His voice was incredibly gentle, simply listening to it brought a sense of peace and comfort.
Then, Musashi clearly saw the appearance of the man who walked out of the mansion.
The upper half of his face was mostly disfigured, but even from the intact parts, it was clear he was a handsome man, with a gentle smile on his face, possessing a serene demeanor like a deity.
Is he the one who leads the entire Demon Slayer Corps? His voice is so gentle. Are the marks on his face due to illness?
This was Musashi's first time seeing Kagaya Ubuyashiki, and he pondered these thoughts as he looked at him.
"Good morning, everyone. It's a lovely day today."
Kagaya looked up and felt the sunlight on his face; the warm sensation brought great comfort to his body, which was gradually worsening due to illness.
"I am delighted that we can hold another Hashira Meeting without any loss of personnel."
Swish!
The next moment, the nine Hashiras uniformly knelt on one knee, and seeing this, Musashi also knelt down beside them.
"It is truly wonderful that Kagaya Ubuyashiki remains in good health. I sincerely wish for Kagaya Ubuyashiki's continued well-being," Sanemi respectfully stated.
"Thank you, Sanemi." Kagaya smiled and thanked Sanemi, then continued to address the Hashiras: "This Hashira Meeting is being held earlier than usual, and I'm sure some of you have questions about that.
The main reason for holding the Hashira Meeting early is the Demon Slayer Corps' new tenth Hashira."
Kagaya said, looking towards Musashi. After hearing his words, the gazes of the other nine Hashiras also focused on Musashi at that moment.
???
"Huh?"
Musashi was utterly bewildered at this moment, with everyone's eyes fixed on him, which made him feel a little flustered.
"Originally, our Demon Slayer Corps has always had nine Hashiras, and this has essentially never changed. Although there have been times when a Hashira-level member was missing, the number has never exceeded nine.
This is partly because the conditions for becoming a Hashira-level member are somewhat stringent, requiring the slaying of a member of the Twelve Kizuki or fifty demons. On the other hand, the missions undertaken by Hashira-level members are also more dangerous and prone to casualties.
However, the newly appointed Demon Slayer Corps member, Musashi, recently slew Rokuro, a member of the Twelve Kizuki's Lower Moon Two, meeting the conditions to become a Hashira and breaking the previous limit of nine Hashira-level swordsmen.
This is truly a blessing for our entire Demon Slayer Corps," Kagaya said, his words very rhythmic.
He looked at Musashi and continued, "Generally, Hashiras use their Breathing Technique as their title. Musashi, have you decided on your title as a Hashira?"
He actually remembered my name all this time...
Musashi wasn't surprised that Kagaya knew his name. After all, when Kyojuro took him in as a successor, he reported the situation to Kagaya Ubuyashiki, and Musashi guessed that was when he learned his name.
However, what surprised Musashi was that Kagaya, as the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, an organization with numerous members, would remember the name of an ordinary member, which significantly increased his favorable impression of Kagaya Ubuyashiki.
"Thank you for your kindness, Kagaya Ubuyashiki. I will use Sun Hashira as my title." Although he wasn't entirely sure what was happening, Musashi still answered Kagaya's question first.
The reason he chose this title was because the character "Yang" was related to both his Breathing Technique and his name, making "Sun Hashira" a very fitting choice.
Upon hearing Musashi's answer, Kagaya nodded.
The other Hashiras still looked confused. They still didn't quite understand the reason for holding the Hashira Meeting early. Logically, it was just a member being promoted to Hashira-level, which shouldn't necessitate an early Hashira Meeting at all.
However, Kagaya then enlightened them.
"Next is the reason for holding the Hashira Meeting early. Musashi, from the report of the Kasugai Crow, I learned that you possess a unique Demon Slayer Mark on your body.
Therefore, I have called this Hashira Meeting early, hoping you can inform the other Hashiras present about the conditions for the appearance of the Demon Slayer Mark," Kagaya said to Musashi, his tone carrying a request.
"Demon Slayer Mark?!" The other nine Hashiras were puzzled upon hearing Kagaya's words; they had never heard of what Demon Slayer Mark were.
Demon Slayer Mark! A term that Kyojuro's father once mentioned.
Unlike the other nine Hashiras, Musashi had heard this term before. When he visited Kyojuro's home last time, Kyojuro's father had mentioned it. At the time, he was completely bewildered and had no idea what it referred to. Now, he heard the term again from Kagaya Ubuyashiki.
Kagaya then explained to them, "It is said that during the Sengoku period, there was a group of swordsmen who used Original Breathing and nearly succeeded in slaying Kibutsuji Muzan. They all had Demon Slayer Mark on their bodies, resembling a demon's mark.
However, this is only a legend, so very few people know about it."
After listening to Kagaya's explanation, the Hashiras roughly understood what Demon Slayer Mark were. In simple terms, they were marks that appeared on strong individuals, which meant they could very likely enhance a person's strength.
Musashi fell silent. He had always thought that the strange Demon Slayer Mark on his forehead were an ominous sign. His father abandoned him and his mother because of it, causing them immense hardship, and his mother consequently suffered a heavy burden and fell gravely ill.
He had even attributed the reason for the demons being drawn to the village to the Demon Slayer Mark on his forehead, blaming himself endlessly. Now, for the first time, he learned the origin of what he had considered an ominous thing.
Upon learning this, Sanemi somewhat puzzledly asked Kagaya, "This is the first I've heard of it. Why was it kept from us before?"
Hearing Sanemi's question, Kagaya Ubuyashiki turned to him and replied, "Because many excellent swordsmen, upon learning of this, became emotionally drained and despondent when no Demon Slayer Mark appeared on their bodies... That is why we had no choice but to keep this matter a secret."
He then added, "There are still too many unclear details regarding the inheritance of Demon Slayer Mark. As for whether it was due to insufficient attention to this phenomenon at the time, or if it was inadvertently lost during several near-annihilation crises the organization faced before, it is now impossible to verify."
"Currently, only a mere passage has been passed down in written form:
Whenever a swordsman with Demon Slayer Mark appears, more swordsmen with Demon Slayer Mark will appear around him, as if in resonance."
"This was recorded by a swordsman who used Original Breathing in his notes during that era. In this current age, you are the first person to exhibit Demon Slayer Mark."
After Kagaya finished speaking, he looked at Musashi.
"I apologize for the trouble," Kagaya said, bowing slightly to Musashi.
As long as it could make the Demon Slayer Corps stronger and eliminate Muzan, he was willing to sacrifice everything, even his life, let alone his dignity as a leader.
"Kagaya Ubuyashiki..." Kagaya's action made Musashi unsure what to do. The behavior of the other Hashiras earlier clearly showed their heartfelt respect for Kagaya Ubuyashiki, yet now Kagaya was bowing slightly to him, which made him feel very flustered.
At the same time, the fact that Kagaya, as the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, could make such a request to one of his subordinates, also made Musashi hold him in awe.
Feeling everyone's gaze on him, Musashi said somewhat helplessly, "I am very sorry..."