บท 64: 64. Kyojuro Rengoku, the Flame Hashira
Using all the artillery he had, using his shadow to equip guns and shoot at Kyojuro from different angles…
The demon just couldn't understand.
'I shot him with bullets… and caught him in multiple explosions… So why won't he fall?!'
He couldn't understand. Why does this Demon Slayer in front of him face him with nothing but a single blade?!
And before his eyes, even though he was covered in injuries, even though blood was pouring from different places, Kyojuro stood there with a radiance that made the demon tremble.
'That guy…'
Hairo could remember that day as vividly as if it had happened a moment ago. He was humiliated, only to be spared at the last moment by a Demon Slayer who looked just like the one before him.
The rage that filled him… and before the rage could consume him, Hairo wanted revenge. And for that sole purpose, he orchestrated it all.
But now…
'Is the warrior before me now… really the one I encountered that day?'
In a moment of impulse, Hairo pointed his gun and shot, only to hear the sound of an empty fire. All the bullets, all the ammo, all his firepower… he had used them all.
"What's wrong? Is that all you've got?"
At that moment, Kyojuro's words pierced through him, making Hairo snap!
"Graaaa!"
Not yet! Not yet! He looked into his shadows to find something. There had to be something. If he didn't prove the man in front of him wrong, he would die, consumed by his own rage.
And then, among all the empty pistols and rifles, Hairo found a blade. The blade he had abandoned. The pride he once took in The Path of Bushido, which he had cast aside for the bullets of a gun.
No matter how strong a blade is, it fails in front of a gun.
And now, it seemed to mock him as his guns failed him. But now, he too seemed to understand. The pride of a warrior he had abandoned returned to him at the last moment of his life.
Boom!
With a massive shock, the place was engulfed in dust and debris, and when it calmed down, what was left was a huge humanoid wolf—the form Hairo took after absorbing all his shadow wolves.
It was the pinnacle of his Blood Demon Arts – Capture Cavity: Warwolf of Horror.
This time, there was no gun, but a blade in his hands. He looked at Kyojuro, and it was time to fight—not as a demon, but as a warrior.
"I am Hairo. Kyojuro Rengoku, as a lone warrior, I will now kill you."
"All right. Bring it on."
To Kyojuro, it was no different. The wolves came back, and the shadows enveloped the demon's body. They would absorb more damage.
And it left him with only one choice.
I must swing my blade harder. Nothing has changed since that day.
Gwoosh!
In an instant, both of them disappeared, only to reappear in front of each other, swinging their blades with all their might!
Bang!
The shadows will absorb the damage. So what? He will burn them! Burn! He, Kyojuro Rengoku, will burn them!
Keep your heart ablaze!
Listen, Kyojuro, the Rengoku family has hunted demons for generations. Becoming a Hashira is our pride. Like your father, you will become a great Hashira. Bear the flame in your heart. Burn the evil demons and shine gently upon human beings. Hold in your heart a flame like the sun. Become the Flame Hashira.
Flame Breathing Esoteric Art – Ninth Form: Rengoku!
With a flame, Kyojuro tore through the shadows, cutting through and defeating the Lower-Ranked Demon.
The demon crumbled, and the injured Kyojuro looked at the sky, asking his mother.
'Are you watching, Mother? I have kept my promise.'
...
"Kyojuro!"
Kotaro looked at the battle and ran as fast as he could when Kyojuro defeated the demon. Damn! He's injured! He dashed over and caught him before he fell to the ground.
"K-Kotaro…"
"Whew~ I made it in time. I can't let the Flame Hashira fall to the ground, right?"
Kyojuro smiled at his joke before fainting from his injuries and exhaustion. Mitsuri, who came after him, looked at the heavily injured Kyojuro and panicked!
Kyojuro was her teacher. If there was someone she was close to apart from Kotaro, it was Kyojuro. Seeing him injured, she was super worried.
"Waaah! Kotaro-sama, is Rengoku-san all right?"
"Don't worry, Mitsuri. He's just heavily injured and will die if not treated. That's it."
"Huh? Isn't Rengoku-san very injured then?! Rengoku-san, you did it! You killed one of the Twelve Kizuki! Now you can be a Hashira!"
She hugged him out of worry and shouted praises to keep him afloat, to encourage him. Kotaro just looked at her and thought that rather than the injuries, her super-tight hug might be the real cause of Kyojuro's death.
Well, with difficulty, the Kakushi took Kyojuro out of Mitsuri's arms and treated him. It didn't take long for Kyojuro to regain consciousness.
This time, he was once again in front of the Ubuyashiki Mansion, with the Hashiras and the leader—Kagaya Ubuyashiki—with only one difference.
"Kyojuro, you are an astounding young man. Will you support the Demon Slayer Corps from now on as a Hashira?"
"Yes!"
The only difference was, now he wasn't just a representative, but the Flame Hashira.
Mother, the fire you lit inside my heart that day still burns within my chest.
==
A/N:
Sorry for the late update compared to usual. I was reading Vagabond and got a bit too preoccupied with it. Damn! When will new chapters of Vagabond be released?!
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