Tanjirou, you guys are back!
From afar, even before reaching the Butterfly Mansion, Zenitsu's voice could be heard.
Zenitsu stood at the entrance, waving at Tanjirou.
"Hmph hmph~ I was the first one back! I won!"
Seeing Inosuke with his hands on his hips, looking triumphant, Tanjirou smiled, happy for him.
"Wow~ that's amazing."
"It's great that everyone came back safely!"
Tanjirou walked into the Butterfly Mansion, first placing the wooden box on the ground.
Nezuko, who had been cooped up in the box for a long time, eagerly ran out, with Yoizumi close behind.
"Welcome back, Mr. Tanjirou! Mr. Yoizumi! Nezuko-chan!" x3
Three young girls each held a cup of warm water, handing them respectively to the one human and two demons.
"Please, have some!"
"Thank you!"
Tanjirou reached out, took the cup, and drank it down in large gulps, feeling full of water.
Phew~
"So, the mission is over and you're back now."
Kyojuro Rengoku's powerful voice reached their ears.
"Mr. Rengoku! Long time no see!"
Tanjirou said, surprised.
He hadn't seen Mr. Rengoku in a long time either.
Since his body had fully recovered, the month he spent training them was already time stolen from his busy schedule.
Several days ago, Kyojuro Rengoku had already started a mission.
Yoizumi nodded at Rengoku in greeting, and Rengoku responded with a smile.
"A fellow Demon Slayer on my mission got injured, so I came to visit.
I'll have to go home later."
Rengoku explained why he was there, then looked at Tanjirou and instructed him, "The upcoming missions will be demanding, and I won't have time to personally supervise you.
Tanjirou, you must continue to follow my previous training methods; do not slack off!"
"Yes!" Tanjirou nodded in agreement.
"Of course, you can also spar with your older brother; after all, he is a Pillar!"
Rengoku placed his hand on Yoizumi's shoulder, patted it, then stepped out of the Butterfly Mansion, waving his hand over his shoulder and saying, "Next time we meet, I'll treat you all to ramen!"
"Goodbye, Mr. Rengoku!"
Once Kyojuro Rengoku's figure disappeared, Tanjirou immediately picked up his nichirin blade, looking at Yoizumi with anticipation, his voice filled with a hint of excitement.
"Yoizumi-nii, let's start training now!"
Yoizumi looked up at the bright sunshine outside the house, his eyes as calm as an ancient well, silently looking at Tanjirou.
That look was saying, 'Are you serious?'
"Ah! Hehehe, sorry, I got a bit carried away."
Tanjirou scratched his head awkwardly.
Training with Yoizumi-nii, how exciting!
"Tanjirou, you must be tired from traveling.
Rest first; don't rush into training."
Yoizumi gently tapped his younger brother's head, sounding a bit helpless.
"I'll listen to Yoizumi-nii."
As an obedient child, Tanjirou naturally stopped thinking about training immediately...
"What's going on?"
"Exactly! What in the world is going on?!"
Zenitsu held his nichirin blade fearfully, looking at Yoizumi who had appeared on the training ground.
He was already unhappy about having to train at night, and then they told him he had to fight with Big Brother Yoizumi?
And he's really using a nichirin blade!
Is this really okay?!
"Hmph hmph~ Alright! Bring it on, Yosuke!"
Inosuke shouted excitedly.
He was 100% willing.
"Yoizumi-nii, is it really okay to use a nichirin blade?"
Tanjirou asked, a bit worried.
"It's fine; just do what you think is best."
He wasn't good at teaching, so he could only train them this way.
"Alright then, Yoizumi-nii, be careful!"
"Thump!"
"Crack!"
"Boom!"
Zenitsu covered his faintly aching head, biting his lip, tears almost coming out from the pain.
He loudly complained in a sharp voice, "You guys! Big Brother Yoizumi and Tanjirou are truly a family!"
"They say 'like father, like son'!
They're exactly alike in their inability to teach!"
"Isn't this just a one-sided beating?!"
"Please, let me go!"
Tanjirou stood up, holding his waist.
Yoizumi-nii was already holding back his strength, but his speed was too fast; he couldn't even see where the attacks were coming from.
As expected, Yoizumi-nii is amazing.
"Again!"
Inosuke crawled out of the pile of junk, charging at Yoizumi, muttering 'Pig Assault' under his breath, and was once again sent flying.
"Hmph..."
"Crack!"
Inosuke couldn't get up.
Sheathing his nichirin blade, Yoizumi thought this should be enough.
Was it a bit too fast?
He then looked at Zenitsu and Tanjirou, tilting his head.
"Again?"
Zenitsu frantically shook his head.
Are you kidding me!
Every time, he was sent flying several meters before even getting close, and his whole body ached!
"I'd like to go a few more times, Yoizumi-nii!"
Tanjirou raised his hand.
Yoizumi nodded.
He didn't even draw his nichirin blade; the scabbard would suffice.
Ten minutes later.
"..."
Tanjirou lay sprawled on the ground, his face contorted, his breathing shaky, a hand on his abdomen.
So painful!
Zenitsu, lying nearby, witnessed the entire process and couldn't bear to watch.
Yoizumi squatted down, preparing to use his Blood Demon Art, but Tanjirou stopped him.
He was panting, his tanned face covered in dust, and he smiled, shaking his head.
"No need, Yoizumi-nii.
I want to process this pain myself.
It's not good to always trouble you."
Gently brushing the dust from Tanjirou's face, he reached out and pulled Tanjirou from the ground.
Since he said that, Yoizumi no longer used his Blood Demon Art.
"Tomorrow, same time, we continue."
After saying that, Yoizumi left the Butterfly Mansion and entered the forest.
He also needed to seize the time to train.
Zenitsu, who had just gotten up, knelt back down, pounding the ground forcefully.
"Eek!"
Nearly two months passed this way.
Except for occasional missions that required deployment, everyone else was immersed in intense and exciting training.
After being unilaterally beaten for almost two months, Tanjirou, Zenitsu, and Inosuke's resilience increased.
Congratulations...
In the forest filled with snowflakes and ice crystals, Yoizumi finished his training.
His breath was cold air.
He still couldn't grasp a single hint of the next form of Breath of Snow.
He seemed to have hit a bottleneck.
Subtle footsteps approached.
After realizing who it was, Yoizumi turned his head.
"Kochou."
He opened his palm, and the snowflakes and ice crystals melted in his hand.
Shinobu's exhaled breath turned into white mist.
"It seems like winter has arrived~"
"Look down."
Shinobu chuckled, leaning closer to Yoizumi, signaling him to lower his head, and raising her hand to brush the fallen snow from the top of his golden hair.
"There you go."
She put her hands behind her back and looked around, a hint of admiration in her purple eyes.
To create such a scene with just swordsmanship was truly remarkable.
"Let's go back now; it's cold here."
Yoizumi noticed the girl's exposed skin was slightly red, and he spoke softly.
"Alright.
Would you like to come to my place for some tea, Yoizumi?
I guarantee you'll like it~"
Shinobu chuckled softly.
Tea...
Looking at her smiling face, Yoizumi paused.
"Okay."
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