From Demon Slayer, Achieving the Strongest Demon Blade!

"The legendary Sun Breathing must be incredibly magnificent. I really want to experience it."

"Training that boy? I'd be happy to!"

All the Hashira were particularly eager to train Tanjiro.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki had no choice but to compromise. "Since everyone wants to train Tanjiro, how about each of you teaches him for one day in rotation?"

Everyone unanimously approved the proposal.

The training was very simple: it was just getting beaten up!

After getting beaten up enough, he would naturally grow stronger.

As for Zenitsu and Inosuke, they were simply innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire.

Let Me Test Your Strength

Evening was drawing near.

Dusk descended, and the sun sank below the horizon.

In a dimly lit room, Tanjiro gently set the wooden box on his back down on the floor. Then, he walked alone to the window and drew the curtains.

Blocking out the last rays of the setting sun.

When he turned around, the box door had already opened, and the shrunken Nezuko 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 Ashura Maru at his waist, seemingly recalling what had happened that day.

"This will be your room from now on, Nezuko. We were able to survive safely thanks to Ashura Maru.

"Thank you for taking care of us all this way!"

As soon as he finished speaking,

Ashura Maru mercilessly shot back.

"You're still far too weak. Starting tomorrow, you need to 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 sharp-tongued, I know you've always cared about others, Ashura Maru. You must be very lonely inside that sword all by yourself..."

Before he could finish,

Ashura Maru's heavenly voice rang out in his mind once more.

"Stop rambling."

Hearing that, Tanjiro understood that he could not continue, so he changed the subject.

"This time, it wasn't just Ashura Maru. Mr. Urokodaki and Mr. Tomioka also risked their lives for us.

"We've always been protected by others. I really do need to become stronger."

As he spoke, he recalled the master's gentle expression. When he came back to himself and turned around, he found that Nezuko had fallen asleep on the floor.

Tanjiro smiled gently. He went over, picked Nezuko up, and carefully placed her on the bed. Then he stood and murmured to himself.

"Nezuko... Decades from now, I'll grow old and die alone like this. I used to be afraid of what would happen to you after I died.

"But thankfully, Ashura Maru will be there to keep you company. Still, don't worry. I'll definitely turn you back into a human!"

His resolve was firm and never wavered.

The night passed without incident.

The next morning, inside the room.

Tanjiro had already gotten ready and was preparing to begin that day's training. But just as he picked up his sword,

he sensed someone behind him.

Without time to think, he hurriedly turned around.

The moment he did, Tanjiro was nearly scared to death. Sanemi Shinazugawa, his face covered in scars, was glaring at him with fierce eyes.

Without giving Tanjiro time to say anything, Sanemi spoke coldly and bluntly. "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? It was already so hard the day before yesterday. Let me rest for one more day..."

Before he could finish,

Sanemi Shinazugawa walked up behind him, glared at him viciously, and barked coldly, "Say that again! Get up and train right now!"

After being yelled at, Zenitsu looked at the familiar face before him. His whole body immediately began to tremble, and his expression turned bizarre.

"Eh?... Eh?! Why is a Hashira here? I don't want to train..."

"You bastard!"

Seeing that he was still acting like this, Sanemi Shinazugawa raised his fist, ready to teach him a lesson.

Fortunately, Inosuke woke up at that moment too, but his reaction was completely different. He immediately changed into his uniform, grabbed his dual blades, 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 rural plain nearby.

The plain was deserted, making it the perfect place to fight.

When Sanemi Shinazugawa stopped, he turned to face the three of them. He abruptly drew the Nichirin Blade at his waist and pointed it at them.

"Training starts now. Let me make this clear first: getting injured is unavoidable!"

The three across from him clearly had not noticed anything unusual yet. Tanjiro even asked curiously, "Mr. Sanemi, how are we going to train?"

Zenitsu and Inosuke also looked at him curiously.

In response, Sanemi Shinazugawa gave a savage grin.

"Fighting me will be your training for today! I won't hold back, so prepare yourselves to be seriously injured!"

As soon as he finished speaking,

Zenitsu began making bizarre faces right in front of them. "Eh?! We have to fight a Hashira? No way... I'll be 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 really get beaten to death by him...

"You really are ridiculously cowardly." Even Inosuke could not stand watching anymore. Holding his dual blades, he stood in place, already prepared for battle.

Tanjiro had no other choice. He turned and drew Ashura Maru from his waist as well.

"Please teach us!"

Seemingly truly angered, Sanemi Shinazugawa gripped his sword with both hands and charged forward at high speed, continuously spinning the blade in his hands.

"Let me test your strength.

"Wind Breathing—First Form—Dust Whirlwind: Slashing!" The blade stirred up a cyan hurricane. Following the spinning blade,

it spread outward into a cyan Tornado sweeping in from the side. In an instant, dirt and rocks flew across the ground.

Tanjiro also gripped his sword with both hands.

"Water Breathing—Tenth Form—Constant Flux!"

His body spun as well, and the power of his blade increased with every rotation. Surging water burst forth from the sword.

He leaped into the air. The water gathered into a roaring water dragon that swept along with his blade and slashed directly at the rapidly approaching Tornado.

The moment the water dragon collided with the Tornado,

a deafening clash of steel rang out. Then 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 heading straight for Zenitsu.

Sanemi Shinazugawa, within it, felt his arms go slightly numb. He could not help praising him inwardly. What tremendous power. He actually forced my sword technique off course!

But when he saw Zenitsu directly ahead, he grinned savagely again.

After all, Zenitsu had been getting on his nerves immensely!

How could he possibly pass up such a good opportunity? In an instant, he was already standing before the crying Zenitsu.

Seeing the cyan Tornado right in front of him, Zenitsu's expression became even more bizarre. With tears streaming down his face, he begged for mercy.

"Let's talk this out! I don't want to die yet..."

First Battle Against Sanemi Shinazugawa

"Zenitsu, get out of the way!"

Tanjiro shouted urgently as well, but there was no way he could reach him from that distance.

Not far away, Inosuke could do nothing either.

Amid cries and gasps, the cyan blade stopped at Zenitsu's neck, and the swirling Tornado dispersed as well.

Zenitsu's eyes widened as he stared at the blade lying across his neck. His wildly pounding heart refused to settle.

"Huff... huff, I almost died... You scared me to death..."

As soon as he finished speaking,

Sanemi Shinazugawa's heavy fist struck him. The punch landed on his stomach and sent his entire body flying backward.

After tracing a beautiful 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. Instead of looking at the fallen Zenitsu, he turned to the other two and said coldly.

"You won't die, but that doesn't mean you won't be seriously injured!"

He fixed his sights squarely on Inosuke.

With a burst of force beneath his feet, he charged forward at high speed.

"I'm the target? Hahahaha, then come on!" Inosuke showed no fear. Holding his dual blades, he took up his stance.

"Beast Breathing—Fifth Fang—Crazy Cutting!"

A self-created Breathing Style?

Sanemi Shinazugawa was slightly surprised. Then, facing the frenzied slashes rushing toward him, 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 to create a swift hurricane that instantly passed through several slashes.

At the same time, he kicked Inosuke in the back, sending him sliding face-down across the ground for a short distance.

His whole body hurt as well, but he was not actually injured. He immediately tried to get up and fight again. "Keep going! Next time, I'll definitely be able to cut you!"

But Sanemi Shinazugawa did not even turn his head as he barked coldly, "Shut up. You're already dead. Go stand off to the side!"

Being yelled at, Inosuke lost his temper and stubbornly shouted back, "Huh?! Who's dead?! I'm obviously still alive!"

"Is that so?"

Sanemi Shinazugawa abruptly turned around. His fierce gaze sent a chill down Inosuke's spine, and even his hands trembled slightly.

But even so, he did not back down.

"Yeah..."