The pitiful Zenitsu, thoroughly defeated, lay powerlessly on the ground. His senior, Yae, kept her foot firmly planted on his backside, her expression a mix of triumphant arrogance and lingering dissatisfaction.
The reason for Yae's annoyance was simple: she felt that Zenitsu had never once used his true strength when sparring with her.
In every match, Zenitsu was too afraid to risk his life. He went to extreme lengths to avoid a direct confrontation. Consequently, he didn't lose because he lacked power; he lost because of his cowardly nature.
This bizarre reason for his defeat was exactly what irked Yae so much.
If Zenitsu had truly been weaker than her, she could have accepted it. But according to their Master, Zenitsu's actual potential surpassed her own. The fact that his terrible personality kept him from winning was infuriating.
Thinking of this, Yae gave Zenitsu's rear a few more frustrated stomps just to vent her spleen.
Pinned to the dirt, Zenitsu sobbed, his tears streaming down his face like thick ribbons of noodles.
At some point, Horitake appeared beside them. He stared at the scene of Yae treading on Zenitsu with a look of profound speechlessness.
As he watched, Horitake noticed something was off.
Why had Zenitsu stopped moving?
Not only had he stopped struggling, but he had even stopped crying.
As Yae continued to step on him, Zenitsu seemed to have awakened a rather... peculiar preference. He lay there with a flushed face, a strangely blissful smile spreading across his lips.
Yae, completely oblivious to Zenitsu's internal state, continued to release her frustration, giving him an occasional kick or stomp.
Horitake watched his juniors in silence, his expression growing increasingly complicated.
Is this... under Yae's "disciplining," is Zenitsu starting to develop in a very strange direction? Is Yae going to have him wrapped around her finger for the rest of their lives?
Ultimately, Horitake decided it was best not to interfere in their dynamic. He would let nature take its course.
Clearing his throat to announce his presence, Horitake looked down at Zenitsu and spoke.
"Ahem. Zenitsu, aren't you being a bit too pathetic right now?"
Hearing Horitake's voice, both Zenitsu and Yae jerked their heads around. Realizing it was their eldest senior brother, they were overcome with joy and scrambled to their feet.
"Big brother! You're back!" Yae exclaimed.
"Senior! When did you get here?" Zenitsu added, his voice a mix of relief and habitual whining.
Horitake patted Yae's head and gave Zenitsu's shoulder a firm squeeze. "I just arrived. I came back to check on how you two were doing. By the way, Zenitsu, don't try to change the subject. Why are you being so lackluster lately?"
Under Horitake's stern gaze, Zenitsu looked like he was on the verge of tears again. "W-What choice do I have? Senior Yae really is stronger than me! I can't beat her, it's just a fact!"
Seeing Zenitsu's "woe-is-me" expression only made Horitake's irritation flare.
"Yae is indeed talented; her growth over the past year has been incredible. But Zenitsu, you've been training here at Momoyama for two years already. Your true strength isn't inferior to hers. So why do you let her suppress you so easily? Why do you lose so miserably every single time?"
Yae narrowed her eyes but remained silent, sensing it wasn't her place to cut in.
Zenitsu, meanwhile, looked even more aggrieved. "Why do you sound exactly like Gramps? You all keep saying I'm stronger, but I'm clearly not! Ever since Yae surpassed me, I haven't won a single time!"
A prominent vein throbbed on Horitake's forehead.
With such a weak will, how will he ever achieve anything great?!
Horitake felt a headache coming on. How on earth was he supposed to change Zenitsu's spineless, insecure personality?
Beside them, Yae finally lost her patience and snapped at him, "Zenitsu, Master and Horitake are right! Your overall strength is higher than mine. Why can't you just bring it out when we fight?"
"How is that possible?!" Zenitsu wailed, feeling as though the heavens themselves were being unfair. "How could I be stronger than you? You've mastered all six forms of Thunder Breathing, and you can use the first four at will! And me? To this day, I've only ever learned the First Form. I couldn't learn the others if my life depended on it! How could I possibly be stronger than you?"
Yae buried her face in her palm, speechless.
Horitake sighed, equally at a loss.
Even Jigoro Kuwajima, who had walked over during the exchange, found himself without words for a moment.
After a moment of thought, Jigoro decided he needed to bolster his youngest disciple's spirits. The old man stepped forward, placed a hand on Zenitsu's shoulder, and looked into his eyes. Using a tone filled with encouragement—and a heavy dose of "soul food" philosophy—he spoke.
"Zenitsu, it doesn't matter if you can only master the First Form despite all your effort. If you can't learn them all, then hone that one point to perfection. Reach the absolute peak. You have talent, Zenitsu. I believe that one day, you will unleash your ultimate potential!"
Seemingly moved by Jigoro's words, Zenitsu looked up at his grandfather with shimmering, tear-filled eyes. "Really? Gramps... do I really have talent?"
"Of course, Zenitsu. There is no doubt about it."
"Then... then how do I bring that talent out?"
That question caught Jigoro off guard. He hesitated, unsure of how to answer.
How do I tell him? 'You can only do it when you fall asleep and enter a state of semi-consciousness'? No, that's too discouraging.
While Jigoro was racking his brain for a suitable answer, Horitake seized the opportunity to interject.
"Zenitsu, if you want to unleash your true talent, you have to become brave. You have to face difficulty head-on and change this cowardly nature of yours. Now, I know that 'the mountains and rivers may change, but a man's nature remains the same.' Expecting you to change overnight is impossible. Therefore, there's only one way left: we have to drive the duck onto the perch. You have to push yourself into a corner!"
Zenitsu looked at his senior brother, confused. "P-Push myself? How?"
Seeing Zenitsu walk straight into the trap, Horitake allowed a broad, slightly mischievous grin to spread across his face.
"Zenitsu, go and take the Final Selection for the Demon Slayer Corps! If you want to become a member—if you want to survive that selection—you'll have to fight with everything you have just to stay alive! That is the best way to force yourself to grow!"
Jigoro's eyes lit up at the suggestion. He slammed his right fist into his left palm in a gesture of total agreement. "Your senior brother is right! Zenitsu, go to the Final Selection. Only by surviving that will you be able to force out your true potential!"
Watching his grandfather and senior brother play off each other like a practiced comedy duo, Zenitsu's face turned deathly pale.
The boy might be a coward, but he wasn't an idiot.
By now, he realized exactly what was happening. His grandfather and Horitake had joined forces to lay a trap for him, all for the sake of dragging him to the Final Selection!
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