Chapter 18: Come at Me Together
[Water Breathing, Third Form: Flowing Dance]
In the forest clearing, Sabito transformed into a series of overlapping afterimages. His footwork was fluid, like a winding river, as he slashed his wooden sword toward the targets.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
A series of crisp sounds, like firecrackers exploding, rang out. Nearly ten flying wooden balls shattered almost simultaneously.
A single continuous strike had intercepted multiple high-speed projectiles.
His eyesight, precision, technique, and power were all top-tier.
Not bad, Natsuya thought. When I first started learning Breathing Styles, I wasn't nearly as good as Sabito.
Compared to the pink-haired boy, Giyu's performance was lacking.
Using the same Flowing Dance technique, he only managed to hit half of the ten wooden balls. The rest were either deflected by bad edge alignment or missed entirely.
After landing, Tomioka Giyu stared blankly at the intact wooden balls rolling on the ground, then looked at the uniform pile of splinters at Sabito's feet.
His lips moved slightly, whispering a single sentence: "...It's just practice."
As expected. I have no talent at all.
Whether it's daily cultivation or combat drills, I'm so far behind Sabito.
Unlike the cheerful and earnest Sabito, Giyu was the complete opposite extreme. Sensitive and silent. Although he was kind and gentle at his core, his poor communication skills often made him say things that were easily misunderstood.
Like right now. His whisper sounded like he was dissatisfied, or perhaps making a sore-loser excuse to mock Sabito's success.
Natsuya watched silently from the side. Hearing that comment confirmed his suspicion: This kid definitely has Uchiha blood. Awkward and stubborn.
"Don't just watch."
Urokodaki picked up another handful of wooden balls and looked at Natsuya, who was standing with his arms crossed.
"It's your turn."
Natsuya took the wooden sword from Sabito. He prepared to use the Wind Breathing technique "Idaten Typhoon," which specialized in wide-range AOE (Area of Effect) damage.
"Do not use Wind Breathing," Urokodaki ordered. "Use the power of water, like Giyu and Sabito."
Natsuya nearly choked on his breath. "Sensei, I haven't learned Water Breathing yet."
The old man in the Tengu mask shook his head and stared at him intently. "This is training. Try to understand and replicate the breathing rhythm they just used."
Natsuya: "..."
It's not in my Skill Panel yet. How am I supposed to 'replicate' it?
But Urokodaki didn't give him time to think. He threw the wooden balls directly at Natsuya.
Whatever. Let's wing it.
"Wind... Water Breathing!"
"Third Form: Floating Prance!" (Note: Natsuya mispronounced "Flowing Dance" / Ryūryūmai)
With a shout to boost his morale, Natsuya focused on recalling Sabito's stance and breathing rhythm, then swung the wooden sword.
The attributes on his System Panel barely fluctuated. He was relying entirely on his monstrous base stats and his practiced sword-swinging mechanics.
Whoosh!
The wooden balls exploded one after another. The sound was even crisper and cleaner than Sabito's hits.
Sabito's eyes lit up. Power and technique... Senior really is above me.
Giyu, however, whispered softly, "Senior just... has better base stats."
He hasn't mastered Water Breathing yet, but he can do this just by relying on his physical body. I wonder how strong he'll be once he actually learns it.
Unlike the two children's secret admiration, Urokodaki spoke calmly. "Water Breathing is not something you achieve by shouting the name."
"Your sword technique was clean, and you hit every target."
"But Natsuya, do not forget why you are here. You are here to learn Water Breathing. The Breathing Style is the foundation of everything."
Proficiency only went up by 1 point, Natsuya noted with disappointment.
"Calm your heart. Recall the key points I taught you. Focus on your breathing and meditation."
"Yes, Sensei."
Urokodaki turned to Sabito and Giyu. "You two, do not become complacent. Even if you have grasped the basics, you must continue to polish and refine your skills."
"Learning is only the starting line."
"Yes!" Sabito nodded vigorously.
"Mn," Giyu nodded slightly.
Seeing the three boys return to training, Urokodaki found himself thinking about something other than swordsmanship.
Giyu seems much brighter these days.
He remembered when the boy first arrived at Mt. Sagiri. His eyes held nothing but pain, devoid of any other emotion. He didn't speak, didn't smile. He was like a carved wooden puppet.
Urokodaki wasn't good with words. He had tried to comfort the boy many times, but with little success. It was only after spending time with Sabito that Giyu began to smile occasionally.
But in the few days since Natsuya arrived, Giyu had been speaking much more often.
Perhaps it really is best for him to be around peers?
The sun began to set, dyeing the sky and the mountain stream in warm shades of orange.
Natsuya sat under the center of a waterfall, his body enduring the constant pounding of the heavy water.
Meditating under the waterfall and in the river was part of Sabito and Giyu's daily routine. The goal was to feel the "impermanence" and "eternal power" of water amidst the roar, learning to maintain a mind as calm as a mirror while tempering their balance and physique.
"Senior, training is over for today!" Sabito shouted over the noise of the water.
Natsuya slowly opened his eyes and leaped up from the rock, splashing water everywhere. Wringing out his soaked hair, he asked, "Oh? Is it dinner time?"
"If the sun hasn't set yet, I'll cook tonight. Giyu, come catch fish with me. We're having Tofu Miso Fish Soup..."
"You can leave dinner to Master Urokodaki tonight," Sabito said, holding up an envelope. "You have a letter."
Giyu whispered, "...That would be troubling. (Please cook, Senior. Eating Master's food again would be troubling.)"
Natsuya looked at the letter, confused. "Someone wrote to me?"
Did the Cheap Master send something?
He took the envelope. The first thing he saw was a line of elegant handwriting.
[To: Kokonoe Natsuya-kun]
[From: Yukibashiri Seiko]
"Oh, it's from Seiko."
Natsuya didn't shy away. He tore open the letter right in front of the two kids and read it by the light of the setting sun.
Sabito and Giyu exchanged a look.
Giyu (tilting head): Who would write to Senior?
Sabito (shaking head): I don't know... judging by the name, it seems to be a girl.
Giyu (shocked): Eh? A girl?!
Giyu's eyes brightened slightly. He looked up, trying to catch any reaction on Natsuya's face, only for Sabito to gently pull him aside.
"Since we parted at the Final Selection, I have neglected to send my greetings. I hope your swordsmanship has improved and that you are in good health."
"While on a mission the other day, I saw the moonlight reflecting on a river, and I suddenly remembered the wind blades you unleashed by Lake Ashi..."
The paper was slightly wrinkled from the long journey and smelled faintly of herbs. The handwriting was neat and beautiful, revealing the gentleness and seriousness of the writer.
In the letter, she shared trivial details about her life as a new Slayer: the color of her newly forged Nichirin Sword, her nervousness during her first solo demon kill.
Later, she mentioned some insights and confusion she had encountered while practicing her Breathing Style. She said that remembering how earnestly Natsuya had asked everyone about their techniques during the Selection gave her the courage to write this, hoping it might help him in his training.
She mentioned she had asked around about him in the Corps, only to learn he hadn't started missions yet. Although initially confused, she quickly realized he must be training his swordsmanship somewhere in seclusion.
At the end of the letter, she added a serious note: She wrote this only to prove she would strive to become a strong swordsman like him. No other intentions.
"Enclosed are some snacks and medicinal herbs I bought during my last mission. Also, future missions will be dangerous. Please be careful."
"May your martial fortune be long and prosperous."
"Sincerely, Yukibashiri Seiko."
Putting away the letter, Natsuya asked Sabito, "Besides the letter, there should be something else?"
Sabito answered honestly, "There are some ointments, and... a box of dried persimmons, Senior."
"Ah, dried persimmons."
He repeated the word softly. The cool evening breeze of the mountain blew past, carrying a mix of complex emotions.
"Kokonoe-senior, is it a letter from another Slayer?" Sabito asked curiously. "Since it was delivered by a Kakushi."
"Yeah. A classmate from the Selection."
On the way back, Natsuya answered somewhat absently. "Come to think of it, she's a Water Breathing user too."
Sabito's eyes lit up. "Then compared to you, Senior, who is stronger?"
"Me, of course." Natsuya answered without thinking. "Stats, battle record—I was Number One in the Selection. The MVP. You get me?"
Although he didn't fully understand the strange terms, Sabito understood the meaning. Natsuya was undeniably the strongest of his generation.
"Senior... you killed a lot of demons in the Selection, didn't you?"
Sabito suddenly stopped walking.
"Senior. Please spar with me."
"Use your full strength. Let me see with my own eyes what a sword that slays demons looks like."
Beside him, the silent Giyu looked shocked.
Natsuya looked curiously at the usually well-behaved pink-haired boy. "Dinner's almost ready. Why do you want to fight now?"
"It's not out of competitiveness," Sabito said seriously. "I just want to know how far we are from being qualified Demon Slayers."
And, he thought, I want to confirm if I truly have the power to protect others.
He glanced at Giyu, the boy who was like a younger brother to him.
"I want to see it too," the black-haired boy said, looking up calmly.
If you want to measure your strength, you could just ask Master Urokodaki...
But I guess these kids have their own pride.
Natsuya rubbed his chin. He didn't refuse.
He raised the wooden sword in his hand.
"Alright. We'll use wooden swords."
"Both of you, come at me together. I'm in a hurry, so don't make me late for dinner."