"My Nichirin sword?"
Vincent Fox looked a little awkward.
A Nichirin sword? He did not have one at all.
This Forbidden Zone really was stingy. Something that important and they did not even give him a basic blade.
"Mr. Fox's Nichirin sword must have been destroyed, right? Otherwise he would not be training with a bamboo sword."
Aoi Kanzaki spoke quietly from behind Shinobu Kocho.
"That is true. I was being thoughtless."
Shinobu gave Vincent an apologetic smile.
"Master Haganezuka will be coming here soon. When he arrives, you can ask him to forge a new Nichirin sword for you."
"Got it."
Vincent nodded.
Against demons, Nichirin swords were extremely effective weapons.
Boom.
A loud bang suddenly echoed through the courtyard.
"Ah, I finally did it!"
Tanjiro Kamado's voice rang out.
Fragments of pottery were scattered around him. He was still holding half of a shattered training gourd in his hands.
"Congratulations, Mr. Kamado. It looks like you have finally grasped Total Concentration Breathing."
Shinobu smiled warmly.
"Yeah. Can I start the next stage of training now?"
"Of course."
She nodded lightly, then turned and waved to Kanao Tsuyuri, who was teasing butterflies nearby.
"Next, you will be challenging Kanao. You should prepare yourself."
"I will."
Tanjiro's face was full of confidence.
Across the yard, Inosuke Hashibira and Zenitsu Agatsuma had also noticed the commotion.
"What? That Tanjiro guy has gotten that strong already?"
"Damn it. No one is stronger than me!"
Inosuke roared and wrapped his arms around the huge boulder again, dropping into squats with renewed fury.
Zenitsu let out a long sigh, then strapped two more sets of weights onto himself and started sprinting laps around the yard.
Vincent followed the others back into the house.
Kanao was already kneeling at the low table, two bowls of foul smelling medicinal soup placed neatly on top.
"The goal of this training is very simple. Use all your speed and strength to grab a bowl, then splash the medicine onto your opponent. Whoever gets soaked loses."
Shinobu explained gently.
"That simple, huh?"
Tanjiro nodded, then sat down opposite Kanao.
"Begin."
Shinobu's voice was calm.
In the next second, before Tanjiro had even fully reacted, one of the bowls was already in Kanao's hand. The medicine arced through the air and splashed all over him without mercy.
"Mr. Kamado loses."
Aoi announced loudly as she handed him a towel.
"Hurry and wipe it off. If you leave it too long, that stink will cling to you all day."
"Thank you."
Tanjiro bowed his head slightly and began scrubbing at the liquid on his clothes.
"Mr. Fox, do you want to give it a try?"
Aoi looked at Vincent with a serious expression.
"I do not mind."
Vincent nodded lightly and took the seat Tanjiro had just vacated.
"Be careful, Mr. Fox. Kanao is really fast."
Tanjiro reminded him while wiping the last of the medicine from his face.
"Got it."
Vincent nodded again and locked eyes with Kanao.
Feeling his gaze, Kanao froze for a heartbeat, then showed him a polite, practiced smile.
"Ready… begin."
At the word, the two of them moved at the same time.
Kanao went all out from the very start.
Her speed was frightening, and in almost an instant her fingers had reached the rim of the near bowl.
Clack.
Vincent's palm dropped lightly over the cup, and her first attempt was blocked.
Kanao abandoned that bowl immediately and switched targets.
Her other hand flashed forward, fingers blurring as they reached for the second bowl.
Then, both bowls vanished from her field of vision.
When she processed what had happened, Vincent was already sitting there with a bowl in each hand, smiling at her.
"So like this… that means I win, right?"
"…Yes. That is correct."
Aoi nodded with some difficulty.
If Kanao was incredibly fast, then Vincent might as well have been teleporting.
Even as a spectator, she had only seen a blur. The cups on the table had simply disappeared.
"Mr. Fox, you are amazing!"
Tanjiro once again turned into Vincent's number one fan, cheering as if he had won the match himself.
"It was just a lucky reaction."
Vincent set both bowls back on the table and moved aside to give Tanjiro his seat again.
"I really need to train harder."
Tanjiro clenched his fists, encouraging himself, then looked at Kanao.
"Let's go again!"
Bang, bang, bang.
The sound of bowls hitting the table rang repeatedly as the two of them clashed, their movements quickly growing more intense.
But it was not long before Tanjiro ended up soaked in medicine again.
"Wow. Miss Kanao really is fast. I could barely follow her movements."
He accepted the fresh towel Aoi handed him, scratching his cheek in embarrassment.
Watching the earnest look on Tanjiro's face as he threw himself back into training, Vincent chuckled softly.
Then he turned and stepped out of the room.
Out in the yard, Inosuke and Zenitsu were still grinding away.
The moment Inosuke saw Vincent, he dropped the boulder with a loud thud.
"You are strong. Fight me right now!"
"Do not be stupid!"
Zenitsu grabbed him by the boar mask and yanked him back hard.
"Sorry, Mr. Fox. This guy does not have much going on in his head. Please do not take it to heart."
"It is fine."
Vincent waved his hand.
Looking at the two of them burning with energy, he felt his mood lighten.
At the same time, Shinobu had left the Butterfly Mansion and arrived at the Rengoku residence.
"Mr. Rengoku, I heard you are heading out on a mission."
"That is right!"
Kyojuro Rengoku's voice boomed.
His volume was not for show. The damage to his eardrums from past battles had left his hearing less than ideal, so he simply spoke louder.
Shinobu seemed long used to it and just smiled.
"Miss Kocho, can you tell me why you insisted on sending Tanjiro and his friends to train at the Butterfly Mansion?"
Kyojuro asked loudly.
"The reason, huh?"
Shinobu looked down at her own hands for a moment, as if searching through her thoughts.
"Maybe it is because of Nezuko."
Her tone grew gentler.
"Tanjiro's younger sister. She is the first demon I have ever seen who does not eat humans. It is possible… she might be the key to defeating Muzan Kibutsuji."
"I see."
Kyojuro nodded heavily as he processed that, then spoke in his usual ringing voice.
"If the Master has no objections, then I have nothing more to say."
Shinobu smiled faintly, but the warmth on her face dimmed.
"Maybe a world where demons and humans can coexist peacefully is what I truly wish for."
"Peace, huh? But how could that ever be? Demons have to eat humans. How could we ever coexist?"
Kyojuro shook his head, then straightened his back, his expression firm.
"That is why our duty is to slay demons."
He turned his back to her.
"Miss Kocho, you work hard tending to the wounded. I am heading out on my mission. Let us talk again when I return."
"See you later, Mr. Rengoku…"
Shinobu watched his broad back as he walked away, then lifted her left hand to catch a drifting flower petal.
"Mr. Rengoku, you have to come back safely."
"I will."
----------------------------------------------------
The deeper he goes, the more the truth unravels. Don't wait read ahead and witness Vincent's rise before the world catches up!
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