"Why should I bear any hatred towards someone who's obviously weaker than myself? All I feel is pity."
— Escanor, Seven Deadly Sins
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Seeing that Saeko stood motionless, Gyomei Himejima took the initiative and launched his attack.
"Stone Breathing, First Form: Serpentinite Bipolar!"
Gyomei swiftly swung his flail and axe, one to the left and one to the right, aiming to trap Saeko in a pincer attack.
The weapons flew towards Saeko with incredible speed.
Gyomei, assuming Saeko was too inexperienced to react, prepared to recall his weapons.
But in the blink of an eye, Saeko vanished from the spot where she had been surrounded.
Gyomei's eyes widened in surprise.
As he searched for Saeko's whereabouts, her voice rang out from behind him.
"Gyomei-san, you should be more focused. Otherwise, I might defeat you in an instant," Saeko chuckled softly.
"You're indeed formidable, Devil-san," Gyomei acknowledged, his expression turning serious. "Please be careful."
His aura shifted, intensifying.
"Stone Breathing, Second Form: Upper Smash!"
With a powerful shout, Gyomei stomped on the chain connecting his weapons, causing the ground to crack. He then hurled his flail towards Saeko with tremendous force.
The flail tore through the air with a deafening roar, aimed directly at Saeko.
The sheer power behind the attack seemed capable of shattering mountains.
However, Saeko effortlessly dodged the ferocious blow with a simple sidestep.
"Boom!"
The flail crashed into the ground, creating a massive crater.
Despite its immense power, Gyomei's attack was too slow.
After evading the attack, Saeko decided to go on the offensive.
With lightning speed, she closed the distance between them and unleashed a swift slash.
Gyomei, however, was a seasoned Hashira with exceptional combat instincts. Though he couldn't match Saeko's speed, he reacted instinctively, leaping back to avoid her attack.
He then spun his flail around himself, creating a defensive barrier.
"Stone Breathing, Third Form: Stone Skin!"
This technique had once neutralized Muzan Kibutsuji's Blood Demon Art, Black Blood, Brambles in the original story. It boasted incredible defensive capabilities.
But Saeko didn't back down. She gripped the hilt of her sword, assuming a Iaido stance.
"Water Breathing, Iaido Slash!"
With a swift draw, Saeko unleashed a blinding flash of blue light.
Gyomei's impenetrable flail defense was instantly cleaved in two.
This was the culmination of Saeko's days of dedicated training, fusing the Uesugi family's Iaido swordsmanship with Water Breathing to create a devastatingly powerful Iaido Slash.
"What?!" Gyomei was stunned.
He couldn't believe his Stone Skin had been breached so easily.
His flail was forged with Scarlet Ore, a rare and incredibly durable material.
Yet, it had been sliced clean through.
He was shocked and dismayed, especially considering the rarity of Scarlet Ore.
Saeko's ability to cut through the flail so effortlessly was partly due to her sword. Although not a divine weapon, it was crafted by Devils and far sharper than a typical Nichirin Blade. However, the primary reason was Saeko's superior strength.
"Well, Gyomei-san, shall we continue?" Saeko asked with a playful smile, looking at the stunned Gyomei.
"No, I concede defeat," Gyomei sighed, admitting defeat without hesitation.
He knew that the Devil-san had been holding back.
Otherwise, with her initial speed, he would have already lost.
Even if he activated his Demon Slayer Mark, his speed would only be comparable to hers. Moreover, activating the Mark would significantly shorten his lifespan; it was a technique meant for desperate battles against Demons.
And this Devil-san was merely one of Roy's servants.
The extent of Roy's own power was beyond his comprehension.
With that thought, Gyomei took a deep breath and knelt before Roy on one knee.
"Gyomei Himejima greets Roy-sama!"
"What's this?" Roy asked, confused by Gyomei's sudden change in demeanor.
"Before I came here, Oyakata-sama informed me that you are the new leader of the Demon Slayer Corps," Gyomei explained. "From now on, we are to follow your commands. I acted on my own accord, attempting to gauge your strength. Please, Roy-sama, punish me for my insolence."
Roy finally understood.
It seemed that Kagaya Ubuyashiki possessed a unique ability to foresee certain events.
He must have foreseen Roy's victory over Muzan Kibutsuji and thus instructed the Demon Slayer Corps to follow Roy's lead.
"Gyomei-san, there's no need for such formalities. Please rise," Roy said.
Becoming the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps would make it easier for him to eliminate Muzan Kibutsuji.
Roy had no reason to refuse.
"Roy-sama, the other Hashira will return after completing their missions. Do you have any instructions for them?"
"Instructions..." Roy pondered for a moment. "Have them await my orders. Muzan Kibutsuji will be eliminated within a month."
"Yes, Roy-sama!"
A few days passed quickly.
The Final Selection for the Demon Slayer Corps finally began.
Roy set off for Mt. Fujikasane with Saeko, the other girls, and Tanjiro.
Gyomei and the other Hashira remained behind, awaiting his orders.
...
On a mountain blanketed in wisteria blossoms, Roy and his group arrived at the Final Selection site.
Over a dozen young boys and girls were already there, waiting for the test to commence.
The arrival of Roy's group immediately drew their attention.
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