Giyu Tomioka stood ten meters away from the main group, his face expressionless as he quietly honed his swordsmanship. He paid no mind to how blatantly he was isolating himself, because he knew one thing.
"I... am not disliked."
Giyu Tomioka practiced Water Breathing, one of the five basic breathing styles. Among the five basic breathing techniques, it was an all-rounder.
Water Breathing was also the easiest of the five basic breathing styles to learn. Most of the Demon Slayer Corps' Breathing swordsmen practiced it.
Giyu Tomioka calmly swung his azure Nichirin Blade, repeating his Water Breathing sword techniques over and over. The sight stood in stark contrast to everyone else, who was fighting fiercely in pairs ten meters away.
Giyu Tomioka suddenly stopped moving, closed his eyes, and devoted his full concentration to the sword technique he had created: "Water Breathing, Eleventh Form: Dead Calm."
At that moment, the circular area around him seemed to become a forbidden zone. This was the strongest defensive Water Breathing technique Giyu Tomioka had created. In the original story, he had used it to block attacks from Upper Rank Three, Akaza, several times.
Giyu Tomioka did not actually need to close his eyes to use this technique. He was only doing so now to concentrate further and see whether he could refine it.
Refining this technique was no small challenge, however. After pondering quietly for a while and getting nowhere, Giyu Tomioka sighed helplessly. When he opened his eyes, Chinatsu-a whole living, breathing person-had appeared before him without him noticing a thing.
"Hey~ I've come to keep you company~"
Smiling, Chinatsu kept one hand behind her back and waved at him with the other. Looking at the woman who had suddenly appeared before him and hearing her words, Giyu Tomioka fell into a