Kyogai, the demon with a drum embedded in his body, felt his brain trembling.
He stared at the three Hashira before him, and only one thought remained in his mind:
Can't you guys from the Demon Slayer Corps afford to play fair?
Three Hashira against me—a discarded Lower Moon Six?!
Is this some kind of joke?
Kyogai instinctively began edging backward. The hope of survival was slim, but he still tried to seize a chance to escape.
However, before he could act, a thunderous shout cut through the air:
[Breathing of the Sun · Seventh Form · Sunflower Thrust]
Kyogai turned around in confusion, only to be blinded by a blaze as radiant as the sun itself.
The next instant, the world spun upside down. By the time he saw the floor inches from his face, realization struck—
He had been beheaded by another swordsman who appeared out of nowhere.
Before his consciousness faded, one last thought flickered weakly in his mind:
Wait… there are even more experts?!
Hayashi, seeing the drum-bodied demon's head fall, did not sheath his Nichirin blade.
Instead, he spun sharply and slashed at the wall of the room.
[Breathing of the Sun · First Form · Dancing Flash]
The wall burst open in a cascade of flames. Through the blaze, a dark red blade gleamed faintly.
A tall, hulking demon outside widened his eyes but turned and fled without hesitation.
Yet the next heartbeat, his vision sank lower and lower, until he realized in horror that his body was still sprinting—headless.
Only as his body began to scatter into ash did he comprehend the truth:
He too had been beheaded.
Hayashi did not pause. He pivoted once more, shifted direction, and hurled his blade.
Though not a formal form of the Sun Breathing, the throw still radiated searing solar fire. The blade tore through wall after wall before a scream erupted from outside—the death cry of another demon.
Murata's eyes bulged in shock.
Three moves…
Yoriichi sama slew three demons in just three moves!
But beneath the awe, a strange impression lingered.
It almost felt… as though Yoriichi sama feared the other Hashira might "steal" his prey, so he hurried to dispatch every demon the instant he could.
And Murata was right.
Hayashi wasn't simply fighting—
He was stealing kills.
With Kokushibo looming on the horizon, he had to maximize every chance to hone his Restoration.
Yet when he checked the progress of his Restoration skill, even Hayashi himself was taken aback…
According to his inference, killing a Lower Rank demon should restore about 5%, while ordinary demons give only around 3%.
But now, even after slaying a former Lower Moon and two ordinary demons, the total increase was just 6%.
Too weak. Their lives hardly moved the needle.
Or… perhaps as the restoration progresses, the effect of killing demons diminishes? Maybe it's time I shift focus—towards unraveling the secrets of Tsugikuni Yoriichi…
Hayashi was still lost in thought when Rengoku Kyojuro's booming voice cut in:
"HAH! Three splendid strikes! Three demons felled in an instant!"
He laughed boldly, the flames in his eyes blazing.
"I'm almost ashamed—I couldn't land a single blow to help!"
On the other hand, Sanemi Shinazugawa's expression was dark.
"It's not that we couldn't help, but rather, Yoriichi san didn't give us a chance to intervene at all."
He frowned, his tone carrying sharpness.
"So tell me, Yoriichi san—do you think our strength is insufficient against demons of this level?"
Hayashi sighed inwardly.
Since Asakusa, Shinazugawa had acknowledged him fully, even changing his address to "Yoriichi san."
But his prickly temper… that hadn't softened one bit.
Hayashi could sense it: both Shinazugawa and Rengoku were voicing the same sentiment.
But phrased differently, the meaning shifted entirely.
And while he couldn't exactly explain away his "stealing the kill" behavior, perhaps he could phrase things tactfully—
Before he could speak, though, he noticed Tomioka Giyuu stirring beside him.
The Water Hashira looked as if he were about to say something.
Spicy trouble! Hayashi thought, his heart lurching.
Gods know what chaos Giyuu's words might cause now!
But then he remembered: at headquarters, Tomioka had been practicing communication.
Back then, he had even asked, dead serious:
"So… saying exactly what's on my mind is what you call normal communication?"
If Tomioka Giyuu truly spoke his heart now… perhaps, for once, there would be no misunderstanding.
The Water Hashira finally spoke, calm but deep-voiced:
"I had a similar talk with Yoriichi San before."
"At the time, to enlighten me, he said that if I ever felt lacking in strength, then I must simply continue to hone myself."
"But never should that lead me to speak words of discouragement."
He paused, his usually expressionless eyes faintly softened.
"Yoriichi san even used me as an example then. For so many years, I believed I had never truly passed Mount Fujikasane's test. That I was unworthy of a Pillar's seat. And so I always said… 'I am different from you.'"
Upon hearing this, Rengoku Kyojuro suddenly said cheerfully:
"I see!"
"That's right! I really shouldn't say such discouraging words!"
Hayashi silently complained in his heart—Rengoku always spoke in such a heroic, burning-bright tone. He never felt like the man was being "discouraging" at all.
On the other side, the unhappiness and irritability on Sanemi Shinazugawa's face actually faded a little:
"So after all these years, you're still bothered by what happened on Fujikasane."
"Oh, never mind. No wonder you always say things like 'I'm different from you'."
Hayashi was a little surprised when he heard this. Wait, am I really about to witness the legendary reconciliation between Tomioka Giyu and Sanemi Shinazugawa?
He turned his eyes toward Sanemi Shinazugawa, then shifted to Tomioka Giyu. Unexpectedly, Giyu's expression showed he had something else to add:
"By the way, I vaguely remember Mr. Yunyi muttering something in a low voice back then."
"I kept thinking about what that meant."
"He probably summed up my poor performance with the single word 'cooked'… and encouraged me to practice more."
"I think this sentence makes a lot of sense, so I'm going to share it with you as well."
Hayashi's heart skipped a beat. A very bad premonition struck him. He immediately reached out to grab Tomioka Giyu's sleeve.
But it was already too late.
Tomioka Giyu looked straight at Sanemi Shinazugawa and declared with the same calm face:
"Sanemi Shinazugawa—"
"If you're not good at it, just practice more!"
The air froze.
A vein popped on Sanemi Shinazugawa's forehead. Rengoku Kyojuro, meanwhile, clapped his hands and shouted with blazing enthusiasm:
"Magnificent advice, Tomioka! Truly words that burn with youthful spirit!"
Hayashi covered his face in silence. This is going to turn into a duel in the next three seconds…