Chapter Sixteen: The Storm Hashira!
『RYON』
Enjoy~~~
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The sun was breathing its final breaths, dyeing the sky in a purple twilight above the wisteria trees surrounding the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters. In this sacred courtyard stood Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the leader respected by all as a father, gazing with eyes that could not see, yet perceived everything, at the boy standing before him.
Yukihara Ren stood there, his childish features hiding a ferocious beast, his crimson sword hanging at his waist.
"My beloved children," Kagaya began in a voice that carried an uncanny ability to calm hearts, a voice that made the listener feel as if the entire universe was listening alongside them.
"The rules that the Corps has followed for centuries are not subject to debate. For a swordsman to ascend to the rank of Hashira, they must kill fifty demons, or kill a member of the Twelve Kizuki alone. And Yukihara Ren… has accomplished the more difficult condition in almost his very first mission."
The nine Hashira turned their gazes toward Ren. Their expressions ranged from admiration, to doubt, to sheer astonishment.
Kagaya continued with a proud smile. "Therefore, I officially declare before the leaders of the Corps… you are the tenth Hashira. The Storm Hashira."
Rengoku Kyojuro clapped enthusiastically, his voice echoing through the mountains. "Amazing! Amazing! The youngest Hashira in history! This is a 'brilliant' event like no other!"
"A flashy name," Uzui Tengen nodded. "Storm… it suits the chaos you caused in a single day."
"Since night has fallen," Kagaya said as he prepared to leave with the support of his wife, "I ask all of you to stay tonight in the guest estate. It has been a long time since you all gathered without bloodshed or urgent missions. Use this night to welcome your new brother and exchange experiences. The future holds battles where we may need everyone's strength."
Everyone bowed to the leader until he disappeared. The moment the doors closed, the atmosphere shifted from absolute formality to… social chaos.
…
Everyone moved to a wide hall covered with tatami mats, where a lavish dinner befitting the elite had been prepared. The scents of fried tempura, hot miso soup, and grilled fish filled the air.
The dinner quickly turned into a place of interaction.
In one corner, Kanroji Mitsuri (the Love Hashira) had finished her food at an astonishing speed and dragged Tsuyuri Kanao—who was trying to sit quietly—to turn her into a test subject.
"Kanao-chan! Your hair is so soft, but that side hairstyle is a bit boring! Let big sister Mitsuri turn you into a princess!" Mitsuri shouted, her eyes sparkling with pink hearts (literally heart-shaped), as she began brushing Kanao's hair and decorating it with small flowers. Kanao sat silently, not resisting, though confusion was clearly written on her face.
On the other side, the scene was more complicated.
Ren was sitting next to Tomioka Giyu, while Shinobu Kocho sat across from them, her venomous smile never leaving her face.
"Tomioka-san," Ren said as he filled Giyu's teacup. "You know, the grilled meat here is excellent. You should eat more—maybe gain some weight and become a little less… gloomy."
Giyu looked at Ren, and for the first time, replied with a full, normal sentence. "I eat well. And gloominess is not a physical trait; it's a mental state… and I am not gloomy. I am calm."
Shinobu gasped audibly. "Ara, ara! Tomioka-san is talking? And explaining his feelings? This is unbelievable!"
Shinobu leaned closer with a smiling face, a bulging vein appearing on her forehead. "Tomioka-san, I've tried talking to you for years, and all I get is silence or the sentence 'I am not disliked.' And now you're chatting comfortably with Ren? Am I really that annoying?"
Giyu completely ignored Shinobu and turned to Ren. "Ren, would you like more pickled radish?"
Ren nearly burst out laughing, while Shinobu's smile twisted into a terrifying scowl for a moment.
"This boy…" Shinobu thought irritably. "How did he manage to break through Tomioka's icy wall in a single day? Does Tomioka really hate me? No, that's impossible—he has no right to ignore me! …Maybe I should stop teasing him. No! Teasing this idiot is my only joy."
•---•----•
After dinner, as the time for relaxation came, Ren asked the Hashira to gather.
"Guys," Ren said with an innocent, childlike smile hiding great cunning. "Since I'm the new Hashira and aim to mix breathing styles, could you share the essence of your techniques with me? How do you breathe? How do you move your energy?"
No one objected. In fact, the Hashira were excited to see what this "miracle child" could do.
While Rengoku enthusiastically explained "igniting the heart," Sanemi shouted about "tearing winds," and Obanai spoke of "twisting," Ren was in another world inside his mind.
He opened the system shop. He had accumulated a small fortune of Spirit Points (SP) from killing demons, defeating a Lower Moon, and promotion rewards.
[Character Section:]
[Item: Character Template: Yoriichi Tsugikuni.]
[Description: Yoriichi, the creator of the first breathing style (Sun). The strongest swordsman in history. Purchasing this template grants the host Yoriichi's "latent talent," his unique physical structure, and his extraordinary intuition. The template level (from 0% to 100%) increases as the host trains, understands breathing styles, experiences similar events, and inherits Yoriichi's power!]
[Price: 20,000 SP.]
[Do you wish to purchase?]
"Yes. Absolutely!" Ren shouted internally.
A golden flash enveloped his soul. His body did not change outwardly, but he felt the "energy channels" inside him expand terrifyingly. The world around him became clearer.
As he listened to the Hashira, notifications poured in:
[You understood the essence of Flame… Template +1%]
[You understood the essence of Wind… Template +1.5%]
[You understood the essence of Stone… Template +2%]
By the time everyone finished explaining, Ren was trembling from the overflow of power.
[Current Yoriichi Template Percentage: 10%.]
Ten percent of Yoriichi's power… that already meant he had surpassed most humans.
Ren suddenly stood up, his eyes shining with a challenging gleam. He looked around, and his gaze landed on the most suitable person to test his new limits.
"Shinazugawa Sanemi-san."
The Wind Hashira turned, his scars shifting with his ferocious expression. "What do you want, you brat?"
"Fight me."
Silence fell over the room.
"Ren-kun, you seem tired. You're still young—go to sleep…" Shinobu said with a smile.
"….."
Sanemi laughed mockingly. "Have you lost your mind? I don't hit kids. Go to sleep, you runt."
"I am a Hashira like you," Ren said seriously, placing his hand on his sword. "And I want to know the gap between me and the peak of the Corps. Are you really afraid of hurting a 'child'? Or afraid that I might defeat you?"
The veins on Sanemi's forehead bulged. The provocation worked.
"Fine, you little bastard… I'll teach you a lesson in humility."
…
Everyone went outside to the courtyard. The moon bore witness to the duel.
Ren and Sanemi stood facing each other, wooden swords in hand.
"Begin!" Tengen shouted as the referee.
BOOM!
Both launched at the same instant.
The speed was terrifying. The swords collided, creating a shockwave that kicked up dust.
"Fast!" Sanemi thought in shock. "He's faster than he was against Muichiro!"
Ren used Storm Breathing, merging Thunder's speed with Water's flow. He moved like an unpredictable beam of light.
"Storm Breathing: Third Form — Dance of the Rain-Thunder!"
Ren unleashed a barrage of rapid strikes. Sanemi blocked them all, but was forced to step back once.
"This kid…!" Sanemi growled, a savage smile spreading across his face. "Amazing! This is what I wanted!"
"Wind Breathing: First Form — Dust Cutter: Cyclone!"
(As I said, I'm lazy about looking up technique names, so I'll mostly make them up.)
Sanemi raised the level of the fight. He no longer held back. His strikes became heavy and violent, carrying wind pressure that tore clothes and cut skin even without direct contact.
Ren tried to use the primitive "Transparent World" granted by the template, but it was incomplete. He could see Sanemi's movements, but Ren's small body lacked the muscular experience to keep up with Sanemi's relentless brutality.
The fight lasted a full thirty minutes.
Ren was panting, his body covered in bruises, his clothes torn. Sanemi was panting as well, with a bruise on his cheek.
"I'm still… standing!" Ren shouted, charging forward with the last of his strength.
"Storm Breathing: Final Form — Crimson Hurricane!"
Ren leapt high into the air and delivered a devastating vertical strike.
Sanemi smiled. "Good move—but it's wide open!"
Sanemi lowered himself and slammed his shoulder powerfully into Ren's chest, then used the hilt of his sword to strike Ren's wrist, knocking his weapon away.
Ren fell onto his back, Sanemi's sword pointed at his neck.
"It's over," Sanemi said, wiping sweat from his brow.
"I still haven't mastered Storm Breathing… damn it!" Ren thought, recalling how easily Sanemi had stopped his attacks.
Ren lay on the ground, staring at the stars, panting with a wide smile. "I lost… you're really strong, Sanemi-san."
Sanemi extended his hand and helped Ren up. "You're not bad… for a kid. You've got guts."
….
After bathing and tidying himself up, Ren went to sleep, exhausted but satisfied.
Elsewhere, far away…
Kamado Tanjiro sat at the dinner table in Urokodaki's hut, devouring his food like a beast. His face was swollen from training, yet he was happy.
While eating, he heard the cry of a crow. Since Urokodaki had already told him many things about the Corps—
"Urokodaki-san!" Tanjiro called. "There's a crow!"
Urokodaki opened the window and took the message tied to the crow's leg. He read it, and his aura instantly changed.
Tanjiro smelled the change.
"A scent… of pride? And happiness?" Tanjiro asked.
"Yes," Urokodaki said calmly. "Yukihara Ren… has become a Hashira."
"What?!" Tanjiro jumped. "Ren-san?! A Hashira?! This fast?! That's amazing!"
Tanjiro smiled, but noticed something else.
"Urokodaki-san… the scent of the letter, and your scent… there's something else. A scent… of hidden sadness?"
Urokodaki looked at his disciple. "Your senses are terrifying, Tanjiro. You're no longer human!"
"It's just… I lived with Ren for a while. I know this child hides deep pain and sorrow… I don't know what that pain is, but… I'm afraid that the burden of being a Hashira and a demon slayer will only increase it…"
Tanjiro fell silent, remembering Ren's beautiful, cold face. "Ren-san… are you really okay?"
He said this while looking out the window at the beautiful moon hanging in the sky, partially hidden behind clouds.
….
At headquarters, it was now midnight.
Ren was sleeping in his room.
Thanks to the system, and by spending extra SP to accelerate the template's integration during sleep, he began to "dream of memories."
It was not an ordinary dream.
Ren saw through Yoriichi's eyes. He was walking home, his heart fluttering at the thought of seeing his wife, Uta, and his soon-to-be-born child.
Then… he arrived.
Blood. Silence. Torn corpses.
Ren felt Yoriichi's heart shatter. He felt an icy cold that no fire could warm. He felt absolute helplessness, despite being the strongest being on earth.
In the real world, Ren tossed in his bed.
Yoriichi's memories were painful, but feeling his emotions was equally devastating.
At that moment, Ren also remembered his own past life—the cold, the pain, the loneliness, the sorrow he endured. No family. No friends. All he knew was sadness and pain.
Tears began to flow from his closed eyes. It was not loud sobbing, but silent, continuous crying—burning tears sliding down his cheeks and soaking his pillow. His body trembled, his lips whispering incomprehensible words.
In the corridor, Rengoku Kyojuro was walking to answer nature's call.
He stopped as he passed Ren's room. The door was slightly open.
He heard the sound. It was not unfamiliar to him—he himself had made that sound for days after his mother's death.
He used to cry alone at night, looking at the moon in the sky, asking questions and talking, believing his mother could hear him.
Rengoku looked through the gap—and was shocked.
He saw the "Storm Hashira," the arrogant genius child, crying in his sleep with heart-wrenching pain.
"Ren…" Rengoku whispered in shock and pity.
His mind returned to the conversation they had shared during dinner.
"My mother taught me that strength is a responsibility… and that the strong must protect the weak!"
"No, demons never attacked my family… I'm different… Oh, you too? That's great… we're really similar!"
Rengoku connected the dots (completely wrong).
"He's lying… he must be lying to protect himself. That crying… it's the crying of someone who has seen hell. Did his family die in front of him? Does he carry the guilt of surviving alone? Does he train madly to drown out their screams in his head? My God… he's just a child carrying the entire world on his small shoulders."
"Or maybe not… maybe fighting demons at this age, seeing corpses, seeing blood… damn it, how can I call myself a Hashira while a small child is forced to become a demon slayer?"
Rengoku felt the urge to go in and hug him, but he stepped back. Out of respect for a warrior's pride. If he entered, he might wound Ren's pride—no one wants to be seen crying.
He gently closed the door and returned to his room, his heart aching with pain and pity for Ren.
In reality, Ren's true past was different.
His father in this life had been a filthy alcoholic who beat his mother, Yukihara Yumi, as well. But when Ren was four years old, his father left the house and never returned—perhaps he went elsewhere with the money he took from Yumi, or perhaps he met a demon and died.
Yes, it was a bad past, but it could not compare to the tragedies of this world. Ren was happy that his family had survived.
But tonight… tonight he was crying Yoriichi's tears. The tears of a man who lost everything four hundred years ago. (The history is totally made up, honestly 😂)
And while Rengoku slept, swearing to protect the "poor child," Ren, in his dream, screamed with Yoriichi's voice—and his own:
"I will never forgive you… I will wipe you all out!"
"Kibutsuji Muzan… I swear I will kill you!" Ren muttered in anger while sleeping.
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End of Chapter Sixteen.
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