Chinatsu vs. the Flame Hashira (2)

As the roar of an eruption of flames rang out, the entire Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters came alive.

Inside Chinatsu's temporary lodgings, Inosuke and Zenitsu sat cross-legged on the floor with black cloths covering their eyes, working hard to maintain Total Concentration Breathing.

Tanjiro paced around them, deliberately distracting them with his footsteps and occasionally resorting to more direct interference.

Like patting their heads.

Or reaching out to tickle the soles of their feet.

Inosuke handled this sort of direct interference fairly well, but Zenitsu lost his concentration almost every time. Tanjiro was driving him to the brink of a breakdown.

Tanjiro scratched the back of his head awkwardly. It wasn't as though he had invented this training method. Back when they were still training under Master Urokodaki, their teacher had simply told the two of them to calm their minds and maintain Total Concentration Breathing. If either of them let it lapse, he would swing the club in his hand at them without mercy.

Tanjiro had been stunned when he heard that. Remembering the force of Master Urokodaki's club, he had involuntarily shuddered.

But just as Master Urokodaki finished speaking, Chinatsu, who was sitting beside Tanjiro, raised her hand with a serious expression.

"Master Urokodaki! I don't think that's a very good idea!"

A puzzled expression crossed Urokodaki's face, and he gestured for Chinatsu to continue.

Tanjiro had initially assumed his sister was afraid of Master Urokodaki's repeated blows, just like he was. But after hearing what Chinatsu said next, he realized how far off the mark he had been.

"Master Urokodaki, learning Constant certainly isn't something we can do overnight. You can hit us during the day, but what about when we're asleep? Are you going to stay up watching us night after night all by yourself?"

Chinatsu spoke firmly. Urokodaki realized the problem too, then lowered his head with a couple of rueful chuckles.

If he had an assistant... no, even one more student who didn't need to train in Constant would have been enough. They could take turns, and his proposed method would work.

Unfortunately, he had neither an assistant nor any other students.

Seeing Urokodaki's forlorn expression, Chinatsu continued, "So, Master Urokodaki, let the two of us keep an eye on each other's Total Concentration Breathing. We're still young. Taking turns on the night shift won't be a problem!"

Hearing how thoughtfully Chinatsu had considered Urokodaki's well-being, Tanjiro felt a little ashamed that he hadn't noticed the problem right away. He was grateful his sister had caught it.

"That's right, Master Urokodaki! Just leave it to us! We'll keep each other on track! We definitely won't slack off!" Tanjiro said, looking earnestly at Urokodaki.

Urokodaki's heart swelled with emotion. They were so considerate of their teacher... what wonderful children they were!

In the end, Urokodaki agreed to Chinatsu's suggestion. For Total Concentration: Constant, he only explained the principles behind the technique and gave them a few somewhat useful tips. Chinatsu and Tanjiro handled the rest themselves.

Remembering how his sister had supervised him when he first practiced Total Concentration Breathing: Constant, Tanjiro shook his head helplessly. If he hadn't wanted to dampen their enthusiasm, he would have told them that what they were going through now was downright gentle compared to his own experience.

"Keep it up, both of you! You're already maintaining it for noticeably longer. I'm sure you'll master it before long!" Tanjiro said with a smile, clapping his hands.

Zenitsu and Inosuke were already starting to feel like giving up. If either of them had been training alone, he probably would have quit long ago.

But there were two of them now, and each had become a source of pressure for the other. Neither could bear to give up while the other was still going.

With this healthy rivalry driving them, both had made clear progress. From the moment they woke up that morning until now, neither had let his Total Concentration Breathing lapse.

Until... BOOM!!!

Inside the room, Inosuke and Zenitsu both jolted violently. Their previously steady Total Concentration Breathing vanished, and both toppled backward onto the floor with a thud.

"Tanjiro! Tanjiro! What happened?!"

With the black cloths still covering their eyes, neither could immediately see what had happened. Yet their bewildered questions received no response from Tanjiro.

Panicking, they hurriedly reached up to untie the cloths blocking their vision. But Tanjiro had tied them far too tightly, and undoing the knots by touch alone took quite some time.

When they finally pulled off their blindfolds and looked around, Tanjiro was nowhere to be seen. Still, the commotion coming from the distance told them where to find answers.

They grabbed their Nichirin Blades and rushed toward the source of the noise. Tanjiro, of course, had already arrived at the scene.

Tanjiro had an exceptionally keen sense of smell. Not only could he detect the faintest scents, he could even smell emotions. He had noticed something before the explosion rang out.

Was my sister using Hinokami Kagura?

Tanjiro was puzzled. The thought had barely crossed his mind when the explosion followed, coming from precisely the direction where Chinatsu was.

Sis?!

Tanjiro's heart clenched. He turned and broke into a sprint. By the time Zenitsu and Inosuke called out to him, he had already left the area. Now, as the two of them were only just starting to run, Tanjiro had already reached the Training Ground.

Black smoke still drifted through the Training Ground. Chinatsu stood at its center with her Nichirin Blade in hand, while the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku, held his blade up in a defensive stance at the edge.

Kyojuro had blocked Chinatsu's strike at the very last instant. He was panting lightly, and the wrist of the hand holding his Nichirin Blade trembled.

Her attack power is on an entirely different level from when she used Water Breathing in the first round. Both our sword auras are flames, but hers are unquestionably superior to mine.

As Kyojuro Rengoku considered this, he slowly lowered his guard. Gripping the hilt of his Nichirin Blade with both hands, he assumed a fighting stance once more.

Was he afraid?

His heart held nothing but excitement and admiration for Chinatsu.

Their eyes met. Neither spoke, and almost simultaneously, they pushed off the ground and charged again.

Their Nichirin Blades clashed in rapid succession. Rippling waves of sword aura scattered from the impacts, striking the ground and setting off one small explosion after another.

And amid their relentless exchange, the blades of their Nichirin Blades gradually began to glow red...