Chapter 73: Water Hashira Makomo
Hashira meetings were typically held once every six months, barring any special circumstances that required their immediate attention. One of these biannual gatherings was always scheduled a week before the Final Selection, allowing the Pillars to coordinate and determine who could spare the time to proctor the event.
However, only three months had passed since their last assembly.
Even before Ink Shadow, his Kasugai Crow, had finished cawing out the summons, Akira and Kanae had already pieced together the reason for the unscheduled meeting.
Kanae watched the crow become a black speck in the sky, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. She turned to Akira, her eyes sparkling with warmth.
"It's Makomo, isn't it? If you calculate the time, she should be ready to become a Hashira."
"Probably," Akira agreed.
"Hey, Akira-kun," she said, her tone gentle but firm. "You should congratulate her properly. Better yet, you should invite her to stay at the Butterfly Mansion permanently. You've been with me all these days; she must be feeling lonely."
Akira looked into her eyes, finding not a single trace of insincerity. He tightened his hold on her arm, a silent promise passing between them, and gave a small nod.
"Alright. I'll do as you say."
...
Early on the morning of the meeting, Akira set off for the Ubuyashiki Estate. As he approached the entrance, he saw Rengoku Shinjuro and Himejima Gyomei arriving together. Just as he was about to greet them, a familiar voice called out from behind.
"Akira-chan."
Akira turned instinctively at the sound. A moment later, a graceful figure swept past him, melting into his arms in a heartfelt embrace.
Not far away, Shinjuro stared, his brow furrowed in confusion. He distinctly remembered the woman who was close enough to Akira to warrant him taking leave from his duties several times was not this one.
"Amitabha," Gyomei murmured, pressing his palms together. He had watched over the boy for a long time and was genuinely happy to see him find a partner.
"Oi, Kanzaki," Shinjuro called out, his voice a low rumble. "The lady who was by your side at the Butterfly Mansion... that wasn't you, was it?"
Though he didn't believe Akira would toy with a girl's feelings, Shinjuro felt compelled to offer a reminder. If the girl already knew, his words would simply be a harmless jest.
The moment Shinjuro spoke, the quiet joy on Gyomei's face faded, replaced by a much more serious and concerned expression.
Sensing the subtle warning in the Flame Hashira's tone, Makomo pulled back slightly from Akira's embrace, though she kept her hand firmly clasped in his. She faced the two senior Hashira with an unwavering, poised smile.
"You must be Rengoku Shinjuro-senpai and Himejima Gyomei-senpai. It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Urokodaki Makomo, a disciple of Urokodaki Sakonji, and one of the women dear to this man's heart."
While neither Shinjuro nor Gyomei fully approved of what seemed like two-timing, the girl herself was clearly aware and untroubled. Since Akira wasn't deceiving her, it wasn't their place to pass judgment.
"Urokodaki's disciple?" Shinjuro took the initiative to steer the conversation onto safer ground. "It seems the vacancy for the Water Hashira has finally been filled."
The four of them chatted as they walked into the Ubuyashiki courtyard.
The Hashira meeting that followed was much like the one held for Akira's own promotion. They assigned new patrol areas, shared intelligence on recent demon activity, and exchanged insights on swordsmanship.
When it came to patrol areas, Makomo chose a region strategically located between the territories managed by Akira and Gyomei, a zone that conveniently included her home on Mount Sagiri.
Since Makomo had earned her promotion through her sheer kill count, she didn't have much noteworthy information to share. Instead, the highlight of the meeting became her sparring match against Shinjuro.
A significant amount of time had passed since her special training under Akira, and her strength had grown immensely. She had pushed the art of Water Breathing to new heights of flexibility and fluidity, and her unpredictable style momentarily flustered Shinjuro during their initial exchange.
In the end, with both fighters holding back, the match concluded in a draw. It was more than enough to confirm that Makomo's strength was worthy of the Hashira rank.
With that, the meeting convened for her promotion came to a close.
Afterward, Makomo and Akira walked back toward the Butterfly Mansion together, the path peaceful and quiet.
"Akira-chan," Makomo began, her voice laced with feigned innocence, "won't Kanae-san be angry that you're bringing me back to the Butterfly Mansion just like this?"
Akira couldn't help but laugh, tapping her lightly on the head. "If you were really concerned about that, you wouldn't have used the Butterfly Mansion as a boundary when you defined your patrol area. Don't worry. Kanae was the one who suggested I invite you to stay permanently. She said she was afraid you'd feel neglected since I've spent the last two months straight with her."
"Sigh," Makomo let out a soft breath. "It's exactly because Kanae-san is like this that I can't bring myself to be jealous of her at all... You really lucked out, you big playboy."
Akira nodded, a sincere smile touching his lips as he agreed with her playful chiding. "Yeah. Meeting wonderful women like you two is the greatest luck I've ever had."
Seeing him admit it so readily, Makomo couldn't dwell on the topic. Her expression shifted, her eyes lighting up with a gossipy glint. "By the way, after all these months, has our esteemed Sound Hashira managed to win over Shinobu-chan?"
"She... still needs some time," Akira sighed, a hint of helplessness in his voice.
Shinobu already possessed a formidable tsundere nature, and after their previous confrontation, a bit of slyness had been mixed in for good measure. Kanae had spoken with her several times, but there were no obvious results to show for it. At the very least, her emotions had stabilized, and their daily interactions had returned to normal.
It was just that sharp little mouth of hers—it was as if it were dipped in poison, always finding the perfect words to pierce his heart whenever they were alone.
And yet, when Akira performed an intimate gesture like patting her head, she showed no resistance.
Perhaps she, too, was contemplating how to handle—or even face—the relationship between them. Or rather, the relationship between all of them.
Akira wouldn't force it. Since Shinobu showed signs of acceptance, he didn't mind waiting a while longer. At their current age, whether they officially declared their status or not wouldn't significantly change how they interacted.
"Oh my. It seems our Sound Hashira is still quite a ways off from his goal of building a 'warm, big family'."
Hearing Makomo's teasing, Akira momentarily thought she had been possessed by Shinobu herself.
"The road is long and arduous," he replied with mock gravity, "but I will work hard."
"Work hard? How?" Makomo's eyes narrowed playfully. "Shinobu-chan's age is already pushing the limit, right? Don't tell me you're thinking of doing something to Kanao-chan..."
Before she could finish, Akira covered her mouth with his hand.
"She's still a child!" he protested.
Makomo pulled his hand away, her grin widening. "If not her, then do you have someone else on the outside?"
"Can your brain be a bit more normal..." Akira was truly speechless. While he did know another girl around Shinobu's age, they had only met once. They were far from the point of discussing romantic feelings.
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