Whoosh!
A violent, pressurized gust of wind erupted from the training ground. It wasn't just a breeze; it was a physical force that kicked up dust and rattled the wooden walls of the dojo.
This single, shocking moment completely shattered the Demon Slayer Corps members' understanding of what was possible. They had all heard rumors, of course. They knew that Shinazugawa, the volatile Wind Hashira, was unique. He was supposedly the only one in the entire Corps who could project his power, something akin to 'sword aura'.
But this? This was different. He wasn't holding a Nichirin Sword. He had created that powerful gale with nothing but his bare hands and his Breathing Style. How could a simple twist of his body generate such force? Wasn't that just too exaggerated?
As the wind died down, every eye in the clearing turned in unison to stare at Su Chen. The question hanging in the air was unspoken but clear: What would Su Chen do now? How could anyone meditate through this?
Su Chen, sitting perfectly still in his meditative posture, felt the shift in the air an instant before the wind hit. He didn't need to open his eyes to know what was happening; he had already noticed Shinazugawa's aggressive movements.
He recognized the form instantly. Wind Breathing, Second Form: Claws – Purifying Wind. It was a powerful, wide-ranging frontal attack. Su Chen recalled its standard description: a technique meant to be a "wind that blows away all infamy and false accusations."
It seems Shinazugawa really wants to win, Su Chen thought, a small, hidden smile playing on his lips. He had to admit, the Wind Hashira's skill was impressive. To create such a violent commotion with only his body, completely unarmed and without a Nichirin Sword, was something Su Chen hadn't fully anticipated. The raw power was substantial.
But what did it really matter?
Su Chen's expression remained perfectly calm. In fact, this was exactly the effect he had been hoping for. Shinazugawa was unknowingly providing the perfect disturbance.
While the Wind Pillar could certainly use his Breathing Technique with his body alone, the attack was incomplete. Because he wasn't using a Nichirin blade, the move was all bark and no bite. It was just pressurized air. Seemingly powerful, yes, but it had almost zero actual impact on Su Chen or his students. It was the perfect test of focus.
Su Chen slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the patients he was leading. He had warned them that this phase of training would be difficult, and it seemed his words had stuck. Despite the sudden gale, the four patients remained in their meditative poses. Their faces were exceptionally serious, brows furrowed in concentration, but none of them had been distracted by Shinazugawa's harassment. They were holding firm.
His gaze then shifted to the person sitting beside him: Kocho Shinobu.
If his students were focused, she was on another level entirely. Shinobu's eyes were shut tightly, her long, curved eyelashes trembling just slightly with the effort of her concentration. Her signature colorful haori was pooled gently on the floor around her. The girl's small body was held perfectly straight, her posture immaculate, and her expression was one of absolute, deadly seriousness.
Occasionally, she would lightly furrow her delicate brows, her lips pressing together, revealing a deeply thoughtful expression as if she were solving a complex puzzle internally.
Su Chen watched her for a moment and couldn't help but admire her from the bottom of his heart. This level of unwavering, focused concentration was exactly what he was trying to teach. It was clear that Shinobu, the Insect Hashira, was the first person in the group to truly meet his demanding requirements.
A moment later, the full force of Shinazugawa's attack arrived. The strong wind howled across the platform, billowing everyone's clothes. Shinobu's colorful haori flapped loudly, and the patients' hair was whipped across their faces. The noise was immense.
But the result was just as Su Chen predicted. It was obvious.
Not a single one of the six people present—not Su Chen, not Shinobu, and not the four patients—broke their meditative state due to the Wind Pillar's interference.
Su Chen allowed himself a small, satisfied smile, pursing his lips. His goal had been achieved. From this point on, Shinazugawa could shout and storm all he wanted; he was now just a tool, an unwitting assistant in Su Chen's lesson.
With that thought, Su Chen closed his eyes again and activated his own technique.
Bullet Domain activated.
[You have entered a deep meditative state.] [You are actively attempting to improve your concentration ability. You have begun to adjust your Breathing Technique in response to the external stimuli.] [You have utilized the Total Concentration - Focus Breathing Technique. You have begun to temper every cell in your body, pushing your awareness outward, improving your physical fitness.] [Your concentration ability has improved.] [Your external attention has focused.] [You have memorized Shinazugawa's body movements from the previous attack. You are thinking, analyzing. You are curious about the mechanics of using your own body to perform Breathing Techniques.] [You have broadened your thinking. You are deducing the principles behind the muscle control and explosive power.] [You are meditating...]
"Look! Flame Pillar-sama is almost done, too!"
Suddenly, the spectators watching from the sidelines exclaimed again.
Shinazugawa's aggressive expression immediately froze. He had been charging up a second, more powerful gust of wind, but he stopped cold. He whipped his head around, his sharp gaze falling directly on Rengoku Kyoujurou's training area.
Kyoujurou was, as always, a whirlwind of positive energy. He was speaking with an invigorated, booming expression, his voice full of passion.
"Yes! Keep it up, young ones! Focus! In the future, you will surely thank your present selves for this hardship! Success is right there! It's when you learn to stop your own injuries just by using your Breathing Techniques!"
That was right. The Flame Hashira, Kyoujurou, had created his own self-made rehabilitation training. His goal was to teach the injured slayers how to use their breathing to control their bodies and stop their own bleeding from wounds. It was an incredibly advanced and surprisingly effective technique. This was why Kyoujurou had set it as the fourth and final stage of his rehabilitation training.
The very next moment, under the Flame Pillar's loud guidance, one of his patients suddenly gasped. He scrambled to his feet, his face filled with pure, unadulterated excitement.
"I... I did it! Rengoku-sama! I succeeded! I can stop my injuries with my Breathing Technique!" he shouted.
"Yes! I saw it! That was amazing!" Kyoujurou roared back, flashing the young man a brilliant thumbs-up. He praised him without a single reservation, slapping him on the back. "You're truly the best Corps member I've ever seen! That was splendid! How about we grab a meal together later to celebrate? Hahaha!"
And just like that, the number of successful patients for Kyoujurou decreased by one again. This wasn't the first. Before this, three other patients in Kyoujurou's team had already successfully learned to stop their wounds using his breathing methods.
This new success marked the fourth.
Which meant that the Flame Pillar only had one single patient left who had not completed the rehabilitation training. He was dangerously close to winning.
Not far away, Shinazugawa watched this, and his sense of crisis immediately surged. Su Chen was one thing; that guy was annoying and strange. But the Flame Pillar was different. This guy was loud, persistent, and genuinely hard to interfere with.
Shinazugawa's face twisted into a frustrated expression. Although he had technically been one point ahead of Kyoujurou in the previous stage, none of his own patients had passed this final stage yet. If Kyoujurou finished the competition now, he would still lose.
He wasn't going to let that happen.
Shinazugawa stalked off the field of meditation. A moment later, he returned, having picked up a wooden sword from a nearby weapons rack.
A grim, dangerous smile spread across his face. He looked directly at Kyoujurou and said, "Sorry, Kyoujurou! Don't take this personally!"
"Wind Breathing, First Form: Dust Whirlwind Cutter!"
Whoosh!
Shinazugawa swung the wooden sword with blinding speed. A focused whirlwind, sharp as a rolling blade, suddenly rushed straight towards Kyoujurou and his final patient. Shinazugawa's own figure simultaneously concealed itself within the vortex, using the technique's momentum to close the distance between him and Kyoujurou.
The moment he got close, Shinazugawa's other move was already fully charged and ready. He wasn't stupid; he was surrounded by injured people. Considering the patients nearby, Shinazugawa deliberately reduced the force of this next move. He wanted to interrupt, not to maim.
"Wind Breathing, Fourth Form: Rising Dust Storm!"
The Wind Pillar twisted his body in mid-air, rapidly swinging the wooden sword in his hand in a circular, upward motion.
A surging tornado rose from below, erupting right in Kyoujurou's training space.
In an instant, the entire field was ravaged by these fierce, targeted winds. Dust and leaves were thrown everywhere, and everyone's eyes stung from the flying debris.
The single patient Kyoujurou was focusing on was no exception. He cried out in surprise, and the moment Shinazugawa's sword technique hit, he was forcibly interrupted, his concentration completely shattered.
Seeing his objective achieved, Shinazugawa let the winds die down. He stopped his movements and landed lightly, resting the wooden sword on his shoulder. He said with clearly feigned helplessness, "Rengoku, don't blame me. This is all within reasonable operational limits for the competition, right?"
Kyoujurou, whose bright hair was now a mess from the wind, squinted his large eyes slightly. He stared at Shinazugawa for a long second, and then he laughed. It was a hearty, booming laugh.
"Hahaha! Of course! I just didn't expect your first target to be me, Shinazugawa!" Kyoujurou said, his good nature completely intact. "However, aren't you afraid that Su Chen will use this chance to disturb the patients you're responsible for, now that you've come over here directly?"
Shinazugawa just scoffed brazenly. "It's fine. My patients have already fainted from the training. They can't be disturbed if they're already unconscious."
Kyoujurou's smile froze for a split second. "..."
The next moment, the two Hashira had a brief, tense conversation. Shinazugawa, claiming it was only "for fairness," tossed Kyoujurou a second wooden sword from the rack.
He suggested they change the rehabilitation training entirely. His proposal? A one-on-one duel.
Shinazugawa was blunt about his reasoning. He stated that as long as he was standing there, neither Kyoujurou nor Su Chen would be able to complete their rehabilitation training goals. He would simply interrupt them again and again.
As the saying goes, the barefoot aren't afraid of those with shoes. Shinazugawa had nothing left to lose in this stage. As long as Kyoujurou and Su Chen tried to train their patients, he would use his Breathing Technique to interrupt them until time ran out.
There was no other way for him.
If Shinazugawa couldn't win this competition, he wouldn't be able to obtain the method to awaken his Mark. And if he couldn't awaken his Mark... wouldn't that mean he was weaker than Su Chen?
That was a thought he couldn't bear. Therefore, Shinazugawa was desperate to improve.
He had to win this competition, no matter what.