"Just tell them what we discussed," Shinobu said, not unkindly. "I am..."
She was about to step toward the lined-up Hashiras when Kai put a hand over her shoulder. "Let go first," he said, smiling. "Stay here for a minute, OK?"
His sincerity made Shinobu blush. "Umu!"
Kai put his hands behind his back and passed by the Insect Hashira.
Step!
Kai looked at Rengoku and nodded, who nodded back at him.
Step!
Kai eyed each Hashira one by one and sensed the monstrous power of their Bankai in his bones.
Step!
Kai closed his eyes.
[Exchanging Concept...] the Ad Infinitum beeped, contacting Black.
Step!
When Kai opened his eyes, the Hashiras' hearts shook, every single one of them reaching for their swords, including Rengoku.
Step!
A shiver ran down Kagaya's spine, hundreds of images flashing across his blind eyes.
Step!
Bang!
All images shattered.
All foresight got blinded.
The prized ability to look into the future abandoned the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Step!
And now, Kagaya Ubuyashiki finally sensed the power as the white-haired man... being... existence... arrived between him and the Hashiras.
Why hadn't he sensed it before? It was in his nature to acutely judge the powers of all. Then why could he feel it only now?
Step!
Kai took the last step and stopped, facing the storyline Character against whom even his Emotions Manipulation Ability would have failed.
"Hello," Kai greeted with Calm.
All Hashiras went silent, a chilled, soothing sensation penetrating the back of their minds.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki hid the doubts and fear in his heart, as he had hidden his rage for Muzan. "Welco to the Demon Slayer Corps' Headquarters," he said with Calm.
The Hashiras stirred again, finally realizing what was happening right in front of their eyes.
This...
"We have much to discuss," Kai said.
"Yes," Kagaya replied. "It indeed seems so."
The two Calm beings looked at each other and... smiled, an unprecedented event taking place in this world for the first ti in the history of the tiline.
Kai's smile was a touch wider, though.
[Program Calm successfully executed...] the Ad Infinitum beeped. [Waiting for results...]
And just as the AI beeped into Kai's mind, a series of notifications flashed dull gray in his eyes.
...
[
Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn...
You have been acknowledged by all Hashiras unanimously...
...
Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn...
You have been acknowledged by the Leader of the Demon Slayer Corps...
]
...
Suddenly, before the next notification could co up, another thought popped up in Kai's mind.
[Results confird] the Ad Infinitum beeped, within the fraction of a fraction of a second. [Theory of external circumstances, emotions, and situational events influencing the Systems' responses confird. Stimulating the feelings based around Murasa and the mories from the Reality Marble... Waiting for results...]
...
[
Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn...
You have achieved a new Standalone Title
...
Standalone Title: Demon Slayer
Rewards:
— Item: Scarlet Ore
— Item: Scarlet Crimson Iron Sand
— mbership of Demon Slayer Corps across Multiverse
— Contestant can request a swordsmith to reforge his sword-based Item, increasing its Quality
Note: Applicable only one ti per sword. Limited to a 50% increase in Quality per sword
— Charisma 10
— Luck 5
— Worth 12
...
Analyzing Contestant's Stats...
Worth: 450
Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn, for reaching a Worth of 450, a one-ti Privilege of bypassing the Systems' Restrictions is now available to you.
...
Restriction: Nad Item's Grade
Privilege: Contestant can discard a Nad Item's Nad Status (below Epic Grade) and then use certain Items to upgrade the said Unnad Item
Processing Contestant's Inventory...
Congratulations Contestant Kai Stormborn, your Nad Item, Murasa, ets all the conditions to get upgraded.
Materials Needed: Scarlet Ore and Scarlet Crimson Iron Sand
]
...
[Results confird]
Even one of the most talented storyline Characters, Kagaya Ubuyashiki, known for his extraordinary senses regarding emotions, failed to notice the widening of Kai's smile.
Of course, a 5 Points worth increase in Luck shared the greatest percentage among the reasons behind that smile.
But the Ad Infinitum's results now also stood toe-to-toe with it.
Had the System already planned to give Scarlet Ore and Scarlet Crimson Iron Sand to Kai as Rewards?
Had the System already planned to increase Kai's Worth?
And if yes, then had the System already planned to increase the Worth by 12?
12... Very specific. Just enough to reach 450.
Kai didn't know the answers to these questions. Nor did he care, for now he already had sothing born out of him which took care of it.
[Processing questions...] the Ad Infinitum beeped. [Changing plans based on assumptions and formulating further theories...]
Only results mattered.
There is an obvious difference between Demon King and Demon Slayer Titles, Kai contemplated. The forr is more quantitative in nature, granting ridiculous Skills. Demon Slayer is a touch qualitative. Perhaps it's influenced by Demon Slayers' being mortals. Ad Infinitum...
Only two days had passed since Kai gained the AI, but he was already using it to its fullest potential.
Still, not everything could be computed by Ad Infinitum.
The Systems were Systems for a reason.
...
[
Error!
Error!!
Contestant Kai Stormborn, your Standalone Titles, Demon Slayer and Demon King, are conflicting with each other.
You now have two choices:
— Discard one of the two Standalone Titles
— Fuse the two Standalone Titles
...
Extre Title: Demon Paragon (Tiline Extremity)
Condition: Achieve Bankai as perceived by the current Tiline's Laws within 3 years
WARNING: Failure in reaching the Fusion condition will result in the deletion of both Standalone Titles
...
State your choice.
]
...
[Choice 2] The Ad Infinitum beeped instantly. [Probability of achieving Bankai within 3 years of Verse Fusion Random World - 0.7%.
[Choice 1 will lead to major failures in perspective Comprehensions of Selfless Breathing Transformations]
Kai didn't need to state his choice.
The Ad Infinitum was none other than himself only.
Kai sighed inwardly as he again looked at the notification.
The fact that it led to him gaining a Tiline Extremity didn't excite him at all.
If obtaining an Extremity was that easy, then the 18th floor Contestants would have never offered it to him, to begin with.
One could comprehend the reason behind the 0.7% probability using Kai's Shikai.
It included Jack Sparrow's Compass' Curse, Trendous fluctuations in storyline Characters' Divine Providences, Kai's Reality Marble, Ayin's initiative to reveal itself from within, and the Comprehension of Parselscript.
What kind of absurd events would Kai need to achieve his Bankai? — Even the Ad Infinitum failed to calculate it.
It was more so when it wasn't a normal Bankai.
The System specifically ntioned Bankai as perceived by the current Tiline's Laws.
So Kai's Bankai must et the conditions of both Demon Slayer and Bleach Random Worlds.
And this all ant only one thing...
"Please calm down," the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps said to the Hashiras. "Arlen's presence is the greatest gift given to the Demon Slayers by the gods. I have already decided to include him in the Demon Slayer Corps."
Before any Hashira could protest, the leader looked at Kai and nodded.
"Your strength already rivals that of the Hashiras," Kagaya said, shocking all Hashiras except Rengoku who had exchanged blows with Kai. "However, even I can't grant you the rank of Hashira.
"Shinobu must have already told you about the condition to beco a Hashira. So I hope we can work together without it becoming an issue."
The corners of Kai's mouth almost twitched.
Yes. This Tiline's Bankai wasn't just a Bankai. It needed him to also obtain Demon Slayer Marks.
So the true condition to achieve the Tiline Extremity, Demon Paragon, wasn't actually Bankai.
It was Kai to beco —
— The Selfless Hashira!
***************
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