The Demon, its head severed, crumbled into ash and vanished into the void.
What a waste. A tiger pelt of that quality would have fetched a hefty sum on the market.
After ensuring the Demon's end was final, I approached Amano to inspect her wounds.
To my relief, there were no piercing injuries or signs of excessive hemorrhaging; most were merely superficial grazes.
It seems Uncle Banda's praise wasn't mere bluster after all.
However, hygiene is a matter of life and death.
I retrieved clean cloth and medicine from the pouch tied to the leg of Amano's crow, then began wiping the wounds and applying the salve.
This is the Sengoku period, where a single lapse in judgment spells your doom. I can't expect 21st-century standards for disinfectants, but this is better than nothing.
Regardless, that Demon marks my fiftieth. With this, the 'Class Change Quest' to become a Hashira is complete.
The unbearable vacancy in the Hashira ranks ends now.
From this moment forward… I shall stand as a Pillar.
I am number six! The sixth Hashira, Tsugikuni Michikatsu!
They said once I become a Hashira, I can take as much salary as I desire, right?
You don't have to worry about money anymore, Yoriichi.
So please, even if you lose your temper later, try not to hit me too hard.
Beyond that, though, a persistent sense of foreboding gnaws at me.
Setting aside the fact that there might be foreign species of Demons… this one was far too powerful, even accounting for its Blood Demon Art.
It has been about four months since I joined the Demon Slayer Corps and hunted this creature. During that time, I've sent countless Demons across the Sanzu River.
Among them, there were those who utilized Blood Demon Arts, and it is true that some were quite troublesome.
But none were like this one. I have never seen a Demon this strong, nor heard the Hashira speak of such a thing.
The most striking anomaly was the tattoo of the kanji character 'New Moon' (朔) engraved in one of its eyes.
Tattooing a kanji into an eyeball shouldn't make one exponentially stronger. Furthermore, it makes no sense for a Demon to accurately engrave a complex, high-stroke character like '朔' into its own eye.
This suggests external intervention. Something capable of creating a Demon of this caliber.
There is only one being capable of such a feat.
"Kibutsuji Muzan."
The progenitor and King of Demons. The ultimate target of the Demon Slayer Corps.
He is the only bastard who can create Demons. If there were others like him, the Corps would have shut its doors long ago.
But why engrave kanji in the eyes?
Is there a need to emphasize a trait that screams 'I'm incredibly powerful'? Is he trying to turn them into 'named' bosses or something?
Just then.
"Master Michikatsu."
"Ah, Uzui."
The Kakushi arrived, led by Uzui Ei.
It hasn't been long since I sent Mikazuki; they arrived remarkably quickly.
"We were patrolling nearby, so we were able to reach you posthaste."
The Kakushi began the work of recovering the corpses I had left in the forest, treating Amano's injuries, and clearing the scene.
This particular Demon caused quite a ruckus, so the cleanup will likely be a grueling task.
"It seems you've put on another flashy display. Is the corpse… only that one Slayer you mentioned through Mikazuki?"
"Yes. It seems the rest were all devoured."
"...I see. Also, the Master has called for a Hashira Meeting and requested your presence. Lady Amano is to accompany you as well."
A Hashira Meeting already? Half a year hasn't even passed yet, has it?
***
Three days later.
"Young Michikatsu! Congratulations on becoming a Hashira! I am glad to see Lady Amano is safe as well!"
Upon arriving at the Master's mansion, Rengoku Tenjuro greeted Amano and me with a boisterous laugh.
It was official. I had become a Hashira. Moreover, I was the youngest and the fastest to ever reach the rank. It appeared I was the first person in history to secure a seat among the Pillars within a mere four months.
My title as a Hashira was derived from the style I wielded: the Moon Hashira.
As I exchanged pleasantries with Rengoku, the Hashira began to gather one by one. The assembly was completed with the arrival of Uncle Banda and the Echoing Hashira, Minase Hiyori.
Finally, the Master of the Mansion arrived, supported by his wife, signaling the start of the meeting.
In the four months since I last saw him, the scars on the Master's face had spread down below his eyes. From the way he spoke with his wife, it appeared he had lost his sight entirely.
"Though six months have not yet passed, Minase's report forced me to convene this Hashira Meeting in haste. Minase, would you share your report once more?"
"Certainly~"
Minase Hiyori, the Echoing Hashira, spoke with a persistent grin.
"To put it simply, I discovered a Demon with a strange anomaly. It was so strong it hardly compares to any Demon we've faced until now, wouldn't you say~?"
"Hoh."
The battle-crazed Wind Hashira reacted instantly to the mention of a strong Demon.
"Its defining trait, aside from its unusual strength, was a kanji character engraved in one eye."
What?
The Demon I fought also had a kanji tattoo in its eye.
"The character engraved in that Demon's eye was 'Full Moon' (望)."
Full Moon?
"It wasn't 'New Moon' (朔)?"
"Pardon? No, it was definitely 'Full Moon'."
The Demon I faced was undoubtedly marked with 'New Moon'.
"Come to think of it, there are many similarities to the Demon Tsugikuni faced... Tsugikuni, could you describe its characteristics to the Hashira again?"
I spoke slowly, carefully recalling my battle with the Tiger Demon.
"It was exceptionally powerful, much like the one the Echoing Hashira encountered, and it possessed a kanji character in one eye. However... the difference is that the character in the eye of my opponent was 'New Moon,' not 'Full Moon'."
"Hmm..."
"Master, it is physically impossible for a Demon to engrave such distinct characters into its own eye, and it makes little sense for a tattoo to grant such power. It is highly probable there is an external factor at play."
"Indeed... It must be Kibutsuji Muzan."
At those words, the faces of everyone except for the Echoing Hashira and me hardened in shock.
"But we've never seen a Demon that powerful until now... why would he suddenly start creating such monsters~?"
The Master sat in deep thought at Minase's question before turning his gaze toward me, as if an idea had taken root.
"Tsugikuni. Why do you think our Demon Slayer Corps was able to hunt Demons for five hundred years without the Breathing techniques you have now disseminated?"
"The traditional combat schools passed down for five hundred years... or perhaps the Nichirin Blades?"
"Those played a part, but the primary reason was that the Muzan of that era only created weak Demons. Whether it was because creating such weaklings was his limit, or because he judged that even such pathetic creatures were enough to exterminate us, I cannot say—though the latter is more likely. In truth, until now, even a Hashira had to risk their life when facing a Demon that could use a Blood Demon Art."
Master Ubuyashiki continued with a sigh.
"However, four months ago, a weapon that exceeded all expectations fell into our hands."
"Fell into your hands? Surely you mean..."
"Yes. It is the Breathing you taught us. Thanks to those techniques, unlike the past, our Corps has been able to exterminate Demons with irresistible force and zero casualties. We have saved countless lives. To Muzan, the emergence of Breathing must have been like a bolt from the blue. And so..."
"Are you saying he created stronger Demons specifically to kill swordsmen who use Breathing?"
The Master nodded silently.
Muzan, you crazy bastard. I finally balanced the scales with Breathing, and you go and release a 'stealth patch' like some petty coward?
What a garbage game. Damn it all.