Chapter 60 – As a Teacher
At last, everyone had gathered.
Kanao Tsuyuri, the adopted daughter of the Insect Hashira.
Zenitsu Agatsuma, a young prodigy once mentored by a former Thunder Hashira.
And of course, Tanjiro Kamado, the boy who had been training on Mount Sagiri for some time now.
The three of them stood together, ready to begin the special training prepared by Hikaru.
Each of them had been selected personally by him—although truth be told, things had strayed a little from his original plan.
"Is this it?! Is this really the place?!"
A panicked yell echoed through the forest, scattering birds from the treetops. The voice belonged to someone charging blindly through the woods, like a wild animal let loose from its cage.
Tanjiro furrowed his brows.
"Who's that…?"
Beside him, Kanao wore her usual soft, unreadable smile, her face as serene as ever. She looked more like a doll than a person—only moving when given a reason to.
Zenitsu, on the other hand, was the complete opposite.
His whole body was trembling. His face had gone pale, and his knees looked moments away from collapsing.
"He followed me… he really followed me all the way here! Oh no, this is bad—this is really, really bad!"
Zenitsu clutched his head in panic, clearly on the verge of tears.
Honestly, he'd never meant to come here.
His grandfather had given him instructions, yes—but all Zenitsu wanted was to escape from responsibility and live a peaceful life, free from conflict.
But fate had other plans.
While passing through a mountain trail, he'd been followed by something… something wild.
He tried to run.
He really did.
But no matter how far he went, even as he reached Mount Sagiri—it kept following him.
Now, in front of a wooden house bathed in warm morning light, Hikaru stood calmly, watching the growing commotion in the distance. He exhaled slowly, his expression unreadable except for the quiet resignation in his sigh—So this is how it turns out…
"This is the plaaaaace!!"
Suddenly, a loud crash shook the woods.
Trees trembled. Leaves flew through the air. And then, from behind a veil of mist, a massive figure tore through the forest, crashing through branches as if they were paper.
The figure landed hard, shaking the earth beneath.
Two swords hung from either side of his waist, loosely wrapped in old, tattered cloth.
His upper body was bare, revealing a frame built of lean, solid muscle.
But most striking of all… was the boar head mask covering his face.
"W-What is that thing?!" Tanjiro exclaimed, instinctively lowering his body into a defensive stance. His hand flew to the hilt of his Nichirin Blade.
"No… he actually came…"
Zenitsu collapsed to the ground, burying his face in his hands. His voice was a mess of terror and despair.
It really looked like he was about to cry.
The sudden gust of wind from the wild arrival sent Hikaru's black haori billowing behind him.
The boar-headed boy paused after landing, slowly turning his gaze toward Zenitsu.
"COWARD! Stop running and fight me already!!"
His voice boomed through the trees like a thunderclap.
But—
The moment his eyes fell on Hikaru…
His movements froze.
His gaze sharpened.
Somewhere deep in his instincts—as a warrior, no, as a beast—he sensed overwhelming danger radiating from the man with long black hair.
"Nii-chan, what's going on?"
Nezuko peeked out from behind the door, her sweet face puzzled.
Tanjiro turned and tried to smile, not wanting to worry his little sister.
"It's nothing, Nezuko. Everything's fine."
But before he could say more—
"DUEL!!"
The boar-headed intruder let out another shout, this time pointing directly at Hikaru.
His instincts screamed that this man was the strongest one here.
"YOU!! Fight me right now!!!"
He drew both blades from his waist with a roar.
The ground beneath his feet cracked as he launched forward, straight toward Hikaru like a cannonball.
The force of his charge made the very air tremble.
Twin blades gleamed, crossing toward Hikaru's chest—
But—
"That's not how you wield a Nichirin Blade."
With a calm voice and a soft smile, Hikaru lifted a single hand.
The boar-masked boy's eyes widened.
He could clearly see Hikaru's hand.
He could see his own blades—about to hit their mark.
And yet—
He couldn't move.
He couldn't strike.
He couldn't do anything.
And then—
The world flipped.
With a graceful twist, Hikaru redirected his opponent's momentum, spinning him mid-air before slamming him into the ground.
The impact sent a burst of dust into the air and left the forest floor quaking.
Everyone stood in stunned silence.
It had all happened in an instant.
They knew… if it had been any of them standing there, they wouldn't have been able to react.
And yet, what shocked them most wasn't just the result…
It was how little effort Hikaru used.
There was no raw power. Only technique.
A level of precision and grace that could only be called art.
That… was a Hashira.
Kanao's eyes sparkled, as if something inside her had awakened.
"Hikaru-san, are you alright?" Tanjiro asked worriedly.
"H-He beat a monster like that in one move… He's scarier than my gramps…" Zenitsu stammered, still trembling.
"I'm fine," Hikaru replied calmly, waving his hand casually.
Meanwhile, the boar-headed boy groaned once… then went limp.
His head hit the ground with a dull thud.
Out cold.
"Nezuko, can you take him inside?" Hikaru glanced at her and smiled.
"Okay."
Nezuko nodded, stepped outside, and without hesitation, hoisted the large body onto her shoulder.
Then she casually tossed him through the door.
Thud!
Dust scattered everywhere as he hit the floor.
After all, Nezuko's strength was nothing to scoff at—especially after training under Hikaru.
Those watching could only gulp silently.
"All done," she said plainly, looking at Hikaru with a hint of a squint in her crimson eyes.
Was she… annoyed?
She didn't say anything else.
Just bowed politely and stepped back inside.
Hikaru looked slightly puzzled but only sighed lightly and muttered,
"Well… not exactly according to plan, but they're all here now."
He turned his gaze toward the three standing before him.
"I'm sure your mentors have explained the purpose of this training."
"So I won't repeat it."
"From today onward, I'll be your instructor."
"And I have only one condition—"
"Survive the next seven days."
He smiled gently as he said it.
But all three instantly stiffened.
For some reason, despite the smile, the air around them suddenly turned ice cold.
Even Kanao, usually unshaken, flinched.
A chill ran down all their spines.
"S-Scary… so scary…" Zenitsu whimpered.
But among them, Tanjiro was the first to steady his breathing.
With a firm voice and unwavering eyes, he shouted:
"Understood! I'm ready!"
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