The silence in the room felt suffocating, oppressive. Every Hashira stood in tight formation, hands folded behind their backs, waiting for the Master to speak. Master Kagaya had summoned them, but none of them knew why.

Giyu Tomioka stood at the far end, his usual brooding silence even more pronounced today. His dark eyes flickered over the other Hashira, but his mind was elsewhere. Something about today felt different—like change was on the horizon.

Master Kagaya slowly rose, his voice soft but commanding. “Everyone,” he began, “I have an important introduction to make.”

The room went still. “Today, I present to you the newest member of our ranks… the Star Hashira.”

The shoji door slid open. A figure stepped in—no, swept in. She was striking, almost impossible to look at without feeling your heart race. Her navy blue haori shimmered with golden speckles like stars in the night sky. Her dark hair cascaded down her back, and her eyes—those fucking eyes—were like pools of the deepest ocean. Beautiful. Deadly.

Giyu’s breath hitched. What the hell?

“This is the Star Hashira,” Kagaya continued. “She has mastered a breathing technique unlike anything we’ve seen before—Celestial Breathing.”

The words barely registered as Giyu’s gaze remained fixated on her. There was something about the way she moved, the elegance in her stance, that made his heart race. He couldn’t help but feel pulled in.