Setting Out

When Miss Tamayo said this, Kujo Tachibana finally felt completely at ease.

"Then how is this Body Breathing different from breathing with the lungs?" Kujo Tachibana asked.

Tamayo furrowed her brow and thought it over. After a moment, she said:

"I haven't found any other differences yet."

"What I can say for certain is that, because the oxygen reaches the capillaries directly, your breathing method is more efficient!"

"However, the Body Breathing method you described is far too complicated. Ordinary people probably couldn't manage it..."

As a doctor, Tamayo's duty was to heal and save lives. The thought of a method that could save countless people with lung diseases, yet could not be widely taught despite being effective, left her feeling regretful.

Early the next morning, Ubuyashiki Kagaya received the news from Tamayo and was greatly surprised.

He arrived at Kujo Tachibana's home early.

But Kujo Tachibana had risen even earlier. He was already practicing his swordsmanship in the courtyard again.

In his hands, a single Nichirin Sword whipped through the air with startling force!

The kind of whooshing sound one might expect from a massive blade kept coming from the sword.

Ubuyashiki Kagaya stepped into the courtyard and stared at Kujo Tachibana in astonishment, speechless.

Hadn't they agreed that two sickly fellows would be each other's angels, practicing Tai Chi to strengthen their bodies?

It was one thing for you to change. He could accept that. But how had you changed so much in just one day?

Ubuyashiki Kagaya was having a hard time keeping his composure.

Kujo Tachibana: What? You mean Tai Chi?

Who in their right mind would practice that...

(Ubuyashiki Kagaya: Then why were you practicing it before?)

(Kujo Tachibana: Before... before... I had no choice!)

Kujo Tachibana slowly lowered his sword and stood still, his expression perfectly calm.

There was no helping it. Kujo Tachibana was using Body Breathing now, so the famous scene of him "finishing his practice and slowly exhaling a breath of stale air" would never be seen again!

(The author can't pad the word count here anymore!! Damn it!)

Looking at Ubuyashiki Kagaya, the "sickly fellow" standing alone in the doorway, Kujo Tachibana smiled brightly and said:

"Master, you got up a little late today."

"Did you not sleep well last night?"

Even the good-natured Ubuyashiki Kagaya was riled by that remark.

He glared at Kujo Tachibana and said irritably:

"You really know how to gloat when things go your way, don't you?"

"Fine!"

Did Kujo Tachibana really think Ubuyashiki Kagaya couldn't give as good as he got?

Before Kujo Tachibana could explain himself, Ubuyashiki Kagaya continued:

"Just who was it a while ago..."

"Who was even more useless than me, the sickly one?"

"Lying in bed, looking like he didn't want to live..."

Even Kujo Tachibana, thick-skinned as he was, couldn't take Ubuyashiki Kagaya's barbed remarks. His face burned with embarrassment.

Kujo Tachibana hurried over, covered Ubuyashiki Kagaya's mouth, and begged in a low voice:

"Kagaya, you're like a real brother to me."

"Please, stop."

Ubuyashiki Kagaya smiled and nodded, and only then did Kujo Tachibana lower his hand.

The two exchanged a glance and burst out laughing.

Some things went without saying. Kagaya was glad that Kujo Tachibana had recovered, and Kujo Tachibana was happy to share his joy with his friend.

Kujo Tachibana wasn't constrained by the traditional thinking of this era, and Ubuyashiki Kagaya found it easy and relaxing to spend time with him.

Although the Ubuyashiki clan was naturally gifted, at the end of the day, he and Kujo Tachibana were about the same age.

He was just a boy in his teens, too!

He, too, wanted a few friends he could joke around with, confide in, and play with.

But many of the people around him overlooked that.

And unlike the others in the Corps, Kujo Tachibana didn't treat him with such reverence, as though he were some kind of "Bodhisattva."

That didn't mean Kujo Tachibana didn't respect him, of course.

It was just that, with his modern outlook, Kujo Tachibana treated him as an equal instead of showing him excessive "respect."

Kujo Tachibana draped an arm over Ubuyashiki Kagaya's shoulder and looked up at the sky, a faint smile on his lips. He said softly:

"Kagaya, I can read people's faces, you know. Do you believe me?"

Ubuyashiki Kagaya didn't hesitate for a second!

He shook his head firmly and mocked him without mercy:

"Tachibana, I'm actually the Emperor of Japan. Do you believe me?"

"Haha..." Kujo Tachibana burst into laughter at Ubuyashiki Kagaya's reply, clutching his stomach.

It took a while for Kujo Tachibana to recover. Then he composed himself and looked at Ubuyashiki Kagaya with a serious expression.

"I really can read people's faces!"

"Looking at yours, I can tell you'll live to a hundred."

"Live to a hundred..." Ubuyashiki Kagaya murmured. He turned to Kujo Tachibana and said:

"Then I believe you now. You really weren't lying to me."

"You really can read people's faces."

Three days later, in the mountains outside the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters.

"Tanjiro's home is on Mount Kumotori..."

"Right, Mount Kumotori is in Okutama."

"Should I head east?"

With his Nichirin Sword in hand and the iron pot he'd once used slung over his shoulder, Kujo Tachibana left the Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters and set out once more on his journey to slay demons.

This journey would likely be especially arduous, and Kujo Tachibana had already prepared himself for it.

If he couldn't do it, then he would die on the road.

A swordsman's end shouldn't be on a sickbed!

Because he had awakened the Demon Slayer Mark and expended his life force, he didn't have much time left.

With less than three years to work with, Kujo Tachibana couldn't be sure he would develop a new Breathing Style if he stayed at the Demon Slayer Corps and shut himself away to work on it.

He had only two goals on this journey. First, to find the future protagonist, Tanjiro's father, Tanjuro, and ask him about Sun Breathing.

Second, to use the trials of fighting demons to hone himself and create a Breathing Style of his own!

Somehow, Kujo Tachibana had a feeling that Sun Breathing would show him a new path!

After all, when it came down to it, Sun Breathing was the only truly perfect Breathing Style in this world.

But that "perfection" applied only to one person.

All the other Breathing Styles had evolved from that perfect Sun Breathing.

What Kujo Tachibana had to do now was create a perfect Breathing Style of his own, one tailored to Body Breathing!

Sigh, I got my first negative review. I've put a lot of effort into this book, so maybe the later parts just weren't written well. I'll try to finish Demon Slayer as soon as I can.

If you're not enjoying it, I hope you'll leave a comment in the chapter. I'll read every one, and if it makes sense, I'll revise things. Reviews affect the book's performance, and the author has to eat too. I'm counting on you all.