Chapter 65: She Wanted to Become Stronger So Badly
Night. In the courtyard.
Tatsu stood quietly in the center of the courtyard, gazing silently at the young girl before him.
"Kanae."
He leaned forward slightly, his tall figure casting a long shadow under the moonlight that just happened to envelop the girl before him.
"Tatsu, I'm listening."
Kanae Kocho raised her head slightly upon hearing this.
"The Transparent World is not something you'see' with your eyes."
Tatsu took half a step forward, and the distance between them instantly narrowed to an extremely intimate degree.
He could even clearly smell the fresh, warm fragrance belonging to a human on Kanae, mixed with the crisp scent of wisteria, which stimulated his instincts as a demon at every moment.
Yet, relying on his formidable willpower, he suppressed that bloodthirsty impulse, transforming it into another, deeper, and more lingering desire.
Tatsu slowly raised his hand, his pale, bloodless fingertips pausing in the air for half a second before finally touching lightly between Kanae's brows.
The moment Tatsu's fingertips touched Kanae's warm skin, she couldn't help but shiver slightly.
That icy sensation spread rapidly from between her brows throughout her entire body, yet it didn't feel repulsive; instead, it was like a clear spring, forcing her brain, which had become heated from intense concentration, to calm down.
"Close your eyes, Kanae."
Tatsu's voice was close at hand, his warm breath brushing lightly against Kanae's earlobe, causing her originally fair earlobe to instantly flush with a faint crimson hue.
Kanae obediently closed her eyes as instructed.
"Deprive yourself of your visual reliance on the outside world, and feel."
Tatsu's finger slid slowly down from between her brows, his fingertip brushing lightly over the bridge of her straight nose, finally resting on the side of her neck.
Beneath that thin layer of skin, through his extraordinary perception as a demon, Tatsu could clearly "see" the flow of Kanae's blood, the contraction of her muscles, and her heart, which was gradually beating faster due to his proximity.
"Thump... thump... thump..."
To Tatsu, that heartbeat was simply the most wonderful melody in this world.
"Feel your own breathing, feel the trajectory of the blood rushing through your veins, and feel the subtle tremors of every muscle fiber as they contract and relax."
Tatsu lowered his head slightly, his thin lips almost brushing against Kanae's earlobe.
Kanae bit her lower lip, trying hard to shift her attention away from Tatsu's heart-stirring touch.
She took a deep breath and, following Tatsu's guidance, attempted to sink her consciousness deep into her own body.
She was the creator of Flower Breathing, and her control over her body was already far beyond that of ordinary people, but the "Transparent World" was a completely different realm.
It required her to break through her existing cognition and peer into the essence of life.
Time passed slowly. The first hour passed.
The night wind gradually became chilly, and a fine layer of sweat seeped onto Kanae's forehead.
Her brows furrowed slightly, and on that face which always maintained a gentle smile, a rare trace of strain appeared at this moment.
To infinitely amplify her perception while her vision was closed off, and to gain insight into that microscopic universe within her body, consumed a tremendous amount of her Spiritual energy.
"Don't be impatient, Kanae."
Tatsu had maintained his position standing behind her. He reached out his hands and loosely circled them around Kanae's waist.
His left hand gently covered Kanae's lower abdomen—the location of the dantian.
Through the thin fabric of her uniform, the coldness of Tatsu's palm collided with the warmth of Kanae's abdomen.
Kanae's body stiffened abruptly for a moment, and her breathing faltered for half a beat.
"Your breathing is disordered." Tatsu whispered a reminder, his tone carrying a hint of a smile.
His icy palm pressed gently against her abdomen, guiding her to regain the rhythm of Flower Breathing.
"Inhale air into your lungs, then imagine it turning into thousands of threads, wandering through your limbs and bones. Do not 'think' about what you should see, but let your body naturally 'present' it to you."
Kanae gave a soft "Mn," the sound as soft and glutinous as a ball of cotton. Due to extreme focus and physical exertion, her voice carried a slight gasp at the end.
She tried hard to calm her state of mind, chewing over Tatsu's teachings in her mind repeatedly. She wanted to become stronger so badly.
Although she always faced everyone with a smile and always prayed gently for humans and demons to coexist peacefully, as a Hashira, she knew better than anyone how much powerful strength was needed to support this gentleness.
She wanted to possess the strength to protect everything, and even... to protect this man before her who, despite being a demon, poured all his gentleness upon her.
The second hour. Kanae's physical strength was exhausted to a critical point.
Her body began to sway slightly involuntarily, and her originally rosy lips now turned a shade of pale.
Sweat trickled down her long, swan-like neck, slid past her collarbones, and finally disappeared into the darkness deep within her neckline.
This scene fell into Tatsu's eyes, causing his blood-colored pupils to instantly darken by several shades.
He could clearly see that the expansion of Kanae's lungs had reached its limit, and that her muscle fibers were experiencing a subtle tearing sensation due to prolonged tension.
But he did not call a stop immediately. He knew what kind of astonishing stubbornness existed in the bones of this seemingly weak girl. Beneath her gentle appearance was a blade that would rather break than bend.
Tatsu took a step forward, completely filling the last sliver of space between them. His chest pressed against Kanae's back.
At that moment, Kanae felt Tatsu's heartbeat.
"Tatsu..." Kanae murmured in a low voice while her eyes were closed, her voice carrying thick exhaustion and a trace of imperceptible grievance.
She felt as if she were sinking in a chaotic deep sea; no matter how hard she tried to grasp it, that so-called "Transparent World" remained like the moon in the water, shattering at the slightest touch.
"I am here." Tatsu's reply was brief and firm.
He raised his hand and gently wiped the sweat from Kanae's forehead and the side of her neck with his wide sleeve.
Tatsu's other hand slid down, grasping Kanae's right hand, which had become somewhat cold from overexertion. He interlaced his fingers with hers, wrapping her hand within his palm.
"Relax, Kanae. Your muscles are too tense, which will hinder the flow of blood and qi. The Transparent World is not something you force; it is an epiphany that comes naturally when the conditions are ripe."
His thumb gently stroked the back of Kanae's hand, a gesture filled with reassurance that miraculously caused Kanae's taut nerves to relax a little.
She leaned her back slightly backward, entrusting a portion of her body's weight to the man behind her.
This action was filled with unreserved trust; for a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, entrusting one's back to a demon was in itself a madness that defied common sense. But between them, it seemed so natural.
The third hour. Kanae still kept her eyes closed, but her brows had smoothed out.
It was not because she had comprehended anything, but because extreme exhaustion had rendered her brain unable to engage in high-intensity thinking any longer.
She could feel her consciousness gradually dissipating, and every muscle in her body was screaming with soreness.
That "Transparent World" which Tatsu had described with such clarity remained, for her, a thick fog that she could not penetrate.
She could not see the rhythm of muscles, could not see the flow of blood; all she could feel was the strength coming from Tatsu holding her hand, and the comforting sound of his breathing right by her ear.
Finally, Kanae exhaled a long breath, carrying a trace of helpless frustration. Those eyes, tightly closed for three hours, slowly opened.
Her purple eyes were misted with a faint layer of moisture from being closed for so long, shimmering under the moonlight, looking pitifully endearing.
She turned her head slightly to look at Tatsu, who had been standing behind her all along. The corners of her mouth still strove to curve upward, outlining that smile that was gentle to the bone, though this smile now held an extra measure of apology and self-mockery.
"Ara ara... it seems I really am quite stupid, Tatsu."
She lowered her eyes slightly, her long eyelashes masking the trace of disappointment in her eyes. "Even though you've taught me so thoroughly, and even stood with me for three whole hours... yet, I seem to have comprehended nothing. That Transparent World is still too far away for me."
As she spoke, she attempted to withdraw from Tatsu's embrace. Due to the soreness in her body, her movements appeared somewhat unsteady.
Seeing this, Tatsu was quick-witted and reached out, wrapping his arm around her slender, willow-like waist, pulling her back into his embrace.
This action was somewhat overbearing, yet the force was controlled with extreme precision, without hurting her in the slightest.
Kanae gave a soft exclamation, her hands subconsciously pressing against Tatsu's chest. The distance between the two was extremely close at this moment; Kanae could even clearly see the surging emotions in the depths of Tatsu's eyes.
Her cheeks burned uncontrollably, and that flush spread from her earlobes all the way down to her neck.