Time flew by and it was breakfast time.
Everyone took their seats, and the table was filled with steaming hot breakfasts that looked and smelled delicious.
Aoi Kanzaki sat at the table, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Nevertheless, she tried her best to suppress her emotions and appear as calm as possible, then asked Teiichi, who was sitting opposite her:
"Brother Teiichi, when will our special training begin?"
Upon hearing this, Shinobu Kocho frowned slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes.
"Special training? I've never heard you mention that before."
Teiichi was also somewhat taken aback.
He doesn't know either!
Just as I was about to ask for details, Kanae's voice rang out first.
"Isn't Aoi going to participate in the Final Selection after the New Year? So I discussed it with Teiichi this morning and asked him to give Aoi some special training, which should make things safer for her then."
After explaining, Kanae turned her gaze to Teiichi.
"Hey! Right, Teiichi?"
"Ah, is that so!" Teiichi nodded in agreement.
Despite the two having been arguing all morning, Teiichi didn't recall Kanae mentioning it.
However, since Kanae has said so, I'll accept it.
and...
Is Aoi Kanzaki also going to participate in the Final Selection?
"Oh, in that case, Aoi really should receive special training!"
Shinobu Kocho nodded in agreement.
She had a general understanding of Aoi's strength.
Although Aoi's foundation seems decent, her mindset doesn't seem to be quite right.
It's fine when I practice sword techniques by myself, but once I spar with someone, I feel hesitant and timid.
She's already like this after sparring with people, she's really worried that when Kui gets to Mount Fujikasane and sees a ghost, she'll be too afraid to fight even though she could clearly beat it.
Kanae turned her gaze to Kanao and asked, " Kanao, would you like to participate in the special training?"
Upon hearing this, everyone turned their attention to Kanao.
Despite being surrounded by her closest friends and family, Kanao couldn't help but feel a surge of nervousness under their gaze.
Her little hands frantically searched her body, but the more anxious she became, the less she could find what she was looking for.
"No need to rush! Take your time, it's okay!" Kanae smiled gently at her.
Kanae's words were like a gentle spring breeze, easing Kanao's tension considerably.
The little hand continued to search through her body, and finally pulled out an old-fashioned copper coin from her pocket.
With a clang, the copper coin flew high into the air and spun continuously.
Everyone's eyes followed the rise and fall of the copper coin.
Snap!
Kanao covered the back of her hand with the copper coin.
Then, Kanao gently lifted her covered hand and examined the copper coin on the back of her hand intently, confirming the result of heads or tails.
He then raised his head, smiled at Kanae, and said nothing.
Teiichi as Teiichi was feeling puzzled, Kanae raised her hand and gently patted her shoulder, a knowing smile spreading across her face:
"Is that so? You didn't get to the other side of the argument? Let's try again!"
Hearing Kanae's words, Kanao nodded and tossed the coin again.
After confirming the coin's orientation, Kanao spoke up this time, "I'm fine with either."
Seeing this, Kanae's face beamed with satisfaction. "Alright! Let's participate together with Aoi!"
Kanao smiled but didn't say anything.
"When will it start?" Aoi Kanzaki asked.
Kanae turned to Teiichi and said, " Teiichi should arrange this!"
Teiichi and asked, "What level have Aoi and Kanao reached in their training?"
Because it involved Kanao, who wasn't very talkative, Kanae spoke up to introduce her:
"Aoi is already quite proficient in both Breathing Style and sword stances! Kanao also knows both Breathing Style and sword stances, but she's only just begun!"
You don't even know how to Total Concentration Breathing Style, do you?
Aoi Kanzaki answered honestly, "Yeah, not yet!"
Teiichi looked at Kanae and asked, "May I take up their entire day?"
Kanae nodded. "Sure, now we have Kiyoshi, Sumi, and Naho to help. They're not as skilled as Aoi, but it's enough! It'll also be a good opportunity for them to familiarize themselves with the Butterfly Mansion's procedures!"
"That's good!" Teiichi looked at Aoi Kanzaki and Kanao.
"Therefore, our training plan will consist of practicing Total Concentration Breathing Style and sword stances in the morning, and physical conditioning and sparring simulations in the afternoon. This will improve your swordsmanship skills as well as your physical fitness and adaptability."
"OK!"
Aoi Kanzaki nodded with slight excitement upon hearing this, while Kanao remained silent beside her.
"Shall we start today?" Aoi Kanzaki asked.
Kanae said, "Tomorrow! Teiichi only came back yesterday, let him rest for a day first!"
Teiichi hearing this, Kanae with a puzzled expression.
For Demon Slayer, this level of damage is nothing.
Seeing Teiichi's puzzled look, Kanae gently placed her left hand on her chest, indicating that she still needed to treat the wound on Teiichi's chest.
Teiichi nodded knowingly upon seeing this.
"Can we still spar with Brother Teiichi?" Kanon asked, sitting to the side.
Shinobu Kocho also looked over when she heard Kanon's words.
When Teiichi first came back, I would practice with them every afternoon, except for the two days during the Chinese New Year.
Although it's not a life-or-death battle, having someone who is clearly much stronger than you to spar with would be great.
It is still very useful for personal growth.
You can more easily identify your shortcomings and how to improve.
For this reason, the strength of everyone in the Butterfly Mansion has improved considerably in recent years.
With Gyomei Himejima not participating in the Hashira Battles, Kanae almost always won first place in every Hashira Battles.
However, as Giyu Tomioka and Sanemi Shinazugawa's physical abilities improve, Kanae is now feeling increasingly pressured.
Although Shinobu Kocho has only recently become a Pillar and lacks sufficient strength, her years of dedicated training in speed have left the other Pillars frustrated by her speed.
After all, humans aren't ghosts; no matter how much they cultivate, their physical defenses are still quite weak.
Shinobu Kocho's strength was weak only because she was facing a demon of the same level.
As a demon's strength increases, all aspects of its physical abilities also improve, which is why Shinobu Kocho was unable to cut off its neck.
However, Shinobu Kocho, who can pierce through the skin of demons with her exclusive Nichirin Blade, can easily leave a red mark on her opponent when fighting humans.
Therefore, Shinobu Kocho, despite having only recently become a Pillar and having only participated in one Hashira Battles,
However, they achieved a near-mid-range ranking in this Hashira Battles.