Jigoro Kuwajima

With a swift stroke, the water dispersed. The demon's hands were severed and fell to the ground, blood spilling from the cut ends.

"You almost took my head off. You're pretty fast on your feet."

Suzuki Mufeng stood still, his mental energy spread across the entire area. This demon's abilities were much like the Swamp Demon's, but not quite the same.

The demon underground treated the earth like an ocean, swimming through it as freely as a shark. Its demonic eyes fixed on Mufeng aboveground, like a hunter waiting for the right moment to strike its prey.

"There!"

Suzuki Mufeng drew his Nichirin Sword and hurled it toward a spot. The blade sank deep into the earth, pinning the arm of the demon that had been about to ambush him. A breeze swept by, and the Nichirin Sword fell to the ground, cleaving a deep trench.

"It abandoned its arm and escaped. Damn it, Water Breathing is still too slow. Compared to it underground, I'm a snail. I can't keep up with its speed at all."

He sensed the demon fleeing into the distance. If he delayed any longer, it really would get away.

Suzuki Mufeng rapidly formed Hand Seals, finishing more than a dozen in two seconds.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!"

A water dragon barely one and a half meters long surged up from behind him and hurtled toward a spot ahead of the demon's escape route. The soft soil was soaked with a deluge of water.

He sensed that the demon couldn't keep moving forward. The technique was working!

"Sorcery! Which of us is the demon here, you or me? You can even use Blood Demon Art!"

The demon's head emerged from the ground. After cursing Suzuki Mufeng, it sank underground again.

Suzuki Mufeng gave chase, but both Nichirin Swords struck empty air. Water Breathing was always a beat too slow.

"Don't think you can get away. You can't escape."

Suzuki Mufeng had already discovered the demon's weakness. Its Blood Demon Art only let it burrow underground, and it even needed to breathe. Its movements were also affected to varying degrees by different environments.

"Damp soil hinders its movements, and its ability can't take it more than three meters underground."

Suzuki Mufeng repeatedly used the Water Style: Water Wave technique, filling the ground with pools of water. In the end, the demon was forced to surface and took off running!

"Are you stupid? What's the point of making all those pools? I'll just stay away from you. See ya!"

Suzuki Mufeng immediately eliminated the friction beneath his feet and gripped his Nichirin Sword with both hands.

"Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash."

Suzuki Mufeng's speed suddenly surged, leaving behind only an afterimage. This time, he moved so fast that his Nichirin Sword sliced through the demon's neck.

"How is this possible?"

The demon's head fell. Memories of the happy times he had shared with Miori when he was human burned through his soul like a raging fire.

"So we did have happy memories together. And those girls... What was I doing? In the end, I can only go to hell, can't I?"

In his final moment, he recalled his memories as a human and seemed to find redemption. He crumbled into ash and vanished from the world.

"Ow, ow— I still need to keep training. I have too little control over my body. I'd better use that move less next time."

Beneath a pile of bricks, Suzuki Mufeng slowly got to his feet amid the rubble. He'd lost control of his strength and crashed into the wall of a street, leaving a gaping hole. He wondered if the Demon Slayer Corps' pay would cover the damage.

"Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash."

A flash of lightning streaked by, fast beyond measure. For an instant, it seemed that nothing else existed in the world but that bolt of lightning.

"Water Breathing, Third Form: Flowing Dance."

At the critical moment, Suzuki Mufeng used his Sharingan to catch that fleeting flash of lightning. He twisted his body and, holding his Nichirin Sword in a reverse grip, met the thrusting Nichirin Sword.

Clang, clang—

Water had no fixed form; softness overcame strength. Suzuki Mufeng used his waist and abdomen to turn the force of the blow back against his opponent.

Water Breathing excelled at defense. He used his strength to knock aside the incoming Nichirin Sword, and the little old man holding it quickly retreated.

"So you're the demon wreaking havoc around here. You even know Breathing Styles. Are you a Demon Slayer swordsman who's fallen to darkness?"

Jigoro Kuwajima crouched low, taking a drawing stance as if to strike again. Suzuki Mufeng hurriedly dropped his sword and spoke.

"Senior Kuwajima, it's a misunderstanding. I'm Suzuki Mufeng. I came to learn Thunder Breathing. Master Urokodaki wrote you a letter of recommendation, didn't he?"

"Urokodaki did write me a letter of recommendation, but what's the story behind all these techniques of yours, Suzuki Mufeng?"

"Onmyodo. Years ago, I had a fortuitous encounter and learned some Onmyodo. As for whether I'm a demon, wouldn't it be easy for someone as experienced as you, who's hunted countless demons, to tell?"

Indeed, after hunting so many demons, Jigoro Kuwajima could smell no trace of one on Suzuki Mufeng. He was clearly a living human.

"I was rash. Mufeng, may I call you that? The demon here has already been slain, hasn't it? Good lad. Come back to the mountain with me later, and I'll teach you everything I know about Thunder Breathing."

"Senior Kuwajima, I'd like to head up the mountain tomorrow instead. And I want to bring someone else with me. His talent for Thunder Breathing is second to none—he's the ideal person to inherit your legacy."

At that, Jigoro Kuwajima was immediately intrigued. He'd felt Suzuki Mufeng's strength firsthand. Given time, he could certainly become a Hashira. He wanted to meet anyone Suzuki Mufeng praised so highly.

"Senior! Senior! The demon's dead, right?"

Zenitsu Agatsuma came running over, panting. When he saw Suzuki Mufeng, he tried to throw himself at him, but Suzuki Mufeng stopped him by planting a foot against his forehead.

"Senior Kuwajima, this is the successor I found for you. What do you think?"

Jigoro Kuwajima saw Zenitsu Agatsuma's talent at a glance and sighed inwardly. Sakonji Urokodaki had taken on a fine student. Just that judgment alone was worthy of a Hashira.

"What? You want me to join the Demon Slayer Corps? No, no! I'm useless. I can't be a Demon Slayer. No, no—"

"Buddy, you're still carrying a lot of debt. If you become Senior Kuwajima's student, he'll take care of your debts right away. Just imagine what it'll be like when the debt collectors come after you. They'll be pounding on your door every day, and then they'll..."

Suzuki Mufeng leaned close to Zenitsu Agatsuma's ear and made the consequences of his debt sound worse and worse. Zenitsu ended up clinging to Jigoro Kuwajima, crying and begging to become his student. It was hard not to laugh.

"Wait a bit. I caused quite a commotion in town today. Help clean everything up before we leave. Senior Kuwajima, you can take Zenitsu back first."

"It's fine. This old man has nothing else to do. I'll help you clean up."

"Grandpa, I'll help too."

The three of them began clearing away the rubble. At their pace, they could probably restore everything by morning.