Born for the Sword

Ubuyashiki Kagaya held the little calico cat and stood quietly before Hiruma, a grateful smile on his face.

What the hell!

Hiruma was dumbfounded.

Could Kagaya swing both ways?

I just admired you and wanted to be friends. I wasn't looking for anything passionate.

"Shin, thank you for carrying the desire to protect those around you. Don't push yourself too hard, okay?" Kagaya's lips curved upward, his radiant smile like a ray of morning sunlight shining into Hiruma's heart.

The moment his words fell, Hiruma's body trembled slightly, and stormy waves rose within his heart. His golden eyes shone even brighter.

Ubuyashiki Kagaya did not know what a transmigrator was, much less what it meant to hold the script in his hands.

But he had seen an intense desire to protect in Hiruma's eyes—whether Hiruma looked at Gyomei, Amane, or Kagaya himself.

It was an emotion that even Hiruma himself had failed to realize.

The eyes were the windows to the soul, and his wish to protect came from his heart.

This was Kagaya's greatest talent: the power known as empathy.

This was the Breathing Style of the Demon Slayer Corps' succubus: Heart Breathing.

His approachable nature and calming voice were merely insignificant aspects of him.

Kagaya's empathy was what shone most brilliantly. He remembered every Demon Slayer Corps swordsman's name and could accurately speak of what lay in their hearts.

It was recognition. Those who understood one another would always resonate.

"Boss, until the Demons are eradicated, this body shall forever fall into the depths of hell!"

Hiruma dropped to one knee. This was his acknowledgment of Ubuyashiki Kagaya, though it would happen only once.

Because Kagaya had spoken of another side of Hiruma that Hiruma himself had never noticed.

If he wanted to change the course of the story, he had to protect the people around him.

I will decide how this story ends!

That was where his heart lay.

"Shin, I told you already. Just do as you please!"

"And Gyomei, this is the kitten you asked me to find. Here!"

Kagaya helped Hiruma up and placed the kitten in Gyomei's arms.

"Thank you, Oyakata-sama. This child is so fluffy. I like it very much. Namu Amida Butsu!"

The instant Himejima Gyomei held that little calico cat, tears of emotion streamed down his face. Even his aura became as warm and gentle as spring.

Especially the cat in his arms—it was not afraid of Gyomei, the hulking muscleman, at all. Instead, it let out soft little whimpers.

"Meow, meow, meow!"

The calico licked Gyomei's arm, thicker than the mouth of a bowl, then rubbed itself against him.

For a moment, Hiruma felt as though his worldview had collapsed. He knew Gyomei liked cats, but what was this inexplicably adorable scene?

Imagine it: a tough man nearly two meters tall holding an explosively cute cat and trying to cuddle it.

My eyes can't stay open!

"Pretty shocking, isn't it?"

Kagaya smiled faintly. Even he had been somewhat stunned the first time he saw Gyomei like this.

"Definitely. This is what they call contrast," Hiruma nodded and said blankly.

"Oyakata-sama, please give this child a name?" Himejima Gyomei returned to normal and spoke with a serious expression.

"Then let's call it Saiyan!" Ubuyashiki Kagaya answered without hesitation. It was Gyomei's favorite food.

"Thank you, Oyakata-sama!" Gyomei was overjoyed, his admiration for Oyakata-sama surging like an endless river.

"Brother Gyomei, can I call you that? You're much older than me, after all. I'm just a little brother!"

"Oyakata-sama said that, Tendo, you should just do as you please!" Gyomei did not care what others called him, but being addressed this way by Hiruma did make them feel much closer.

"Then, Brother Gyomei, I want to see you perform Stone Breathing once. I want to learn it!" Hiruma stated his purpose. He wanted to learn all five basic Breathing Styles.

As for what came next, he would find out later.

As a swordsmanship prodigy, he would ultimately have to comprehend something that belonged to him alone.

"Isn't Tendo a disciple of Senior Kuwajima?"

"Learning two Breathing Styles at once is very difficult. It is enough to specialize in one. Namu Amida Butsu!" Gyomei sincerely offered his advice.

Hiruma had known the other man would say that. He immediately declared with complete confidence, "Brother Gyomei, you only need to demonstrate it once. I can learn it."

"If I can't, I'll naturally give up!"

Hiruma's words brimmed with unparalleled confidence. It showed not only in every word he spoke, but also in the powerful self-assurance radiating from the depths of his heart.

"All right, then. But not here. Come with me to where I train!" Gyomei did not refuse. Or rather, he wanted to know where that confidence came from.

Ubuyashiki Kagaya took their conversation to heart, and he suddenly recalled Senior Kuwajima's assessment of his disciple.

Born for the sword!

That was right. Those four words were all old man Jigoro Kuwajima had used to describe his disciple.

"I'll go with you. I want to witness this!"

A short while later, Gyomei led them to the side of a waterfall.

Beneath the waterfall ran a swift stream. Along both banks lay neatly chopped logs and round boulders as tall as a person.

What the...! Σ(????)?

As expected of the physically strongest Stone Pillar—his training method was fiercer than torture.

Gyomei thoughtfully tied a bell around Saiyan, settled it somewhere safe, then picked up his Nichirin Blade.

It consisted of a Broad Axe and a Meteor Hammer linked by a long chain. Just looking at it gave off a murderous air.

"Oyakata-sama and Lady Amane, please move a little farther away!" Gyomei said to the Ubuyashiki couple, who stood over ten meters away.

Only after they retreated another ten meters did Gyomei feel at ease.

As for Hiruma, he stood very close to Gyomei, only about ten meters away. He stared intently at Gyomei, not daring to relax in the slightest.

Once everything was ready, Gyomei pressed his palms together and bowed to them.

"Please excuse my poor showing!"

"Stone Breathing: First Form: Serpentinite - Twin Poles!"

As his mountain-deep voice rang out, the Meteor Hammer and Broad Axe collided. In an instant, a wind-swift aura swept toward Hiruma.

That aura was like a raging storm, carrying incomparable power and majesty, making it difficult for Hiruma even to breathe.

His heart shook. So this was the strongest man in the Demon Slayer Corps, even if Gyomei had not yet reached his peak.

In an instant, Hiruma's golden eyes blazed, and his blood boiled.

Himejima Gyomei was like a giant bear. His sturdy muscles alternately relaxed and tightened, like intertwined horned dragons, brimming with power.

The Broad Axe and Meteor Hammer crossed and collided, producing crisp peals of sound, like an extraordinarily thrilling percussion performance.

Second Form: Shattered Heaven.

Third Form: Rock Body Skin.

Fourth Form: Flowing Rock: Swift Advance.

Fifth Form: Crushing Rock: Head Clamp.

Himejima Gyomei unleashed move after move. Since Hiruma wanted to learn, he held nothing back, especially after Hiruma had made such a bold declaration.

In Hiruma's eyes, Gyomei was a musician, and Stone Breathing was his instrument.

The sounds of clashing weapons thrilled him, as though every cell in his body had come alive. He entered an exhilarated state.

The last time he had felt this way was when old man Kuwajima used Thunder Breath.

Within the tranquil valley, Stone Breathing echoed continuously like a stirring symphony, and Hiruma could not help but lose himself in it.