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Chapter 92: Kocho Shinobu's Interruption
The battle between Busujima Saeko and Tomioka Giyuu waged on. However, Tanjiro, watching from the sidelines, was completely stunned.
"Eh?"
After a long pause, Tanjiro finally processed the information, blurting out in absolute disbelief, "Mr. Suyan, you're not a member of the Demon Slayer Corps?!"
"I'm not," Suyan replied with a light chuckle.
"I... you... this..." For a moment, Tanjiro was at a loss for words.
He had genuinely believed Suyan belonged to a secret organization dedicated to hunting demons. He never expected to hear otherwise directly from the man himself. Furthermore, Suyan's companion was currently fighting a member of that very demon-hunting corps. And she was using his family's Hinokami Kagura to do it. Was this right?
Tanjiro sneaked a glance at Suyan. He couldn't help but wonder—was he actually a bad guy?
Because the dense scent of blood radiating from the purple-haired woman earlier was so dangerous it made him want to flee. He had never met someone so terrifying. The aura surrounding her was even more horrific than that of a supposed demon.
Yet, this terrifying woman was able to completely withdraw that murderous aura with just a single word from Suyan, making it so Tanjiro's sharp nose couldn't detect a single trace of danger from her anymore.
So, what about the seemingly gentle Mr. Suyan standing in front of him? Was he using a similar method to conceal his own aura? Had it been a mistake to teach him the family's Hinokami Kagura?
In that moment, a thousand thoughts raced through Tanjiro's mind, a tangled, chaotic mess like wet cement being churned inside his head.
"Stupid brother! How could Suyan-niisan be a bad guy?!" Sensing the turmoil on her brother's face, Nezuko stepped forward. She marched up to Tanjiro, clenched her small fist, and lightly knocked him on the forehead.
She then turned back to Suyan and asked, "Right, Suyan-niisan?"
It had to be said, Nezuko was quite clever. After noticing her brother's internal conflict, she deliberately belittled him to ask Suyan the question they both desperately wanted answered in a much lighter, casual tone.
"Well, you could say that." Suyan smiled. "At the very least, I'm not a villain. If I had to define myself, I'm just an ordinary passerby who happens to possess some power."
"At most, I'm just a tiny bit stronger than the Demon Slayer Corps." As he spoke, Suyan held up his thumb and index finger, gesturing a minuscule gap.
"Suyan-niisan, I believe you," Nezuko said earnestly. She didn't forget to shoot her foolish brother a disdainful glare.
If it wasn't for Suyan, they wouldn't have even known their family's Hinokami Kagura dance was something so incredible. Besides, knowing her brother's personality, if Suyan simply wanted to learn it, he wouldn't have needed to go through so much trouble. Moreover, he had already learned it. Even if he were a bad guy, did their family have anything else worth scheming over? Why would he bother pretending to be nice to them now?
"Right, Mr. Suyan, I believe you too." Seeing his sister's judgmental stare, Tanjiro awkwardly scratched his head, finally coming to his senses and quickly speaking up.
"Alright, let's keep watching their fight," Suyan said with a smile, not offering any further explanation. "Especially you, Tanjiro. Didn't you want to join the Demon Slayer Corps and do your part?"
"That man is the Water Hashira. He practices Water Breathing, which is derived from Sun Breathing—your Hinokami Kagura. For you, this Water Breathing is absolutely the most suitable style to train in right now. If you join the Demon Slayer Corps, he might even become your senior apprentice brother."
Suyan said this not just because Tanjiro learned Water Breathing in the anime. Water Breathing, as one of the five basic derivatives of Sun Breathing, was inherently the most adaptable Breathing Style for ordinary people. It not only branched off into numerous other styles like Flower, Insect, and Serpent Breathing, but it was also the most widely practiced style in the Demon Slayer Corps.
As for Sun Breathing? Not everyone was Yoriichi Tsugikuni. The physical toll of this Breathing Style on a normal person was immense. Even without awakening the Demon Slayer Mark, persistently practicing Sun Breathing guaranteed a shortened lifespan.
.....
Back on the battlefield. By now, Saeko had fully executed all twelve forms of Sun Breathing. She was slowly becoming comfortable with this so-called strongest Breathing Style.
Conversely, her opponent, the Water Hashira Tomioka Giyuu, was having a miserable time.
Her swordplay... it's gotten smoother?!
Though his face remained an emotionless, icy mask, Giyuu felt an even greater pressure radiating from Saeko than before.
To improve this much after just learning the Breathing Style and performing the forms once...
If only she wasn't a demon. With such formidable talent, she probably wasn't far off from Sabito. If she were human, she could easily become a Hashira.
I can't let this drag on. Giyuu's eyes narrowed. He hadn't been fighting at full strength; a portion of his attention had been locked onto Suyan the entire time.
If this woman fighting him was already this strong, he couldn't begin to imagine the strength of the man commanding her. Was he one of the Twelve Kizuki? Or perhaps the legendary Demon King, Muzan?
Regardless, he had to focus his complete attention and use all his power to deal with the woman in front of him. Otherwise... he might...
Lose?! I'm going to lose to a demon in a battle of Breathing Styles?! How is that possible?!
The mere thought made Giyuu's breathing falter momentarily.
"Water Breathing, Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust—" Giyuu corrected his rhythm, preparing to launch his full-power Seventh Form.
"My, my, isn't this Mr. Tomioka Giyuu? What a coincidence."
"To think our grand Water Hashira could look so pathetic."
"How incredibly rare~"
Suddenly, a crisp, cool voice echoed through the air. It not only interrupted Giyuu's attack but also caused Saeko, who was preparing to launch another Sun Breathing form, to halt her advance.
Everyone turned toward the sound. Standing gracefully on a nearby tree branch was a short-haired girl wearing a haori with a butterfly wing pattern.
The girl had short black hair with purple tips and bangs, adorned with a butterfly hairpiece at the back. Bathed in the moonlight, her petite figure looked exactly like a butterfly ready to take flight.
"Kocho Shinobu?!"
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