"Hashira? What exactly is a Hashira...?"
Tanjiro remained on his knees, his head pressed toward the ground by the Kakushi.
Before him stood several individuals, each possessing a distinct presence. Some regarded him with curiosity, while others looked at him with open hostility.
"What the hell is this?" one of them remarked.
He was a tall, muscular man with a powerful, athletic physique, broad shoulders, and well-defined muscles. His fair skin contrasted with his sharp facial features and narrow, burgundy-colored eyes, which gave him a confident and intimidating appearance. His white hair was tied into a ponytail.
He wore a distinctive white headband adorned with numerous large gemstones arranged across its surface. Decorative chains dangled beside his face, adding to his extravagant appearance.
This man was Tengen Uzui, the Sound Hashira.
"I heard there was a flashy demon slayer who brought a demon... but," Tengen continued, looking down at Tanjiro with a hint of disappointment, "turns out he's just a snotty brat, huh?"
"Yup! We're going to put this kid on trial soon!" The young man standing nearby immediately chimed in, his flame-like hair making him stand out among the gathered Hashira. "Alright, let's do it!!"
He was Kyojuro Rengoku, the Flame Hashira.
Tanjiro struggled to lift his head.
"Wait a minute! I haven't done anything wr-"
*THUMP!*
Before he could finish speaking, the Kakushi forcefully pressed his head back toward the ground again.
"Silence! You are speaking before the Hashira!"
"Ugh!"
Tanjiro gritted his teeth, struggling against the pressure.
"What are you doing?! Let me go! Who are you people?! Where am I?!" His thoughts immediately returned to the one person he was most worried about. "Nezuko! Where is Nezuko?!"
Tanjiro tried to turn his head, desperately searching for the wooden box that normally rested on his back.
However, it was nowhere to be seen.
His anxiety grew with every passing second.
"Please! Tell me where my sister is!"
"How amusing," a young woman's voice remarked.
Tanjiro turned toward the speaker as much as his restrained position allowed. A young woman with long black hair tied back with a butterfly ornament regarded him with a gentle smile. Her expression appeared friendly, yet there was something unsettling about the way she observed him.
She was Shinobu Kocho, the Insect Hashira.
"We're going to put you on trial soon, and you're still worried about your sister, who's a demon." Her smile remained unchanged. "Are you still sane, Kamado Tanjiro-kun?"
"Yes! What's wrong with that? She's my younger sister! I'll protect her, and her name is Nezuko!"
Shinobu tilted her head slightly.
"Alright, then. Guilty! There's no need for a trial." Her smile remained, but her eyes carried something close to hatred, making Tanjiro uneasy. "I think we should just execute him right here and now"
"Agreed!!" Kyojuro shouted, drawing the attention of the other Hashira. "Protecting a demon is a clear violation of our principles! We must finish him off along with the demon!"
"Let's do it now," Tengen said, still looking down at Tanjiro. "And if we're going to do it, we might as well make it flashy! It has to be spectacular!"
'Ehhhh~? Finish off such a cute child~?' Mitsuri Kanroji, the Love Hashira, looked at Tanjiro with a sympathetic gaze. 'My heart hurts! It hurts so much~!'
Gyomei Himejima, the Stone Hashira, clasped his hands together in prayer.
"How tragic... A young boy who has lost his family and now places his faith in a demon. What a pity. His very birth into this world must be pitied." Tears streamed down the towering man's face. "Namu Amida Butsu..."
Meanwhile, Muichiro Tokito, the Mist Hashira, gazed up at the sky. A small cloud drifted lazily overhead.
'I wonder how long it will take for that cloud to disappear...'
He seemed barely interested in the discussion taking place around him.
"You're all wrong! Nezuko is different! She has never eaten a human being! She fights to protect people!" Tanjiro declared without hesitation.
The Hashira exchanged glances.
"Even if your claims are true, a demon remains a demon!" Kyojuro's voice rang across the garden. "Allowing a demon to accompany a member of the Demon Slayer Corps is a serious violation of our principles!"
Tanjiro stared at him in surprise.
"Having a demon travel with you? That's certainly an extravagant way to invite disaster." Tengen shook his head. "If you're going to break the rules, at least understand the consequences, brat"
"What a pity..." Mitsuri whispered, watching Tanjiro with concern. "He's so young... And he looks genuinely worried about his sister"
High above, perched on a tree branch, Obanai Iguro, the Serpent Hashira, watched Tanjiro with narrowed eyes. His white snake, Kaburamaru, rested comfortably around his shoulders.
"This boy's behavior is suspicious," Obanai remarked.
However, his attention soon shifted elsewhere. Standing a short distance away from the other Hashira were two individuals who had remained silent throughout the discussion.
"But before that, let's talk about what we should do about Giyu and Sabito." Tanjiro raised his head to look at Obanai. The Serpent Hashira glanced at him briefly before turning his attention back to the two swordsmen. "According to what Shinobu told us, they have also violated our principles... How should they be judged?"
'As usual, Iguro-san is as persistent as a snake,' Mitsuri thought, gazing at him with admiration. 'Persistent and amazing~!'
Tanjiro turned his head in the direction Obanai had indicated. There, he saw Sabito and Giyu standing silently as the other Hashira glared at them with varying degrees of hostility.
'...Because of me, Tomioka-san and Sabito-san are being blamed, too...' Tanjiro gritted his teeth. 'What can I do...?'
Meanwhile, Mitsuri was looking at the two swordsmen with a completely different expression.
'Wahh~! They both look so good together!' (?) she thought, smiling brightly. 'So cute~!'
"I won't say anything to defend myself, but Tanjiro is telling the truth." Sabito finally broke his silence. He looked at the gathered Hashira with a calm smile. "That's what I believe, and Giyu believes the same"
Everyone turned toward him.
Sabito, however, remained unfazed and continued speaking.
"Nezuko has never attacked a human. I've personally witnessed her protecting people"
Obanai immediately turned to face him.
"Sabito. Giyu." His voice was cold and stern. "I'm saying this not as a Hashira, but as a friend"
He knew better than most what could happen when humans placed their trust in demons. The consequences could be devastating, and he wasn't willing to overlook such a risk.
"Are you seriously defending this boy?"
Sabito met his gaze without hesitation.
"Yes"
Tanjiro stared at him in surprise.
Tears began to gather in the corners of his eyes as he remembered the swordsman who had spared Nezuko's life on the day his family had been slaughtered.
Sabito and Giyu had been the first to give him a chance.
And now, even here, surrounded by the Hashira, they continued to stand by their decision.
"Thank you..." Tanjiro whispered.
Obanai clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"This is absurd." Shinobu's smile remained, but her voice carried an unmistakable note of disapproval. "If a demon is allowed to live among humans, then what exactly are we fighting for? This is wrong. Very wrong"
Before Tanjiro could respond, a familiar scent reached his nose.
His eyes widened.
'That smell...!'
Despite his restrained hands, Tanjiro struggled to sit upright. He turned toward the source of the scent, desperately searching for something familiar.
And there it was.
The wooden box that had accompanied him throughout his journey.
However, the person carrying it was a man with a frightening appearance.
He had short, spiky white hair, numerous scars covering his face and body, and a pair of sharp, pale eyes that radiated hostility.
He was Sanemi Shinazugawa, the Wind Hashira.
"...A demon protecting people?"
A Kakushi hurried after Sanemi, desperately trying to stop him.
"Shinazugawa-sama, wait! You can't do this! Please return the box!"
Sanemi ignored her completely.
"What do you think demons are, kid?" he demanded, glaring at Tanjiro. "You think they'll fight to protect people? Of course not, YOU FOOL!"
Without another word, Sanemi drew his sword and thrust the blade into the wooden box.
*STAB!*
"NEZUKO!"
Tanjiro's desperate cry echoed throughout the garden.
He immediately attempted to rush toward the box, but the Kakushi holding him down refused to let him go.
"Let me go! Please!"
Sanemi pulled his sword out of the box, seemingly unmoved by Tanjiro's desperate cries.
"Let's see how long your precious sister can maintain her humanity"
"YOU BASTARD!"
Tanjiro's anger erupted.
He struggled against the Kakushi with all his strength, unable to tolerate watching someone threaten his beloved sister.
But before anyone could do anything, a calm voice interrupted the confrontation.
"Everyone"
The single word immediately drew the Hashira's attention toward the entrance.
Two young girls had arrived, walking alongside a figure whose presence commanded the respect of everyone gathered in the courtyard.
The Master of the Demon Slayer Corps had arrived.
---
Tanjiro stared in astonishment as a pale-skinned man with long, dark hair stepped onto the engawa, accompanied by the two girls.
Severe scars covered much of his face, and his clouded eyes betrayed the illness that had gradually taken its toll on his body; yet, despite his appearance, there was an extraordinary gentleness to his presence.
This was Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps.
"Good morning, everyone," Kagaya greeted them warmly. His gentle voice carried across the courtyard. "Thank you for gathering here today. Seeing you all here makes me very happy"
Tanjiro stared at him, momentarily forgetting the situation around him.
'Those wounds... No, is it a disease...? This person... Is he the Master of the Demon Slayer Corps-'
"Ughh!"
Before Tanjiro could finish his thought, Sanemi suddenly appeared beside him and forced his head against the ground once more.
*THUD!*
'Fast! I couldn't even realize what happened!'
Tanjiro's eyes widened in shock.
When Tanjiro managed to look up again, he saw the nine Hashira bowing before Kagaya, with Giyu among them.
"We are very happy to see you in good health, Oyakata-sama. We hope that you will always be happy," Sanemi said, his voice filled with the utmost respect.
Kagaya slowly turned his attention toward him.
"Thank you, Sanemi." He then turned toward Tanjiro. "And you must be Tanjiro, correct?"
Tanjiro immediately straightened as much as his restraints allowed.
"Y-Yes, sir!"
"Thank you for coming all this way"
Tanjiro blinked.
'He thanked me...?'
Kagaya spoke with such warmth that Tanjiro momentarily forgot the hostility surrounding him. However, the Master soon addressed the reason for the gathering.
"I understand that there are concerns regarding Tanjiro and his younger sister, Nezuko"
Sanemi raised his head.
"With all due respect, Kagaya-sama, there is no need to discuss this any further. A demon is a demon. The boy has violated the Corps' rules, and his actions must have consequences"
Kyojuro nodded firmly.
"I agree! The rules exist for a reason!"
Obanai followed suit.
"Allowing an exception would undermine the authority of the Demon Slayer Corps"
Several other Hashira expressed similar concerns.
Kagaya listened patiently.
"I understand your objections"
He paused briefly before continuing.
"However, I have already approved Tanjiro Kamado and Nezuko's continued existence within the Corps"
The garden fell silent.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then...
"WHAT?!" Sanemi's voice shattered the silence. He stared at Kagaya in disbelief. "You're allowing a demon to live?!"
Kagaya remained calm.
"Yes"
"But, Kagaya-sama!" Sanemi protested. "This is unacceptable!"
Kyojuro stepped forward.
"Please reconsider! A demon's instincts cannot be ignored!"
Obanai's expression hardened.
"I cannot accept this decision without sufficient justification"
Kagaya listened to their objections without interrupting.
He understood their concerns. Every Hashira present had witnessed the cruelty of demons, and many had suffered terrible losses because of them.
Their distrust was not without reason.
Nevertheless, Kagaya believed that Nezuko's case deserved consideration.
"There is something I would like you all to understand." His gentle gaze swept across the gathered Hashira. "Kagerou, what do you think?"
Silence.
The Hashira exchanged glances.
Then, one by one, they seemed to realize something.
Someone was missing.
"...Kagerou?" Kagaya called again.
'Kagerou?' Tanjiro thought, confused. 'Who is Kagerou-'
"UGHH!"
*THUD!*
Tanjiro suddenly heard another impact as someone forced Sanemi's head against the ground.
Tanjiro immediately looked up.
And there, standing beside Sanemi, was another unfamiliar figure.
"WHO THE FUCK DARES-"
"You said something, Sanemi-chan?" The newcomer spoke in a lazy, almost disinterested tone.
And to Tanjiro's utter disbelief, Sanemi immediately shut his mouth. Looking closer, Tanjiro could even see the Wind Hashira trembling slightly as he faced the newcomer.
"Haaah... Seriously, Kagaya. A meeting this early in the morning?"
The newcomer casually walked toward Kagaya, a kiseru resting in his hand, but something else caught Tanjiro's attention; the newcomer was carrying...
"THE BOX! WHAT-"
"UGH!"
Once again, Tanjiro's face was forced against the ground. He struggled to turn his head and looked back at Sanemi, who was pressing him down. However, something about the Wind Hashira's expression had changed.
Earlier, Tanjiro had seen the utmost respect in Sanemi's eyes when he addressed Kagaya. This time, it was something entirely different. Something Tanjiro hadn't expected to see from a man as terrifying as the Wind Hashira.
Fear.