Thunder Breathing

Kujo Tachibana asked casually while shoveling food into his mouth:

"Oh, what could you possibly teach me? Your swordsmanship isn't necessarily better than mine, and I've already learned a Breathing Style."

Kuwajima Jigoro forcibly suppressed the bulging veins on his forehead!

He patiently explained:

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

"I won't even mention the derivative styles; they have nothing to do with you right now."

"And what you are currently using is Water Breathing, one of those five basic schools!"

"Compared to other styles, Water Breathing is the most gentle and the easiest to pick up, making it the most widely used Breathing Style."

"Mm, so?" Kujo Tachibana asked with a frown.

Kuwajima Jigoro looked at Kujo Tachibana and asked earnestly: "But have you ever thought about it! Are you truly suited for Water Breathing?"

By now, Kujo Tachibana had caught on, and he asked:

"Old man, are you saying I'm not suited for Water Breathing?"

Kuwajima Jigoro nodded with absolute certainty!

He said: "How long have you been practicing Breathing Styles? I've been at it for decades!"

"I noticed just now that when you use Water Breathing, the 'air' you inhale cannot perfectly integrate into your body through that style!"

Kujo Tachibana nodded; he had felt this himself.

Furthermore, by comparing his state to when Kuwajima Jigoro used his Breathing Style, Kujo Tachibana realized that the enhancement he gained from Water Breathing indeed hadn't reached an ideal level.

Kuwajima Jigoro continued:

"Besides, I know many people who practice Water Breathing, and the way they use it is nothing like you."

"So, I can say for certain that you aren't suited for Water Breathing!"

"The only reason you were able to learn it after watching it once is because Water Breathing has the lowest barrier to entry and is simply easier to pick up."

And a little bit of genius. Of course, Kuwajima Jigoro kept that thought to himself.

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

Kuwajima Jigoro crossed his arms over his chest and said with great pride:

"Kid, among all existing Breathing Styles, Thunder Breathing provides the greatest boost to speed and explosive power!"

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

"It places extremely high demands on the user's physical fitness and control, making it incredibly difficult to master."

"But once you grasp Thunder Breathing, your attack speed becomes blindingly fast. Your high-speed lunges will even cause the sound of thunder to roar around you!"

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

Before Kuwajima Jigoro could finish his sentence, Kujo Tachibana let out a long, drawn-out exhale.

He emptied his lungs completely, then followed it with a deep, sharp inhale.

"Haa..."

As he inhaled, faint, golden-yellow sparks of electricity began to manifest out of thin air around Kujo Tachibana!

His long black hair stirred without a breeze, and an astonishing aura radiated from his entire body!

Kujo Tachibana felt his current state and nodded; it was indeed much more comfortable than when he used Water Breathing.

"Nani!!!"

Seeing this, Kuwajima Jigoro gasped in shock!

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

"You watched me use it once, and you already learned it?" Kuwajima Jigoro stared at Kujo Tachibana with wide eyes, stunned.

Kujo Tachibana shook his head and explained:

"That's not it. I've been watching for a long time. Ever since you appeared in front of me last night—Old man, did you forget I told you about the Transparent World?"

"Your body has no secrets in front of me..."

"Your breathing method is also quite unique, so I couldn't help but take a few extra looks. This is Thunder Breathing, right!"

"But you're impressive; you actually maintain this breathing method twenty-four hours a day. You're much stronger than that kid from yesterday."

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

After hearing Kujo Tachibana's explanation, Kuwajima Jigoro was left dumbfounded, speechless for a long time.

After a good while, 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..." Regaining his senses, Kuwajima Jigoro shook his head and looked at Kujo Tachibana with a serious expression.

"Young man, join the Demon Slayer Corps! You are the best successor for Thunder Breathing!"

"As long as you are willing to join the Demon Slayer Corps, this old man is willing to pass on all the experience I have gained from using breathing techniques throughout my life!"

"You must know that learning this breathing method is only the first step; you still have a long road ahead of you."

"If you want to reach Total Concentration Breathing: Constant, you must also achieve..."

Before Kuwajima Jigoro could finish, Kujo Tachibana interrupted him directly:

"Fine, I am willing to join the Demon Slayer Corps."

"By the way, let me confirm one more thing with you: your Demon Slayer Corps provides full room and board, and there is a high salary, right?"

"This point is very important! Please be sure to tell me everything about the benefits and compensation of the Demon Slayer Corps in full detail!"

"Thank you very much!"

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

Kuwajima Jigoro: "..."

At this moment, Kuwajima Jigoro finally noticed the tall stack of empty bowls in front of Kujo Tachibana.

(Kujo Tachibana: We are all martial artists; it's normal to eat a little more, right?)

The corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably. After calming his complicated emotions, Kuwajima Jigoro informed Kujo Tachibana of the benefits of the Demon Slayer Corps that he was aware of.

Of course, what Kuwajima Jigoro described were the benefits for a Hashira-level member!

Kujo Tachibana: "Sugoi!!"

"I have decided! From today on, I am a member of the Demon Slayer Corps!"

"I and the demons cannot coexist under the same sky!"

"No one can stop me from slaying demons!"

Kuwajima Jigoro: "..."

Rubbing his temples, Kuwajima Jigoro stood up and said to the Kakushi staff in the kitchen: "Trouble yourself to get me a pork cutlet bowl!"

This Kakushi staff member seemed to have some unspeakable difficulty; he hesitated for a moment before finally looking at Kuwajima Jigoro and saying:

"Rumble Hashira, the breakfast prepared in the kitchen today has already been eaten up. Please wait a moment; the second pot of rice will be ready soon."

Hearing this, Kuwajima Jigoro could not help but turn his gaze toward Kujo Tachibana.

The culprit who had woken up early and eaten the entire team's breakfast!

Kujo Tachibana scratched his head and smiled shyly, explaining to the hungry Kuwajima Jigoro:

"I didn't eat much last night, and then I got into a fight, so I ate a little bit too much this morning, haha."