Chapter 18 Gyomei vs Nikolaos

The next morning, I was greeted by Tanjiro who said, "Lord Nikolaos! Thank you for all you have done for us and allowing us to train here at the pavilion!"

Giving the boy a head pat I said, "no problem at all young Kamado you have gotten stronger since last time!" before punching him in the gut.

As I did I felt his fire, it was like a great big volcano waiting to explode. More importantly he didn't even react to it, he didn't wince nor did he flinch he stood there and took the punch easily.

Grinning like a mighty lion I said, "fwehahahaha! Not bad, not bad at all! Your fire would give Rengoku a run for his money!"

Tanjiro smiled taking off his shirt to show off his muscles he said, "not only has my fire increased I have been keeping up on the training that lady Ayano had given me!"

Whistling I said, "boy I think you'll be able to give tengen a run for his money! Fwehahahaha! Good very good indeed"

I had to admit I was crying internally the first time I saw this boy he was scared weak and full of untapped fire, all it took was Rengoku's death to truly make this boy nearly give up and then his training through the agoge, I may not have personally trained him like I promised which hurts me but I will admit his time in the bronze pavilion got him and the others more than ready for what they faced in the entertainment district with lord tengen, and now looking at him his scars, his muscles, he looked like he had seen as much shit as me and yet he never lost hope.

Laughing I gave him a headpat and said, "well you should go to the mountains for tengen's training!"

Nodding Tanjiro bowed and said, "bye lord nikolaos!" and rushed off.

I had to admit it felt odd not seeing tanjiro with that backpack of his, but it did warm my heart when I saw Nezuko run up and shout, "lord Nikolaos! Nikolaos!"

Laughing I gave the girl a great big hug and said, "ahhh Nezuko! It warms my heart to see you! hahahah so I assume you're here for training!"

Giving a determined look she nodded and did a twirl showing off her demon slayer corps clothing saying, "I even got my own slayer uniform! Your letter of recommendation to the master to have me accepted as a slayer helped out a lot! I am in your care!" before handing me a letter.

Raising my eye, I smiled reading it was from Urokodaki sensei who wanted me to take care and protect Nezuko, since the bronze pavilion has a forest of wisteria around it this place was painful for demons and more importantly as long as she is with me and Ayano she is mores safe than with him.

"s-so she finally showed up" Ayano said as she struggled to walk.

Grinning as Ayano walked forward with crumbling legs I smugly said, "aaahhh hey ayano!"

Ayano's eye twitched as she said, "y-you fucking asshole! Why! Why would you tell Mitsuri I wanted to do training!"

Smugly I said, "I mean Genya cheated on that race soooo I thought I'd get back at you two…hope you enjoyed!"

Ayano growled and unsheathed her katana saying, "okay Nikolaos fight me right here right now!"

Smiling as I twirled my spear and got my shield ready, I said, "ooooh! Now this is a fight I have been waiting for! Fwehahahahahaha!"

Ayano rushed me and almost like a true demon lunged forward trying to get a slice at me as her sword slammed against my shield.

Smirking I said, "good! Very good your form is top notch as usual Ayano, but will it be enough?!" before twirling my spear and slamming the butt of it into Ayano face sending her flying as she rushed around me.

Grinning I twirled my spear some more and said, "good, good indeed" before finally twirling it and trying to stab her with the crescent.

Smirking Ayano twisted around it and we began to spar till neither of us could continue.

Huffing up a storm I said, "now, now I remember why I fell for you!"

Ayano smiled as she passed out saying, "not too shabby nikolaos"

That night the other hashira joined me and Ayano for the feast.

Laughing as I took a bite of souvlaki watching young Homura and Hakuro running away with Inosuke's boar mask shouting, "got your mask!" and "hahahah run away sister he's gaining on us" I felt like I was at home once again sitting around and having a traditional feast.

"Inosuke go easy on them, they're rengoku sensei's children" I laughed as Hakuro kicked Inosuke in the balls.

Inosuke struggled to give a thumbs up, but Ayano giggled saying, "you really trained those kids hard didn't you"

Nodding my head I said, "of course I did, it's what rengoku sensei would have wanted"

Gyomei spoke up and said, "I still can't believe rengoku had a family hidden from us…it certainly explains a lot, however I wonder if he kept the master informed…"

Chuckling I said, "I bet you a good chunk of Drachmae that he did inform the master but just left us in the dark"

Shinobu sensei then took a bite of spanakopita and said, "true but still…the fact he kept this a secret from you, his Tsuguko who he trusted with a great many secrets, this was a bit much…however I can see you are taking good care of them"

Miyuki shyly came out and got a small plate of food and I said, "lady Miyuki, come over here please"

Smiling she did and said, "lord aristokles is the food to your liking? The chefs and I worked hard on tonight's feast to make sure even the hashira enjoyed"

I nodded and said, "the food turned out wonderfully actually however that's not why I called you over, come sit down with us"

Looking a bit nervous Miyuki said, "a-are you sure I'm fine with sitting with the other slayers"

Ayano laughed and said, "come now Miyu your one of us technically, your Kyojuro's blushing bride so you're also a hashira!"

Sanemi and Obanai looked at us coldly for that and I glared back slightly making them shut up before they could say anything as Miyuki bowed and sat with us.

Mitsuri started saying, "oooh I am so curious how did you too fall in love, who was the top and who was the bottom! Oh oh oh wait I need to know what was the wedding like!"

Laughing as Miyuki looked a bit nervous, I said, "easy lady Kanroji you're scaring the poor lady, now then I too am curious, how did you and Rengoku sensei meet?"

Stuttering a bit Miyuki said, "w-well you see we met the day my parents died…. I had gone out to collect some firewood when a demon snuck into my parents' home and…and"

Leaning across the table and putting a soft grip on her shoulder I said, "it's okay lass, you don't need to tell us what happened that day if it still hurts you"

Miyuki wiped away her forming tears and said, "thank you, lord Aristokles…but I need to tell my story to someone who I trust, and I trust you hashira like Kyojuro did…the demon came into my house and killed my parents, it was a cruel demon too, one who reveled in killing happy families…I would have been its dessert if Rengoku didn't help me, he swept me off my feet and I- well I fell for him and fell hard and before either of us knew what was going to happen we were married and with children soon"

Smiling as I looked over to see Inosuke screaming, "aahhh! Master Nikolaos help me I am being attacked by tiny rengokus!" as Homura and Hakuro tackled him and Homura giggled as she stood on top of Inosuke puffing out her chest shouting, "fwe ha ha! I Homura Rengoku has easily slain the great boar demon! Fear me demons for I Homura Rengoku the greatest legionnaire have conquered a demon!"

The other Hashira saw this and immediately glared at me with the "what the fuck did you teach her" look. as I looked around and said, "what?"

Sanemi sighed and Shinobu said, "Inosuke, Nezuko, Jurgen, Rengoku and now even Homura and and Hakuro….is your personality an infectious disease or are you just drilling it into them"

Sanemi glared saying, "it seems more like he's doing this on purpose"

Tokito nodded and said, "lord Nikolaos's… headstrong attitude does seem to be infectious even Tanjiro seems to be exhibiting Nikolaositis"

With my eye twitching I said, "Nikolaositis really? Was that really necessary?"

Obanai nodded his head saying, "it does seem like his personality is rather infectious"

Looking around I said, "oi, oi, oi when did this become about me! I did nothing wrong!"

Ayano gave me the look and said, "really?"

Miyuki softly chuckled and said, "before his death Kyojuro did talk to me about you lord Aristokles he called you the greatest of lions but also the kindest of souls, he described you as this gentle giant clad in bronze and wielding a great shield and spear, I see my husband's description of you was right"

Smiling I raised a glass of wine and said, "too rengoku sensei who was the most levelheaded and powerful of us all, may he be watching over us for all eternity Yamas!"

We all shouted yamas and toasted to rengoku and before long Miyuki was drunkenly trying to flirt with me calling me Kyojuro.

"come oooon Kyojuro show me your long john like you used to~ why don't you keep my bed warm again~" Miyuki said getting closer to me.

Ayano hissed and showed part of her demon form, a set of horns, demonic eyes with the kanji for death and a snake like tongue as she hissed, "ssssstaaaay away from maaaah man you hussie!" before gripping my head and putting it between her boobs.

"Niko is mine and only mine get your own rengoku clone!" Ayano said.

Laughing loudly, I said, "come now ladies this is no way to act"

I then motioned for Homura and Hakuro to come over and lead Miyuki to bed for the night leaving the hashira alone while the feast still went on.

As we ate Obanai looked at me and said, "so eclipse 1 and 2 are all that's left… and if what your report said is true Eclipse 2 is tough…you sure you don't need help with him"

Raising an eyebrow I said, "this is a new side of you Obanai actually caring for someone? Curious indeed"

Obanai rolled his eyes and said, "young kamado has been talking to me lately"

We all started to laugh much too Obanai's confusion as he said, "wait why is this funny? The boy only spoke to me once!"

Tengen patted Obanai and said, "that's how it always starts"

Muichiro nodded and said, "soon you'll be becoming even friendlier and learn to love working with him"

I nodded in agreement and said, "the young boy grows on you, I may not have truly had a chance to speak with him, but I have a feeling that he's gonna blow us all away"

Gyomei chuckled and said, "you sing his praises Nikolaos, but I am curious about the praises people sing about you as the slayer of 4 eclipses said to be the strongest demons of history and said to even rival muzan himself" before getting up and picking up a training mace and axe tied together by durable rope.

Smirking I walked over and picked up a practice spear and shield and said, "a clash of two goliaths, the strongest Japanese demon slayer and the strongest Greek spartan sounds almost poetic!"

Sensing what was about to happen a bunch of the slayers and trainers started to move things around for this clash.

Getting into a phalanx stance I smirked saying, "don't feel bad if your chains break against my iron clad defense Gyomei! I don't plan to leave you uninjured!"

Gyomei twirled his mace and then launched it at me aiming to try and break my shield but I bolted forward slamming away the mace with the shield and roaring in pure laughter as I went for his head.

Blocking the spear with the axe head I allowed the spear to twirl a bit and hit him in the face with the blunt end before lunging forward to knock him off balance with the shield. Following it up I twirled the spear wildly before thrusting the spear at him rapidly leaving loads of wounds.

Gyomei roared in pain before swinging his arm causing the mace to hit me directly in the head attempting to knock me off balance or knock me out but I stamped my foot on the ground shouting, "like the mighty atlas I will not be moved!" keeping my guard sturdy before twirling the spear again slamming the butt repeatedly into him.

Dodging it by moving back Gyomei rushed me. roaring as he did and laughing, I said, "now this is a true fight of the titans! Let's make the gods themselves notice us! Pantheon breathing, 6th form Artemis moonlit arrow!" before throwing my spear with such a curve and so high in the air it was lost in the moonlight before coming down like a meteor striking at Gyomei's foot causing him to howl in pain as I bolted forward with the shield lunging forward and knocking him down picking up the spear as I did.

Gyomei then kicked me off and grabbing the rope of the weapons shouted, "stone breathing 4th form volcanic rock rapid conquest!" using both ends of the rope to attack me from both sides.

Shocked I braced myself and prioritized blocking the axe as I knew I could endure the mace but still winced in pain before shouting, "pantheon breathing 12th form bountiful counter of demeter" thrusting the spear to its full length managing to pierce Gyomei and bring him in closer where I slammed the shield down on his foot and then landed a brutal upper cut sending him flying.

Following up by slamming my spear down on him sending him crashing into the floor I took up my phalanx stance again circling him as I said, "do you give up Gyomei or are you ready for another ass kicking!"

Gyomei chuckled stumbling as he got up and said, "now I understand how you can stand up to the eclipses your fighting style is unlike anything I have ever seen!" before nearly falling over.

Before he could fall over, I grabbed him and said, "easy does it lad, I think that will do for the night"

A couple weeks went by, and I decided to let Ayano train the slayers and instead tried out Gyomei's training whistling as I saw him with 5 logs on his back all on fire praying.

Gyomei looked at me and said, "welcome to my training lord Nikolaos"

Smiling I said, "you got a spare set of logs for me to train under?"

Gyomei pointed at some logs, and we began to mediate as we did I started to understand the training he wanted, the lower body was one not all slayers focused on but it was integral to the training of greeks, this was well this was amazing! Gyomei really understood the most important aspects of fighting and I had gained more respect than ever for the Japanese slayer…though I had to admit I thought he was Greek with how tough he was. Though the fire underneath was just so soothing against the cold that I fell asleep doing his training.

Hell, I didn't wake for a full 24 hours apparently and had just maintained that pose till my fire burned out and I was left in the cold.

Sighing I put down the boulders and stuff and returned to the pavilion. As I did, however I felt like I was being watched and readied my fists shouting, "who's there!".

Unable to hear anything I picked up a tree and slammed it around a bit shouting, "who's ever out there better show themselves or else I will shove this tree up your ass!"

Nothing. This didn't feel right, something was wrong, and I mean wrong.

Whistling for my bird I sent a letter into the pavilion written in Greek for Ayano to start hiding nezuko during the night in rooms made of wisteria because I had a feeling something was wrong, and I mean very wrong.

Going into Honnoji I looked at some slayers who were on patrol and I said, "I think we have been infiltrated double the patrols and start burning wisteria incense more and more"

The slayers nodded and I kept my eyes open and darting around softly as to not raise suspicion as I turned in for the night,

Whatever was going to happen would happen soon.