Sanemi Shinazugawa crossed his arms, looking down at Allen: "Not just anyone can learn Wind Breathing. First, you need to understand the essence of wind—"
"The essence of wind is a natural phenomenon caused by air movement." Allen calmly interrupted him.
"Wind speed, wind direction, pressure difference—I understand all of that. Let's just start with the demonstration."
A vein bulged on Sanemi Shinazugawa's forehead: "You!" He suppressed his anger. If he couldn't beat Allen, he definitely wouldn't let him off so easily.
Sanemi Shinazugawa suddenly drew his nichirin blade: "Watch closely! Wind Breathing, First Form: Dust Whirlwind Cutter!"
His figure instantly turned into an afterimage, and his nichirin blade brought forth violent wind blades, plowing deep furrows into the training ground. A fierce wind howled, kicking up dust everywhere.
Sanemi Shinazugawa sheathed his blade, fine beads of sweat trickling down his forehead. He had put his full strength into that strike; he didn't want to lose face in front of this strange yet powerful guy.
He looked at Allen provocatively: "How about it? Can you do it?"
"This is the basic technique of Wind Breathing. Just by watching once, you surely haven't..."
His words stopped abruptly.
Allen stood in place, eyes slightly closed, his chest rising and falling rhythmically. As he breathed, the surrounding air began to warp, and a more violent current than Sanemi Shinazugawa had just demonstrated formed around him.
He slowly raised his right hand, fingers pressed together into a 'hand blade.' He took a deep breath, and the surrounding air suddenly became viscous.
"Wind Breathing, First Form: Dust Whirlwind Cutter."
As Allen's hand blade swept through the air, a wind blade, even more refined and sharper than Sanemi Shinazugawa's, whistled out, directly splitting the stone wall at the end of the training ground in half. Rubble flew, and smoke and dust filled the air.
Sanemi Shinazugawa: Σ(⊙д⊙*ノノ)!!!
Sanemi Shinazugawa stood rooted to the spot, his mouth slightly agape, the scars on his face twisting with shock. He stared intently at the split stone wall, then stiffly turned his head to look at Allen.
Was he dreaming? What was happening???
"You, you, you only watched once." His voice trembled slightly.
Allen withdrew his hand, and the airflow around him gradually subsided: "Wind Breathing is indeed very interesting; it focuses more on explosive power than Water Breathing."
Sanemi Shinazugawa's fists unconsciously clenched, his nails digging deep into his palms. A technique that had taken him years to master, this guy in front of him had perfectly replicated it after just one glance, and with even greater power.
"I have already understood the essence of wind," Allen said calmly.
"Now what I need to learn is how to apply Wind Breathing. Continue."
Sanemi Shinazugawa gritted his teeth. Tomorrow, even if he was so sore he couldn't get out of bed, he wouldn't lose face!
He tensed his whole body and once again drew his blade with full force: "Wind Breathing, Second Form: Claws-Purifying Wind!"
Several intersecting wind blades, shaped like claws, struck the target at the other end of the training ground. Allen meticulously observed every detail of Sanemi Shinazugawa's movements, his breathing rhythm, and the exertion of his muscles.
"So that's how it is." Allen nodded, then raised his hand again.
"Wind Breathing, Second Form: Claws-Purifying Wind."
This time, the wind blades he released were even more precise. These wind blades perfectly replicated Sanemi Shinazugawa's technique, and were even more powerful and numerous.
Sanemi Shinazugawa's face turned ashen. He staggered back a step: "You... what kind of monster are you?"
Allen ignored his shock, simply continuing to ask: "Next form?"
Over the next hour, Sanemi Shinazugawa demonstrated all the Wind Breathing forms he had mastered. Each time, Allen was able to perfectly replicate them after observing, and even improved upon certain details.
When Sanemi Shinazugawa finished demonstrating the last form, his hands were trembling slightly. This Wind Hashira, usually known for his temper, now looked at Allen with an indescribably complex emotion in his eyes.
Sanemi Shinazugawa suddenly let out a relieved laugh. Why was he competing with a monster? He took a deep breath, trying to calm his turbulent emotions.
"These are all the forms of Wind Breathing. I can't teach you anymore." Sanemi Shinazugawa's voice was a bit hoarse.
"Have you really never learned Wind Breathing before?" Sanemi Shinazugawa couldn't help but ask.
"No." Allen released his fingers, and the airflow dissipated into the air.
"But the principle is very simple. Once you understand the essence of wind, the rest is a matter of technique."
"Please... please teach me how to become stronger!" Sanemi Shinazugawa was silent for a moment, then suddenly knelt on one knee. He wanted to become stronger, whether for the Master or for the upcoming Muzan hunting plan. He wanted to contribute more.
This sudden action surprised Allen. He reached out and helped Sanemi Shinazugawa up: "Your foundation is already very solid; you just lack some breakthrough insights."
Sanemi Shinazugawa looked up eagerly: "What insights?"
"Wind Breathing emphasizes ferocity and swiftness, but you are too fixated on the techniques themselves."
Allen explained: "True wind is unrestrained."
Sanemi Shinazugawa frowned: "What do you mean?"
Allen didn't answer directly, but instead raised his hand: "Watch closely."
He lightly waved his palm, and a small wind blade flew out, only to suddenly split into dozens of smaller wind blades in mid-air, scattering like a celestial maiden's flowers. Each one precisely hit a target at the edge of the training ground.
"This is?" Sanemi Shinazugawa's eyes widened.
"I just discovered it." Allen withdrew his hand.
"Wind can be as violent as a hurricane, or as gentle as a spring breeze. The key lies in your understanding of it. Actually, Wind Breathing isn't as difficult as you imagine."
Sanemi Shinazugawa's eyes gleamed with excitement. He automatically ignored the latter half of Allen's sentence: "I understand! I've been too focused on the destructive power of wind, but overlooked its flexibility!"
Allen nodded with satisfaction: "Go practice, Sanemi. I believe you'll have a breakthrough."
Although he felt that something was off about their relationship, Sanemi Shinazugawa had already calmly accepted the fact that Allen's understanding of Wind Breathing surpassed his own.
"Thank you, Mr. Allen." Sanemi Shinazugawa bowed deeply. He was about to turn and walk to the other end of the training ground to begin experimenting with his new insights when he suddenly stopped, as if remembering something.
"Mr. Allen, how do you produce these wind blades without a nichirin blade?" Sanemi Shinazugawa stared intently into Allen's eyes. Did he have some secret technique that allowed him to perform various moves using only his body?
Allen smiled slightly, raising his own palm: "It's very simple. A blade is a medium for energy, and your body is too. Just use your palm as a blade."
Sanemi Shinazugawa: (⊙ˍ⊙)
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