Σ ( ° △ ° |||)!
Haruto looked at Tanjirou lying on the bed and exclaimed in shock, "What happened to my little disciple?"
Tanjirou looked very listless on the bed, and Genya scratched his head, "It's probably because he forcibly switched Breathing Techniques. He kept saying his lungs were about to explode, his lungs were about to explode…"
"Breathing Technique?" Haruto's eyes widened. "Sun Breathing?"
"I did hear him shout 'Hinokami Kagura'…"
"Hoh?" Haruto suddenly thought of something, even as he rejoiced for him.
Switching back and forth between two Breathing Techniques was indeed very damaging to the body. Since he could already use Sun Breathing, wouldn't his Breath of the Stars be relegated to the cold palace?
So he sadly hugged his head, "Does that mean… I have to find a successor again?"
The road was long, and the path to finding a successor was even more thorny… Sun Breathing was indeed worthy of being the original Breathing Technique. Even though Tanjirou couldn't fully master this Breathing Technique yet, the profound mysteries contained in the few moves he demonstrated left Haruto awestruck.
What a pity… He looked at the blue-violet blade in his hand, a hint of regret on his face.
Whether it was himself, Urokodaki-sensei, or Giyuu, everyone could only shake their heads and sigh after observing Tanjirou's demonstration.
Thus, to compensate for his inability to use Sun Breathing, Tanjirou and Genya's training volume was doubled.
From now on, Haruto guaranteed that their bodies would be limp every night, unable to even lift a finger.
As for Haruto himself, he chose to relentlessly pursue Transparent World, provided he didn't train himself into a cross-eyed state.
But… how exactly should he go about it?
That Transparent World… The summer storm clouds gathered in an instant.
In the roaring wind, a white-haired swordsman sat on the edge of a cliff, looking at the dark, oppressive clouds in the sky.
White-haired swordsman?
Haruto lowered his head, looking at the beautiful feathers on his body, and immediately realized he was dreaming.
He flew through the gale and landed steadily on the swordsman's shoulder.
The swordsman turned his head, and Haruto was surprised to find that he had a face that was eighty to ninety percent similar to his own.
Or perhaps, he was eighty to ninety percent similar to him.
The same white hair and blue eyes, only his hair was longer, fanned out over his shoulders, making his demeanor even more dashing.
The swordsman wore a straw raincoat, and a nichirin blade hung at his waist, its hilt wrapped with white and yellow intertwined cords.
Is that… Souma?
Haruto remembered Master Godo saying that his grandfather, Takanashi Soma, was a Thunder Breathing swordsman.
"It's going to rain."
The swordsman brushed Haruto's head with his fingertip, "Can you still find your way home?"
Way home?
"Caw—caw—"
Oh, alright, so I'm a Kasugai Crow.
"Facing… the direction of the sea."
"Sou—ma—bro—" A shout came from afar.
He stood up and looked into the distance. A short-browed young boy ran over, panting, "Why are you sitting here?"
"I'm waiting for the thunder," Souma replied.
Waiting for thunder? Haruto was puzzled.
"Waiting for thunder?" The young boy was equally puzzled. "But when it thunders, it rains, and you'll get wet."
"That's why I'm wearing a straw raincoat."
"…"
Haruto couldn't help but want to cover his face.
He would never mock Giyuu again!
His ancestor, it turned out, had been even worse at conversation!
The young boy blinked, then sighed wearily.
"Ryouji, you're not wearing a straw raincoat." Souma took the straw hat he wasn't wearing from beside him and handed it to him. "At least your head won't get wet."
Ryouji? Was this young boy Master Godo's son, Ryouji?
Haruto scrutinized him, and indeed, he bore some resemblance to Master Godo.
"What about you?"
"I want to watch the thunder fall."
Ryouji put on the straw hat and watched the dark clouds rolling in the sky with him.
Souma said nothing, but Ryouji was a bit restless, looking at Souma several times.
"What's wrong?"
"Souma-bro, why aren't you becoming the Thunder Pillar?" Ryouji asked, puzzled. "You're clearly strong enough, and Mr. Furukawa said he's about to retire — why do you still refuse to become the Thunder Pillar?"
Souma turned his head, a smile finally appearing on his face. "Because Hanae is pregnant."
"Eh? That fast?" Ryouji's eyes widened. "You've only been married for three months, haven't you?"
"I want to spend more time with Hanae, so I can't take on the responsibilities of a Pillar." Souma lowered his gaze slightly. "But I won't leave the Demon Slayer Corps. I'll still carry out the missions assigned to me."
Ryouji blinked. "Ah… but people will scold you for that, won't they?"
Souma was silent for a moment. "It doesn't matter."
How could it not matter? Ryouji had clearly heard many times people cursing Souma-bro behind his back.
'The former Pillar worked so hard to train him, and now for a woman, he's going to disregard the common people of the world!'
'Exactly! And he says he'll continue to carry out Demon Slayer Corps missions, but he just doesn't want to give up this well-paying job!'
'I knew pretty boys couldn't be relied on!'
Bastards… Souma-bro has contributed far more to the Demon Slayer Corps than all of you combined!
Even if he's going to be scolded, it's not your place to do it!
Haruto stealthily looked back and forth between the two.
So Souma also had the ability to become a Pillar-level Swordsman… Hanae? Was she his grandmother?
His grandmother got pregnant three months after they got married?
How amazing!
But what was the main point of this dream?
He was dragged into the dream, certainly not to listen to gossip about his ancestors.
Sure enough, not long after, Souma looked up and said to Ryouji.
"It doesn't matter. Even if I can't become a Pillar, you'll do just fine."
"What are you talking about?!" Ryouji jumped up with a whoosh, his face flushed red. "A Pillar isn't some cabbage in the field! So many people rush forward to slay demons, and in the end, only nine people can become Pillars—more often than not, they can't even gather nine people!"
Souma was surprised by his strong reaction, then chuckled softly, "You can do it. Can't you easily distinguish the tempering degree of steel in fire?"
"What does that have to do with becoming a Pillar? My dad is a swordsmith, I've been immersed in it for so many years, isn't it normal for me to distinguish these things?!"
"That's the condition, Ryouji."
Souma nodded. "The condition for entering the Transparent World, proficiency and concentration need to be coordinated… Ah, the thunder is coming."
He stood facing the cliff, the fierce wind whipping his long hair.
Haruto flapped his wings vigorously, following his figure.
"Stay calm, focus completely."
Souma said softly, "Use your gaze to trace its form.
Demons, people… lightning."
Suddenly, he ran at full speed, following the direction of the lightning!
"Boom!"
The booming, thick lightning struck, turning the earth into a purgatory of electricity!
And Souma, wearing a straw raincoat, always appeared precisely next to where the lightning struck, then swung his blade at the sky.
Amidst the roaring thunder, Haruto couldn't help but feel his heart surge!
Souma was like a dancer of lightning, performing his life's rhapsody to the sky!
After an unknown amount of time, a fierce storm swept in.
Souma rushed back, grabbing Ryouji with one hand and the Kasugai Crow with the other, and dashed towards a place to shelter from the rain.
Haruto heard a rough voice coming from his mouth.
"There's a demon in the Shinagawa pleasure district of Tokyo Prefecture! Order Grade A member, Takanashi Soma, to proceed immediately!"
Haruto's surging heart stopped, and a huge sense of suffocation welled up in his heart.
Shinagawa pleasure district… Don't go…