The room was dark but streams of golden yellow flitted in from open doors. It had been quiet, yet the atmosphere was anything but serene. There were erected backs and unwavering eyes directed to the floor. Angela smoothed out the wrinkles in her pants with the gentle pats of her hand. She readjusted her sword at her side on the ground. She waited patiently for the other Hashira to arrive for their emergency meeting. It had been called immediately upon the wakening of Tanjiro Kamado and Kagami Yamato, and the conclusion of Sanemi Shinaguzawa's and Obanai Iguro's joint mission.

It had only been seven days since the deaths of the Upper Four and Upper Five Kizuki. It was celebrated as a magnificent feat among the demon slayer corps, yet it was anything but ceremonious for the Hashira. Its significance and cryptic symbolism were hung ominously over their heads for the brief yet aching time being.

Angela ran her gaze over Giyu Tomioka at her side, Mitsuri Kanroji on his other, and Muichiro Tokito on her end. Across from her was Kurai Sato. The latter three had been fortunately positioned at the Swordsmith Village when the two Kizuki members descended upon the unsuspecting swordsmiths. Many had perished, but more had been saved and spared thanks to her comrades' help. She heard the report of Tokito defeating Upper Five, and Kanroji and Sato holding their own against Upper Four until Kamado and Yamato were able to decapitate the true demon of many faces. She was proud of their courage and strength. They were still recovering from their wounds but looked none the worse for wear.

At the end adjacent to their line was Gyomei Himejima. No tears graced his cheeks, a small surprise even for her. Across from them beside Sato was Shinobu Kocho. No words out of turn had been spoken. It was regulation to wait until all Hashira had joined.

Despite the majority of the remaining Hashira being present, it felt quite lonely. With the loss of Kyojuro Rengoku and the retirement of Tengen Uzui, it was smaller than she imagined, even with the added presence of their late comrades. Angela took solace in Kyojuro's haori wrapped delicately around her shoulders, her fingers softly caressing the edge of the familiar blazing flames. She also took peace knowing Giyu was only a mere foot from her.

"Are we the last to arrive?" The rough, guttural voice of Shinazugawa broke the silence.

He entered the room with Iguro at his heels, the latter speaking, a slight hiss in his voice, "I see that we've kept you waiting. Forgive us."

Himejima thoughtfully rubbed his japamala beads. "It's fine. Good work on fulfilling your mission."

"Sure thing," said Shinazugawa as he sat himself between Kocho and Sato, the latter beaming at his arrival. "Kanroji, Sato, Tokito…" He named, looking each into their eyes, "I hear that you battled some Upper Ranks."

Kanroji smiled brightly. She was still bubbly even with that bandage headwrap around her skull. "Yes, it was really intense! I was like, "I'm done for!" but I'm so glad I had Kurai by my side! My best friend and most trusted compatriot renewed my courage! But all of us put our strength together! Right, Kurai? Muichiro?"

Tokito nodded with a small, "Mm-hm."

Sato nodded too, but even as the woman remained in the darkness away from the sun Angela could see the blush lingering under the black lace protecting the girl's mouth from Shinazugawa's stare. "Yes, but I'm just happy I faced an Upper Rank before Tomioka. Hehe!"

Giyu didn't react, and that seemed to frustrate Sato's attempt at a smug jeer.

Angela quietly took her companions in with a slow glance. The boy was the same, but different. Whereas shadows had once milked his pupils and endless thoughts shifted through his head, his eyes had a renewed sparkle. He no longer seemed intent on mindlessly attending their meeting. The same with Sato. Her mischievous side still dawdled under the surface of her shyness, but she looked to be a bit more mature than she had previously showcased.

Shinazugawa released a heavy sigh. "Man, I wish I'd been there. How come I never run into any Upper Ranks?"

"You'll just have to resign yourself to fate. If you don't encounter them, you never will," said Iguro. His heterochromia irises flashed between the three battle-worn Hashira. "How've you been since then physically?"

"Fine," Sato huffed.

Kanroji blushed a pink as bright as her hair. She giggled quite cheerfully. "I'm okay! Thank you for asking!"

"So am I. Although I'm not yet 100 percent," Tokito answered speaking above the leftover squeals of Kanroji.

"Good to hear," replied Himejima, fresh silver linings tracing his cheeks at the news. "Losing any more Hashira would put the Demon Slayer Corps at risk. Defeating two Upper Ranks without losing your own lives was noble of you."

"If I may," Angela said, finally taking a turn to speak, her hand raised in the air, "medically speaking, you've all recovered in three days after your battles. Not even modern or advance medicine, or with the limited restorative powers of my Angel Breathing, can heal wounds that swiftly."

Kocho's unsettling grin didn't falter. "It is quite a feat."

Giyu didn't shift, not as he responded, "The Master himself will surely address that matter, as well."

Multiple pairs of feet softly padded into the room. The Hashira turned simultaneously toward the new arrival, shifting their bodies to face whoever headed the meeting, hands respectfully placed on their laps. It was usually the Master with his wife and a daughter guiding him by his side. Though, to all of their surprise, only Lady Amane Ubuyashiki and two of her daughters knelt before them.

"Thank you for waiting for so long," Her graceful and strong voice greeted them. "Today's Hashira Meeting will be presided over by myself, Amane Ubuyashiki, in Kagaya Ubuyashiki's stead. And also, due to the fact that his condition has worsened, the head of our family, Kagaya, can never appear before you again. Please allow me to express my heartfelt apologies."

Much to their dismay, the Ubuyashiki Family representatives bowed deeply. Angela's, and the rest of the Hashira's, heart didn't beat fast at the Master's unexpected sharp turn of sickness. In fact, they still greatly hurt because they had foreseen it for a while. Though, to see the wife and children of the man who loved them passionately and who they intensely respected bow before them? It was quite outlandish, and one they couldn't rightly receive because they were the family who took them in when the Hashira needed them most.

Every single Hashira acted as quick as the last to bow before Lady Amane.

"Understood. I shall pray that the Master will find the strength to let the light of his life burn on even one day longer. Lady Amane, please stay strong yourself," Himejima thanked.

"I would like to thank you Hashira from the bottom of my heart," said Lady Amane. She sat up, but they didn't move from their bowed position. "I believe you're already aware of this, but now that a demon who's conquered sunlight has appeared it's a given that Muzan Kibutsuji will make a frenzied attempt to come after her. So that he, too, can conquer the sun. An all-out war of immense scale is approaching. But there is hope."

"While battling Upper Four and Upper Five, Lady Kanroji, Lady Sato, and Lord Tokito," The three Hashira's heads lifted in surprise at the call of their names, "I was told that a unique-looking mark appeared on you three. Please instruct us as to what conditions you met to induce those marks."

The three exchanged curious glances with Lady Amane. Even Angela was intrigued herself.

"During the Sengoku Period, the swordsmen who'd driven Muzan Kibutsuji to the brink of defeat, the swordsmen of First Breathing, it is said that every one of them came to bear a mark similar to demonic patterns," explained Lady Amane, drawing disbelieved gasps. "There are those who are aware of this, having heard through word of mouth."

Shinazugawa huffed. "This is the first time I'm hearing of it. Why was it kept secret?"

Without missing a beat, Lady Amane answered, unafraid of his disgruntled grunts, "There were many who brooded over not having the mark appear. That is why. Much of the lore surrounding this mark remains vague. Perhaps because at the time, it was not seen as vital enough to preserve. Or perhaps because there was no one to pass it on during the many times the Demon Slayer Corps faced annihilation. There is only a single explicit record remaining today. "When one person bearing the mark appears, those around him also manifest marks as if resonating with him.""

Angela hung to each word spoken heavily. She had already come to know of Nezuko Kamado conquering the sun. That girl was to be protected at all costs and was put into hiding in a place not even the Hashira were granted privy to. Her heart wondered what unfortunate cost the Kamado siblings were forced to pay to unexpectedly figure out such ability. The mark Lady Amane spoke of was something Angela had never heard of, though. It seemed far-fetch.

Kiriya Ubuyashiki, one of Lady Amane's daughters at her side, held up a worn book. "So wrote one of the First Breathing swordsmen in his personal notes," She said as if to justify her mother's words.

"The first people of our generation to have the mark appear, though not Hashira, are Lord Tanjiro Kamado and Lady Kagami Yamato. They are the first to bear the mark. However, as they themselves seemed unable to describe exactly how this mark appeared, we decided to revisit it another time. And now, following Lord Kamado and Lady Yamato, three Hashira have manifested the mark. Please enlighten us, Lady Kanroji, Lady Sato, Lord Tokito." Lady Amane and her daughters bowed in gratitude toward the three Hashira.

All eyes were on them. Kanroji was too busy beaming under Lady Amane's attention she hadn't noticed everyone waiting for her explanation. She quickly became flustered at their expectant gazes, sputtering, "Um, um, um, you see, when it happened… I know that my body felt extremely light! Lighter than usual! Um… And then… And then…" Her fingers twirled around her temples; eyes closed in concentration.

Her eyes suddenly burst open. "I felt my body go, "Bam!" It went "Bam!" and then "Pow!" My heart was pounding like crazy! And my ears were going "Ding!" Then, "Ripple, ripple, ripple!"" All victorious and proud shrieks she produced without shame. For a moment.

Everyone stared confused and unamused. Even Iguro shook his head in disappointment.

"I'm so sorry! Forgive me! I wish I could crawl into a hole!" Kanroji cried, bowing so low her head touched the ground and muffled her words.

Tokito sighed. "Perhaps I can be of help." Kanroji whimpered at his words. He went on to explain, "It's not as if I was aware of the mark, but when I looked back on at that battle several things did come to mind. Things that were out of the ordinary. As long as certain conditions are met, I believe that the mark will appear on everyone."

"I will now explain how to do so. During the previous battle, I was poisoned and unable to move. I tried to slow the flow of the poison by using my breathing technique, but then, the children who tried to save me were about to be killed which brought back my memories of the past. And the overwhelming rage I felt made me lose control of my emotions. I believe that my heart rate exceeded 200 beats per minute at that moment. Not only that, but my body felt as though it was on fire and I'm sure that my temperature was over 102 degrees."

Kocho gasped, eyes wide in disbelief. "How could you move in such a state like that? That would be fatal."

"Yes, that's correct. So, I think that's the point at which we get culled. Whether you die or survive in that moment is likely the difference between those who manifest the mark and those who don't," Tokito finished with an ominous stare.

Sato finally released a huff. "It indeed is true. I faced similar symptoms. I was on the brink of defeat when memories of my past I had long forgotten came rushing back to me. The anger, sorrow, and happiness I felt from those visions gave me the renewed strength to continue battling. The newfound power I felt was ice running cold in my veins, but I gradually felt myself growing stronger and faster. I could've kept fighting for hours if necessary."

Shinazugawa scoffed harshly. "Hah! Could it be any simpler?"

"Having such a simple mind that you can call this simple… I envy you," Giyu snapped coolly.

Both Shinazugawa and Iguro placed heavy glares on the indifferent man. "What did you say?"

"Nothing."

The rays of sun were replaced with cloudy skies and tears of rain. The light patter of tiny droplets slightly lifted the tensed atmosphere Giyu and Shinazugawa absentmindedly created.

Kocho ignored their squabble. She asked, "So the Hashira's top priority is to awaken these marks, right?"

"Very well," Himejima agreed without hesitance. "We will figure out a way so please let the Master know that he may rest assured."

"Thank you very much. However, I do need to convey one thing to you regarding this mark training. I do apologize to those whose marks have already appeared for they have no choice in the matter, but…" Sympathy washed over Lady Amane's face, "All who have a mark will, without exception…"

Lady Amane's voice faltered but she needn't finish her sentence. They all understood what she was saying. Indeed, manifesting a mark that could bring Muzan Kibutsuji to death's door would have such a heavy cost.

The meeting was soon adjourned, and Lady Amane took her leave. The tears of the rain left with her, yet the price to pay for bearing a mark still weighed heavily in the air. One would not be able to see past their 25th birthday should they ever receive the luxury to get that close. A number Angela and the rest of the Hashira were suddenly aware of growing closer to. With the exception of one.

The glass beads rubbed softly with delicatelyclinksin between Himejima's palms once more. "I understand. But in that case, I wonder what will become of me? Good Lord..."

Moving to stand, Giyu simply said, "Now that Lady Amane has left the room, I'll be taking off."

"Not so fast! You're not going anywhere," Shinazugawa called. A roguish smile stretched his lips. His eyelid twitched with bemusement. "We need to decide what our respective roles will be in manifesting the mark."

"The eight of you should discuss that. It has nothing to do with me."

Iguro scoffed harshly. "What do you mean, nothing to do with you? You seem to forget that you're a Hashira. Or what is it? Do you intend to get yourself a head start on training? Skipping this meeting no less?"

Angela turned her head slightly. Giyu towered over them, his sheathed sword in his hand. He didn't meet any of their eyes, not even hers. Even so, she forced herself into those darkened pupils of his. They were as dull as the gray cloudy skies that had occupied the sky minutes ago. No anger nor annoyance occupied his expression. It was merely blank. Not even a grace of sadness about the Master's sharp drop in health lingered. She worried greatly for him. It wasn't unlike him to be that distant from the others, but to skip their meeting and defy their Master's last will was unheard of. Especially by him. He turned to leave.

"Look, you! Get back here!" growled Shinazugawa, who rose fast.

"Mr. Tomioka, please explain yourself. We can't dismiss this without reason," Kocho reminded him, as firm as could be.

Giyu paused once more. His back was turned to them. Head tilted slightly down, his words weren't muffled at all when he at last said, "I'm not like the rest of you."

Shinazugawa growled harder at that. His eyes were blood-shot. "I don't like the sound of that. You said the same thing before, didn't you, Tomioka? You're looking down on us?"

"N-No fighting, all right? Let's calm down!" Kanroji tried to mediate, hands held up in surrender in front of Giyu.

"I bet his pride is wounded since I was able to defeat an Upper Rank before he could set eyes on one. What a sore loser!" Sato cackled as her tongue poked out at his back.

Angela rose slightly on her knees. Her glare settled on Shinazugawa. "Stop trying to instigate a fight, Shinazugawa."

"How about you shut your damn mouth, Tenshi? You're always on his side, no matter what. Ever since Rengoku was killed, you've been latched on to him like a damn puppy dog," Shinazugawa spat at her. Neither she or Giyu reacted to his foul words. That riled him up more, even more so at the step the latter took to leave the room. "Get back here!" He demanded fiercely and stalked towards the man.

Before things could escalate any further, Kanroji desperately trying to stay in between both men, Himejima unexpectedly slammed his two palms together. A ferocious rumble that vibrated the earth, the air, and their skin cascaded throughout. It stayed for approximately five seconds and dulled their senses for many seconds more. It teared away instantly at the heightened atmosphere. Instead, their attention was placed on Himejima. His tears had returned but there was no anger emanating from his solid body.

He commanded, "Sit down," to those who had moved, and added, "We're continuing this discussion. I have a proposal."

Kocho took note and tallied the minutes of their meeting. It delved late into the night by the time they were able to strategize and fully develop a cohesive plan. Giyu was not permitted to stay by Himejima and had left his seat vacant since his rebellious standing. Angela wished to follow him, but her duty as Hashira and protector of the innocent bounded her stay. She also wished to not rise Shinazugawa's blood pressure more than it already had. He was already a handful on a good day. She lived through too many days already where he'd been in a intensely bad mood. She didn't want her own mood to spoil.

"As far as the Hashira Training for the Demon Slayer swordsmen is concerned, I think we've worked out most of the details of our strategy," Kocho commented settling the quill down.

Shinazugawa, finally calm, asked, "What about the duration and start date?"

"Let us start in three days' time," Himejima suggested.

"Will we have time to finish preparations for our specified training? I'm afraid that's so soon for the swordsmen, even for us," voiced Angela.

Himejima nodded. "We have no time to lose. As we have no way of knowing what moves Muzan Kibutsuji will be making I'd like us to be prepared in every possible way."

"I agree. If the demons start running rampant again, it will be too much for us Hashira to handle," Iguro said.

Sato scowled at the floor. "I don't like this sudden disappearance of the demons. There have been no attacks or sightings since demon Kamado's sun conquering trick. What if they strike while we're busy teaching?"

What Sato spoke of was true. Ever since the fall of Upper Rank Four and Five, and the discovery of Nezuko Kamado sunlight-resistance, the numbers of demon sightings and attacks have dwindled to near nothing. It was another one of the many reasons why the Hashira and the Master decided to hold an emergency meeting. Muzan Kibutsuji was on the move. Doing what exactly, they wouldn't know. What they did and have a solid foundation on was Kibutsuji's need for Nezuko Kamado's blood. Were the day he ever decided to attack arrive, they and all the Demon Slayer Corps needed to be prepared to protect Nezuko and finish Kibutsuji.

"As Hashira, we never had any time until now to train anyone but our own Tsuguko but over a short span, it will be a chance to raise the bar of the Demon Slayer Corps. This is a crucial, pressing need. Due to this line of thinking, I have proposed the Hashira Training," explained Himejima.

Shinazugawa sighed. Then smiled wickedly. "Save your breath, Mr. Himejima. I was sold the moment you started talking."

"I am also in agreement," smiled Kocho.

One by one, each of them voiced their agreements and filed no objections under Himejima's ruling. Angela was readily agreeing, not wanting another tragedy like Mount Natagumo to repeat because of inadequate training.

"Can the training be handled by just us active Hashira?" Iguro asked.

"I'm thinking of asking the retired Hashira to help out, as well. No objections to that, either?"

They all smiled and nodded at the prospect of the one and only flashy Hashira to make a reappearance.

Kocho slightly cringed at what she said next. "All that's left is Mr. Tomioka, right?"

Angela raised her hand. "I will take care of him."

"And what do you mean by that, Tenshi? Certainly not in the same way you took care of Rengoku, correct?" Sato giggled, almost maniacally. Angela rolled her eyes. "No offense, but I think we should have someone else put him in line."

Angela shook her head. She refuted, "I believe I may be the only one who understands what he is going through right now. After all, we joined the Demon Slayer Corps and the Hashira rank at the same time." She stood and showed her back to her companions. Etched across was a reminder of a promise she vowed to the Master and herself. "He brought me back from the brink of despair and hatred. He was the one who helped me carve this purpose. It would be only right if I were to help him and bring him back."

The glorious white-feathered wings everyone had come to know of the Angel Hashira had been sliced clean off. Only stubs were left in its place sticking out of her back like winged-horns. A silver brand stretched from shoulder to shoulder, intricate lines swirled gracefully over her skin and bones. A promise. A vow. One she and Giyu had forged the night he found her and brought her back.

It is her turn to return the favor.