Chapter 140: Botobai's Wait x Kagaya Ubuyashiki's Shock
"You're back, Giyu." Kagaya Ubuyashiki gestured for his wife, Amane, to pour the boy a cup of tea.
Giyu Tomioka accepted it respectfully and took a sip, the warmth chasing away some of the fatigue from his long journey. He gave a slight nod to Gyomei Himejima, who was nearby. The Stone Hashira, fingering his prayer beads, still had tears streaming down his face, the picture of compassion. Yet, his massive, bear-like frame, even sitting cross-legged, was a full head taller than Giyu, making him impossible to ignore.
"Did you meet the child?" Kagaya Ubuyashiki gestured with his hand, indicating Giyu didn't need to stand on ceremony. This wasn't a Hashira meeting, after all.
"I did," Giyu replied truthfully.
"And how was it?"
"There was some... discrepancy."
Gyomei's hand, flicking his prayer beads, paused for an instant. Kagaya Ubuyashiki smiled, surprised. "Are you saying... Urokodaki-dono exaggerated?" Giyu was cold, but he never lied. If he said there was a discrepancy, it meant the boy named Eiichiro wasn't quite what he was reported to be.
"No," Giyu said.
"Master... was too conservative."
?!
Kagaya Ubuyashiki paused, then motioned for Amane to bring Giyu a cushion. "Tell me everything." Behind him, Hinaki and Nichika looked on curiously, and even Gyomei pricked up his ears.
"I lost," Giyu stated succinctly. The words hit like a thunderclap.
The room fell silent. The boy accepted the cushion, knelt, and said with utmost seriousness, "Eiichiro already possesses the skill of a Hashira. I used my full strength and could not defeat him."
The image of Roy's blade, imbued with that illusory quality, was still seared into his mind. Giyu recounted his visit in detail, from beginning to end. Kagaya Ubuyashiki listened quietly, his pale, clouded eyes shining with a brilliant light from time to time. Beside him, Hinaki and Nichika listened with mouths slightly agape, as if hearing a fairy tale.
"Mastered a Breathing Style in one day," "Created his own form in less than half a day," "Conjured his blade, achieving 'unification of man and sword'"... Such a powerful figure... the two little girls had only read about such things in storybooks. Even... the legendary figures in those books weren't as absurdly talented as the "Eiichiro Kamado" Giyu was describing!
"Namu Amida Butsu... He is like a divine warrior descended from the heavens, a guardian deity walking the earth," Gyomei Himejima murmured, no longer chanting sutras, his hands pressed together.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki glanced at him. "Are your hands itching, Gyomei?"
Gyomei neither confirmed nor denied. "I am happy for you, Master," he said sincerely. "Happy for the Demon Slayer Corps, and happy for all the people under heaven."
"Namu Amida Butsu. You are right to correct me, Master."
"You..." Kagaya Ubuyashiki smiled, not pressing the point. He looked kindly at Giyu. "You have done well, Giyu. Urokodaki-dono has raised two excellent disciples." To have two Hashira-level students from one master... this was something no other retired Hashira had ever achieved.
"I did nothing," Giyu's cold voice echoed, looking at Kagaya Ubuyashiki. "Master, I request permission to draw my sword." The boy paused, his voice heavy. "I wish to show you... the 'Crimson Blade'."
"The 'Crimson Blade'?!"
"Yes. The 'Crimson Blade'!"
All eyes focused on Giyu. With a nod from his master, he drew his blade, gripped it tightly with both hands, and in an instant, it vibrated and turned a deep red, like a rising sun, dispelling the darkness and making the four characters "Slay Demons" (惡鬼滅殺) look exceptionally savage!
"Mm. It is the 'Crimson Blade' from the legends." Gyomei Himejima's mastery of his Breathing Style was so profound that, even blind, he could smell the 'searing, murderous intent' coming from the Nichirin Blade.
In the original story, Sakonji Urokodaki had told Tanjiro that at the highest levels, a swordsman could even tell how many people a demon had eaten just by its scent. For Gyomei, the strongest of the current Hashira, to possess such a 'sense of smell' was not surprising.
"Giyu," Kagaya Ubuyashiki stared at the blade, a suspicion forming in his mind. "Did the boy, Eiichiro Kamado... teach this to you?" He didn't know it before he left, but he knew it now. Kagaya was a brilliant man; he hadn't survived this long against Muzan with just his charm.
"Yes." Clang. Giyu sheathed his sword. He bowed low, his head touching the floor. "Eiichiro is willing to trade the method of the 'Crimson Blade' in exchange for all intelligence on every known demon."
"I beg you to accept, Master."
"Giyu..." Kagaya Ubuyashiki's voice was soft. "Is that boy, Eiichiro... taking the Final Selection?"
"Yes."
"Good." Kagaya Ubuyashiki leaned down and helped the boy up. "When the time comes, I will deliver the information to him personally." He smiled and asked Gyomei, "Are you coming, Gyomei?"
Gyomei chanted the Buddha's name. "Namu Amida Butsu. Of course. I must protect the Master. And, incidentally..."
"See the boy for myself!"
"Just 'incidentally'?"
"Yes. A monk does not lie. If I say incidentally, I mean incidentally. Namu Amida Butsu..." The sound of chanting resumed. It was unclear if the Stone Hashira was reciting the Diamond Sutra or a sutra of repentance.
Hunter Calendar Year, January 25th, morning.
After bidding farewell to his master and seniors, Roy left Sagiri Mountain and headed for Mount Fujikasane. He then exited the Demon Slayer world, returning to the Hunter world to test his time theory. The facts proved it: one day in the Hunter world equaled two days in the Demon Slayer world!
This meant, from now on, Roy's "day" wasn't just 48 hours, but could be 72. In the future, as his Aura Quantity and understanding of his Nen ability deepened, it could even be expanded to 96... 120... or even 240 hours! This massively increased his available training time!
[Notification: "Sun Breathing" (Total Concentration) active for one day. "Physique" +1...]
A new day, a new beginning. He didn't even need Goldie to peck him; the panel notification woke Roy up. The boy rolled out of bed, hearing the city's clock tower chime the hour. He habitually glanced at the "curse" on the back of his hand... and froze.
The "time," which should have been counting down "second by second," seemed to have skipped a second. From 7 PM last night to 5 AM this morning—a ten-hour span—the number should have been "9 years, 9 months, 8 days, 23 hours, 9 minutes, 9 seconds."
But the number was "9 minutes, 10 seconds." It was clearly off.
'Could it be... because my physique increased by one point yesterday?' Roy suddenly remembered a saying: "When you are strong enough, even the gods will make way for you." He glanced at the mark mockingly, got up, went for his run, ate, and then, at 3 PM, headed back to the exam site with Gotoh and Kurapika to keep his appointment.
Klang!
The elevator doors opened. The boy walked out unhurriedly, appearing before Botobai Gigante.
The Dragon, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, heard the footsteps and opened his eyes. His gaze was intense. "You're here."
"Yes. I'm here."
"You shouldn't have come."
"But I'm already here."
☆☆☆
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