"Grasping the power of life force isn't that simple Old Man. Are you really this optimistic about this kid? My time is precious—as a Hashira, I don't have much time to waste here."
Shinichi crossed his arms, leaning against a wooden pillar with a skeptical gaze directed at Elder Moriki beside him.
The old man remained silent for a moment, his eyes drifting towards the tightly shut backyard gate before finally speaking in his usual calmly manner.
"Though I hate to admit it, there truly are people in this world blessed with greater talent than others. This gift might indeed be tied to bloodline. What would be an arduous training process for ordinary swordsmen comes as naturally to them as eating or drinking."
As he spoke, Elder Moriki suddenly straightened up—his previously hunched posture now rigidly upright.
Through Shinichi's Whispering Forest Eyes, he could see the currents of life force swirling vigorously within the old man's body.
A faint emerald glow flickered in Elder Moriki clouded eyes.
Though he had never mastered the Eighth Form of Forest Breathing in his lifetime, decades of immersion in life force had left his vision fundamentally different from ordinary people.
Turning to Shinichi, the elder spoke with absolute certainty, "Shinichi, make no mistake—you are without question the finest successor and greatest practitioner of Forest Breathing. In your hands, this technique reaches its fullest potential. But..." He paused, glancing back at the backyard gate.
"If we're speaking purely about the speed of comprehension and training... this boy, Yuichiro, surpasses even you. Or perhaps I should say—this child was born to hold a sword."
Before the words had fully left his mouth—BOOM!—an immense surge of life force erupted from behind the gate.
While Elder Moriki could vaguely sense it, Shinichi's Whispering Forest Eyes could clearly see the phenomenon happening behind the gate.
Beyond that, Shinichi could just discern the endless streams of life force madly pouring into the slender figure standing beyond that door.
"He... actually succeeded?" Shinichi murmured in disbelief.
In just three days, that brat Yuichiro had truly sensed the life force.
Were the descendants of the first-generation demon slayers really this monstrous?
It had taken him a full seven days back then.
Shaking his head, Shinichi sighed, "Each generation surpasses the last. I'm getting old."
THWACK!
A sharp flick landed on Shinichi's forehead as Elder Moriki retracted his finger with a scowl.
"You damn brat, what's this 'getting old' nonsense at your age? What kind of teenager puts on airs like that? Go—prepare to have a proper talk with your new disciple. You promised."
Rubbing his forehead, Shinichi sighed in resignation. "Understood. You hit hard for an old man."
Seven days—that had been the condition.
If Yuichiro could grasp the power of life force within seven days, Shinichi would take him as a disciple.
Was that too harsh? Not really.
After all, Shinichi's stated requirements for taking on a successor in the Demon Slayer Corps weren't much different.
That Yuichiro could sense the life force through extraordinary talent didn't surprise Shinichi.
What caught him off guard was the sheer speed of the boy's comprehension.
For someone who'd never put much thought in so-called talent or bloodlines, this development piqued his interest.
Descendants of the first-generation Breathing Style swordsmen—could they really be that extraordinary?
Having made up his mind, Shinichi decided that if the opportunity arose, he would get some blood from Yuichiro and send it to Tamayo or Shokyu for research.
****
Meanwhile, in the backyard of the Moriki estate, Yuichiro—now dressed in a blue-green outfit (his original sleeveless, pants-less attire had been thrown out by Shinichi, who had endured that hideous look for far too long)—opened his eyes.
He gazed at the pot of Spirit Awakening Grass (just a common green grass) cradled in his hands.
The emerald-green Spirit Awakening Grass swayed gently in the breeze, as if greeting him.
Reflecting on the wondrous power he had just sensed, Yuichiro couldn't help but marvel.
"Such a miraculous energy—not only does it feel warm, but it also fills my heart with hope again. My choice wasn't wrong. Forest Breathing is a power strong enough to protect others, to protect my little brother. I must master it!"
Outside the gate, Elder Moriki patted Shinichi's shoulder and said with satisfaction, "Forest Breathing has truly begun its path of inheritance. Shinichi, the future now rests on you and that boy, Yuichiro. From here on, his training will be entrusted to you as his master."
Hearing this, Shinichi uncrossed his arms.
His left eye flickered with a blue-green glow as he sensed the faint vitality emanating from Yuichiro in the distance.
He sighed softly. "Don't worry, Old Man. I'll take care of it."
A faint, unprecedented sense of honor blossomed in Shinichi's heart—a strange but not unwelcome feeling.
To think that one day, he would become someone's teacher.
The thought filled him with emotion.
"Shinichi, how do you plan to train Yuichiro from now on?" Elder Moriki expression suddenly turned odd as he hesitantly posed the question.
Shinichi answered with utter simplicity, "How? The same way you trained me, of course. Let me think—start with carrying ten tons of rocks for two hours daily, then an hour of waterfall tempering. Rowing boats, blade splitting and body forging should all be part of the routine. Finally, a fifty-kilometer run at night before resting. That should do it."
Whoosh!
For some reason, Yuichiro—who had been immersed in sensing the life force—suddenly felt a chill crawl down his spine.
Elder Moriki eye twitched as he stared at Shinichi's earnest face, unsure how to respond.
"Well... Shinichi, about that training regimen..."
"Oh, I know. Compared to the Moriki family's standards, it's a bit lacking. But Yuichiro's just a kid, so we'll start small and ramp it up later. Speaking of which, I've always wanted to say—Old Man, the fact that you guys could endure such training is truly remarkable!"
A trace of admiration flashed across Shinichi face, but Elder Moriki expression only grew more awkward.
"Shinichi, that's not what I meant. What I'm trying to say is..."
*****
"WHAAAAAAAAAT!?!"
A furious roar shattered the night's silence.
Shinichi, his right eye blazing crimson, grabbed Elder Moriki by the collar and shouted at him.
"Say that again, you damn old fool! What the hell do you mean I'm 'not ordinary,' so you secretly multiplied my training by a hundred times? Are you even hearing yourself!?"
"So all that training was just for me!? You old man, that's too much! How old was I back then? You even tricked a child, you bastard!!" (See Chapter 26 for details)
Facing Shinichi's fury, Elder Moriki knew he was in the wrong and couldn't bring himself to argue back.
He could only mutter softly, "It's only because you were so exceptional, Shinichi. The results prove this approach worked, didn't they? But we can't train Yuichiro like this—no matter how talented he is, he's still just an ordinary kid."
Shinichi: @#-&*~!
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