Marcus Lee glanced around, feeling a little tense.
Why was it just him?
A very obvious gaze was fixed on him. Its owner was Aoi Kanzaki, her black mid-length hair tied into twin ponytails, and her sea-blue eyes gleaming like emeralds.
Her expression was stern, her long eyebrows slightly furrowed, as if she disapproved of Marcus. After all, he still looked half-asleep and wasn't taking training seriously.
Despite her youth, Aoi's serious face carried a hint of authority. Not enough to feel oppressive, but enough to be endearing.
Although she wasn't officially a combatant, she still wore the Demon Slayer Corps uniform daily, topped with a white care jacket.
The other figure, Kanaho, seemed almost detached from the world. Her delicate face was expressionless, like a beautiful porcelain doll.
Black hair, purple eyes, straight-cut bangs, and a single side ponytail.
The emerald-green butterfly hair accessory she wore belonged to Shinobu's late sister, Kanae Kocho, the former Flower Pillar.
Marcus' gaze lingered briefly on Kanaho.
She wore the Corps uniform on top, a black pleated skirt that reached her knees below, and long white boots.
In this era, these Western-style boots were expensive. Truly, Shinobu cared for her sister and had the wealth to show it.
Lost in thought, Marcus was snapped back by the sound of Shinobu clapping her hands lightly.
"Let's start with reflex training. Your opponent… hmm…"
Her eyes darted toward Aoi and Kanaho, pretending to hesitate before smiling.
"Why don't I be your opponent?"
"?"
Marcus looked at her, confused. Shinobu smiled at him, her gaze soft but encouraging.
"Huh?"
Was she serious?
He had assumed Aoi would be his training partner. Not that he underestimated her his reaction time might even be slower than hers.
Kanaho, stronger and more skilled, was clearly beyond his level. At this stage, she would completely overwhelm him.
Yet Shinobu didn't follow convention.
Why would the Insect Pillar personally train him?
"No problem. Shall we start?"
I have problems!
So many problems!
Marcus hesitated, words caught in his throat.
Before he could refuse, Shinobu was already sitting at the table filled with cups.
He exhaled slowly, looking at her as he sat confidently opposite her.
Fine. Let's try this.
The rules were simple: each cup contained a potion. Pick it up and throw it at your opponent. If they caught it first, you couldn't move that cup anymore.
"Start!"
As soon as Aoi's voice rang, warm potion splashed across Marcus' face. He barely had time to react. His hair was soaked, his upper clothes drenched.
He hadn't even seen when Shinobu made her move.
Even as the weakest of the Nine Pillars, she was far too fast for him to react.
Without time to recover, Aoi's voice sounded again.
"Start!"
Marcus fixed his eyes on the cup in front of him, almost willing his vision to sharpen.
But he couldn't see clearly!
In an instant, the potion splashed again. Shinobu withdrew her hand calmly.
He hadn't even noticed which side she had raised the cup from, let alone anticipate it beforehand.
Her speed was beyond imagination.
If she were his enemy, Marcus would have been dead in an instant.
He raised his head slowly, adopting a more serious attitude.
Facing her encouraging smile, her gentle voice whispered in his ear.
"Above all, never forget your breathing."
Hearing this, Marcus focused on her face.
Stray locks framed her face, her eyebrows thin and elegant, her nose small and straight, lips a pale pink.
Her smile was always perfectly curved, like a spring breeze at first glance, but it was deceiving not truly heartfelt.
A smile for the sake of smiling, a mimicry without natural warmth.
Marcus stared freely, observing.
He had a reason.
He was studying the rhythm of her breathing.
Insect Breathing, derived from Flower Breathing, was essentially a branch of Water Breathing.
As a Water Breathing swordsman, it made sense to observe the Pillar's breathing patterns, frequency, and depth.
And breathing inevitably involved both nose and mouth.
Observing carefully and boldly was perfectly reasonable.
"Start!"
"Wait!"
Aoi's voice interrupted him.
Marcus hurriedly spoke.
"This training is too stressful for me. I'll just end up soaked and embarrassed."
"I think we could try a different method," he suggested seriously to Shinobu.
"How about strength training? Let's arm wrestle!"