Oboro observed the seven Pillars carefully and discovered that each had unique characteristics. Their differences largely stemmed from their breathing methods and personalities. The breathing method itself was highly personal and not merely a matter of talent or physique.
Take Rengoku of the Demon Hunting Family, for example. People like him could practice Water Breathing, but they weren't particularly adept at it. His comprehension and practice speed with Water Breathing would inevitably be much slower than with his natural affinity.
Another distinguishing feature was the Sun Blade that each of them carried. Some wielded traditional knives, while others carried weapons that clearly fell outside that category.
For instance, the man standing behind Oboro, dressed in tight clothes with his face covered, carried a weapon resembling a double halberd gauntlet. The gauntlet had thin chains and a small device that connected the two long hooks as if they could be disassembled and put back together to form a new weapon.
Then there was the woman standing on the sedan chair. Her Sun Blade resembled a branch, and when she swung it, its speed was so incredible that the blade seemed to vanish entirely.
In short, each Pillar and breathing method manifested uniquely when performed by different individuals.
However, Oboro was truly concerned about the sensitivity of these Pillars to demonic energy. He had originally assumed that even if Ubuyashiki Kuno sent swordsmen to kill him, they would recognize him as human and stop attacking. He hadn't expected
While Oboro observed the others, their attention remained entirely fixed on him. Several Pillars had already sensed the power and uniqueness of his breathing technique. Everyone was curious about the person who had brought this technique to the Demon Slayer Corps, perhaps even its creator.
"We meet again!" Rengoku greeted him, raising his hand.
Oboro smiled and nodded in response.
"It's a shame I couldn't stop you from becoming a demon in Aobashi Town," Rengoku said frankly, his expression sincere. "You taught the Demon Slayer Corps the breathing method. However, based on your behavior toward those villagers and your current identity, we must eliminate you here!"
Rengoku's voice boomed.
"If you have any last words or messages for others, please tell me, and I'll help convey them." With his striking hair color, Rengoku patted his chest confidently.
"Tsk." The Thunder Pillar, with his short, buzzed hair, clicked his tongue at Rengoku's excessive talkativeness and enthusiasm. "Hey, what's wrong with you? How can you be so friendly with a demon?"
"I just think he must have been a good person before he became a demon," Rengoku replied, staring at Oboro with conviction.
"Huh?" The Thunder Pillar was speechless.
"There's something wrong with this guy," said the Iron Pillar, standing behind Oboro.
"That's right," the Water Pillar, Giyu Tomioka, continued. "Back in Aobashi Town, he had completely transformed into a demon with an overwhelmingly powerful aura. But now, that aura has become very faint, and there are no obvious demonic features on his body. His eyes were red before, but now he seems closer to human."
Ichie paused. "Yet my intuition tells me that, regardless of what he has done, he is not truly human and remains extremely dangerous."
After speaking, his grip on the blade hilt shifted slightly.
"Although it's faint, it is indeed the breath of a demon. There's no doubt about it," the Rock Pillar affirmed.
"Tsukahara and I will lead the charge. The rest of you will act according to the circumstances," the Thunder Pillar, Otomo Ichisui, announced in a deep voice.
Their strategy made sense. In terms of fighting style and breathing method, the Lightning Pillar and Rock Pillar were the most suitable for the initial attack: one offered speed, and the other, stability. Rengoku and Giyu's injuries hadn't fully healed yet, limiting their effectiveness in this difficult battle.
"Be careful," warned Ichiko, who had once been close to Oboro. Both he and Rengoku had experienced this man's power firsthand.
Just as the seven Pillars prepared to attack, Oboro suddenly planted his staff at his feet and clapped his hands gently. "Remarkable! Your eyes are truly remarkable!"
The Pillars fell silent.
"Although your individual combat power is weak, your unwavering will to eliminate demons at all costs excites me. No wonder Muzan has been unable to defeat you all these years. Wave after wave, generation after generation, all united by the same ideal and moving toward the same goal."
Oboro continued, his voice measured. "From the perspective of your life energy, while your physical strength may be limited, your souls are incredibly resilient. Constrained by the limitations of this world, your growth is stunted. Yet, if your souls were placed in another world, you would all become extraordinary and formidable individuals."
His calmness and sudden praise stunned the Seven Pillars. What did this condescending, judgmental tone mean? Was he looking down on them?
"I thought they were both impressive, but I didn't expect to find someone with an even stronger will among you."
Oboro now began to understand Hisoka and Biscuit a little better. Discovering a promising "soul embryo" was like a collector finding a rare treasure, something to be cherished.
Of course, Oboro harbored no such "addiction." He was simply offering a genuine compliment.
Initially, he had considered the Demon Slayer world boring and its resources uninteresting. However, he was increasingly discovering the unique appeal of this seemingly lower-level world, especially after revealing his own distinctive demonic aura.
It felt as though these seven individuals were proving something to him. Or perhaps the will of this world was secretly driving events, bringing these seven before him to demonstrate the brilliance of their "inheritance."
If these seven possessed such formidable willpower, then Oboro looked forward to witnessing the exceptional souls of those who would be hailed as the strongest generation of the Demon Slayer Corps.
"However, a strong will alone is insufficient. You also need the action, intelligence, and strength to match it."
Oboro lowered his hand, grasped one end of his cane, and gazed at the Lightning Pillar, whose eyes flashed with murderous intent. "Let me verify something. To shoulder the inheritance of your predecessors, what awareness do you possess, and what price are you willing to pay?"
"Shut up and stop this arrogant pretense," the Thunder Pillar snapped, suddenly crouching low and pressing his body downward.
Electric light coursed over his body as he breathed. The moment his blade emerged, it was like a light source appearing in darkness, blazing into Oboro's hazy eyes.
By the time the lightning faded, the Thunder Pillar had closed the distance. The tip of his blade was angled perfectly, cutting directly toward Oboro's neck.
Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunder Flash.
This technique would later be popularized by the yellow-haired Zenitsu. It was blindingly fast, truly as swift as lightning.
The Thunder Pillar's extreme speed allowed him to fully leverage inertia in his swing, increasing the velocity of the blade. When combined with his breathing technique, the blade appeared to heat from air friction and was surrounded by light and electricity.
A flash of excitement lit the Thunder Pillar's eyes. As his blade nearly touched the man's neck, his opponent hadn't moved. At this distance and in this split second, there was no time to react and no opportunity for Oboro to catch his breath.
Everyone watched Otomo Ichisui's attack intently, knowing it would determine their target's threat level.
What happened next sent a chill running from the soles of their feet to the crowns of their heads.
"Snap!" A slight sound cut the air.
To the observers, Oboro seemed unable to react to the speed of the Lightning Pillar. Just as the sword was about to strike, however, he suddenly pinched three fingers together as if grasping something, firmly capturing the Sun Blade, which was hovering at his shoulder.
Wisps of hot air emanated from beneath the dark, feather-woven cloth while a cold wind rustled his robe.
Otomo Ichisui pulled at the hilt of his blade, but it didn't budge. The blade seemed welded to the man's fingers.
His pupils contracted, and his expression shifted dramatically.
"What's wrong?" Oboro asked mildly.
"What's so surprising? Based on your previous assessment of me, you surely didn't expect to kill me with a single move."
Then why are your hands shaking and your thoughts scattered? Shouldn't you have anticipated every possible outcome before drawing your sword?" Oboro's voice drifted to Otomo Ichisui's ears.
"Including your death."
Their eyes met in that moment. The Thunder Pillar couldn't comprehend the look in this man's eyes. Rather, he had never seen eyes so deep and mysterious. They were like a layer of black gauze covering everything, blocking all emotion and leaving only an abyss impossible to face directly.
Suddenly, a red line appeared across the Thunder Pillar's neck. Blood began flowing down his body.
"My blade struck you before yours reached me, but you didn't notice at all. You mistakenly believed I was merely blocking your attack," Oboro explained, holding a blood-stained leaf in one hand. He held a bloodstained leaf in his other hand and smiled slightly.
The Thunder Pillar collapsed, his Sun Blade falling at Oboro's feet.
Complete silence descended.
No one had anticipated this outcome. The truly terrifying aspect was that the other Pillars had only seen Oboro grasp the blade, the "information" he had projected, and the false illusion he had forced into their minds, as he had said. None of them had noticed Oboro use the leaf to slit the Thunder Pillar's throat.
Most critically, Oboro had killed first and only afterward raised his hand to trap the blade.
Such power!
In that brief moment, the remaining Pillars confirmed the grim truth with their battle experience and mental processing abilities: Even united, they would likely all die here.
Should they continue this seemingly futile battle?
Normally, fear would take hold because no one is immune to the fear of death. In Oboro's experience, all enemies faced this reality, except for a few truly insane individuals.
"Will you retreat?" he wondered. "Or perhaps attempt a more roundabout strategy?"
His shocking display would certainly put immense psychological pressure on the remaining Pillars.
The answer came swiftly.
Just as the Thunder Pillar fell, a graceful figure soared over Oboro's head. Looking up, he met the eyes of the Light Pillar. Sayuri's eyes were filled with anger, yet she remained remarkably calm.
They showed no hesitation or impulse to retreat. Her partner's death had only strengthened her resolve to fight and her determination to exterminate demons.
Oboro's hazy expression rippled slightly.
"Wonderful," he murmured, watching the woman in the sky. For a moment, he found himself distracted.
Such powerful emotions, sensual brilliance, and captivating bonds!
In his world, there were partners willing to sacrifice for others, including himself, Menchi, and several teammates. However, due to environmental factors, cultural norms, or power systems, the personalities formed were distinctly different. The people in his world were intensely rational. Even when pursuing revenge or taking action, they gathered information methodically and made calculations in advance.
In contrast, the simplest, purest, and most valuable aspects of human nature rarely manifested there.
Here, human nature's innate brilliance was evident. No calculation was involved, only a pure emotional response to injury to a loved one and the desire to protect, driven by an unwavering will.
Oboro witnessed not only the woman's powerful soul and blazing spirit, but also the beautiful light radiating from her soul, a quintessentially human "feeling"! Pure humanity.
This was precisely what Oboro had realized before leaving his world, what he had lost in his relentless pursuit of his own will.
"The breath of light blooms fully with pearlescent colors," the woman whispered, her voice synchronizing with her breathing. In a falling posture, she swung her sword toward Oboro's head.
Her movements were fascinating. As her coat billowed, the crystals adorning it burst into a brilliant light, eye-catching even in the darkness of night.
His blurry vision suddenly filled with colorful lights, obscuring his clear sight. The Sun Blade in the woman's hand vanished from view, invisible to the naked eye.
Vision compromised!
Yet, Oboro didn't stand helplessly. He raised his arm again.
"Iron Breathing, Fifth Form: Every Inch of Weapon Is Iron."
A figure appeared before him, moving with flawless coordination as the enemy charged. Oboro heard the sound of the Iron Pillar rushing toward him. With a flip of his hands, the Iron Pillar transformed his double halberds. The two long hooks disassembled and reassembled into a circular sheet, which he launched forward.
He aimed for Oboro's elbow. After releasing the weapon, it returned to the Iron Pillar's palm via the chain, allowing him to exploit the opening created.
Oboro took a small step backward as two more attackers approached him from the front and back. One's sword was wreathed in flames, and the other raised a watery tide.
From his hazy soul's perspective, four individuals, each blazing with powerful emotions and soul energies of different colors, converged on him in an instant.
Their intent wasn't solely focused on killing. Though murder was clearly their objective, anger burned even brighter.
"Partners," Oboro thought, beginning to understand.
This was their way: a series of emotional values such as partnership, trust, and protection, all directed toward his destruction. Each was willing to sacrifice himself first!
No wonder his expression showed not just shock when the Thunder Pillar fell, but also unyielding acceptance. Such composure in the face of death! Such resignation to fate! It contradicted every "lesson" Oboro had learned in his world.
These were souls refined and cultivated through generations of inherited willpower.
In contrast, most in his world would prioritize killing the enemy from a self-preservationist perspective. Gon shared this sentiment, but not as purely. Even he harbored thoughts that were aligned with the ethos of Oboro's world.
"We should not underestimate any world," Oboro sighed.
Then, four completely different sword powers came whistling toward him.