52. The Hashira Training

The Battle of the Swordsmith Village was finally over, Because the previous hidden location had been discovered by Muzan’s demons, the village was immediately moved. The Corp worked throught the night to relocate the smiths to a new secret location to ensure their safety.

The survivors were transported back to the Butterfly Mansion to recover and rest.

Hana lay in her bed, her body wrapped tightly in thick white bandages that felt heavy against her skin. Every breath brought a dull ache to her ribs. Beside her, Tanjiro layed in his own bed, his face pale but peaceful in sleep.

Earlier that morning, Giyuu had visited her. He had arrived quietly, as he always did, carrying a small parcel wrapped in bamboo leaves. Inside was her favorite sweet mochi. Giyuu sat in a chair by Hana’s bed for a long time, his deep blue eyes searching her face for any signs of distress. He looked relieved to see that she awake and doing well.

"You should eat." Giyuu said softly. He unwrapped the mochi and held it out.

"Thank you, Giyuu-san," Hana replied, taking the sweet. "Is everything alright? What's going on?" she asked.

Giyuu nodded slowly. "There is much to discuss. A Hashira meeting has been called. The news about Nezuko... it has changed everything. And the marks that appeared on ​Kanroji and Tokito. The master wishes to understand how this happened."

They sat together in a comforting silence until Giyuu had to leave for the meeting.
Hana could tell that he was reluctant to leave, she knew how he felt about it. She knew how out of place he felt among the Hashira. With her, though, he was just Giyuu.

After a while, he finally stood up "I must go to the meeting. Rest hana, do not train yet." He said softly.

"I'll try." she promised with a weak smile.

Hana sat on her bed quietly now, her hands resting limp on the covers. She turned her head slightly, looking over at Tanjiro. A small, tired smile touched her lips. She felt a profound sense of relief that her brother was doing alright. He had fought so hard to save everyone.

Suddenly, the peace of the room was shattered.

"HAHAHA! PIG ASSAULT! PIG ASSAULT!"
Inosuke flew past the doorway, laughing loudly and looking incredibly pleased with himself. His boar mask bobbed up and down as he sprinted through the wooden corridor, his bare feet slapping against the floorboards.

Close on his heels was Zenitsu. His face was a shade of bright, raging red, and tears streamed down his cheeks in thick, dramatic lines. He looked like he was on the verge of a total mental breakdown.

"Inosuke! You freak! I am going to kill you! I am actually going to end you!" Zenitsu shrieked, his voice reaching a pitch that made the glass jars on the shelves rattle.

Inosuke didn't slow down. He leaned forward, picking up speed as he rounded a corner, his muscular frame nearly knocking over a vase of flowers. "You're too slow, Monitsu! The Great Inosuke fears no one!"

The chaos was the result of a very specific betrayal. Zenitsu had returned from his mission to the incredible news that Nezuko could now walk in the sun and was also able to talk. He had been overcome with joy, weeping and praising the heaven for the miracle. That joy had lasted exactly five minutes.

When he had finally approached Nezuko, his heart pounding with the hope of a romance, he stood before her to express his undying love. He had expected a smile, a blush, or a shy look.

Instead, Nezuko had looked at him with those big, innocent eyes and tilted her head.

"Welcome back, Inosuke!" Nezuko had said clearly.

The words had hit Zenitsu harder than any demon’s attack. Inosuke had spent the entire morning while Zenitsu was away on his mission, teaching Nezuko how to say his name. And only his name.

"How dare you!" Zenitsu yelled now, his voice cracking with genuine despair as he chased the boar-headed boy past the room again. "She should be saying my name! Zenitsu! Say it with me, Nezuko! Ze-nit-su!"

Inosuke just grinned under his mask, his chest puffed out. "The underling knows who is the boss! She knows the Great Inosuke is the King of the Mountains! HAHAHAHA!"

Hana watched them pass the door for the third time and sighed deeply. A sharp headache formed behind her eyes. Usually, she would step in. She would yell at them to be quiet, or perhaps she would throw a pillow at Inosuke’s head to stop his bragging. But today, she felt empty. Her usual energy was gone, replaced by a lingering anxiety that made her fingers twitch against the bedsheets.

The news about Nezuko was wonderful, but it was also terrifying. After conquering the sun, Nezuko was no longer just a demon who had escaped Muzan's control. She was now a prime target. She was the one thing Muzan Kibutsuji had sought for a thousand years.

Hana looked over at Tanjiro again. He was still sleeping. She was glad he was alright, and she knew in her heart that they would never let Muzan lay a hand on Nezuko. They would die before letting that happen.

Hana pulled the blanket up to her chin. She felt small in the large bed. The bandages were itchy, and the medicine made her head feel heavy and foggy, but the fear was the strongest thing she felt. They were in the eye of the storm. The battle at the village was just a prelude. Muzan would be coming. He would bring everything he had to claim the sun, and they had to make sure he was not successful.

"Tanjiro," she whispered softly, though he couldn't hear her. "We have to get stronger. All of us."

After a few days, the conclusions of the Hashira meeting were put into action. A special training session began at the Demon Slayer Corps, known as the Hashira Training. It was an unprecedented event. Usually, the Pillars would only train their "Tsuguko" their chosen successors and no one else. The Pillars were always too busy, protecting their regions, gathering intel, and honing their own skills.

But the world had gone quiet. Ever since Nezuko conquered the sun, the demons had suddenly stopped appearing. It was a chilling silence. Muzan was pulling back his forces, concentrating his power for a single, final strike. It was the calm before the storm, and the Corps intended to use every second of that calm to prepare.

The training was divided into stages, each overseen by a Hashira.

First, Tengen Uzui, who had returned to help despite his retirement, handled the basic stamina training. He was as flamboyant as ever, shouting at the recruits as they ran until their lungs burned.

​"So slow! What are you people doing? Your stamina is slow! This is just basic running! If you are going to be this slow, beating an Upper Moon is going to be a dream within a dream!" Uzui yelled. He swung his practice swords to scare them.

Once they survived Uzui, they moved to Mitsuri Kanroji. She handled the flexibility training.

"Left leg up! Now stretch! Don't worry, everyone, you're doing great!" Mitsuri cheered, though the trainees were groaning in pain as she pushed them into impossible contortions.

After Mitsuri came Muichiro. He dealt with quick movement training. He stood in the center of the field, his expression blank, moving so fast the trainees could barely see him.

"You're too slow," Muichiro said simply, tapping a recruit on the shoulder before they could even blink. "If you can't see the attack, you're already dead. Try again."

Then, the Snake Pillar, Obanai Iguro, focused on sword movements. He watched with a sharp, judgmental gaze as the slayers swung their blades.

"I'm going to make you swing your sword while avoiding the obstacles."

"Your grip is weak," Obanai hissed, his snake, Kaburamaru, flicking its tongue. "If you can't hold a sword properly, you're just carrying a heavy stick. Do it a thousand more times."

It was frightening training. He had swordsmen tied up while the trainees had to swing around them. Even though he used a wooden sword, hitting the swordsmen would hurt them badly.

Then came the Wind Pillar, Sanemi Shinazugawa, handled the infinite striking training. It was a brutal test of endurance and spirit. It involves intense, nonstop physical, offensive combat training and sparring, where he relentlessly attacks trainees with practice swords to build their resilience, speed, and defense until they fainted or gave up.

"Is that all you've got?" Sanemi barked, striking a trainee's wooden sword aside with his bare hands. "If a demon hits you, you don't get to cry about it! Stand up and fight!"

Finally, the Rock Pillar, Gyomei Himejima, trained them in muscle reinforcement. He had them standing under the waterfall, carrying three logs on their shoulders and pushing a heavy boulders throught the village.

"Namu Amida Butsu," Gyomei prayed, tears streaming down his face as he watched the exhausted slayers.

During the battle of the Swordsmith Village, Mitsuri and Muichiro had manifested their Demon Slayer Marks. These marks granted them significantly enhanced strength, speed, and endurance. The goal of this training was clear the Pillars improving while teaching the lower-ranked swordsmen, and if anyone’s heart rate and temperature rose high enough to manifest a mark, it was a victory for the entire Corps. Those who already had the mark trained to stay in that "marked state" continuously.

Everyone was motivated. The training grounds were filled with the sounds of wooden swords clashing, shouting, and heavy breathing. Every Hashira had taken up their respective roles.

Except for one man.

Giyuu Tomioka sat alone at his estate. He was far away from the training grounds. He refused to participate in the training. While the other Pillars worked to strengthen the Corps, Giyuu remained in the shadows. He believed he did not belong among them.