"I bet the legendary Sun Breathing is incredibly magnificent. I really want to experience it."
"Training that boy? I'd be more than happy to!"
All the Hashira were especially eager to train Tanjiro.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki was helpless as well and could only come up with a compromise. "Since everyone wants to train Tanjiro, how about each person teaches him for one day and takes turns?"
Everyone unanimously approved this suggestion.
This training was very simple: it was just getting beaten up!
After getting beaten enough, they would naturally grow stronger.
As for Zenitsu and Inosuke, they were simply innocent victims caught in the crossfire.
Let Me Test Your Strength
Evening was approaching.
Dusk descended as the sun set.
Inside a dimly lit room, Tanjiro gently set down the wooden box on his back, then walked alone to the window and drew the curtains.
Blocking out the last rays of the setting sun.
When he turned around, the box's door had already opened, and Nezuko, whose body had shrunk, poked her head out and looked his way.
Seeing this, Tanjiro sat on the bed beside her. He lowered his head slightly and looked at Akaza's blade at his waist, seemingly recalling what had happened today.
"This will be your room from now on, Nezuko. We were able to survive safely thanks to Akaza's help.
Thank you for taking care of us all this way!"
As soon as he finished speaking,
Akaza mercilessly shot back.
"You are still far too weak. Starting tomorrow, you must quickly master the various sword techniques of the Dance of the Fire God and develop different ways to use them!"
Faced with the reprimand, Tanjiro seemed to want to open his heart. Looking at the blade that had changed his life, he smiled sentimentally.
"Even though you're always so harsh with your words, I know you've always cared about others. You must be lonely, all by yourself inside that sword..."
Before he could finish,
Akaza's heavenly voice rang out in his mind once more.
"Enough nonsense."
Hearing that, Tanjiro understood that he could not continue, so he could only change the subject.
"This time, it wasn't just you, Akaza. Mr. Urokodaki and Mr. Tomioka also risked their lives for us.
We're always being looked after by others. I really do need to become stronger."
As he spoke, he recalled the Master's gentle appearance. When he came back to himself and turned around, he found that Nezuko had already fallen asleep on the floor.
Tanjiro smiled gently, walked over, picked Nezuko up, and carefully placed her on the bed. Then he stood up and muttered to himself.
"Nezuko... decades from now, I'll grow old and die alone like this. I used to be afraid of what you would do after I died, all by yourself.
But thankfully, Akaza can stay with you. Still, don't worry. I will definitely turn you back into a human!"
His resolve was firm, without the slightest wavering.
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, inside the room.
Tanjiro had already gotten ready and was prepared to begin today's training. But just as he picked up his sword,
he sensed someone behind him.
Without time to think, he hurriedly turned around.
But that glance nearly scared Tanjiro to death. Sanemi Shinazugawa, his face covered in scars, was glaring at him viciously.
Without giving Tanjiro any time to speak, Sanemi said coldly and directly, "I'll be training you today. Wake those two up and come with me!"
"Training?"
Tanjiro did not think much of it. He hurriedly turned to Zenitsu, who was still asleep, bent down, and called out, "Zenitsu, wake up. We're starting training."
Zenitsu woke at the sound of his voice, but the first thing he did was roll around on the bed.
"Training again? We worked so hard the day before yesterday. Just let me rest for one more day..."
Before he could finish,
Sanemi Shinazugawa walked up behind him, glared fiercely, and barked coldly, "Say that again! Get up and train right now!"
Faced with the rebuke, Zenitsu looked at the familiar face of the man before him. His whole body immediately began trembling, and his expression turned grotesque.
"Eh?... Eh?! Why is a Hashira here? I don't want to train..."
"You bastard!"
Seeing that he was still acting like this, Sanemi raised his fist, ready to teach him a lesson.
Fortunately, Inosuke woke up at that moment as well, but his reaction was completely different. He immediately changed into his uniform, grabbed his two swords, and shouted.
"If we're training, then hurry up! I still need to get stronger!"
Seeing this, Tanjiro was genuinely happy that Inosuke had managed to pull himself out of his slump.
Zenitsu had no way to resist and was forcibly dragged out of the room. The four of them left the estate and arrived at a nearby country plain.
This stretch of plain was rarely visited by people, making it the perfect place for a battle.
When Sanemi Shinazugawa stopped and turned to face the three of them, he suddenly drew the Nichirin Blade at his waist and pointed it at them.
"Training starts now. Let me make this clear first: injuries are unavoidable!"
The three of them still had not noticed anything unusual. Tanjiro even asked curiously, "Mr. Sanemi, how are we going to train?"
Zenitsu and Inosuke looked at him curiously as well.
In response, Sanemi Shinazugawa gave a savage grin.
"Fighting me is your training for today! I won't hold back, so prepare yourselves to be seriously injured!"
The moment he finished speaking,
Zenitsu began freaking out in front of everyone. "Eh?! We have to fight a Hashira? No way... I'll get beaten to death..."
"Zenitsu, calm down."
Tanjiro hurriedly tried to comfort him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sanemi Shinazugawa's increasingly savage expression. If this continued,
Zenitsu might actually get beaten to death by him...
"You really are unbelievably cowardly." Even Inosuke could not stand watching anymore. He held his twin swords and was already in position.
Tanjiro had no choice but to turn around and draw Akaza from his waist as well.
"Please teach us!"
It seemed Sanemi had truly been provoked. Gripping his sword with both hands, he rushed forward while continuously spinning the blade.
"Let me test your strength.
Wind Breathing—First Form—Dust Whirlwind: Slashing!" The blade stirred up a cyan gale, and with the spinning blade,
it spread outward into a horizontal cyan tornado that swept toward them. In an instant, dirt and rocks flew everywhere.
Tanjiro gripped his sword with both hands as well.
"Water Breathing—Tenth Form—Constant Flux!"
He spun his body too, the power of his blade increasing with every rotation as surging water burst forth from it.
He leaped high into the air, the water gathering into a roaring water dragon that followed his blade as it slashed directly at the rapidly approaching tornado.
The instant the water dragon collided with the tornado,
a tremendous sound of metal clashing erupted, and Tanjiro was sent flying backward.
"Did I fail?"
But upon closer inspection, he discovered that the tornado had already been knocked off its original course and was charging straight toward Zenitsu.
Sanemi Shinazugawa also felt a slight numbness in both arms and could not help praising him inwardly. What strength. He actually managed to forcibly change the direction of my sword technique!
But when he saw Zenitsu directly ahead,
his grin turned savage again.
After all, he found Zenitsu extremely unpleasant to look at!
How could he possibly let such a perfect opportunity slip away? In the blink of an eye, he had already arrived before the crying Zenitsu.
Seeing the cyan tornado so close at hand, Zenitsu's expression became even more grotesque as he begged through tears.
"Let's talk this out. I don't want to die yet..."
First Battle with Sanemi Shinazugawa
"Zenitsu, get out of the way!"
Tanjiro shouted urgently, but there was no way he could reach him from this distance.
Not far away, Inosuke was powerless to do anything as well.
Amid cries and startled shouts, the cyan blade stopped at Zenitsu's neck, and the swirling tornado dispersed along with it.
Zenitsu's eyes widened as he stared at the blade lying across his neck. His wildly pounding heart could not calm down.
"Huff... huff... I almost died... That scared me to death..."
Before he could finish,
Sanemi Shinazugawa's heavy fist struck him. The punch landed on his abdomen and sent his entire body flying.
After tracing a graceful arc through the air, he crashed to the ground.
Foam spilled from his mouth as he lost consciousness.
The Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa, withdrew his hand. Rather than looking at the fallen Zenitsu, he turned toward the other two and said coldly.
"You won't die, but that doesn't mean you won't be seriously injured!"
He clearly set his sights on Inosuke.
With a burst of force beneath his feet, he charged forward.
"I'm the target? Hahahaha, then come on!" Inosuke showed no fear. Holding both swords, he assumed his stance.
"Beast Breathing—Fifth Fang—Crazy Cutting!"
A self-created Breathing Style?
Sanemi Shinazugawa was slightly surprised. Then, facing the incoming frenzied slashes, he switched to holding his sword in one hand.
"Wind Breathing—Seventh Form—Fierce Wind: Tengu Wind!"
He leaped into the air, twisted his body midair, and swung his Nichirin Blade, creating a swift gale that instantly passed through several slashes.
At the same time, he kicked Inosuke in the back, sending him sliding forward on his stomach across the ground.
His entire body hurt as well, but he was not actually injured. He immediately tried to get up and fight again. "Continue! Next time, I'll definitely cut you!"
But Sanemi Shinazugawa did not even turn back as he coldly rebuked him. "Shut up. You're already dead. Go stand off to the side!"
Faced with the reprimand, Inosuke became angry too and stubbornly shouted back, "Huh?! Who's dead? I'm obviously still alive!"
"Is that so?"
Sanemi Shinazugawa suddenly turned around. His vicious gaze sent chills down Inosuke's spine, and even his hands trembled slightly.
But even so, he did not back down.
"Yes..."
Before you continue