaughtered like pigs. The Demon King has power beyond your expectation." I said.
Ubuyashiki showed a mirthless smile, "So we really stand no chance ."
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"Give me five years." I said after a long stretch of silence. He looked towards me, his face coloured in surprise.
"After five more years, I promise to be strong enough to slay the demon king." I said, my heart resolute and I hoped my voice reflected it.
Ubuyashiki simply started at me for a while before he burst out in a chuckle. But there was no ridicule or amusement in his laugh.
"Those are strange words coming from someone who was shaking just by mentioning Muzans's name." he said. Was I trembling while talking about Muzan?
"But." he said and smiled, "Its strange that I believe your words."
"You have a unique soul Seiji, one that is capable of inspiring hope in the people around you." he said, "Did you know that Jigoro sent me letters after years of isolating himself from the Demon Corp? He had been in a downward spiral since he lost his leg but meeting you had given him a brighter hope for the future. All he could talk about in his letter was you."
"Never lose that part of yourself in the long journey that awaits you. Please keep on fighting against the evil demons as the pillar of hope." Ubuyashiki said.
He really had a way of charming people with his words. I could see why he was so respected even by the strongest people in the world.
After our discussion ended, I headed towards the exit to leave but he said one final thing to me.
"Oh, and happy birthday Seiji."
I paused. Did I get that right? Was it my birthday?
I wouldn't know because I never celebrated my birthday since my parents died. The birthday celebration was also not a huge thing in Japan yet.
"Thank you." I said and left.
And so, at the age of 14, I became a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corp at recorded time.
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[IMAGE of Ubuyashiki]
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