36. Kotaro: I am Preparing to Kill!
The answer doesn't require much thought. Kotaro's eyes fell on the blind man shedding tears as he chanted a Buddhist mantra—the Stone Hashira, Gyomei Himejima. He is the strongest of them all.
But instead of focusing on combat skills, let's consider pure physical strength. Now, who is the strongest in that regard? Once again, Kotaro looked at the blind man with his massive muscles and confirmed that the Stone Hashira was indeed the strongest in pure physical strength as well.
Gyomei Himejima is undoubtedly the first. But… who is the second?
Now, the question becomes trickier. But the answer should soon become clear.
Kotaro's eyes fell on the table, where Mitsuri and Sanemi were sitting opposite each other, both ready to arm wrestle. However, Sanemi's expression told a different story.
Isn't he exhausted from keeping that angry face all the time?
"I will kill you!"
Thump! With a loud sound, he placed his arm on the table and smiled with a ferocious expression.
'Scary! But…'
Mitsuri, who was initially scared, calmed herself and placed her hand on the table as well. She was here to fight for Kotaro-sama. He was relying on her, and she couldn't let him down.
Kotaro's words seemed to have ignited a blaze in Mitsuri's heart, unknowingly giving her unprecedented courage and strength. She didn't realize it, but because of the trust Kotaro placed in her—especially in the strength she once loathed—she wasn't holding back.
She was at full throttle, ready to use her eightfold strength to the maximum. Mitsuri Kanroji, no, Kenshin, would fight with all her might when she found someone who wholeheartedly believed in her strength.
"I-I will defeat you!"
She didn't want to lose either, so Mitsuri declared her conviction, though she stuttered at the start. It was clear she was nervous.
"Ha?! What did you say?"
Her words infuriated her opponent. Sanemi once again made his iconic scary face, causing Mitsuri to squeak.
"Eek!"
"Alright. That's enough. Let's skip the intimidation part and get to the point."
Kotaro stepped in to rescue her. Seeing his intervention, Sanemi's face contorted into something demonic, his eyes glaring as if he could kill Kotaro with just a look.
"Please, don't look at me like that. I am married."
"I'll kill you!"
…
After a little scuffle, everything was finally ready. Kotaro stood beside the rest of the Hashira, though they didn't seem to appreciate his company due to his attitude.
All of them focused on the scene in front of them: Mitsuri's slender, soft arm, showing no signs of training, and Sanemi's biceps bulging with muscle.
As much as Kotaro disliked Sanemi's personality, he had to acknowledge that Sanemi was one of the strongest Hashira. If he wasn't mistaken, Sanemi was likely the second strongest after Gyomei.
Sanemi had taken Wind Breathing to a level that no one, apart from those in the Sengoku Era—the Golden Period of Demon Slayers—had ever achieved.
Mitsuri and Sanemi clasped hands, ready to start the match.
"It seems you all believe that Mitsuri will lose," Kotaro said, turning his head to the Hashira beside him. Gyomei, who was closest to him, just prayed with his beads, tears streaming down his face as he felt sorry for Mitsuri.
"Namu Amida Butsu. I feel sorry for her. Such a miserable child."
"Miserable? It seems you all still don't believe my words. My wife, Mitsuri…"
Bang!
"Argh!"
At that moment, a loud sound of a hand smashing into the table echoed through the room. To their surprise, the cry of pain that followed didn't come from a woman. It was from Sanemi, the Wind Hashira.
And then they heard the continuation of Kotaro's words.
"My wife, Mitsuri, is the strongest person I have ever encountered."
Though there was a stronger person in front of him, Kotaro didn't say it for obvious reasons. He can't appear unconfident now, right?
…
"Kotaro-kun, this is…"
Kagaya was surprised at the outcome. He had anticipated seeing what Kotaro could do, but the fact that Mitsuri defeated Sanemi in a pure contest of strength was unexpected.
"Mitsuri was born with a unique muscular constitution, making her muscles eight times as dense as a normal human's. That's why she is stronger than most people."
Once again, everyone's eyes fell on her. Kagaya's eyes widened at this revelation. He had come to observe "Hamon," but he found another surprise.
And for some reason, his Foresight was telling him that this girl in front of him was crucial to ending Kibutsuji Muzan.
"Kotaro-sama!"
Feeling the gazes on her, Mitsuri clung to Kotaro, a bit afraid of being judged as a freak by the others. She had just started to accept herself the way she was, thanks to Aiko's words encouraging her to have more confidence in herself and Kotaro's assurance that she was his support.
But still, the trauma of being treated as a freak because of her differences made her a bit scared. So, she snuggled into Kotaro, the person she felt safest with.
As a husband, Kotaro understood her worries. He patted her head and said,
"Don't worry, Mitsuri. Look at them. What kind of eyes are they looking at you with?"
Hesitant, she looked up at them. They gazed at her with surprise, though one was stoic—Giyu Tomioka, the Water Hashira—while the last one looked angry. No need to mention who the angry one was.
"To think she would be stronger than Shinazugawa-san, I am surprised."
Shinobu looked at her with astonished eyes. As a woman of shorter stature herself, she understood the limitations of her physique. But now, seeing a woman with so much power in such a body, it blew her medical mind.
"Namu Amida Butsu. She is indeed strong."
"Oh! She defeated Shinazugawa… Her flashiness aggravates me a bit, but good hips for giving birth though."
…
Feeling a slight pain in her head, Mitsuri looked up to find Kotaro unconsciously tightening his hold on her.
"K-Kotaro-sama, are you alright?"
Her question made him realize that he had pressed down on her head too hard. He quickly removed his hand and apologized.
"Oh! Sorry, Mitsuri. I'm alright."
"R-Really? Then why are you gritting your teeth?"
"Oh, this… I'm just preparing."
"Preparing for what?"
'To kill that man, Tengen Uzui, who dared to comment on my Mitsuri!'
===
A/N:
Well, I think Mitsuri is the second strongest in pure physical strength after Gyomei. Come on, who could be stronger than her in physical prowess, other than that blind man?
Don't forget that Mitsuri ripped Muzan's arm off with her bare hands!