Urokodaki Was Stunned

Tanjiro froze for a moment when his blade seemed to suddenly catch fire. His breathing rhythm broke at once, and the flames on the blade abruptly died out.

As the flames vanished, an intense tightness gripped Tanjiro's chest. Fortunately, he had only used it for an instant. Had he kept it up any longer, or even performed a few sword techniques, he probably would have collapsed right there and spent some time out of commission, lying beside Nezuko.

"S-Sis... there was fire just now, right? There was fire, wasn't there?!" Though his chest felt uncomfortable, it did nothing to dampen Tanjiro's astonishment.

It was different from the rippling currents of Water Breathing, but it had undeniably produced a similar ripple of sword energy. Anyone with eyes could tell there was something unusual about those flames.

"It looks like our family's Hinokami Kagura is a Breathing Style too. Why don't we ask Master Urokodaki?" Chinatsu lowered her head and pretended to think for a moment, then raised a finger and offered her suggestion.

Consulting Urokodaki was unavoidable. Chinatsu couldn't have Tanjiro hide this from him; there was no reason to, and it wasn't that big a deal anyway. She could more or less guess how Urokodaki would react to the sword technique and what he would say.

At Chinatsu's suggestion, Tanjiro nodded firmly. The two turned and ran back to the wooden cabin, where they found Urokodaki.

At first, Urokodaki was baffled. A hereditary Breathing Style? Flames appearing? Flame Breathing? Wasn't that a Breathing Style passed down exclusively through the Rengoku Family?

With those questions hanging in the air, Tanjiro demonstrated Hinokami Kagura before Urokodaki for about five seconds. Urokodaki said nothing as flames suddenly surged in front of him. Though Chinatsu could guess a little of what his expression beneath the mask must have been, she was still intensely curious.

"How is this possible? What connection does your family have to the Rengoku Family? Kamado... Rengoku? No, no. These flames do look a little like those produced by Flame Breathing, but this shouldn't be Flame Breathing. Could it be another offshoot...?"

Urokodaki kept muttering quietly to himself. There was no way he could pin the answer on origin breathing, because most Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen knew very little about it. Only the Rengoku Family had any real knowledge of the subject.

After several minutes of thought, Urokodaki still had no answer and could only classify it as an offshoot Breathing Style. Perhaps he could have figured something out if Tanjiro used it a few more times, or even performed some sword techniques. But one glance at Tanjiro, who was already utterly drained after using Hinokami Kagura twice in quick succession, told him that any further investigation would have to wait.

"Should I write to the Rengoku Family and ask... No, forget it. Somehow, I doubt I'd learn much... Never mind, let's leave that aside. Tanjiro, don't practice this for now. I can tell just by looking that this Breathing Style takes a tremendous toll on the body. Build a solid foundation first!"

After muttering for a while, Urokodaki finally collected himself. He cleared his throat and gave his advice.

Tanjiro nodded weakly. He knew he had been too hasty in trying to use this Breathing Style.

After they said goodbye to Urokodaki and headed back to the outdoor training ground, Chinatsu easily got Tanjiro to explain the breathing method for Hinokami Kagura.

How had she asked?

Come on, she was his big sister! If Tanjiro wouldn't tell her, she could always resort to "threats and bribes"~

Of course, neither threats nor bribes proved necessary. As soon as Chinatsu asked, he readily told her the breathing method, saving her plenty of time and effort.

Even after learning it, Chinatsu didn't immediately start practicing. Urokodaki was right, after all. Hinokami Kagura put too much strain on the body. Building a solid foundation was what mattered most right now.

Once Tanjiro had rested for a while, he resumed his training. No one deserved the title of training maniac more than he did.

Before long, a year had passed.

Urokodaki watched numbly as Tanjiro trained earnestly on the training ground, with Chinatsu beside him, even serving as an assistant instructor. A breeze brushed the mask over his face, yet he somehow felt a faint stinging in his cheeks.

He had heard of people becoming a "Hashira" after just two months of training, but rumors were only rumors. Seeing someone reach this level after a year of training with his own eyes was astonishing enough. After all, an ordinary person would probably only master two or three Water Breathing techniques in a year.

Do I have nothing left to teach them...?

Urokodaki lifted his head toward the newly risen sun, then lowered it to look at the two again and called them over.

The moment Tanjiro heard Urokodaki call, he eagerly trotted over. Chinatsu, on the other hand, walked over calmly. The breeze lifted her long hair, and she casually raised a hand to tuck the slightly tousled strands beside her ear back into place.

Chinatsu: Look at this aura of effortless cool!

Urokodaki: So you really do have a quiet, gentle side.

Chinatsu: *...*

When Chinatsu and Tanjiro reached him, Urokodaki cleared his throat softly. He had intended to tell them that he had nothing left to teach them, and that if they wished, they could enter the Demon Slayer Corps' Final Selection...

Just as Urokodaki was about to say this, however, Tanjiro spoke first, trapping the words in his throat.

"Master Urokodaki! What are we learning next?!"

Tanjiro's eyes shone with a thirst for knowledge. As a training maniac, he put that hunger on full display.

Faced with Tanjiro's question, Urokodaki was at a loss for words.

Deep down, he didn't actually want Tanjiro and Chinatsu to enter Final Selection. Slaying demons was dangerous work, and ninety percent of Demon Slayer Corps members never lived long enough to leave the service.

For reasons he couldn't explain, his students often failed to survive Final Selection. Urokodaki trusted his own ability to train them, and he had just as much faith in his students' strength.

After countless students completed his training, went to Final Selection, and died, Urokodaki had gradually closed himself off. If not for Giyu Tomioka's referral, he never would have taken on new students.

Could I really just let Chinatsu and Tanjiro enter Final Selection like this?

No, wait! It's not as though there's absolutely nothing left to teach them. I haven't taught them that technique yet, have I? They can enter Final Selection after they master it.

I absolutely cannot let any more of my students die during Final Selection!

Beneath his mask, a glimmer of light appeared in Urokodaki's dull eyes.

He looked at Tanjiro and Chinatsu before him and said, "One final technique... There's only one technique left that I can teach you. Once you master it, I'll agree to let you enter Final Selection. And its name is [Total Concentration: Constant]!"