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When Kibutsuji Muzan, dressed in a black kimono and geisha attire, appeared before everyone.
The demons already guessed what had happened; after all, only eleven demons had arrived so far.
One of the Twelve Kizuki was absent…
Kibutsuji Muzan scanned the demons and slowly said, "Lower Moon Five is dead."
"Even though the Demon Slayer Corps' headquarters have been annihilated and a Demon Nation established, a Low Moon can still die at the hands of the Demon Slayer Corps."
Perhaps because Rui shared a similar experience with Kibutsuji Muzan, Muzan had always been fond of that child, even indulging him in associating with other demons.
Rui's death particularly enraged Kibutsuji Muzan.
Kaigaku inexplicably felt a surge of killing intent, lowered his head, and dared not look at Muzan.
Unfortunately, what one wishes to avoid often comes to pass.
Muzan glanced at him and asked, "Kaigaku, what do you think?"
Kaigaku tremblingly replied, "Although the Demon Slayer Corps has suffered heavy losses, the Wind Pillar, Flame Pillar, and Water Pillar still remain. If Lower Moon Five encountered a Pillar, he should have been powerless to resist…"
The next moment, he painfully collapsed to the ground, feeling as if all the blood in his body was boiling.
Kibutsuji Muzan's face was cold, almost laughing in anger.
For over a thousand years, these created demons still hadn't found the Blue Spider Lily, nor had they managed to completely annihilate the Demon Slayer Corps.
The Low Moon demons, as part of the Twelve Kizuki, couldn't even defeat a Pillar and were constantly being replaced.
"In that case, is there still a need for the Low Moon demons to exist?"
His expression growing colder, Kibutsuji Muzan already wanted to purge these useless demons.
"Lord, wait a moment, perhaps Lower Moon Five's death wasn't due to a Pillar."
Before Kaigaku could continue, Kibutsuji Muzan had already read his thoughts.
"The Demon Slayer Corps once prophesied that one person would end the Demon King!"
Kaigaku's thoughts held a glimmer of hope, though he himself didn't believe this prophecy.
But for some reason, Kibutsuji Muzan paused his punishment, and after a moment of silence,
he scanned the Low Moon demons, including Daki, and coldly said, "Go find the one who killed Lower Moon Five, and kill him."
Before these Low Moon demons could ask any questions, Nakime transported them out of the Infinite City.
Kibutsuji Muzan looked at his black kimono, adorned with strange patterns, pondered for a moment, then turned to look at Upper Moon Three, Akaza.
"You go too. If they can't do it, kill the Low Moon demons as well."
—
As dawn broke, Sanemi Shinazugawa woke up from his bed, rubbing his messy hair.
A fragrant smell wafted in from outside, causing Sanemi Shinazugawa to frown in confusion.
He usually practiced his swordsmanship first thing in the morning, so it shouldn't be this early for cooking. What was that smell outside?
Picking up his nichirin blade, Sanemi Shinazugawa walked out of the room, and then he saw Kisaragi Rin eating in his house.
"Why are you here?"
Although he knew Kisaragi Rin was coming today to learn Wind Breathing, he didn't expect him to come so early.
Sanemi Shinazugawa's cheek twitched, somewhat disbelieving.
The Demon Slayer Corps, of course, didn't consist only of swordsmen; it also had numerous support personnel.
Most of these people had deep-seated grudges against demons but lacked the aptitude to learn Breathing Styles and become swordsmen, so they worked in logistics for the Demon Slayer Corps.
"I was just thinking of learning Wind Breathing sooner."
No one knows whether tomorrow or an accident will come first. Kisaragi Rin planned to speed up the pace, complete the Phase Two mission here, and then immediately prepare to kill Muzan, focusing on maximizing his own strength first.
"Wind Breathing isn't that easy to learn."
Sanemi Shinazugawa frowned, reminding him.
Recalling Kisaragi Rin's performance yesterday, he explained, "Even if your physical condition meets the standard, I don't see any trace of you having practiced swordsmanship."
Kisaragi Rin waved his hand casually.
"Don't worry, I used to be a genius too…"
"A genius?"
Sanemi Shinazugawa had indeed seen a genius; that person was the Mist Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Mist Pillar, Muichiro Tokito, had originally learned Wind Breathing and reached Pillar-level in just two months. He even independently developed Mist Breathing, which was more suitable for him.
However, facing the attacking Upper Moon, the Mist Pillar was still bedridden.
Even if one is a genius, what good is it if there's no time to realize that power?
Sanemi Shinazugawa gripped his blade, intending to let Kisaragi Rin personally experience the difficulty of learning a Breathing Style.
If he was too careless, let alone killing the Demon King, he should first focus on surviving against the Twelve Kizuki.
After breakfast, Sanemi Shinazugawa led Kisaragi Rin to the courtyard.
Breathing Styles, in essence, involve using special breathing to enhance cardiopulmonary function, thereby allowing the blood to absorb large amounts of oxygen in a short time, instantly boosting physical abilities and temporarily possessing physical prowess comparable to a demon.
And being a Pillar means reaching a state where one can maintain this breathing at all times.
Wind Breathing, one of the five basic Breathing Styles derived from Sun Breathing.
It has nine forms of swordsmanship, with attacks as swift as the wind, characterized by fierce and agile offensives, full of sharp edges.
It is suitable for those who detest evil as much as drawing blood and whose temperament is as turbulent as a wild wind.
Although Kisaragi Rin's temperament didn't quite match, he had his own learning method.
"Just use Wind Breathing to attack me, and I'll learn the rest myself."
Kisaragi Rin said this to Sanemi Shinazugawa.
Sanemi Shinazugawa had never heard of such a learning method. He swapped for a training wooden sword, stood opposite Kisaragi Rin, and asked again, "Are you sure you want to practice like this?"
"Of course."
Kisaragi Rin had already activated his Heavenly Eye, and the eye-shaped symbol flashed on his forehead, preparing himself.
"Then watch closely!"
Sanemi Shinazugawa assumed a stance, and the wooden sword in his hand rapidly slashed towards Kisaragi Rin.
It was still Wind Breathing. First Form: Dust Whirlwind Cutter!
However, this time, Kisaragi Rin had no intention of using his divine sense to observe the attack trajectory.
Instead, he observed Sanemi Shinazugawa's breathing, the changes within his body, and the flow of air when he launched the attack.
Facing the approaching blade, Kisaragi Rin's pupils constricted slightly, suppressing his body's instinct to dodge.
He controlled his eyes to firmly imprint this scene into his mind.
"Do you think you can learn just by watching?"
Sanemi Shinazugawa stopped the wooden sword that was about to hit Kisaragi Rin, dissatisfied, and somewhat unable to comprehend what Kisaragi Rin was doing.
"Just keep coming."
Kisaragi Rin deactivated his Heavenly Eye and gently rubbed his forehead. His Heavenly Eye was still at a low level, and such frequent use consumed a great deal of energy, which was why he had only activated his divine sense when necessary before.
Hearing Kisaragi Rin's reply, Sanemi Shinazugawa's already short temper instantly ignited, and a blazing fury surged within him.
He remained silent, channeling this anger into an increasingly swift Wind Breathing, his wooden sword whistling like a whirlwind, its momentum growing sharper and more oppressive.
Facing the continuously unleashed First Form: Dust Whirlwind Cutter, Kisaragi Rin remained calm and composed.
He poured all his concentration into his Heavenly Eye, meticulously observing every subtle change occurring around Sanemi Shinazugawa.
As time slowly passed, beads of sweat formed on Kisaragi Rin's forehead due to the excessive consumption of his Heavenly Eye, while his comprehension of Wind Breathing gradually deepened.
Until a certain moment, Sanemi Shinazugawa once again unleashed the First Form, reaching Kisaragi Rin, and was about to instinctively withdraw his strength.
However, at that very moment, Kisaragi Rin moved.
His breathing began to change, and his heartbeat suddenly accelerated!
Kisaragi Rin lightly stepped, and the wooden sword in his hand slashed forward with his body's movement, actively meeting the attack.
"This is?"
The wooden sword in his hand was knocked away, and Sanemi Shinazugawa's face showed three parts dazed, two parts bewildered, and five parts disbelief.
If he hadn't misseen, or rather, he couldn't have misseen! He was the strongest Wind Breathing user of all time!
"Wind Breathing. First Form: Dust Whirlwind Cutter!"
After unleashing that strike, Kisaragi Rin finally exhaled and spoke the name of the technique.
[You have independently learned the Skill - Wind Breathing]
[You have completed Phase Two mission: Learn Breathing Styles]
"Thanks, Wind Pillar bro."
Having learned Wind Breathing, Kisaragi Rin was in high spirits. He handed the wooden sword back to the Wind Pillar and turned to leave.
At this point, less than ten minutes had passed since Kisaragi Rin began learning.
The training time was even shorter than the time Kisaragi Rin spent eating breakfast.
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