If you want it, come and get it

Tanjiro's training ground had been forcibly turned into an obstacle course.

Not only did he have to practice his Breathing Style, but he also had to stay alert for suddenly falling trees or weave and leap between their trunks.

At first, he kept making mistakes, tripping over branches several times.

But gradually, his reactions grew faster and faster.

Under this intense "interference," his breathing actually began to find a hint of rhythm.

Urokodaki stood to one side, watching.

He watched Tanjiro maneuver nimbly among the piles of trees, his sword swings growing smoother and his gaze more resolute.

His tightly furrowed brow gradually relaxed.

Perhaps... this kind of "interference" wasn't entirely useless?

At noon, Urokodaki called the two of them back to the cottage to eat.

The clearing in front of the cottage was already piled high with the trunks Kirishima Bupai had felled, looking like a small mountain of firewood.

Urokodaki took out three boxed lunches and set them on a makeshift table built from stones.

Tanjiro's stomach had long since started growling with hunger. He hurriedly sat down and pressed his palms together. "Let's eat!"

Pressing his lips together, Kirishima Bupai also sat down without ceremony and picked up his lunch, about to open it.

Urokodaki cleared his throat and began explaining the Demon Slayer Corps.

"The Demon Slayer Corps is a secret organization outside government jurisdiction. Its sole purpose is to slay evil demons."

"It has training sites throughout the country, and each trainer teaches recruits a Breathing Style suited to their individual qualities."

At this point, he paused and looked at Tanjiro. "To join the Demon Slayer Corps, you must pass the Final Selection held on Mount Fujikasane."

"That place is a den of evil demons. Only by surviving for seven days and successfully slaying a certain number of demons can you become a full-fledged member."

Tanjiro listened so intently that he forgot to move his chopsticks. "Mount Fujikasane... the Final Selection..."

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kirishima Bupai pick up Urokodaki's lunch and open the lid...

Then... gulp it all down in one go!

It all happened as fast as a gust of wind. By the time Tanjiro reacted, Kirishima Bupai had already patted his stomach and let out a satisfied belch.

The air instantly froze.

Tanjiro's eyes widened, and his chopsticks clattered to the ground.

Urokodaki slowly turned his head, his gaze beneath the Tengu Mask seeming ready to spit fire.

He was silent for three seconds. Then, with a crack, he snapped the chopsticks in his hands clean in two.

"Kiri! Shima!"

Urokodaki squeezed the words through clenched teeth with the force of mountains collapsing and the earth splitting apart.

Licking his lips, Kirishima Bupai turned and gave Urokodaki a brilliant smile.

He picked up two broken lengths of chopstick and raised them high, imitating the way one held a sword.

With a chuckle, he pressed his thumb against the chopsticks and flashed two rows of white teeth in a wholesome grin. "If you want it, come and get it."

"I'll get you, you little brat!" Trembling with rage, Urokodaki sprang up from the ground and lunged at Kirishima Bupai.

Kirishima Bupai shifted, easily dodging Urokodaki's lunge, and began running around the cottage like a nimble monkey.

"You little pest, how can you eat so much?!"

Urokodaki chased close behind, so angry that he could barely speak coherently. "How long have you even been here? Are you trying to eat me into poverty?!"

"I swear you came here just to make trouble for this old man!"

"Last year, you stole and ate all the food I'd put away for winter! I had to live on wild greens for a month!"

"Last month, you used the foxes I keep as training targets and chased them so much they didn't dare come home for three days!"

"Last week, you replaced all the wooden training swords with iron ones! You nearly wore Tanjiro's arms off!"

"And yesterday! You actually poured out my treasured liquor and replaced it with vinegar! Do you know I'd been keeping that liquor for ten years?!"

As Urokodaki chased him, he listed Kirishima Bupai's "crimes," each one enough to make him faint with anger.

Tanjiro stood where he was, watching the old man chase the young one through the woods.

One bristled with fury while the other laughed without a care, leaving Tanjiro unsure whether to intervene or laugh.

Just then, two dark shapes suddenly burst out of the thick mist and lunged straight at Tanjiro!

Demons!

The two demons looked like twins, both wearing eerie smiles, their long, sharp nails gleaming coldly.

They had clearly been drawn by the commotion and immediately singled out Tanjiro, who looked like the easiest target.

Tanjiro's heart clenched, and he instinctively reached to draw his sword, only to be stunned by the sight that suddenly unfolded before him.

Kirishima Bupai, who had still been running, abruptly stopped. He turned to face the two charging demons, a playful smile curling his lips.

This was the perfect chance to show off!

Kirishima Bupai stamped his right foot forward, and a thin crack instantly split the ground beneath it.

He drew a deep breath, held it for a beat, then called out that signature line in an utterly calm voice:

"You shall die-!"

The instant the words fell, the surrounding space seemed to be torn apart by an invisible hand.

Countless pitch-black void slashes appeared out of thin air, raining down in a torrential barrage!

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The large trees Kirishima Bupai had just felled were instantly reduced to dust beneath the void slashes.

The ground became pitted and uneven, as though countless plows had torn through it, sending broken stones flying.

Before the two demons could even see what was happening, the slashes engulfed them.

Kirishima Bupai dropped to one knee and performed that familiar sword-sheathing motion.

Holding the scabbard horizontally before his chest in his left hand, he guided the blade precisely into it, the guard stopping right at his chin.

Clang!

The instant the blade slid into its sheath, the surrounding space burst apart again, raising a gale that sent debris from the ground swirling through the air.

By the time the wind died down, the two demons had vanished without a trace, as though they had never appeared at all.

Tanjiro's mouth hung wide enough to fit an egg.

He stared blankly at the scene before him, then looked at the perfectly calm Kirishima Bupai, his heart pounding wildly.

So strong... this was absurdly strong!

With just one sentence and one movement, he had completely destroyed two seemingly powerful demons, leaving not even ashes behind!

Tanjiro clenched his fists, excitement shining in his eyes.

He would become that strong too! He had to!

For Nezuko, for everyone the demons had hurt, he had to work twice as hard!

Urokodaki, who had been chasing him, also stopped and looked at the ravaged ground before him.

Then he looked at the unruffled Kirishima Bupai and opened his mouth, but in the end, he merely sighed.

Forget it. At least the brat knew to protect Tanjiro.

From that day on, Kirishima Bupai all but took over from Sakonji Urokodaki, becoming Tanjiro's "personal coach."

His training method was simple and brutal-actual combat.