Chapter Twenty-Four: The Most Dangerous Pillar (Second Update)

Meanwhile, on the other side.

“Master Hanyuu, the Lord’s urgent summons—are you truly not going to answer it?” Little Chrysanthemum watched Chu Fan as he cultivated, speaking with cautious concern.

“There’s no need. They’ll handle it,” Chu Fan replied calmly.

Kamado Tanjiro, the Child of the World, was a fellow disciple of Giyuu Tomioka, both trained under the same master. Previously, Giyuu had not known about Tanjiro and Nezuko’s circumstances. But this time, Giyuu was already informed about Tanjiro, so he was certain to act. There was no need for Chu Fan to intervene; Giyuu’s involvement alone would spare Tanjiro much suffering and pain.

Just as Chu Fan had predicted, thanks to Giyuu’s actions and his willingness to speak up, Tanjiro’s judgment was less grueling. He was smoothly escorted to the Butterfly Mansion for treatment.

“Is this place on fire?” Kamado Tanjiro, being carried toward the Butterfly Mansion, caught a whiff of a scent as intense as raging flames while passing a residence and asked aloud.

“This is the Chrysanthemum House, the home of Master Hanyuu, the Flame Pillar,” someone replied. “Day and night, the scent of fire lingers, but there’s never an actual blaze. It’s just one of the strange phenomena caused by Master Hanyuu’s cultivation.”

“You’ll be staying in the Butterfly Mansion for now, so be careful and don’t wander off,” another warned. “It’s rumored that the Flame Pillar is the most dangerous among the ten Pillars. He’s the only one whom even the Lord cannot command at will.”

The members of the Hidden Corps carrying Tanjiro and Nezuko hurried to explain, fearful that the reckless Tanjiro might stumble into the Flame Pillar’s domain and meet his end.

Tanjiro fell silent, the name evoking memories of a white silhouette. In their first encounter, Master Hanyuu had already demonstrated overwhelming strength and a formidable attitude. Most importantly, Hanyuu claimed to know Tanjiro’s father, though Tanjiro could not recall ever meeting him as a child. Where, then, had Hanyuu learned about his father? The man seemed to know him intimately.

Tanjiro remembered that, aside from senior Giyuu’s intervention and the letter from his teacher, the most decisive factor in easing his suffering was when Lady Shinobu declared that he was someone Master Hanyuu had saved and vowed to protect. After that statement, not only did the scarred man and the bandaged, serpent-like figure, but even the other Pillars, though still dissatisfied, grew visibly more restrained in their attitude, listening seriously to Tanjiro. Their caution stemmed from their wariness of Hanyuu possibly surpassing the entire Demon Slayer Corps.

“The most dangerous Pillar…” Tanjiro gazed at the courtyard wall, deep in thought. Soon, he was carried swiftly along the corridor and into the Butterfly Mansion to heal his wounds. Fortunately, his injuries were not too severe; with active cooperation, he would recover completely in twenty days at most, perhaps even sooner.

Tanjiro was delighted to reunite with his companions, Zenitsu Agatsuma and Inosuke Hashibira, and they chatted happily.

Knowing Tanjiro was next door, Chu Fan felt at ease. Even without intervention, the Nine Pillars were extraordinarily powerful and not easily killed. But Tanjiro, as the World’s Child, was still too weak. The longer his convalescence in the Butterfly Mansion, the better.

Chu Fan had already provided guidance and believed Tanjiro would soon seek him out. As the World’s Child in Demon Slayer, Tanjiro was exceptionally gifted, yet lacked proper instruction on cultivation. Thus, his progress was slow. However, if Chu Fan were to guide him directly, helping him quickly master the Breath of the Sun and learn to transition between Water and Sun Breaths to reduce physical strain, Tanjiro’s strength would leap forward.

Chu Fan’s plan was to instruct Tanjiro before he left the Butterfly Mansion, so his abilities would undergo a dramatic transformation. Even without help, Tanjiro would no longer be so easily endangered.

Days passed. Chu Fan had daily missions, while Tanjiro’s wounds healed considerably after several days of rest.

“Are the Pillars really this busy?” Tanjiro mused in the Butterfly Mansion’s courtyard, hearing the crows deliver messages next door every day.

“They’re all quite busy, but Master Hanyuu is the oddest among them,” replied Kanazaki Aoi, Shinobu’s subordinate, as she hung bedclothes out to dry.

“Hanyuu is an oddity?” Zenitsu, basking in the sun after his medicine, was curious.

“Why do you say that?” Tanjiro asked, intrigued.

“Though I’ve never seen the fellow next door, the tremors he causes every day make it clear he’s strong,” Inosuke chimed in.

“When ordinary Demon Slayers face a demon they can’t handle, the Pillars set out to deal with it. But Master Hanyuu responds to any demon sighting, regardless of difficulty—he leaves immediately. In less than a month since joining, he’s slain over thirty demons.”

“The rumors call him an anomaly because he’s an utter fanatic for cultivation—if he’s not training, he’s on a mission. He completes missions faster than anyone: as soon as a command arrives, he sets out and usually resolves it within a few hours.”

“Thus, he’s reputed to be the fastest in the Demon Slayer Corps,” Kanazaki Aoi explained as she continued her chores. Most of her knowledge came from the Hidden Corps and Lady Shinobu. She knew little about Hanyuu herself, but respected him deeply. His active role had greatly reduced casualties and patients.

“So, is Hanyuu the strongest in the Demon Slayer Corps?” Inosuke asked, his interest piqued. After a few days here, he knew who had saved him. To Inosuke, Giyuu Tomioka was the strongest he’d ever met.

“I don’t know,” Aoi replied, shaking her head.

“Huh? You don’t know?” Inosuke bounced up at the answer.

“That’s only natural,” Aoi said. “Even Lady Shinobu admits no one knows Hanyuu’s limits. He’s the least sociable Pillar and has never participated in the occasional sparring matches. Lady Shinobu also warned us: unless Master Hanyuu personally visits, we must never approach the Chrysanthemum House.”

She spread her hands, resigned.