Hashiras

After an uneventful journey, several days later, Aomori and the others arrived at a town.

Giyu Tomioka found a place to stay there, parked the carriage, and said to Tanjiro, "This is our Demon Slayer Corps property, very safe. You and your family can stay here for now."

"Okay, thank you so much, Mr. Tomioka!" Tanjiro excitedly grasped Giyu Tomioka's hands, smiling as he expressed his gratitude.

"Idiot, don't touch me." Giyu Tomioka shook off Tanjiro's hands and turned his face away, ignoring him.

During these few days, Tanjiro, with his art of speech, managed to slightly open Giyu Tomioka's heart, making him less withdrawn.

Tanjiro knew Giyu Tomioka was cold on the outside but warm on the inside, so he didn't mind. He turned to help with moving luggage and setting up their new home.

At this moment, Aomori, who had put away Absol and Pidgeot, walked over to Giyu Tomioka and said, "We should be close to headquarters now."

"Yes, we can depart immediately. But, to avoid revealing the true location of the headquarters, you'll need to blindfold yourself. It's a rule," Giyu Tomioka, having received permission from the message sent by Tengen Uzui, handed Aomori a black head covering as he spoke.

Aomori didn't take it. If they were to establish a cooperative agreement, having the ability to read minds couldn't be concealed from them, so he said openly, "This thing is of no use to me."

"If you're worried, then I promise on my reputation that I won't actively remember the location of the headquarters. How about that?"

Giyu Tomioka was in a dilemma. On one hand, he wanted to trust Aomori, but on the other hand, it was an unchangeable rule.

Just then, a figure suddenly appeared before them.

He was tall and sturdy, with a headband tied around his forehead adorned with many diamonds and pearls. He wore a black sleeveless shirt, giving off a reckless appearance.

"Tengen Uzui?!" Giyu Tomioka looked puzzled.

Tengen Uzui, a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps like Giyu Tomioka, with the title "Sound Hashira."

"Hey, Tomioka!" Tengen Uzui first greeted with a wave, then turned to Aomori and said seriously, "The Master has ordered to invite Mr. Aomori to the headquarters of the Demon Slayer Corps, escorted by the magnificent me and the Water Hashira, Giyu Tomioka. Also, there's no need to hide the location of the headquarters."

"Okay, I'm honored." Aomori nodded, not asking how Tengen Uzui recognized him, which would have been a foolish question, as he had always been the most conspicuous one in the crowd.

"Wait, is the Master serious?" Giyu Tomioka was puzzled.

"We've also advised him for a long time, but unfortunately, the Master is very persistent," Tengen Uzui turned his head, scratching his ear. He also looked puzzled, observing Aomori up and down. Besides being very magnificent, there wasn't much of an extraordinary feeling about him.

Initially, when the Master informed them that someone had almost killed Muzan, including all the Hashiras, they all found it hard to believe.

As the main force against demons, no one knew better than them how difficult demons were to deal with and how terrifying Muzan was, even under Muzan's Twelve Moons, they could be wiped out.

'If it's true, that would be magnificent!' Tengen Uzui glanced deeply at Aomori.

"Okay, let's quickly and magnificently complete the mission, as the Master has repeatedly instructed."

"Okay..."

"Wait, I need to bring someone with me," Aomori said.

"Who?"

...

In the deep mountains, a carriage sped along the winding mountain road.

Driving the carriage was Tengen Uzui, and inside the carriage were Giyu Tomioka, Aomori, and the suddenly pulled-in Tanjiro.

Tanjiro wasn't treated differently like Aomori. He was wearing a black head covering and was being jostled by the rugged mountain road.

When he was about to vomit, the carriage finally stopped.

"We're here, this is the headquarters of the Demon Slayer Corps, also the mansion of our Master."

The black head covering was roughly lifted, and Tanjiro regained his senses, seeing a large cluster of interconnected buildings.

Tanjiro's mouth fell open in shock. "It's huge."

"Don't just stand there stupidly, hurry up and come in. Really, can't figure out why they brought you here." Tengen Uzui impatiently said.

"Sorry!" Seeing Aomori and Giyu Tomioka had already entered, Tanjiro quickly followed suit.

At dawn, when the trees were just budding, only the purple flowers were in full bloom, spread out on both sides of the mountain village road.

'These should be wisteria flowers,' Aomori calmly admired the scenery on the road.

After encountering three groups of Demon Slayer Corps members dressed in black uniforms, Tengen Uzui led Aomori and the others into a courtyard.

There were already many people in the courtyard. Aomori looked around, identifying their identities one by one.

A 2-meter tall man with a rosary around his neck, resembling a penitent monk — Gyomei Himejima, the Stone Hashira;

A scarred man with silver-white spiky hair — Sanemi Shinazugawa, the Wind Hashira;

A cheerful man with hair burning like flames — Kyojuro Rengoku, the Flame Hashira;

A young woman with black long hair — Muichiro Tokito, the Mist Hashira;

A woman with golden hair and green pupils and a white snake coiled around her neck — Mitsuri Kanroji, the Love Hashira;

A gentle big sister with black long hair and purple eyes — Kanae Kocho, the Insect Hashira.

Together with Giyu Tomioka and Tengen Uzui, the current eight Hashiras were gathered here.

'I remember at this time, Kanae Kocho should have been killed by Doma after encountering Upper Moon Two. Parallel worlds, changes in world lines?'

Thinking of the many parallel worlds in the Demon Slayer world, Aomori suddenly felt relieved.

While observing them, the seven Hashiras except Giyu Tomioka were also silently observing Aomori.

Perfect facial features, expressionless eyes, polite but distant smile, generally sturdy muscles, movements full of flaws...

It doesn't seem like someone who could almost kill Muzan! ヽ(｀Д?)ノ︵┻━┻┻━┻!

Similar conclusions emerged in the minds of several people, not expecting much from the final outcome.

No expectations, no disappointments.

Facing Aomori's constant smile, even the temperamental Sanemi Shinazugawa couldn't find a reason to argue. He could only redirect his anger towards Giyu Tomioka, also a member of the Demon Slayer Corps.

"Hey, Tomioka. I heard you missed the chance to kill Muzan. If I were you, I would have committed seppuku long ago."

Without even turning his head, Giyu Tomioka calmly said, "I'm different from you."

Different from us? Is he saying we didn't even have the chance to encounter Muzan?

Damn it!

The other Hashiras couldn't help but furrow their brows upon hearing this. Mitsuri Kanroji sighed and smiled helplessly, retracting her words that were meant to dissuade Sanemi Shinazugawa. She knew it wouldn't help.

As expected, Sanemi Shinazugawa's veins bulged on his forehead, and he blurted out angrily, "You bastard!"

Just then, a crisp mechanical voice rang out: "The Master has arrived!"

Upon hearing this, all the Hashiras immediately knelt down on one knee, bowing their heads respectfully. Even Sanemi Shinazugawa, who was in a rage, was no exception.

Tanjiro, who had been overwhelmed by the Hashiras' imposing aura, finally had a chance to catch his breath. He tilted his head and looked in the direction where the Hashiras were bowing, curious about the next figure to appear.

The door directly facing the courtyard was opened, and two white-haired young girls supported a young man as he slowly walked out. His eyes were lifeless, his face covered in strange scars, and his frail body seemed like it could collapse at any moment.

'Is this... the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps?' Tanjiro's face was filled with astonishment, completely different from the image of the leader he had imagined.

'Although it's hard to believe, he is indeed the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, Yoriichi Tsugikuni. Cursed body, radiant heart.' Aomori silently said in his heart.

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