It was the first time Shinobu Kocho had heard of this position, and she found it rather fascinating.
Meanwhile, Gyomei Himejima's fingers suddenly stopped moving along his prayer beads.
He knew about the Special Advisor position. (Note 1)
Just as Kagaya Ubuyashiki had said, this position was extremely rare. The last time it had appeared was over two hundred years ago.
The role of Special Advisor was similar to the position of a sect elder in martial arts novels.
Although Hashira and Special Advisors were technically equal in rank, in reality, the Special Advisor possessed greater hidden authority.
Gyomei never expected that the Master would grant such an important position to Xia Feng.
Xia Feng pondered for a moment.
Judging from Gyomei's reaction, the position was indeed incredibly prestigious.
But…
He didn't really want to accept it.
All his life, Xia Feng had always considered himself a rather selfish person.
Members of the Demon Slayer Corps were generally noble individuals who were willing to sacrifice their own lives to save others.
But if it were him—
He would save himself first.
Similarly, if a hundred innocent civilians and one person he deeply cared about were placed on opposite sides of a scale—
Xia Feng would choose the person he cared about without hesitation.
In his opinion, someone like him simply didn't belong in the Demon Slayer Corps.
With that thought, he prepared to refuse.
Just then—
A crow suddenly flew into the room.
It landed not far in front of Kagaya Ubuyashiki and glanced at Xia Feng and the others.
It had a message to deliver.
However, when other people were present, the crow would not immediately speak.
Ubuyashiki smiled gently.
"If you have a message, go ahead and say it. There's no need to worry."
The crow nodded.
"Mount Fujikasane preparations complete! Final Selection examination may begin! Caw! Caw!"
Ubuyashiki nodded.
"I understand."
After delivering the message, the crow flapped its wings and flew away.
Hearing this, Xia Feng seemed to remember something.
He frowned slightly.
Then he asked Ubuyashiki,
"If I accept the Special Advisor position… can I serve as an examiner for this Final Selection?"
Ubuyashiki paused.
Xia Feng's request seemed rather strange.
But he didn't question it.
He simply nodded.
"No problem."
"Alright then."
Xia Feng nodded reluctantly.
"I'll accept the position."
"But let me say this first—I've never experienced the kind of deep hatred you all carry."
"I won't treat killing demons as the most important thing in the world."
"For me, maintaining my current peaceful life is what matters most."
Ubuyashiki didn't hesitate for a second.
He smiled and replied,
"That's perfectly fine."
"I respect all of your decisions."
Then he looked toward the door.
"Amae, please pass along this news to the children so everyone knows about it."
"Of course, Gyomei and Shinobu already present here don't need to be informed."
He added a bit of humor deliberately.
Unfortunately, no one laughed.
Soon after, crows carrying the announcement spread across every region under the Demon Slayer Corps' jurisdiction.
Every ranked member above Kinoe level received the notice.
Then, with those high-ranking members as the core, the message spread downward through every branch and unit.
Somewhere else—
Sanemi Shinazugawa listened to the crow's report and showed a surprised expression.
"Special Advisor of the Demon Slayer Corps…?"
"That guy actually became a Special Advisor?!"
Elsewhere, the former Thunder Hashira, Jigoro Kuwajima, had just returned to his training house when he received the crow's message.
His mouth fell open.
"No way… Doctor Xia Feng is so young, and he already became a Special Advisor?!"
"In the entire history of the Demon Slayer Corps, there have only been five Special Advisors!"
At the foot of a mountain, a man wearing a red tengu mask listened silently to the crow's report.
Behind him stood a red-haired boy covered in dust.
"Master, what happened?"
The masked man sent the crow away and turned around.
"Nothing."
"I just heard some surprising news."
"Tanjiro… a boy about your age named Xia Feng has become the Special Advisor of the Demon Slayer Corps."
Tanjiro blinked.
"Spe—Special… what?"
"Special Advisor," Sakonji Urokodaki said with a half-exasperated smile.
"Even within the Demon Slayer Corps, that is an extremely special position."
"Those who receive it possess extraordinary talent."
"In some sense, it's even higher than the Hashira."
Tanjiro's eyes widened.
"That's amazing!"
Then he thought for a moment and asked,
"Master… what's a Hashira?"
Urokodaki: "..."
Facing Tanjiro's innocent confusion, he often felt utterly helpless.
Meanwhile, the various Hashira stationed throughout the country all received the same news.
"Special Advisor… I didn't expect to see that position appear again in our generation."
"He must be strong. I'd love to spar with him!"
"I wonder if it's a cute kid… If he's handsome and cute, that would be perfect!"
"How exciting! My blood is boiling!"
Different reactions and comments emerged from each of the Hashira.
Back at the Ubuyashiki residence—
After obtaining permission to serve as an examiner, Xia Feng prepared to leave.
Suddenly, Gyomei Himejima spoke.
"I have a piece of intelligence to share."
"Although a crow will inform you later, it's clearer to hear it directly from me."
Under the gaze of Xia Feng and Shinobu, he slowly continued.
"I've discovered that a demon of Upper Rank level may have appeared near Yoshiwara."
"If either of you receives a mission in that area, be extremely careful."
"I suspect that demon is highly skilled at hiding its presence."
"If you underestimate it, you could die instantly."
Hearing this, Xia Feng thought for a moment.
Then he immediately realized which demon Gyomei was referring to.
Upper Rank Six — Daki and Gyutaro.
He hadn't expected those two demons to reveal traces of themselves so soon.
Note 1:
The "Special Advisor" position is an original concept and does not appear in the manga.
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