A new Hashira

[Seiji's POV]

(A week later)

I allowed myself to heal for a week longer.

I would spend most of my time beside Kanae and caring for her, but at other times, I would take care of the garden and do some soft training regarding my Demon Slayer mark and Sun Breathing.

With the conscious use of constant Sun Breathing, I was able to heal better than expected. It seemed after a while, I would suffer no permanent injuries - no limp, no weakened organs, muscle deformation etc.

The only reminder of the battle would be the numerous scars that now marred my body. And when I said numerous, I was really pushing the quantitative definition of the word.

The scars I had, especially on my body were almost freaky rather than being hot. They were a result of the ice shards that cut my body during the fight. I also had two scars on my face, one was on my forehead where Doma missed my eyes and another was down the middle of my eye, running across my nose.

The scars bothered me more than I would've liked. After all, I was a perfectionist especially when it came to appearance and the scars were permanent flaws.

They stole my perfect Chinese protagonist's looks with jade-like skin and sword eyebrows.

The horror.

Wait till I find another demon. It won't have a good time.

If Mitsuri had not assured me that they looked cool - I would've worn a mask to cover them while they were still prominent. Bless her sweet heart.

In the passing week, Kanae also recovered well with no trouble whatsoever. Shinobu told me she was hopeful that Kanae would wake up next month.

So, that's about what happened in the past week since I woke up.

Now, Shinobu and I were standing in front of the entrance to the Demon Slayer headquarters. It was still early in the morning and the scent of grass and dew filled the air. I imagined there to be birds greeting the sunrise with a song as well.

"Are you ready?" I asked the girl beside me.

"Absolutely not," she replied but her words did not match her chirpy face.

"Shibi?"

"I feel like I am not ready yet. I don't deserve this title and the only reason I got it is because of the state my sister is in," she answered without missing a beat.

"That's true," I agreed with a nod and she gave me the stink eyes.

The reason we were standing in front of the Demon Slayer Headquarters was that a Hashira meeting was called and because we would have a new Hashira today.

Shinobu Kocho.

She was going to become a Hashira today. She had not completed the requirements to become one but more manpower was needed after the fall of one Hashira. Plus, her skills and qualifications were approved so it was decided that she would become a Hashira.

Kanae was likely to never fully recover her abilities so a new Hashira was needed. That was where Shinobu stepped in, she was the perfect replacement with similar skills.

It was similar to Rengoku's situation where he was given the chance to become a Hashira on a silver platter after his father quit.

"You don't need to be nervous, trust me, you are more than ready to be amongst us," I said and tried to give a smile.

My statement seemed to release the tension in her body a little. After all, if the strongest Hashira who was able to slay an Upper Moon said that you were qualified, then you better believe that you were qualified.

We entered the headquarters and since it was her first time being there, Shinobu looked around curiously. I led her to the main house where Ubuyashiki stayed and we saw other Hashiras in the courtyard.

"Seiji!!!" I did not need ears to know whose voice that was.

Rengoku launched himself at me with the speed of a meteorite and gave me a bro hug. He wrapped his arms around the midsection of my body and he raised me up like a child.

"Hahahaha!! And the hero lives to fight another day!!" He exclaimed and spun me around in joy.

"Put me down right the fuck now Rengoku!!" I screamed but he chose to ignore my words in a very Kyojiro way and started running around while holding me up.

It was only after he was satisfied that he put me down on the ground. He released a hearty laugh once more seeing me glare at him.

"You really showed those demons who the boss is!!" he said with fiery passion.

In the end, I couldn't be mad and my frown flipped into a small smile. "I really did, he died shitting himself,"

"He was an Upper Moon, truly he did not?" Rengoku said.

"He did, he died like a dog," I said, quoting meme man.

Rengoku just gave me a laughter filled with amusement.

"You guys seem to be having fun," Giyu suddenly pat my shoulder and said. I did not see him coming.

"Don't include me, he is the one having too much fun," I replied.

"Regardless, he is right to be happy. What you did was incredible Seiji, you are an inspiration to us all," Giyu said in his usual soft-spoken/polite way.

In times like these, I try to stay humble.

"Hahaha, of course, it's incredible. Did you expect anything less from this generational genius?" I said while rubbing my upper lips.

And I usually fail to be humble in times like these.

Giyu smiled with a nod.

"Oye, flashy guy!!" Tengen yelled as he came close to me. He was the type of person to scream louder when the deaf man didn't hear him.

"Let me see," he said and suddenly undid the white Yukata I wore to reveal my scared torso with bandages.

At that moment, the place got a little quiet as they stared at my scars. It clicked in their mind that although I won, it was not an easy fight. It came with a lot of hardships and sacrifices.

And they were a little surprised to know that there was an entity that could inflict such scars on me. Finally, a sense of dread settled as they were reminded that there were even stronger demons.

"Auuuuu. Maiii. Gawwdooo!!" Tengen exclaimed in English, "That's so rad,"

"It's only been three weeks, are you really okay?" Giyu asked in concern.

"I can see the proof of your blazing heart! Respect!!" Rengoku commented.

Their respective response perfectly sums up their personality. I shook my head with a sigh and covered my body again.

"It's not nice to strip people suddenly like that Tengen. Although you are handsome, not everyone is interested," I said.

"Sorry, sorry, I saw the scars running along your arm and I couldn't help myself from checking it out." he said, "Although I wonder why you hide it with those baggy clothes, you should show them off proudly like mine,"

He showed off the scars on his arms and chest which was visible in his sleeveless uniform.

"They are proof of the hardships you have overcome as a man and a badge of survival," he said and flashed a smile.

I contemplated his words for a few moments before I shook my head in disagreement. Although scars were cool, having no scars was cooler with a job like ours.

To me, they were imperfections, proof that I was not able to dodge an attack, they were marks of my mistakes. Like how a teacher circled your mistake with a red pen, it brought shame.

"Though if you are truly insecure, don't worry, they fade over time," Tengen said in the end.

I gave a nod.

Gyomei came as well and he towered over all of us. He prayed with one hand and used the other to pat me on the head.

 "Amitabha, I should've been there, you shouldn't have to fight such tough battles," he said and his giant hand on my head seemed to transfer warmth.

"But thank you for protecting little Kanae," he said sincerely.

"Of course, she is important to me just as she is to you. I'd have fought stronger foes," I said.

Then tears started flowing out of his eyes and he looked to the sky. "How beautiful, love truly is victory."

I couldn't read his lips properly since he was so frickin tall and looking at the sky. But I read something about how love shoulders all storms and ship sailing.

Gyomei is hella weird sometimes.

We continued chatting for a few more minutes but as that went on, I noticed the absence of someone. I looked around at the courtyard and I saw Sanemi at a distance.

He seemed to be brooding in the corner.

A smile instinctively appeared on my face and I snuck up on him.

"Aren't you gonna congratulate me?" I whispered suddenly in his ear. He jumped up like a surprised cat before he turned around angrily.

"What the hell are you doing!! I didn't hear you coming!!"

"I didn't hear it either," I joked.

"Hey!! Don't try to act like a smartass just because you slay an upper moon. If I encountered one, I could do it too!"

So that's what it was about. His competitive nature was stopping him from recognizing my achievement.

"Sure you can," I smiled.

"You smug bastard just watch me!!" he said and stormed away.

"Haaaa, same old Sanemi," I said with a shake of my head.

"Regardless of what he said, he was the first one to reach you after the battle and he was also the one to carry you to the Butterfly Mansion," Giyu said when he reached beside me.

"He is just too competitive to admit you did well. He trained very hard after he heard the news," he added.

"I can see that," I said and it was true, I could literally see how his body was injured from all the training.

...

"Good morning everyone," Ubuyashiki's voice rang out in the surroundings softly like a gentle summer breeze. But something about that voice made everyone stop what they were doing and we assembled in front of him.

"Good Morning Lord Ubuyashiki!" We said in unison while kneeling on one leg.

"Thank you all for gathering today," Ubuyashiki said, "I'd like to spend time and hear your stories but we must start the meeting quickly before the medication wears off and I become a vegetable again."

That actually got a chuckle out of me while the rest remained serious.

Ubuyashiki seemed to appreciate that I laughed at his joke and that I was not as formal and uptight around him as the rest of the Hashiras.

"First things first, Seiji," he started.

"I offer you my deepest gratitude for your bravery and accomplishment. You have given a new hope to the Demon Slayers. From the first time you became a Demon Slayer, to becoming the most efficient Hashira and finally to slaying the Upper Mooin 2, you are an irreplaceable child. This generation is fortunate to have you,"

In times like these, I always try to be humble.

"What can I say except, you're welcome,"

But usually, I fail.

In the corner of my eyes, I saw veins pop on Sanemi's forehead.

Ubuyashiki just smiled at my antics.

"Although it is tragic that all the villagers lost their lives at the hands of the demon,"

That froze me on the spot as memories of how I mowed down the cult members appeared in my mind.

Yeah, there was that as well.

Although as much as I would like to pretend that it bothered me to the core, I was fine. I did what I had to do, I had no regrets.

Well, except I would occasionally have nightmares about it but nightmares were normal to me at this point. I'd feel weird if I didn't have nightmares.

I also had the demons to blame everything on. They were good outlets for negative emotions.

"Yes, I'm sorry I didn't save them," I said without having the courage to meet his eyes.

I think he knew I killed them all but was understanding of my situation. He just gave me this gentle smile.

"I'm sure you did everything you could,"

...

"And now, onto the next topic. We are welcoming a new comrade today, a new Hashira," Ubuyashiki said and everyone turned to Shinobu.

"Rise, Shinobu Kocho,"

The crowning of the title Hashira proceeded like always. The only difference was that Shinobu was immediately given the title of Insect Hashira.

After the short ceremony was done, it was time to get into business.

"After the battle of an Upper Moon and Seiji Shigan, the activities of the demons had spiked like never before. Lower Moon who usually stays hidden emerged as if given the order to cause chaos and many Demon Slayers are being hunted,"

"It is easy to deduce that the demons are trying to get back at us for the massive defeat they experienced,"

"We need to find a way to counter all these attacks or we will have at our hands, the largest casualty ever seen in the last five centuries,"

...

...

...

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Author : What do you think of the scars? Is it cool? Patreons were in the support of scars but I want to know what you guys think. I can always let the scars heal with the explanation of Sun Breathing if you guys really hate it.

And no one visted our boi because as is stated, they were busy as hell with the new activity.

This was a long chapter so don't forget the stones.