Chapter 43 Gathering
"Cough cough!"
"Yaoya-sama..."
Due to being too excited, the frail man coughed violently, and the woman behind him quickly patted his back gently to calm him down.
He waved his hands, and even though his face was red from coughing, the joy on his face remained unchanged.
"Don't worry Tianyin, I feel more comfortable than ever before!"
He has been waiting for this day, no, the Demon Slayer Corps has been waiting for this day for too long!
After saying that, he looked at the crow and asked.
"Are there any casualties?"
"The Wind Pillar is fine. The Kocho Ninja, Flower Pillar, and Rock Pillar were injured, but their injuries were treated with the help of Hirata Sekiro, a non-Demon Slayer swordsman."
"Really? That's great!"
Ubuyashiki was naturally delighted that his important soldiers were not injured.
only...
Hirata Sekiro, I have never heard of him based on the information I gathered from the Ubuyashiki family... Could he be a powerful demon slayer hiding among the people?
The crow continued.
"Hirata Sekiro has a magical power. Hana-shiro has persuaded him to come to the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters, but before that he will go to the Butterfly House for adjustment."
Magical power?
I had an idea. The usually steady Kanae was so eager to bring this person back. I guess this person must be extremely important to the Demon Slayer Corps.
Thinking of this, he turned his head and spoke gently to Tianyin behind him.
"Kanae is a reliable child. I trust her judgment. Go and notify the other pillars to hold a meeting. Please, Amane."
Tianyin nodded slightly, put the coat that Ubuyashiki Yoshiya had dropped on the tatami due to coughing back on his shoulders, and spoke softly.
"You and I don't have to be so polite. Please take care of yourself."
After saying this, he lightly walked and quietly left the room.
Soon after, three crows flew out from behind the house and rushed in three different directions.
------
Sagiri Mountain
In the foggy mountains, a simple and tidy wooden house was lit with candles, and it seemed particularly homely under the cover of fog.
Through the mist, a figure stood at the door of the wooden house, with long, vigorous hair draped behind a colorful haori. In front of him, a pitch-black crow was speaking to him.
"Gaga! Water Pillar Tomioka Giyuu, please go to the headquarters to attend the pillar meeting!"
"clear."
After responding calmly, Yiyong took a step and was about to walk towards the back of the house. At this time, an elderly voice sounded behind him.
"Yiyong, is there a mission?"
He paused and looked back at the old man wearing a red Tengu mask.
"Master Urokodaki...it's just that the lord called a meeting of the Hashira."
Looking at Giyuu with a dull look in his eyes, Urokodaki felt a pang of pain in his heart. He opened his mouth but didn't know what to say, and in the end he could only leave one sentence.
"Cheer up, Santu will be proud of you..."
Then he returned to the house dejectedly.
Hearing the unforgettable name, Yiyong's eyes lit up for a moment and then dimmed. He walked to the open space not far behind the house.
The marks of swords and knives on the trees around the clearing were clearly visible, and a huge round stone sat in the center of the clearing.
Coming in front of the boulder, Yiyong clasped his hands together, and whispered something in his mind.
"Am I really worthy of the title of Supreme Pillar...Shantu."
The young man, who had long passed away, naturally could not reply to him. His eyes gradually dimmed. Just at this moment, a breeze blew by, blowing up his red haori.
"Xiantu...how could it be him...ha, I am thinking of something impossible."
Yiyong said this to himself in a self-deprecating manner, but this breeze did temporarily dispel the boy's confusion, and his eyes were no longer gloomy and returned to their original dull appearance.
The next moment his figure disappeared into the fog.
------
In a room that is entirely golden and dotted with gems, a handsome man with silver hair is holding two beautiful women in his arms.
Another plump woman was kneeling in front of him, relaying to him the orders she heard from the crow.
"The crow said that the Sound Pillar Uzui Tengen wants to go to the headquarters to attend the Pillar Meeting. Honey, do you want to go?"
Uzui Tengen knocked the woman's head angrily.
"Stupid Suma, every pillar must attend the meeting, but why are you doing it so suddenly this time... It doesn't matter! Since you've invited me, I, the god of the magnificent festival, will attend!"
Suma touched the place where Uzui hit him with a wronged look, while the two women beside Uzui gently touched the tattoo on his left eye.
"How long will you be gone this time? Do you need us to accompany you?"
He didn't answer the question, but just took the hands of the three people and spoke softly.
"No need. I should be back soon. I don't want to leave my three beautiful wives alone in an empty house. Haha."
As she spoke, she let go of the hands of the three people, took out a white headdress inlaid with gorgeous gems, and tied up her long silver hair.
He clapped his hands as if calling out for something, and soon two muscular mice wearing headdresses similar to Uzui's came out.
The muscles in his arms bulged, and he handed two large, bandaged blades to Uzui.
After taking the blade, he took a last loving look at his three wives.
It turned into a gust of wind and disappeared in the room.
------
In an ancient courtyard, a young man with short red and yellow hair and big eyes who looks like an owl is hesitating about something in the courtyard.
The man who looked similar to him and was lying on his side in the house in front of him, drinking shochu, was none other than his father, the Flame Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps - Rengoku Makijuro.
The boy clenched his fists slightly, took a deep breath, and loudly told his father what the crow had said.
"Father! The Lord has sent a message that you need to go to the headquarters to attend the Pillar Meeting!"
"..."
Without responding, Makijuro continued to take a sip of shochu as if he didn't hear what his son said at all.
“…Father!”
"Noisy!"
"Hey..."
He was about to repeat it to his father again, but his father's impatient voice interrupted him, leaving him stunned for a moment.
Before he could come back to his senses, Makijuro's hoarse voice sounded again.
"I said Kyojuro is so noisy!"
After saying this, he turned around and ignored the dazed Kyojuro, continuing to sip shochu.
After a long time, the stunned boy came to his senses and looked at his father with complicated eyes, revealing a hint of disappointment.
How could that once cheerful and positive father... Sure enough, it was because of the death of my mother...
Thinking of this, he immediately shook his head to get rid of these thoughts, straightened his back and spoke loudly to his father.
"Father, if you are not going, I will go on your behalf!"
After saying this, he left without looking back, not noticing that Makijuro, who had his back to him, was holding the wine glass tightly in his hand.
Kyojuro walked past the corner and saw his younger brother Chijuro hiding in the corner with a broom and eavesdropping.
He was stunned for a moment, and without saying anything, he smiled and touched his head in the other person's embarrassed look, then walked out of the courtyard.
------
The two pillars and Kyojuro representing the Flame Pillar rushed to the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters, while on the other side, Wolf and his group were also on their way to the headquarters.
But... the journey was not so harmonious...
"Damn it! Why is that damn guy riding in the same carriage with my sister?"
"What are they talking about?"
"Damn it... I can't hear you! Come on, Wolf, come here and help me hear!"
"..."