Thunder Breathing

Tachibana casually asked as he polished off his meal:

"Oh, what can you teach me? Your swordsmanship might not even be better than mine, and I've already learned a Breathing Style."

Kuwajima Jigoro forcibly suppressed the vein throbbing on his forehead!

He patiently explained:

"Breathing Styles are divided into five basic styles: Water, Thunder, Flame, Stone, and Wind!"

"I won't get into the other Breathing Styles derived from those five. They're irrelevant to you right now."

"And the one you're using is Water Breathing, one of the five basic styles!"

"Compared to the other Breathing Styles, Water Breathing is the gentlest and easiest to learn. It's also the most widely used."

"Mm, so?" Kujo Tachibana asked, frowning.

Kuwajima Jigoro looked at Tachibana and asked earnestly, "But have you ever considered whether you're really suited to Water Breathing?"

Tachibana finally understood what he meant and asked:

"You mean I'm not suited to using Water Breathing, old man?"

Kuwajima Jigoro nodded firmly!

He said, "How long have you been learning Breathing Styles? I've been practicing them for decades!"

"I noticed just now that when you use Water Breathing, the 'air' you breathe in doesn't merge perfectly into your body through the style!"

Kujo Tachibana nodded. He'd noticed it himself.

And when he compared his own state to Kuwajima Jigoro's while using a Breathing Style, Tachibana realized that Water Breathing didn't enhance him as much as he'd hoped.

Kuwajima Jigoro continued:

"Besides, I've met plenty of people who practice Water Breathing. The way they use it is different from you."

"So I'm certain you're not suited to Water Breathing!"

"The only reason you learned it after seeing it once is that Water Breathing is the easiest style to pick up. It's simply easier to learn."

"And you have a little talent, too." Of course, Kuwajima Jigoro kept that last thought to himself.

"So you're going to teach me how to use Thunder Breathing?" Kujo Tachibana set down his chopsticks and looked at Kuwajima Jigoro.

Kuwajima Jigoro folded his arms across his chest, looking quite pleased with himself.

"Kid, among all the Breathing Styles still in existence, Thunder Breathing offers the greatest boost to speed and explosive power!"

"Besides, Thunder Breathing isn't as easy to learn as Water Breathing."

"It demands a great deal from the user's physique and control, so it's extremely difficult to master."

"But once you've mastered Thunder Breathing, your attacks will be incredibly fast. Your high-speed charges can even create a thunderous boom around you!"

"Kid, do you want to learn? If you do, I can..."

Before Kuwajima Jigoro could finish, Kujo Tachibana let out a long breath.

He exhaled all the air in his lungs, then immediately took a deep breath.

"In..."

As he drew in the air, faint golden arcs of lightning seemed to appear out of nowhere around Kujo Tachibana!

His long black hair stirred despite the lack of wind, and an astonishing aura radiated from him!

Tachibana assessed how he felt and nodded. This was definitely more comfortable than using Water Breathing.

"What?!"

Kuwajima Jigoro was so shocked that he sucked in a breath!

"Thunder Breathing, right? Old man, I've already learned it." Kujo Tachibana shrugged, looking a little smug.

"You learned it just by watching me use it once?" Kuwajima Jigoro stared at Kujo Tachibana in disbelief.

Tachibana shook his head and explained:

"Not exactly. I've been watching for a long time, ever since you appeared in front of me last night. Old man, don't you remember me telling you about the Transparent World?"

"Your body holds no secrets from me..."

"Your way of breathing is unusual, too. I couldn't help watching you for a while. That's Thunder Breathing, right?"

"But you're impressive. You've maintained that breathing style for twenty-four hours straight. You're much better than that kid from yesterday."

"And you were right, too. Thunder Breathing is indeed a little harder than Water Breathing."

After hearing Kujo Tachibana's explanation, Kuwajima Jigoro gaped at him, speechless for a long time.

A good while later, Kujo Tachibana set down his eighteenth empty bowl and looked at Kuwajima Jigoro.

"Old man, I'm full. Aren't you going to eat?"

"Ah..." Kuwajima Jigoro came back to his senses, shook his head, and looked earnestly at Kujo Tachibana.

"Son, join the Demon Slayer Corps! You're the perfect successor to Thunder Breathing!"

"If you're willing to join the Demon Slayer Corps, I'll pass on everything I've learned from a lifetime of using Breathing Styles!"

"Learning this breathing technique is only the first step. You still have a long road ahead of you."

"To achieve Total Concentration Breathing: Total Concentration, you'll also have to..."

Before Kuwajima Jigoro could finish, Kujo Tachibana cut him off.

"Sure, I'll join the Demon Slayer Corps."

"By the way, let me confirm: the Demon Slayer Corps covers food and lodging, and pays a high salary, right?"

"This is very important! Please tell me everything about the Demon Slayer Corps' benefits and compensation, in full and in detail!"

"Thank you very much!"

As he spoke, Kujo Tachibana stood and bowed to Kuwajima Jigoro.

Kuwajima Jigoro: "..."

Only then did Kuwajima Jigoro finally notice the towering stack of empty bowls in front of Kujo Tachibana.

(Kujo Tachibana: We're all martial artists. Eating a little more is normal, right?)

Kuwajima Jigoro's mouth twitched uncontrollably. After steadying his complicated emotions, he told Kujo Tachibana what he knew about the Demon Slayer Corps' benefits.

Of course, Kuwajima Jigoro told him about the benefits for Hashira-level members!

Kujo Tachibana: "Amazing!!"

"I've decided! Starting today, I'm a member of the Demon Slayer Corps!"

"I'm sworn to destroy every demon!"

"No one can stop me from slaying demons!"

Kuwajima Jigoro: "..."

Kuwajima Jigoro rubbed his head, got to his feet, and called to the Kakushi in the kitchen, "Sorry for the trouble. Please get me a pork cutlet rice bowl!"

The Kakushi seemed to have something difficult to say. After hesitating for a moment, he finally looked at Kuwajima Jigoro and said:

"Rumble Hashira, all the breakfast the kitchen made today has been eaten. Please wait a little while; the next batch of rice will be ready soon."

Hearing this, Kuwajima Jigoro couldn't help looking at Kujo Tachibana.

The culprit who'd gotten up early and eaten the whole team's breakfast!

Kujo Tachibana scratched his head and smiled sheepishly. Seeing Kuwajima Jigoro left hungry, he explained:

"I didn't eat much last night, and then I had a fight, so I ate a little more than usual this morning, haha."