We arrived at the Butterfly Mansion at night.
I took a bath and went to the room Shinobu had shown me so I could rest.
I didn't sleep much.
I no longer needed long hours of sleep, and honestly, it felt strange to sleep on a soft futon after so long sleeping on tree branches.
I left the room while it was still dawn.
The mansion's garden was silent, covered by a thin mist.
I sat cross-legged, slowly breathing in and out the cold air.
Breathing techniques...
That was what I needed to focus on right now.
First of all, I had to improve what I already had: constant breathing (kinda).
Seeing Shinobu use Flower Breathing gave me some inspiration to improve, probably a result of my assassin talent.
With each cycle, the constant breathing became more controlled and balanced.
I made progress, but I still needed to refine some things.
I didn't even notice that the sun had already risen.
"You train until sunrise?"
The voice pulled me out of the trance.
I slowly opened my eyes.
Shinobu stood in front of me, holding a tray.
The smell of rice and hot soup filled the air.
"I didn't find you in your room," she said, with that tone that was sweet and venomous at the same time.
"So I decided to bring breakfast to the missing one."
I smiled, scratching my cheek.
"I lost track of time."
I took the bowl and ate a mouthful.
Simple, but tasty.
The kind of food that reminds you of home.
"It's great!" I commented.
Shinobu crossed her arms, chin raised in a proud manner.
"Of course it's good, I made it."
I couldn't help but let out a small laugh.
She looked away, pretending indifference, but I saw the corner of her mouth twitching as she held back a smile.
While I ate, I noticed she was watching me.
Her gaze fixed on my shadow, she seemed confused.
"Your shadow…"
"It moves..."
"In the same rhythm as your breathing."
I paused for a second, looking down.
The shadow really did sway subtly, as if it followed my breath.
'Interesting.'
Before I could respond, Kanae appeared, accompanied by a man in a black-and-white uniform covering his entire body except for his eyes, one of the Corps' assistants.
"Usan, the master wants to see you"
"Are you ready?"
"I am," I replied, leaving the empty bowl on the tray and thanking Shinobu once more.
The man approached and placed a blindfold over my eyes.
Without saying anything, he lifted me onto his back and began to carry me.
I took a peek at the path using my presence, but I didn't think it was important to memorize it, at least not right now.
During the journey, Kanae walked beside us.
We talked a little.
She seemed calm, and at the same time curious about my powers.
I just said I was still learning to control them, without giving too many details.
If we're going to talk about this, I'd prefer to do it all at once, when the master hunter is already there to listen.
And then we finally arrived at the main mansion.
The smell of wisteria was intense, as if it filled the entire place.
The man set me down and removed my blindfold, gave a quick bow, and left.
After a short walk through the wisteria garden, we reached the main structure.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the master of the Demon Slayers, was seated before us.
He is a young man with black hair, with a peculiar lilac mark resembling a burn spreading from his forehead to his eyes.
His eyes are white, but he was probably not blind yet, he watched us attentively with a soft and gentle smile on his face.
Kanae knelt, and I followed the gesture.
Mom and Dad taught me to be respectful, after all.
"Master," Kanae said.
Ubuyashiki nodded to her and turned to me.
"I heard that I owe my Hashira's life to you," he said, his voice almost seeming to float, so calm.
And then, to my surprise… he bowed, thanking me.
"You don't need to do that…" I said, waving my hands, not knowing where to look.
Kanae held back a quiet laugh beside me, though she herself seemed surprised by the master's action.
This whole bowing or showing humility thing is very new to me, back home and in the village we just exchanged greetings.
We talked for a while.
He wanted to know more about my abilities, so I showed him.
I had already decided not to hide my powers from the slayers, they would be my allies in the end.
If I couldn't trust them, who could I trust?
I opened my hand, and a dark mist spread between my fingers, alive and pulsing.
The master observed calmly, but I could sense surprise and curiosity in his presence.
"Interesting…"
Before he could say anything, Kanae nudged me lightly.
'Ah, the potion.'
I made the flask appear between my fingers.
The master took it, analyzing the bluish color reflecting the light.
"So this is what saved Kanae."
"Yes," I confirmed.
"It heals wounds and poisoning" Yes, I tested that.
"But I'm not sure about severe illnesses or curses..."
He smiled and, without hesitation, opened it and drank everything.
Kanae looked more tense than him, gripping her haori anxiously.
After a few seconds, the master let out a deep breath, placing a hand on his own chest.
"Incredible… the pain has lessened..."
"It's been years since I've felt like this."
I saw Kanae relax, relieved.
Even I felt happy for him.
Even if the healing wasn't complete, the relief was real.
Maybe the man will bring a couple more kids into the world with a little help in his recovery.
"I heard you are interested in breathing techniques, perhaps you would like to join the Demon Slayer Corps?" the master commented, a slight smile on his face.
I cast a sideways glance at Kanae, who looked away, laughing silently.
'I heard, right?'
"Yes," I replied.
"Perhaps you should train with one of the Hashira."
"That won't be necessary," I interrupted politely.
"I'm already understanding it, I just need a bit more time."
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
Then I exhaled, from my mouth came a dark smoke, tinged with purple, swirling and distorting like a cloud.
The master observed, intrigued.
"Interesting, a new breathing technique… You are on the right path."
"A wonderful path, if I may be honest..."
I inclined my head in respect.
"Thank you."
Kanae, on the other hand, had a surprised expression stamped across her face.
"You already started developing your own technique just by watching my sister once??"
I tilted my head and replied:
"Yes?"
Kanae and the master laughed a little at my innocent answer, maybe I didn't realize how insane my growth with assassin talent was.
Then again, in the anime, others had also created their own breathing forms in a short time...
Kanae stood up, saying she would wait for me at the Butterfly Mansion.
I talked a little longer with the man before saying goodbye as well.
He simply smiled while thanking me again for saving Kanae and for the potion.
The squad man placed the blindfold on me again.
While being carried back, I remained silent, thinking about the presence of that peculiar man.
For the most part, it was pure calm.
He was the kind of person who radiated calm and serenity just by existing, which is a bit strange coming from someone who would blow himself up along with his own family to weaken his mortal enemy.
─── ◆ ───
If you'd like to support my work and receive bonuses such as 5 to 10 advanced chapters, spoilers, early access to my new books, polls, and more, check out:
P @ t r 3 0 n - Condor7