Chapter 7: Choosing a Breathing Technique
Early the next morning, a convoy arranged by the Ubuyashiki family arrived outside the temple gates.
One carriage was designated to take Kanzaki Akira and Himejima Gyomei to the headquarters of the Demon Slayer Corps. The others were for the remaining children, who would be taken to shelters operating under the Ubuyashiki name. Once they grew a little older, they would be sent to various Cultivators. Those with the aptitude would eventually become swordsmen for the Corps; those without would be offered positions among the Kakushi, the logistical support division.
Their lives had been irrevocably altered the moment that demon crossed the temple's threshold. From that night forward, an ordinary existence was a luxury they could no longer afford.
Akira was somewhat taken aback by the efficiency of the arrangement, but he kept his thoughts to himself. In this perilous world, for orphans like them to even have a chance to grow up safely was a rarity. It was only natural that such security would come at a price.
What struck him more was the quiet, unyielding pressure exerted by Ubuyashiki Kagaya. He now realized that from the moment he and Gyomei had been invited into that private room, the option to refuse to join the Demon Slayer Corps had vanished. The only choice left was whether they would join willingly or be gently coerced.
For people like them, who possessed nothing, there were countless ways for a powerful family to steer them toward a desired outcome. It wasn't a matter of right or wrong, but simply one of perspective. The Ubuyashiki family, for all their benevolence, was not a charity.
Gyomei looked as if he wanted to protest, to say something more for the children's sake. But the temple's head priest had already acquiesced, and the man in charge of the convoy had given his solemn promise to care for them. Having struggled at the bottom rungs of society for over a decade himself, Gyomei understood this was the best possible future they could hope for. In the end, he simply knelt, bidding farewell to each child with a heavy heart and a gentle touch.
The two groups boarded their respective carriages, parting ways to journey toward different destinies.
The interior of the carriage Akira and Gyomei shared was spacious, with cushioned seats lining both sides and the back. By silent, mutual understanding, they sat opposite each other, the rhythmic clatter of the wheels filling the quiet space between them.
"You could have gone with them," Gyomei said, his deep voice rumbling softly once they were underway.
Akira was only twelve, not much older than the children they had just left behind. To Gyomei, it felt cruel for someone so young to be thrust into the bloody business of hunting demons.
"It's a difference of a few years, nothing more," Akira replied, his tone dispassionate. "Isn't it better to master the power to protect oneself now, rather than wait for tragedy to strike again?"
With the memories of his past life awakened, he simply couldn't view the world through the lens of a twelve-year-old boy. Of course, a grim, private joke flickered through his mind, even without those memories, he likely wouldn't have been a typical child. If he were, he would have been nothing more than another statistic tallied by the demon that night.
Shaking off the stray thought, Akira focused his mind, returning to the question that had occupied him the previous night: which Breathing Technique should he choose?
As Akira sank into deep contemplation, Gyomei respected his silence, and the carriage continued its journey.
The gentle jolting of the carriage became a steady rhythm, and Akira's thoughts drifted into the annals of history.
Breathing Techniques were a unique marvel of this world—specialized training and combat methods developed by the Demon Slayer Corps. They allowed mere humans to strengthen their bodies to the point where they could stand against the monstrous power of demons.
The original, the progenitor of all others, was known as Sun Breathing. It was created centuries ago by a peerless genius, Tsugikuni Yoriichi—the undisputed apex of combat prowess this world had seen in a millennium.
He was born with the Transparent World, a state of perception countless martial artists could only dream of achieving. It allowed him to see through a person's body, to perceive the complex dance of bones, blood, and organs, and thus predict any opponent's move before it was made. This granted him unmatched martial talent, enabling him to create Sun Breathing from nothing. As if that weren't enough, he was also born with a Demon Slayer Mark, a symbol that dramatically enhanced his physical capabilities.
His strength was so absolute that it instilled a deep, primal terror in the Demon King, Kibutsuji Muzan.
When Yoriichi first encountered him, Muzan, believing himself invincible, charged forward with arrogant confidence. He was instantly brought to his knees by a flurry of twelve slashes, all delivered in a single, fluid moment. If not for a fleeting moment of hesitation on Yoriichi's part, Muzan would not have survived, even by self-destructing into countless pieces of flesh.
Even with that brief lapse, Yoriichi still managed to cut down over 1,500 of the 1,800 fragments Muzan had scattered in his desperate escape.
From that day forward, Muzan developed a crippling post-traumatic stress disorder. The mere sight of someone bearing even the slightest resemblance to Yoriichi was enough to send the Demon King into a state of panicked fury.
But tragedy followed genius. Yoriichi's older brother, Tsugikuni Michikatsu, awakened his own Demon Slayer Mark later in life and learned the terrible price: all who awakened the mark in such a way were fated to die before the age of twenty-five. Consumed by jealousy of his younger brother's immense talent and desperate to escape his mortality, Michikatsu became a demon, offering the head of the Demon Slayer Corps' master as his horrifying initiation gift.
Implicated by his brother's betrayal, Tsugikuni Yoriichi was exiled from the very organization he had empowered. With his departure, the direct lineage of Sun Breathing was lost to the Corps.
In the present day, the Demon Slayer Corps possessed five basic Breathing Techniques derived from the original: Wind, Stone, Water, Thunder, and Flame.
Akira, thanks to his past life's memories, knew where the legacy of Sun Breathing was preserved. However, that location was almost certainly being watched by the Demon King. He had no intention of walking into a death trap. Perhaps, in the future, he could devise a plan to reclaim it, but for now, he had to be pragmatic and choose one of the fundamental styles.
Besides, each of the five basic techniques had inherited certain powerful aspects of Sun Breathing, in some cases even surpassing the original in those specific domains. While they lacked the flawless, total nature of their progenitor, they were by no means weak.
In terms of accessibility for a novice, Water Breathing was the easiest to learn. It was the most balanced and tranquil of the major styles, with forms that blended offense and defense smoothly. The physical requirements were the lowest for a beginner, and when mastered to its absolute limit, it was no less formidable than the other techniques.
However, the very flaw of Water Breathing was its perfect balance. In terms of raw speed, it was inferior to Wind and Thunder; in terms of destructive power, it fell short of Flame and Stone. Its only true advantage lay in its defensive capabilities.
Therefore, the second technique Akira ruled out was Water Breathing.
As for the first? The choice was obvious. It was, without a doubt, Stone Breathing.
If Water Breathing had the lowest barrier to entry, then Stone Breathing had the highest. It was so demanding that in the centuries since its creation, the Demon Slayer Corps had produced only a handful of swordsmen who could master it. Only someone like Gyomei, blessed with terrifying innate physical strength, could even begin to practice this style.
Looking at his own slender frame—a result of long-term malnutrition—Akira knew it was impossible. Even with proper nutrition, he would never grow to Gyomei's monstrous proportions. Naturally, he wouldn't even consider Stone Breathing.
After weighing his remaining options several times, Akira finally made his decision.
Just then, the carriage slowed to a gentle halt. They had arrived at the headquarters of the Demon Slayer Corps: the Ubuyashiki Estate.
"We came straight to the headquarters?" Akira murmured, surprised as he stepped out and recognized the familiar architectural style.
To prevent demons from discovering and attacking their nerve center, the Corps kept the location of its headquarters a closely guarded secret. On the way here, the carriage windows had been covered only by a thin layer of paper, through which one could vaguely make out the passing scenery. Kagaya's decision to bring them here directly was a deep gesture. It was a silent, powerful statement of trust, and the weight of it was not lost on Akira or Gyomei.
"Welcome, both of you."
Ubuyashiki Kagaya stood waiting for them outside the main house, flanked by his wife and two young daughters. The level of reception was the highest possible honor.
After a brief, formal self-introduction, the group walked into the house together.
Throughout the walk, Akira's gaze was drawn to the two white-haired girls, who were as exquisite and delicate as porcelain dolls. His interest was purely one of fascination, not any untoward curiosity.
The older one, Hinaki, looked to be only about four years old. Nichika was likely her twin; the two were nearly indistinguishable in appearance and even shared the same soft-spoken voice. Even with Akira's terrifying powers of observation, he could only discern the most subtle differences in their minute movements and a tiny variation in their facial features. Anyone else would have to rely on their clothing to tell them apart.
It wasn't until they were all seated in a formal reception room that Akira finally withdrew his curious gaze.
He wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but he felt that the stares from the two little girls, seated on either side of their parents, were slightly strange.
'It must be my imagination,'he thought.'What ill intentions could a pair of four-year-olds possibly have?'
In truth, the point of focus for Hinaki and Nichika was that Akira was too young—or rather, too small. Swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps were typically fifteen or older. Even the children taken into the shelters would be raised until they were around that age before being sent to a Cultivator.
Akira was only twelve, and due to years of malnutrition, he looked closer to ten. Compared to the other members of the Corps, he was indeed far too small.
However, their strict upbringing ensured that even though the two sisters were curious, they did not let it show, remaining silent and composed like perfect background figures.
"So," Kagaya began, his voice as gentle as ever after a brief introduction to the nature of Breathing Techniques. "Do either of you have a style you wish to learn?"
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