As Ali walked back to the Butterfly Mansion with the silver eagle perched on his shoulder, he spoke, "For the time being, you're going to be flying around headquarters. Focus especially on anyone entering the HQ. If you notice any foreigners like me or someone wearing clothes you've never seen before, report to me immediately."
The eagle nodded in understanding and soared high into the sky as Ali continued his walk back to the Butterfly Mansion.
Inside the mansion, the trio of Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke were training hard in the training hall, oblivious to the conversations outside and Ali's return.
Their training was interrupted when one of the three assistants opened the door to the training hall and informed them that Ali had just returned from his mission and was currently eating in the dining room. Upon hearing the news, the trio halted their training and rushed to the dining room, where they found Ali sitting in a black kimono with a long table filled with food in front of him.
"Ali, you're back!" Tanjiro exclaimed as he approached the table, with the other two following closely behind.
Ali simply nodded as he continued chewing his food. "Is it true what they said about you fighting Akaza?" Zenitsu blurted out, unable to contain his curiosity any longer.
Ali swallowed his food and smirked before responding, "You guys want to hear how badly I beat him up?" The trio immediately nodded and sat down at the table as Ali began to recount the battle, conveniently leaving out the parts where he was injured. The trio was amazed at Ali's strength; they could never have imagined that a demon as powerful as Akaza could be defeated so soundly. It was a true shock to the young demon slayers.
The trio continued bombarding Ali with questions, which he answered patiently as he ate his meal. When Ali finally finished eating, he said, "So, you guys have been training while I was away. How about you show me the results of your hard work, huh?"
Ali and the trio made their way to the training hall, where Ali stood in the centre while the trio surrounded him in a triangle formation. Ali signalled for them to start, and the sparring began.
**BANG! BANG! BANG!**
Each of them launched their own attack while Ali stood in the middle, effortlessly blocking each one and countering with such force that the three were sent flying across the floor. But they quickly got back on their feet, determined to continue the fight. The spar continued, with the trio repeating their attacks only to be met with the same result: Ali remained unmoved from his position, easily besting them without taking a single step.
Their objective was clear—they wanted to force Ali to take a step away from his spot. Yet, despite their best efforts, they failed. As they began to grow disheartened by the disparity between their strength and Ali's, he halted the sparring session and proceeded to explain what they had done wrong and what they had done right. The sparring quickly transitioned into a teaching session, where Ali had them practice certain moves against each other.
After two hours of hand-to-hand combat, Ali instructed them to draw their Nichirin blades and demonstrate their normal techniques without using their breathing styles. To their surprise, Ali showcased his expertise in sword fighting, further astonishing the trio. This second part of their training continued for another two hours. By the end, the trio was lying on the ground, breathing heavily and drenched in sweat, while Ali stood without a hint of fatigue.
Ali called for the assistants to take care of the boys as he left for his room. Once inside, he discarded the kimono with a sigh of relief. 'I hate wearing a kimono,' Ali thought as he tossed the garment to the side of the room. He never liked the baggy feeling of a kimono.
Ali then sat down in his room and began practicing his breathing style. 'I need to work on using more energy; I must be able to use my breathing style at full power when the time comes,' he thought as he took a deep breath. The black markings swirled around him, traveling across the room violently. Ali sent massive amounts of energy through his body, causing it harm, only to regenerate and try again. He continued this cycle, working tirelessly to figure out a path for the energy to flow without destroying his body in the process.
Ali continued training until nightfall when he was interrupted by a knock on his door. He opened his eyes, put on his kimono, and walked to the door. Upon opening it, one of the assistants informed him that dinner was ready and everyone was waiting for him.
Ali entered the dining room to find the trio, along with Kanao Tsuyuri, seated on one side of the table, while Mitsuri and Shinobu sat on the other. There was an empty space between Mitsuri and Shinobu reserved for him. Ali calmly walked up and took his place between the two Hashira.
The trio barely waited for him to sit down before Tanjiro and Zenitsu both shouted, "Congratulations, Ali!" in cheerful unison.
Ali raised an eyebrow at their excitement and asked, "On what?"
Shinobu, sitting beside him, responded with a smile, "On becoming a Hashira."
Ali didn't react the way they expected—most demon slayers would have been thrilled to achieve such a prestigious rank. Instead, Ali showed no sign of emotion and simply asked, "Do I have to do anything special now that I'm a Hashira?"
Shinobu responded, "Unless Oyakata-sama decides to appoint you as the head of a department, not much changes. You'll just be sent on more dangerous missions now. Also, Oyakata-sama asked me to find out what you'd like to name your breathing style, as it will become your new Hashira title."
Ali pondered Shinobu's question for a moment, then smirked at the trio before raising his hand. He took a deep breath, and black markings suddenly appeared around his hand, swirling with intense air pressure that filled the room.
The display shocked everyone present—it was the first time they had witnessed Ali's breathing style, and they'd never seen anything like it. It resembled a demon art more than a breathing style.
"What do you think, boys? What should I name it?" Ali's question took the trio by surprise as he asked them to name his own breathing style.
He then stopped the breathing style, and the markings disappeared into thin air.
"How about 'Darkness Breathing'?" Zenitsu suggested.
"No, 'Shadow Breathing' is better!" Inosuke shouted, sparking an argument between the two.
Ali looked at Tanjiro, waiting for his suggestion.
"Demon Breathing," Tanjiro said, his voice thoughtful. "It reminds me of a demon art, but it's used by a Hashira, so 'Demon Breathing.'"
'It doesn't get more obvious that you're the child of fate, does it?' Ali thought as he smirked at Tanjiro's suggestion.
"It's decided then," Ali declared. "Tell Ubuyashiki that from now on, my title is the 'Demon Hashira.'"
Shinobu, surprised by his choice, protested, "Ali, you can't name yourself after something as heinous as a demon."
Mitsuri nodded in agreement, but Ali's expression remained unchanged. "That's the name I chose for *my* breathing style. Accept it, because I'm not changing it," he said coldly before turning his attention to Mitsuri, asking about what she had been doing during his absence.
The conversation shifted from there as the assistants served the food, and everyone dined happily.
The next morning, Ali was practicing with his spear in his room, wearing only his boxers.
*AAAAAAH—HELP!*
Ali heard the scream and quickly dressed before stepping outside into the garden, spear in hand.
Outside, he saw the Sound Hashira, Tengen Uzui, carrying the screaming assistants Naho and Aoi, while Kanao Tsuyuri tried to pull him back. Ali observed the scene with a blank expression. 'Really? First thing in the morning, and I have to deal with this?'
The girls noticed Ali and called out to him, seeing him as their only hope. "Ali, save us! He's trying to kidnap us!" they screamed.
Ali sighed, dropping his spear to the ground, and started walking slowly toward the Hashira, who looked at him and said, "Hey, I just need these two for my mission, that's all."
"I didn't know the Sound Hashira was interested in little girls. What a disgrace to the corps," Ali said in a mocking tone.
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