Each movement of the Breath of Stone seemed engraved into Tendo's mind. He didn't know why—it was simply as if he was born for the sword.
Given Gyomei's mastery of the Breath of Stone, the demonstration should have taken only a minute. Yet he stretched it to five.
This was his way of accommodating the young Tendo.
"Tendo, it's over!" Gyomei concluded his stance, clasping his hands together. The chains coiled around his arms as the axe and flail hung naturally at his sides.
Tendo nodded, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. The surroundings gradually settled into silence.
He was about to meet Gyomei's expectations. Gripping the hilt with his right hand, he adjusted his breathing.
The three fundamentals of a swordsman: heart, body, and technique.
Heart referred to mentality—either honed through relentless training or innate.
Body meant physique. Except for rare talents like Kanroji Mitsuri, it demanded relentless effort, as seen in Gyomei himself.
Technique, for a swordsman, was the Breathing Technique—the fusion of breath and swordplay.
Tendo's proficiency in technique was already maxed out.
By observing Gyomei's Breath of Stone, he had grasped both the breathing rhythm and sword techniques.
After countless mental rehearsals, his blade moved with his hand, and his stance followed his blade.
Three minutes later, Tendo sheathed his sword. Just as he had claimed, one observation was enough.
"Pardon my poor imitation!"
He bowed slightly, lips curling into a confident yet humble smile.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki knew nothing of swordplay. To him, Tendo's demonstration seemed only slightly different from Gyomei's—the rest appeared identical.
"Tendo, you truly are a genius!"
"Namu Amida Butsu!"
Gyomei exclaimed. Though blind, as the most skilled practitioner of the Breath of Stone in the Demon Slayer Corps, he didn't need to consciously sense that aura.
Tears instantly streamed down his face, his lips lifting in a strangely combined expression.
"What a shame you're already Elder Shinazugawa's disciple—otherwise, I'd have taken you as my successor without hesitation!"
"Master, given time, Tendo will undoubtedly stand as the strongest of this generation. I pale in comparison!" Himejima Gyomei bestowed the highest praise upon Tendo, his heart swelling with joy.
The stronger the Demon Slayer Corps, the sooner they could eradicate the Demons.
Tendo scratched his head, then shamelessly accepted Gyomei's praise."Brother Gyoumei, one day I'll fight side by side with you. Wait for me!"
"Hahaha!"
"I'm the number one genius of the Demon Slayer Corps, you know!"
"Tendo, thank you for coming into my life!" Kagaya Ubuyashiki said with tears in his eyes, running over to give Tendo a hug.
In truth, the pressure weighing on Kagaya was immense.
Ever since his father's death, the Demon Slayer Corps had been passed down to his generation, its strength dwindling to an unimaginable low.
There were only two Hashira left—Shinjuro Rengoku and Gyoumei Himejima.
The talent Tendo displayed gave him hope for the future.
Tendo grinned brightly, patting Kagaya on the back as he said:
"Don't worry, leave it to me!"
...
A month later, at the Rengoku residence.
Of course, by now, the Rengoku household could practically be renamed "Rengoku Kindergarten"—there were just too many kids around.
The "principal," Uncle Shinjuro; the beautiful "teacher," Aunt Ruka; the "senior class" members—Tendo, Obanai, Kyojuro, and Kanae Kocho; the "middle class" member—Shinobu Kocho; and the "junior class" member—the still-sniffling Senjuro.
Naturally, Tendo was the only one who lived there full-time. The Kocho sisters stayed at the medical division, and Obanai was training under a Water Breathing Breeder.
"Tendo, do you want more?" Ruka asked warmly, noticing that Tendo's special eating bowl was already half-empty. She smiled affectionately, as if looking at her own son.
"Aunt Ruka, I... burp... I'm really full!"
Tendo let out a satisfied burp—after all, there was a universal truth in the world: a mother always thinks you're hungry.
"Mommy, hug!" Senjuro toddled over with his bowl in hand, blinking his big eyes.
"Aunt Ruka, I'm done eating. See you later!"
Obanai neatly arranged his chopsticks and bowl, gave Ruka a glance, and then left. Outside of eating and sleeping, his life revolved around training—all so that one day, he could stand beside Tendo.
After the meal, the Kocho sisters helped Ruka clean up before heading off to practice their Breathing Techniques.
In the courtyard, Tendo and Kyojuro sparred with wooden swords. Because of Tendo's influence, Shinjuro had begun teaching his son Breathing Techniques earlier than usual.
Perhaps the "principal" of Rengoku Kindergarten had heard about Tendo from Gyoumei Himejima.
Over the past month, Tendo had been practicing Stone Breathing, gradually mastering it until it would one day become his own.
"Tendo, hit me harder!" Kyojuro shouted excitedly, his wooden sword swinging faster and faster.
Tendo's expression twisted slightly—hearing those words from his big brother felt... weird.
We're sparring here!
Under the eaves, Senjuro lay curled in his mother's arms. As a miniature version of Shinjuro Rengoku, he carried far more of his mother's gentleness.
On top of that, he was doted on by three older brothers and two older sisters.
As the only "junior class" member of Rengoku Kindergarten, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was showered with endless love.
"Mommy, when I grow up, I wanna be like big brother and Tendo-nii!" Senjuro declared in his tiny voice, clenching his little fists.
Ruka ruffled her youngest son's hair and said softly, "Then you'll have to work hard, Senjuro!"
"Mm-hmm!" Senjuro nodded eagerly, raising one tiny fist in the air.
Charge! (ง •̀ω•́)ง✧
Just then, a booming voice rang out.
"I'm home, hahaha!"The gate of the Rengoku residence swung open as the frequently absent principal of Rengoku Kindergarten returned.
Shinjuro carried bundles of items—food, toys, and medical books requested by the Butterfly sisters. Unbeknownst to him, the fiery-hearted man had developed a more delicate touch, becoming a proper kindergarten principal.
The principal first ruffled the heads of Tendo and Kyojuro, who were "fighting," turning their hair into bird's nests. Then he picked up the younger class student Senjuro before shamelessly planting a kiss on his wife in front of all the children.
"Old man, can I learn Flame Breathing from you now?" Tendo Kazama asked eagerly, his greatsword practically trembling with anticipation.
"Kid, have you even mastered Stone Breathing yet?" Shinjuro pulled out a letter from his robe. "By the way, here's a letter from your master."
Tendo took the letter and thumped his chest confidently. "I'm ready! Cutting down demons won't be a problem!"
"Fine, I know you're a genius. Since we have a day off this time, I'll give you a demonstration."
For Tendo, the stronger the person demonstrating the Breathing Technique, the more he could grasp its essence—especially when it came to Hashira like Shinjuro Rengoku, who had mastered their Breathing to perfection.
Thus, the advanced class of Rengoku Kindergarten began.
Shinjuro's demonstration lasted a full twenty minutes this time, breaking down every detail for young Tendo.
Just as Kagaya Ubuyashiki had said, the Demon Slayer Corps needed talents like him—which was why he had long entrusted Shinjuro with the task.
But even without the Master's request, Shinjuro would have taught him with everything he had.