233 I Became a Jonin

"I'm so sorry, everyone! I'm late!"

Before the doors even opened, Rengoku Kyojuro's booming voice echoed through the hall, drawing everyone's attention.

As the Flame Hashira and successor of the Flame Breathing style, he hadn't held the title for very long, but his powerful strength and straightforward, dependable personality had already earned him many allies within the Demon Slayer Corps.

"Kyojuro, I know the news was shocking, and I appreciate you rushing back from Okawamura overnight. That must've been exhausting," Ubuyashiki Kagaya said with a gentle smile.

Every time he saw Kyojuro's fiery enthusiasm, he could feel the blazing vitality radiating from him. Like a beacon of warmth cutting through the cold night, Kyojuro's very presence brought strength and comfort to those around him.

Beside him, Amane Ubuyashiki brought over a tray and placed a steaming cup of tea before Kyojuro.

"Hahaha! Hearing that Upper Rank Two was defeated—my whole body started burning up! Exhausting? Not one bit!"

Kyojuro laughed heartily as he bowed and accepted the tea, nodding gratefully to Amane.

But as he turned his head, his expression shifted.

There in the corner, the Stone Hashira Himejima Gyomei sat silently, emanating an unsettling aura like a slab of weathered stone. Nearby, the Sound Hashira Uzui Tengen lay weakly on the floor of the corridor, his breathing faint. In the courtyard, Sanemi Shinazugawa—still in one piece but crying uncontrollably—looked like he'd lost part of his soul.

Kyojuro's already large eyes widened even further.

He instinctively took a sip of the tea.

"Delicious!"

"..."

Kanae Kocho had just opened her mouth to explain—but that single loud "delicious" shut her right up.

"Hey, come on! You're the Flame Hashira, at least try to act normal!"

Kocho Shinobu—still fiery despite not being affected by her sister's death—popped a vein on the back of her head.

Everyone here was clearly injured or mourning.

And his first reaction after a sip of tea is to shout "delicious"? What kind of timing is that?!

"Hahaha… Ow—! Still the same old Flame Hashira, I see… hahahaha—ow ow ow…"

Uzui couldn't help but laugh, even as the torn muscles and damaged nerves in his body made every chuckle feel like hell.

Shff—shff—

A burst of swift footsteps echoed from the entrance.

Giyu Tomioka, the newly appointed Water Hashira, arrived at the main gate. Quiet as ever, his face expressionless, he silently stepped into the courtyard.

After bowing respectfully to Lord Ubuyashiki, his eyes turned to the visibly battered Hashira around him.

"Whew… Hah… Hah… Kanae!" Sanemi Shinazugawa gasped between ragged breaths, still grinning madly. "Let the demons taste it! Let them suffer! Let them feel what it's like when death would be a mercy!"

He had finally recovered from the repeated surges of energy that had shattered him inside.

To kill a demon with one clean cut? That would be letting them off easy.

True punishment meant striking at the soul—breaking them from the inside out.

"..."

Kyojuro and Giyu both turned toward Kanae Kocho, who seemed to be the only one still in perfect condition.

They had received urgent orders to return immediately.

Other than the news of Upper Rank Two's death, they knew nothing.

"It's like this," Kanae began, turning to them. "Yesterday, I received word from the area near the Eternal Paradise Faith Cult…"

She repeated everything she had just told Ubuyashiki.

"You're a brave man, Shinazugawa!"

Kyojuro, seeing how miserable Sanemi looked, tried to lighten the mood by loudly praising his courage.

And just like that, the tension broke.

Kanae, Shinobu, Uzui, and even Ubuyashiki chuckled softly.

But Sanemi's face only twisted into an even darker scowl.

Seeing that all the Hashira had finally returned, Kanae took a deep breath. After the laughter died down, she began using natural energy to cleanse and realign their internal pathways.

Those who had become Hashira were already among the most elite fighters in the Demon Slayer Corps—each blessed with remarkable talent.

Though many of them were still young and not yet fully matured in body and strength—none matching the raw power of Gyomei—they could still barely withstand a natural energy baptism.

All except one.

From the side, Shinobu watched the ritual with longing in her eyes.

Kanae sighed.

Of course she wanted her little sister to grow stronger.

But Shinobu's body was too fragile—her bones fine and delicate, her muscles and internal organs weak. She simply wasn't built to handle the strain of natural energy.

"...Sister! Let me try, just once!"

Shinobu bit her lip, eyes fierce with determination.

She'd always been weaker than others. She didn't even have the strength to slice off a demon's head.

But she'd never stopped pushing forward.

She'd passed the exam. She'd joined the Corps. She'd trained in medicine. She worked harder than anyone else to fight demons in her own way.

Everyone was risking everything to rid the world of demons. There was no way she would stop now!

She refused to stop here!

"Shinobu…"

Kanae gently cupped her sister's face in her palm, torn with guilt.

Natural energy just wasn't something Shinobu's body could handle.

But looking at her like this—burning with such fierce resolve—how could she, as her sister, simply say no?

Oh gods above…

Please… guide your faithful servant.

Kanae closed her eyes and reached deep within herself—into the seed of natural energy inside her. She summoned the power of her pact with the god Yamanaka Shinno.

...

In another world, floating lazily in a pool while playing with Kushina, Yamanaka Shinno felt the pull of the contract. A part of his awareness separated, and through the power of the pact, entered Kanae's spiritual domain.

"Shinobu and Kanae… your personalities are like night and day," he said.

"God… I'm so sorry to disturb you," Kanae whispered in her heart, cradling the tiny wooden statue in her hands. "My sister's been frail since birth…"

Even saying it made her feel embarrassed.

But Shinobu was her only sister.

The two-inch-tall wooden statue glowed with soft light.

Then, using spirit energy and Wood Release, it transformed—taking on the appearance of a tiny humanoid wood clone that stood in the palm of her hand.

It raised one hand and beckoned to Shinobu.

Everyone was watching.

And when the little idol moved like a living being—they all instinctively gulped.

Wait…

Was this real?

"God… are you always this tiny?" Shinobu blinked her big purple eyes and leaned in curiously toward the small figure.

"..."

Shinno raised a wooden finger—and flicked her forehead.

Thwack!

The compressed air made a sharp pop as it hit her, and Shinobu stumbled back, holding her forehead with a dazed expression.

The flick echoed satisfyingly in Shinno's mind.

"Tiny? What do you mean, tiny? I'm huge!" he grumbled.

He just didn't enlarge the wood clone because there was no need. He still had to unlock her chakra pathways—no sense in wasting energy on the body. Otherwise, the embedded spells might weaken.

"God—I'm so sorry!" Kanae bowed deeply, flustered. "Shinobu didn't mean to be rude!"

Shinobu really was hopeless sometimes!

"How about you come here and let me check what kind of method suits you?" Shinno waved her over again, ignoring Kanae's panic.

"Huh? Really?!"

Shinobu's eyes sparkled. She immediately ran forward again, completely forgetting the bump on her forehead.

Who cared about a flick to the head—if it meant growing stronger?

As she leaned in close, Shinno looked up at her smooth, flawless face—many times larger than his wooden body.

Sigh… Next time I'm not skimping on energy.

He raised a palm and placed it against her forehead.

"Hmm. A bit of a congenital deficiency. The meridian flow is weak…"