Two weeks later,
In the early morning, the cold wind of Mount Sagiri, carrying icy snowflakes, relentlessly pierced people's necks.
Achoo!
Tanjiro Kamado, dressed in the uniform of a prospective Demon Slayer Corps, held a standard Nichirin Blade in his hand, his nose red from the cold.
He quickly sniffed, trying to warm his body up with Total Concentration Breathing.
And less than ten steps away from him.
Giyu Tomioka was still dressed in a thin, plain-colored casual outfit.
This pinnacle of human combat power seemed to have completely lost the ability to perceive temperature.
He casually tucked his hands into his sleeves, and his perpetually expressionless face carried a composure that Tanjiro found infuriating.
Listen carefully.
Giyu didn't offer any lengthy words of concern or inquiries.
His deep blue eyes gazed silently at Tanjiro, his voice as calm as still water:
"Because of the latent evil genes within you, your physical density and blood flow have completely deviated from the normal human trajectory."
"The long, gentle power exertion of Water Breathing doesn't allow you to utilize your strengths!!"
"The only shortcut you can take is to awaken the most passionate power within your very being."
At this point, Giyu slowly pulled his right hand out of his sleeve.
His thumb rested casually on the tsuba of his dark blue Nichirin Blade at his waist.
"Today..."
Giyu's eyes became unfathomable in that instant.
"I will demonstrate all twelve sword techniques of the Sun Breathing to you in their entirety."
"This will only be demonstrated once. Open your eyes wide and watch carefully, Tanjiro."
"Huh? All twelve sword techniques?!?"
Tanjiro was stunned for a moment, then his wine-red eyes suddenly flashed with a blinding light!!
He was so excited that he forgot to wipe his snot, gripped his Nichirin Blade with both hands, and even held his breath!
"Yes, Mr. Giyu! I absolutely won't even blink!!"
Seeing Tanjiro acting like a fanatical little fanboy, Giyu didn't waste any more words.
"Zheng--!"
A crisp sword cry rang out across the snowy plains!
The deep blue Nichirin Blade was drawn with a fierce roar!
"Boom--!"
In the blink of an eye!
The Nichirin Blade in Giyu's hand, originally a deep blue blade, began to heat up at a terrifying speed visible to the naked eye, starting from the tsuba!
The deep blue color faded instantly.
Instead, a crimson light, powerful enough to distort the surrounding air, filled the scene!
"What terrifying control over the body?!"
Tanjiro let out a scream like a groundhog in his mind.
Before Tanjiro's exclamation could even form in his throat...
"Dance."
With a casual flick of his wrist, Giyu's Red Nichirin Blade traced a perfect crescent-shaped trajectory through the air!
"Sizzle--!"
A pillar of golden-red fire, too bright to look at directly, surged out from the blade, transforming into a massive wall of fire that carved a furrow into the snow-covered ground!
"Blue Heaven!"
Giyu spun lightly on the spot, his blade drawing a huge circle of fire from bottom to top, like a crimson sun hanging upside down in mid-air!
"Blazing Sun Red Mirror!"
"Mirage Sun Rainbow!"
"Fire Wheel!"
"..."
One move after another, flowing smoothly without any awkwardness or lag!
Giyu moved with the sword, and the crimson Red Nichirin Blade seemed to come alive in his hand.
Golden-red flames intertwined, collided, and overlapped wildly in the cold snow of Mount Sagiri!
From a distance, this current Water Hashira has transformed into a god who controls the sun!
A dazzling, towering net of fire was woven across the entire training ground!
"So... so beautiful!!"
Tanjiro's wine-red eyes reflected the blazing fire.
His mouth dropped open so wide his jaw almost fell to the ground.
Giyu suddenly rose into the air, completing a perfect mid-air turn, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly, and unleashing his final strike!
"Flame Dance!"
"Boom--!"
Two massive, intersecting fiery slashes, carrying terrifying temperatures powerful enough to incinerate the heavens and boil the seas, crashed down onto the earth!
The entire mountainside of Mount Sagiri looked as if, in that instant, a blazing sun had risen and set!
"Call--!"
A terrifying heatwave swept through the entire venue!
Within a radius of 100 meters,
The knee-deep snow was instantly evaporated into a cloud of white vapor by the domineering heat!
"Wow!"
Tanjiro was forced to retreat repeatedly by the terrifying heat wave that was hitting him.
He felt like his eyebrows were about to be burned!
"That's incredible! Absolutely ridiculously strong!!"
Tanjiro's eyes sparkled, and he clasped his hands to his chest:
"Is this Mr. Giyu's true strength? It's amazing!"
"If I work incredibly hard, can I one day reach Mr. Giyu's level of fluid, earth-shattering skill?!"
Just as Tanjiro was immersed in the pink bubble...
Stop dreaming, you idiot.
In the Sea of Consciousness.
That [Demon Tanjiro] with the exact same face as Tanjiro, long dark red hair, and blood-red vertical pupils.
He was currently wearing a pair of beach shorts and lying sprawled out on a beach chair.
[With those two brains as big as walnuts, you can't even remember the names of those moves from just now? And you still want to reach that level?]
The Demon Consciousness spat, flicking away the indescribable thing it had dug out of its nostril, its mockery practically overflowing the screen:
With your current talent, even if you trained with that expressionless guy for another hundred years...
At most, he could go to a circus in a bustling Tokyo street, find a secluded corner, and perform his special skills as a street performer!
Haha! Maybe I can even earn a couple of copper coins to buy rice balls!
Faced with this sudden barrage of venomous words,
Tanjiro's face, which had been filled with adoration and passion, instantly fell apart.
He stood angrily with his hands on his hips.
The person transformed into a small red teapot with steam rising from its head and loudly retorted:
[Shut up! You're just a sarcastic bum!]
[I've memorized all the move names! Dance, Blue Heaven...! I know them better than you do!]
[Although I am still very weak now, as long as I work my hardest and persevere, one day I will definitely be able to perfectly perform the Sun Breathing! This is the legacy of our Kamado family!!]
[...]
[Tch, brag all you want. I'm going to take a nap, don't bother me.]
The demon rolled its eyes, pulled a blanket from the void and covered its head, unilaterally cutting off communication between its brain and the surroundings.
"Call--"
In reality,
Tanjiro took a deep breath and blocked out that annoying guy from his mind.
He opened his eyes and looked at Giyu Tomioka, who was standing a hundred meters away, already sheathing his sword and not even breaking a sweat.
"Mr. Giyu! I saw it all clearly! Please let me begin my practice!"
Tanjiro roared and gripped his Nichirin Blade tightly with both hands.
"Um."
Giyu nodded slightly.
"Before sunset, practice the swing trajectories of these twelve sword techniques in the air one hundred times!!"
The hellish training has officially begun.