Arakawa Akihiro gave a broad overview of what the Hiko Dojo taught, giving Su Mu a deeper understanding of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu.
Without a doubt, this was the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu Su Mu knew from Rurouni Kenshin, and it was no less powerful than the Demon Slayer Corps' Breathing Styles.
The difference was that the Demon Slayer Corps' Breathing Styles focused more on fighting demons, while Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu focused more on fighting humans.
Su Mu had arrived late at night, and Arakawa Akihiro stopped after speaking for roughly an hour. Knowing that he needed to rest, Su Mu said his goodbyes and prepared to leave.
Before leaving, however, he asked Arakawa Akihiro to demonstrate this Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu for him.
Arakawa Akihiro hesitated for a moment, then agreed.
Returning to the open training ground, Arakawa Akihiro looked at Su Mu before turning toward a straw dummy standing there.
He placed his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist and leaned forward slightly. His expression became utterly serious, and his eyes narrowed.
Though Su Mu was not facing him directly, he could vaguely sense a razor-sharp presence bearing down on him.
Then, in an instant, Arakawa Akihiro stepped forward.
He drew his sword, pulling it free of its sheath.
This was the standard opening stance of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, as well as its very essence: the sword-drawing slash.
A cold gleam flashed through the dim night. The keen blade sliced through the air in an instant, completing its strike before the eye could even catch it.
Only when Arakawa Akihiro sheathed his sword did Su Mu realize that the straw dummy had already been cut in half.
Having given Su Mu a brief demonstration of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, Arakawa Akihiro turned and went straight back inside. It was late enough, and he needed his rest.
After Arakawa Akihiro left, Su Mu approached the straw dummy. The cut was smooth and clean, bringing that slash back into his mind.
As a demon, his physique, strength, eyesight, and perception were undoubtedly far superior to a human's. By human standards, he had already surpassed the limits of the body. Yet he had not even seen Arakawa Akihiro's slash clearly.
He could sense that Arakawa Akihiro's physical capabilities were considerably better than an ordinary person's, but nowhere near the point of breaking human limits. Yet even Su Mu had been unable to follow the speed of his sword in that instant.
With physical capabilities far beyond Arakawa Akihiro's, Su Mu believed he could deliver a slash just as fast. But he would merely be relying on a demon's powerful body, whereas Arakawa Akihiro had accomplished it with a frail human one. One relied on the body's inherent abilities; the other transcended them. There was simply no comparison.
If Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu could unleash such power through a human body alone, how powerful would it become when wielded with his formidable demonic body?
The thought stirred excitement in him.
After leaving the Hiko Dojo, Su Mu sought out several merchants in town. These merchants traveled far and wide, so they were well informed and knew a great deal.
Although Mount Sagiri was not particularly famous, he still learned its exact location from one merchant. In fact, he learned not only where Mount Sagiri was, but also the locations of Mount Fujikasane and Mount Natagumo.
Mount Fujikasane was where the Demon Slayer Corps tested its swordsmen. Only those who passed its trial could become demon slayers in the Corps.
Mount Natagumo, meanwhile, was currently the territory of Rui, Lower Rank Six of the Twelve Kizuki. According to the merchants, Mount Natagumo was extremely dangerous at night, and several merchants had "disappeared" while passing through.
Those "disappearances" clearly meant they had encountered demons. Evidently, Rui, the current Lower Rank Six of the Twelve Kizuki, had not yet been slain. Otherwise, so many merchants would not still be disappearing on Mount Natagumo.
This gave Su Mu a clearer understanding of where he currently stood in the story.
His only regret was that none of the merchants had any news of Tanjiro Kamado. After all, who would pay attention to a family selling charcoal deep in the mountains?
Though he was somewhat disappointed not to learn where Tanjiro Kamado lived, he now knew Mount Sagiri's location. Finding Tanjiro Kamado's home would not be difficult; he simply needed to search the surrounding area.
He believed it would not take too much time.
Still, he would have to be especially careful during his search. Sakonji Urokodaki, the Demon Slayer Corps' Water Hashira, lived in seclusion on Mount Sagiri. If he discovered Su Mu was a demon, he would likely cut his head off.
After questioning the merchants, Su Mu looked up at the sky. It was getting late, and his body had already begun sending instinctive warnings-the instinctive fear of sunlight.
Clearly, his demonic instincts were reminding him that he had to find shelter from the sunlight before the sun rose.
Su Mu hurried back.
As a demon, he possessed a powerful body and never grew tired, so traveling was no hardship.
As the sun slowly rose, its rays pierced the darkness and brought light to the earth. Almost every creature active in the dark went into hiding. Su Mu also made it back to the cave as the sun rose.
The cave was damp and dark. Su Mu walked onward in silence, offering no response as he passed the white bones carpeting the ground.
Having once been human, he felt uneasy seeing his own kind treated this way. But now he was a demon, and to demons, these were merely food.
They were no different from the chicken or duck he had eaten as a human. For demons, moreover, this was food they had to consume, and it could even make their bodies more complete.
Yet even knowing all this, he still could not grow accustomed to it. It still made him uncomfortable.
Just as he closed his eyes and prepared to continue onward, his steps halted.
Among the white bones carpeting the ground lay another skeleton, still stained with fresh blood. But that was not what caught his attention. It was the torn clothing beside it, and... a sword.
Though the clothing had been torn apart, he could still make out the standard uniform of the Demon Slayer Corps.
And that sword... was a weapon used exclusively by the Demon Slayer Corps to hunt demons, known as the
"color-changing blade," also called... a Nichirin Blade.