"Your sister wasn't here just now, so how could I guide you in learning a Breathing Technique?"
Ryuya raised an eyebrow calmly.
"Ryuya, are you going to teach Shinobu Breathing Techniques? Can I help?"
Kanae immediately caught the meaning in his words.
Ryuya's lips curved slightly as he gave Shinobu a meaningful glance.
This hateful guy.
Even without speaking, Shinobu understood exactly what he meant.
He was implying she wasn't as sensible as her sister.
"Hmph. Then I'd like to see what serious method you have."
Shinobu crossed her arms and looked straight at him. "Brother Ryuya, you keep saying my sister needs to be here. So tell me, what exactly is her role?"
"Simple. We use your sister's Flower Breathing as a foundation to develop a Breathing style suited specifically to you. Or would you prefer deriving it from my Moon Breathing?"
Shinobu paused.
Insect Breathing would one day be derived from Flower Breathing, though she did not yet realize it. Ryuya, however, understood this clearly.
"Then don't just talk. Show me."
"Watch carefully."
Ryuya lightly tapped her head with the edge of his hand before asking Kanae to demonstrate.
Under the moonlight, Kanae stepped forward, Nichirin Blade in hand.
She began performing Flower Breathing.
Her movements were light and graceful. Pink sword arcs shimmered softly, and the faint scent of petals seemed to drift through the night air.
Ryuya and Shinobu sat within the pavilion, quietly observing.
Kanae completed all the forms once.
When Ryuya gave no signal to stop, she continued.
After another cycle, he turned to Shinobu. "What did you understand?"
The sudden question startled her out of her daze.
She blinked and looked at him.
His expression was serious.
This scoundrel… he's actually serious?
She swallowed. "Sister's Flower Breathing is light, elegant, beautiful…"
"I didn't know Sister Shinobu could speak so sweetly."
Ryuya's tone turned playful again.
Shinobu's eyes widened, and she immediately scooted away.
"Don't come closer! Don't say strange things! Don't make strange movements!"
"I'm telling you to observe seriously."
He spread his hands in mock exasperation.
She cautiously returned, though maintaining a much greater distance this time.
This time, she focused more intently, though she remained wary of him.
After a moment, Ryuya asked, "Besides Breathing Techniques, what else is crucial for a Demon Slayer Corps swordsman?"
"A high-quality Nichirin Blade."
"Good. Now, what are your thoughts on your own blade?"
Shinobu fell silent.
Her biggest problem was obvious.
She could not decapitate demons.
"My wrist strength is insufficient. I can't cut off a demon's head. Not even yours."
Ryuya raised an eyebrow but showed no offense.
"Have you considered killing me in another way?"
Shinobu's eyes sharpened instantly.
"With sunlight?"
"Besides that?"
"Wisteria."
Her brows furrowed. "Nichirin Blades, sunlight, and wisteria are the three effective methods. But wisteria doesn't even kill you."
She remembered the wisteria tea incident vividly. He had drunk nearly an entire pot and remained completely fine.
Ryuya chuckled. "You really want to kill me that badly?"
"Yes."
Her answer came without hesitation.
He flicked her forehead lightly.
"Ow!"
"If you keep saying things like that, I'll escalate the punishment."
She bit her lip but wisely held her tongue.
"So you want to use wisteria against demons?"
"Yes."
Ryuya's tone turned instructive again.
"Since your wrist strength is your weakness, why obsess over it? Why not amplify your strengths and compensate for your shortcomings through another method?"
"Compensate…"
Her eyes brightened briefly, then clouded with doubt.
"I can't just carry bundles of wisteria flowers into battle. And demons won't obediently consume it."
"That's where innovation comes in."
He leaned slightly closer.
"Have you considered applying concentrated Wisteria Poison to your Nichirin Blade and injecting it directly into a demon's body?"
Shinobu froze.
"Inject it…?"
"If you cannot sever the neck, pierce vital points instead. Deliver poison directly into the bloodstream. A thinner blade. Faster thrusts. Precision over brute force."
Her breathing subtly quickened.
A slender blade.
High-speed thrusts.
Poison instead of decapitation.
A fighting style tailored specifically to her limitations.
"You're saying… I don't need to cut off their heads?"
"You need to kill them. How you do it is secondary."
For once, Ryuya's gaze was steady and devoid of teasing.
"Develop a Breathing style that complements that method. Swift, precise, lethal."
Shinobu's eyes shimmered under the moonlight.
Not with embarrassment.
Not with anger.
But with realization.
Perhaps… she truly could become a Demon Slayer in her own way.
...
Author's Note:
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🔥 I also have additional 18+ fanfics available for readers who enjoy exclusive mature stories. 😉
1. Dragon Ball: Oolong's Sex Adventure
2. Elements of Lust – ATLA & Korra Mixed Smut
3. Doraemon: Filtering with Nobi Tamako
4. The Naive Me Who Became Someone's Everyday Secret
5. High School DxD: Rias Gremory, the Phenex Bride
6. Versatile Mage: Awakening the Succubus System
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