Seeing this, Kyojuro asked Shinobu curiously, "Miss Shinobu, what are you doing with Takeo Kun?"
"As you can see," Shinobu said pleasantly, "he's studying. Kamado-kun wishes to take this opportunity to learn pharmacology from me. He's quite gifted, so I may have assigned him a bit of extra homework... There's still some left to finish. Is there something the matter, Mr. Rengoku?"
"I promised to spar with Takeo earlier! And his new sword has arrived!"
Kyojuro raised the Nichirin sword in his hand to show her.
Takeo let out a breath, straightened his clothes, and replied in a composed tone:
"Ehm, since the sword's here, there's no helping it. Kyojuro san, let's spar first—then I'll get back to studying... not that I don't want to study or anything."
"Takeo is very proactive! Excellent! That's exactly what I was hoping for!"Kyojuro responded enthusiastically.
Seeing this, Takeo attempted to take a step toward Kyojuro—only to realize that he hadn't moved at all.
He turned his head slightly and found that Shinobu Kocho's right hand was still firmly resting on his shoulder.
Although Shinobu Kocho was the weakest among all the Hashira in terms of raw physical strength, Takeo couldn't help but feel—perhaps it was just his imagination—that the force in her hand was overwhelmingly strong, to the point he could hardly resist it.
It was the weight of something far greater than muscle: the power called knowledge.
Shinobu's gentle smile remained unchanged as she tightened her grip on Takeo's shoulder and said to Kyojuro:
"Ahehe.. Rengoku-san, you want to spar with Kamado-kun? No problem. But you'll need to wait until he finishes today's homework."
She then turned to Takeo, her smile still perfectly pleasant:
"Kamado-kun, I don't believe you're the type of person who gives up halfway."
"Well..."
"You wouldn't do something as shameful as abandoning your studies midway just to run off and do something else… would you?"
"…"
Takeo couldn't answer. He could only send a desperate look at Kyojuro, silently pleading for rescue.
With Kyojuro's standing and interpersonal ties within the Demon Slayer Corps, Takeo believed that if he simply asked, Shinobu Kocho would probably relent and allow the sparring match out of respect for him.
However, to Takeo's utter disappointment, Kyojuro simply smiled brightly and said:
"Haha! That's true! It wouldn't be right to give up halfway! In that case, I'll wait until Takeo finishes his homework! I've got time until tomorrow!"
He said it so cheerfully.
Takeo stared at him in disbelief.
No, Kyojuro! You, with your thick eyebrows and big, sincere eyes—how could you?!
Clap! "Alright, Kamado-kun," Shinobu Kocho said cheerfully, "your former mentor has already agreed, so please come with me. Don't worry, today's topics aren't difficult. Let's go."
With that, she grabbed Takeo and began dragging him back.
Takeo turned his head around, eyes filled with betrayal and indignation, glaring at Kyojuro, who simply laughed heartily at the scene.
Even though Takeo looked like he wanted to escape, Kyojuro knew that if he truly wanted to, with his speed and strength, Shinobu Kocho probably wouldn't be able to hold him back.
But Kyojuro let her "capture" Takeo anyway.
He had noticed that ever since Takeo became a Hashira, he'd had a lot weighing on his mind—thoughts and worries that Kyojuro could no longer fully understand.
Shinobu Kocho's method might seem a little forceful, but it was likely the best way to distract Takeo from his burdens.
Maybe, just maybe, it could help him return—if only a little—to the person he used to be.
Because compared to this calm, expressionless version of him, Kyojuro still preferred the Takeo who always spoke his mind without hesitation.
That was the real Takeo.
...
Kyojuro had been waiting for a long time.
Finally, just as the sun was beginning to set, Takeo staggered out of the Butterfly House.
Kyojuro looked up at the sky, then shifted his gaze from the glowing clouds on the horizon to Takeo.
"Thank you for your hard work, Takeo!"
"…"
Takeo glanced at Kyojuro, who looked as refreshed and energetic as ever, and then looked at himself—worn out like a student who had just sat through ten straight classes without a single break.
(╬▔皿▔)╯ His resentment nearly reached the heavens.
With this level of frustration, he felt like he might just explode with power during their sparring match.
"You've worked hard too, Kyojuro san," Takeo said through gritted teeth. He took the two Nichirin swords Kyojuro had brought for him and asked, "Where are we sparring?"
He couldn't wait a moment longer.
Kyojuro smiled brightly. "I was just sitting here waiting—it wasn't hard at all! As for the sparring location… let's head to the open grounds outside the dojo. Oh, and by the way, Lord Tetsudoji asked my swordsmith to pass along a message. He's very sorry your sword broke, so he asked me to apologize on his behalf."
Takeo paused for a moment before responding slowly:
"It's fine. After all… Upper Rank One is just too strong."
"Yeah! That's exactly what I told the swordsmith, too!"
Both Kyojuro and Takeo were still growing in strength. It was clear they were far from being able to match the Upper Ranks—at least for now.
Back in that battle with Kokushibo, had the sun not risen when it did—had Kokushibo not held back in an attempt to lure them into becoming demons—then it was highly likely that neither of them would have survived.
Even with Takeo's powerful regenerative ability and the ability to [Restart], survival wasn't guaranteed.
Against such a terrifying opponent, when their strength clearly fell short, the very fact that their swords endured to the end was already a small miracle.
In truth, the fact that the two of them were able to sever Kokushibo's neck at all could be credited, in part, to the craftsmanship of their swordsmiths.
Without those blades, even if they had struck Kokushibo's neck, they likely wouldn't have been able to inflict any meaningful damage.
Because of this, Takeo only felt gratitude toward the swordsmiths. He harbored no resentment over the fact that his sword had broken.
Besides, the sword had only shattered after Takeo lost consciousness. There was no reason to blame them.
The blade they had forged had already fulfilled its purpose.
He and Kyojuro arrived at the open training grounds outside the dojo, placed down their Nichirin swords, and each picked up a wooden sword.
They stood facing one another from opposite ends.
Kyojuro warmed up his arms, and the wooden blade whistled through the air as he swung it. Then he turned to Takeo and said with a grin:
"It seems we've never had a proper, serious match before!"
"It does seem that way…"
Takeo thought back.
The first time they crossed swords, it had been nothing more than a training session—Kyojuro had held back the entire time, guiding him rather than fighting seriously.
Back then, even if Takeo had gone all out, it still wouldn't have been enough for Kyojuro to take him seriously.
But things were different now.
Over half a year had passed, and Takeo had become a Hashira.
Kyojuro had witnessed his duel with Muichiro that day—he knew that Takeo had grown into someone who now deserved his full attention.
Their battle with Upper Rank One had only confirmed this fact.
Now, both Kyojuro and Takeo stood serious and focused. This was going to be their first true fight.
Kyojuro gripped his wooden sword firmly with both hands, eyes fixed on Takeo as he said:
"You've reached this level in such a short time, Takeo. You truly have remarkable talent!"
"…The one with real talent is Muichiro," Takeo replied.
In truth, he didn't believe he had any special talent. He was just someone fortunate enough to possess more "cheats" than the average person.
If that counted as talent, then it only made him feel ashamed.
"No matter what, you're the Wolf Hashira now. That's a fact!" Kyojuro declared, undeterred.
In his eyes, Takeo's talent was undeniable—just like Muichiro's. As two of the youngest Hashira in the Demon Slayer Corps, their strength spoke for itself.
But—
Kyojuro smiled broadly. "Even so, you still have a lot of room to grow!"
"Mr. Kyojuro, are you trying to lecture me?" Takeo asked.
Kyojuro shook his head. "No, I just…" He paused. His smile faded, and his gaze turned serious. "Come on, Takeo. Let's begin!"
Flames erupted. Boom!
_________
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