A freshly brewed cup of tea, still steaming in the cold air, was placed in front of Takeo.
"Please enjoy some tea, Kamado-san."
Senjuro, who had once again brewed the tea, set the tray down and leaned in slightly to explain in a hushed tone:
"Sorry… My brother injured his ears a while ago, so he tends to speak really loudly."
"I see…"
"Oh! Senjuro's tea is delicious!"
As the two whispered to each other, Kyojuro once again boomed with enthusiastic praise.
Senjuro gave an awkward but polite smile, then turned back to Takeo and said:
"So… that's how he is. I hope you won't mind."
"It's fine," Takeo replied, waving it off. He then turned his attention to Kyojuro and handed him the letter that Yoshizuru Asato had given him.
"You're the Flame Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, right? This is a letter of recommendation from Yoshizuru Asato. He said you would help me find a suitable cultivator—"
"NOT NECESSARY!!"
Without even glancing at the letter, Kyojuro responded in his usual booming voice: "You have already mastered Wind Breathing and even learned Flame Breathing! Therefore, you do not need a cultivator—you already qualify to participate in the Final Selection!"
"Is that so?! That's great to hear!"
Because of Kyojuro's volume, Takeo found his own voice unconsciously rising as well.
Kyojuro continued loudly: "But! If you become my adopted son, I will train you rigorously! Simply knowing standard Breathing Techniques is far from enough!"
"…Um, I don't believe I ever agreed to become your adopted son…"
Seeing how eager Kyojuro seemed to make him his successor, Takeo couldn't help feeling a bit speechless.
Sure, his goal was to join the Demon Slayer Corps, and if he could eventually reach the top and become one of the Hashira, that would be ideal.
But becoming someone's designated heir… just sounded like a hassle.
Still, he had learned the Rengoku family's inherited Flame Breathing, after all…
"Is that so! What a shame!"
Just as Takeo was thinking that, he heard Kyojuro respond—sounding as though he had given up immediately.
"..."
Wait—what?
At least try to be a little more persistent… If you'd pushed a bit harder, I might've agreed, you know??
…Forget it. No point trying to keep up with this guy's pace.
Takeo gave up trying to follow Kyojuro's train of thought. Instead, he recalled the term "standard Breathing Techniques" that Kyojuro had mentioned earlier, and couldn't help but ask:
"…Kyojuro-san, are there Breathing Techniques that aren't standard?"
"Nope!" came the immediate, thunderous reply.
"There aren't?! But just now, you said—"
"I meant personalized Breathing Techniques!"
Kyojuro declared loudly, then launched into an explanation:
"Flame, Water, Wind, Stone, and Thunder—these are the five fundamental Breathing Styles! But beyond those, there are Breathing Techniques derived from them—unique styles developed by individual swordsmen!"
"For example, Love Breathing was derived from Flame Breathing! Sound Breathing evolved from Thunder Breathing! And so on!"
So that's it…By "standard Breathing Techniques," he meant the five core styles—and the non-standard ones are those that branch off from the fundamentals and are refined into something more personal.
Listening to Kyojuro's examples, Takeo nodded in understanding.
…Though he couldn't help wondering—why did he specifically choose "Love" and "Sound" Breathing as examples?
While Takeo was still wondering about it, Senjuro spoke up: "The current Love Hashira, Kanroji Mitsuri-neesan, who uses Love Breathing, was once my brother's tsuguko. The one who uses Sound Breathing is the current Sound Hashira, Uzui Tengen-sama. They're both my brother's colleagues."
Ah, so that's why—since they're his fellow Hashira, he used them as examples.
"Exactly! Only by mastering a Breathing Technique that suits you best can you become stronger! You have great talent, so I know you'll succeed!"
Kyojuro loudly affirmed Takeo's potential.
And it made sense. After all, someone who could master a Breathing Technique in a short period of time—and even forcefully switch between two different styles without formal training—was incredibly rare.
So rare that no one would even question saying it was unheard of.
That alone was proof that Takeo had exceptional talent. If anyone could develop a personalized Breathing Technique of their own, it would be him.
At least, that's probably what Kyojuro was thinking.
But to Takeo, it just felt like Kyojuro was setting the bar way too high.
After all, it hadn't even been two weeks since he first started learning Breathing Techniques. His ability to use Wind Breathing proficiently was only thanks to the foundation laid by "Uncle Wolverine's" two hundred years of combat technique experience.
As for his use of Flame Breathing—it was more of a spontaneous spark.
He had heard a voice, seemingly out of nowhere, and instinctively shifted his breathing. It wasn't deliberate at all.
In fact, the sensation had been so surreal that Takeo wasn't even sure he could replicate it again.
And yet now, Kyojuro was telling him to create a Breathing Technique of his own…
Honestly, Takeo didn't think of himself as a genius at all. That kind of thing… he just couldn't do it!
But even if he couldn't, Takeo still made the decision—to become Kyojuro's tsuguko.
Because only by doing so would he receive Kyojuro's full instruction.
Personal, all-encompassing guidance from a Hashira was something most Demon Slayer Corps members could only dream of.
Takeo needed someone strong to teach him the fundamentals of Breathing Techniques.
He was a latecomer to this art—his foundation was weak, and there were many areas where he needed extra help.
And so, he decided to become Kyojuro's successor.
Kyojuro seemed absolutely delighted.
But he also said that, for now, he couldn't formally accept Takeo as his tsuguko—because Takeo still wasn't an official member of the Demon Slayer Corps.
That said, Kyojuro added that he would still train Takeo strictly, using the standards he would apply to a tsuguko.
And so… Takeo's nightmare began.
"BREATHE! Focus on your breathing!"
"Why are you using your hands?! You're human—not a beast! Swing your sword properly!"
"Stop thinking you can just trade injuries! Your recovery speed might be far above average, but it's still not as fast as a demon's! What if you leave an opening because you're too badly injured?! Value your life more!!"
"..."
Spartan… This is SPARTAAA—!
From morning till night, from basic physical training to sword combat practice—
Takeo was training nonstop!
And once Kyojuro learned about his abnormal regeneration, he tailored a training regimen that no normal person could possibly endure!
It wasn't until then that Takeo heard from Senjuro that Kyojuro had actually taken on quite a few tsuguko in the past.
But aside from the Love Hashira, Kanroji Mitsuri, none of the others had been able to endure Kyojuro's grueling training—they had all quit and run away…
Now, Takeo had officially become the longest-lasting tsuguko since Mitsuri.
And upon hearing that, Takeo fully understood why the others had bolted.
If he didn't have his rapid healing, if he didn't have old man Logan's centuries of combat experience and the battle-hardened instincts that came with it—If he didn't possess the mental fortitude that surpassed most modern humans—
He would've run too. Absolutely!
He would've bolted the very night Kyojuro started training him.
And he never wanted to see Kyojuro again—ever.
Honestly, you couldn't expect a pampered modern person to survive this kind of Spartan death training.
In fact, if it weren't for old man Logan's regenerative abilities, Takeo might have literally died from Kyojuro's regimen.
Thank you, Uncle Logan. Thank you, regeneration!
As the sun began to set, Takeo, resting in the courtyard, silently offered his heartfelt thanks to Uncle Logan—who was presumably watching from the afterlife.
Though, to be fair… if not for those regeneration abilities, Kyojuro probably wouldn't have trained him like this in the first place…
"Um… is Rengoku-san home?"
While Takeo was taking a break, a pink-haired head suddenly peeked through the wide-open gate of the Rengoku estate.
It was the head of a girl—with long, sakura-pink hair and soft green tips. Honestly, her hair looked even more unusual than the Rengoku family's trademark fiery color.
She leaned slightly through the entrance, peering into the courtyard.
Just as Takeo was about to step forward to ask, Senjuro came out of the house and called out to her with a bright smile:
"Mitsuri-neesan, you're here! My brother's inside—please come in!"
With that, Senjuro revealed the girl's name.
And Takeo immediately understood who she was.
This was the current Love Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps—Kanroji Mitsuri.
________
12 Advance chapters—P@treon/HornyFBI