"I'd teach a dog before I teach you!"—those words were the ultimate insult!
Sanemi Shinazugawa nearly exploded, itching to tear into Horitake, maybe even bite him to death.
But as the Wind Hashira, he wasn't just anyone. He reined in his fury.
Truth be told, his attitude earlier was awful—not the way to ask for a favor. Sanemi knew he was in the wrong.
Plus, he was no match for Horitake. Clutching his black eye, he stayed still, silent.
If you're asking for something, you've got to swallow your pride.
It went against Sanemi's hotheaded, defiant nature, but he had no choice.
He forced himself to calm down, suppressing his volatile temper.
On the veranda, Shinobu and the girls were stunned by the clash between Hashira.
Aoi and Kanao, a bit older, held it together, but the triplet sisters—Sumi, Kiyo, and Naho—were petrified, sitting silently, watching the drama unfold.
Shinobu observed with concern.
Sanemi's temper was explosive, and Horitake wasn't exactly easygoing. If they went head-to-head, internal strife in the Demon Slayer Corps would be a serious problem.
She glanced at Sanemi.
He'd always resented Horitake, especially after being soundly defeated. That resentment turned to irritation, fueling his poor attitude.
Then she looked at Horitake.
It was natural for Horitake to dislike Sanemi in return, but Shinobu sensed there was more to it—something deeper.
Strange. What could it be? Do they have some past grudge?
In truth, there was no personal history between them.
Horitake's intense dislike—bordering on hatred—for Sanemi stemmed entirely from the original story.
In the manga, after the Spider Mountain battle, Tanjirō's decision to protect his demon sister Nezuko was exposed.
At the Hashira Meeting to judge Tanjirō and Nezuko, Sanemi, that jerk, stabbed Nezuko multiple times! He even used his rare blood to tempt her into eating him, trying to justify killing her.
How could Horitake tolerate that?
Back when he watched the anime, that scene made him want to rip Sanemi apart.
Now, having crossed into this world, even though that event hadn't happened yet, it didn't lessen Horitake's contempt.
Thankfully, it hadn't happened. If it had, Horitake would've stabbed Sanemi back, Demon Slayer Corps rules be damned.
Add Sanemi's earlier provocations, and Horitake's dislike only grew.
This time, flaunting the Gale Sword Style was a deliberate trap to make Sanemi beg, to force him to humble himself and grovel, satisfying Horitake's grudge.
But Sanemi's arrogant approach to asking? That was the last straw, earning him a black eye!
Horitake decided then and there: if Sanemi kept up that attitude, he'd never teach him the Gale Sword Style.
Coldly staring at Sanemi, Horitake waited for his next move.
Sanemi seemed to grasp the situation. Shaking, he stood, approached Horitake, and…
Bowed deeply, his tone earnest:
"Please, Horitake! Teach me the Gale Sword Style!"
Horitake nodded inwardly. The attitude was decent, and his mood lightened slightly.
But it wasn't enough to quell his grudge.
Standing over Sanemi, he didn't let him rise, maintaining a lofty tone:
"Not enough."
"Not enough?!"
Sanemi shot up, glaring, stunned.
Quickly, he reined himself in, took a deep breath, and spoke earnestly:
"My attitude's sincere! Please, teach me!
I know my earlier provocations pissed you off, and my personality's not exactly likable. But my desire to learn is genuine.
Please!"
This time, Sanemi's tone was humbler, but Horitake's grudge still lingered.
He said, "You know I'm from Huaxia, right?"
"Yeah, so what?"
"Do you know how we Huaxians handle learning skills or techniques? It's not as simple as you just asking on a whim."
Sanemi was puzzled.
"Then… what's the proper way? What's the ceremony?"
"I don't know all the intricate rituals, so we'll skip those. But there's one key thing that can't be ignored."
"What's that?"
"To study under a master, you must show utmost sincerity and respect. You kneel, offer tea, and only if the master drinks it are you accepted as a disciple, worthy of learning their art."
Sanemi's eyes widened in shock.
"What?! I have to take you as my master? Kneel and offer tea?!"
Horitake's expression was matter-of-fact.
"What's wrong with that? Huaxia may not be as strict about sects as Nihon, but we still have traditions. A master's skills are meant for legacy.
My Gale Sword Style is a profound art. We're not kin—why would I teach it to you so easily?
To learn a master technique, you need to properly kneel and take a master."
"But… but," Sanemi stammered, flustered, "I'm older than you! How can I take you as my master?!"
"Why not?
'A disciple need not be inferior to the master, nor the master superior to the disciple. Knowledge comes in order, and skills have their specialties—that's all!'"
Horitake quoted a classic Huaxian saying, leaving everyone stunned.
Even he was a bit proud. He'd long forgotten most of the ancient texts from high school, but somehow, this quote stuck, springing out at the perfect moment.
Faced with the wisdom of ancient sages, Sanemi, uneducated as he was, had no retort.
After a long pause, he muttered, "No matter what… kneeling… taking a master… offering tea…"
Horitake, sensing Sanemi's struggle, "kindly" lowered the bar:
"Fine, this isn't Huaxia, so I won't cling to tradition. You don't have to take me as your master, and I don't need the title.
Just kneel and ask, and I'll teach you the Gale Sword Style."
"This…"
Sanemi still hesitated.
Kneeling to beg this jerk? It felt humiliating, unbearable. But… he really wanted to learn!
He thought of his past, his slaughtered family, his mother turned demon, his brother. Rage surged—hatred for demons, a burning resolve to slay them all!
Learning the Gale Sword Style would boost his strength, letting him kill more demons!
As Sanemi steeled his resolve, Horitake stood calmly before him. On the veranda, Shinobu watched with worry.
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