Kanao looked up and recognized it immediately. It was the bronze coin her sister Kanae had given her. The coin seemed to glow in the light, and that, combined with Su Chen's smile, made something deep inside Kanao stir.
She took the coin. Then, she slapped it right back into Su Chen's hand. The girl's face turned red again. "Mr. Su Chen, can I give this coin to you?"
Su Chen was a little surprised to hear that. "Isn't this your favorite thing, Kanao? I can't take it."
"Oh, really?" Kanao's eyes twinkled. "Then, Mr. Su Chen, can you teach me a Breathing Technique?"
Su Chen nodded with a smile. "Of course."
"Then this is my payment." Kanao pushed the coin firmly back into his hand.
This girl, Su Chen thought with a smile. She wanted to 'buy' his Breathing Technique with a single coin. His knowledge was certainly cheap today! He looked at this little girl, Kanao, who was probably feeling very clever and delighted right now.
Su Chen patted Kanao's head. Then he put the coin into his jacket pocket. One yen was still money. Since that was the case, Su Chen decided to teach Kanao the 'Breathing of the Overlord Flower'. He didn't have a Breathing Technique that was perfectly suitable for Kanao yet, so he could let her try this one first.
Su Chen raised the wooden sword in his hand and walked toward the open space in the courtyard. He saw that Kanao hadn't followed. He turned around and called out, "Come on. What are you still standing there for?" Kanao, in her naive sweetness, followed him. At that moment, she had no idea what she was about to face. The two picked up their wooden swords. Su Chen began to demonstrate for Kanao, meticulously...
Meanwhile, at the Ubuyashiki Residence. The sky was azure, with a few white clouds. A noisy Kasugai Crow flew into Ubuyashiki's room. Lady Amane removed the envelope from the crow's leg and then let the crow go. "It's a letter from Kyoujurou," she said. Lady Amane opened the envelope and knelt gracefully beside Kagaya Ubuyashiki. She read the contents of the letter carefully, word for word. It recorded Kyoujurou's training of Su Chen. It detailed Su Chen's talent, character, and some of his achievements. Especially when Lady Amane read 'Su Chen created Flame Breathing', her voice faltered slightly.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki smiled gently. "That child, Su Chen... he truly makes things easy for us." Lady Amane put down the envelope and looked at her husband. "What should we do next? Tomorrow is Su Chen and Shinazugawa's big match. Does Su Chen still need more training?"
"No need." Kagaya Ubuyashiki couldn't help but cough twice. His body was growing weaker and weaker. Even his words were filled with a deep sense of frailty. "Amane," he said, his voice weakening, "please prepare a Demon Slayer Corps uniform for Su Chen. And... allocate him a Nichirin Sword... cough, cough, cough—"
Lady Amane quickly stepped forward and gently patted Kagaya Ubuyashiki's back. While easing the discomfort of the current Master, she asked, "Kagaya, the match hasn't even started yet, and you're already preparing?"
"Cough, cough..." Kagaya Ubuyashiki spoke weakly, but his words conveyed his deep admiration for Su Chen. "Yes. I have a premonition... I believe that child is going to astonish everyone tomorrow." He paused, then added, "I have already recognized him."
Lady Amane smiled silently. It had been a long time since she had heard Kagaya Ubuyashiki speak like this. The last time was when she brought Muichiro back, wasn't it? Lady Amane carefully helped Kagaya Ubuyashiki settle down, then exited the room. She went to prepare the standard Demon Slayer Corps equipment for Su Chen.
"Wind Breathing, Fifth Form: Cold Autumn Mountain Wind!"
The wind roared, and the valley howled with power. Under the scorching sun, this was the twentieth consecutive time Sanemi had used the Fifth Form in the isolated mountain. This move was the fastest starting technique in Wind Breathing. Each use raised Sanemi's body temperature. But he had already used it twenty times in a row, and besides feeling a bit feverish, his body felt mostly normal.
"Shinazugawa, are you even trying? You still haven't awakened your Mark?" Hearing that familiar sarcastic voice, Sanemi stopped. He looked in the direction of the sound. "Iguro, why are you here again?"
"To tell you some news." Iguro Obanai walked up to Sanemi. "Do you remember what tomorrow is?"
"Tomorrow?" Sanemi looked at him blankly. "What day?"
"Sigh... you really are a thoughtless man. Tomorrow is your match with Su Chen. Did you already forget?" Iguro Obanai couldn't help but shake his head. Sanemi was a good sparring partner, but sometimes his mind wasn't very sharp. His reaction time was sometimes slower than the Lower Moon demons he had slain.
After hearing Obanai's words, Sanemi finally remembered. However, he didn't care. Compared to the match with Su Chen, he would rather figure out that Mark thing first. Seeing his expression, Obanai immediately knew Sanemi hadn't taken it seriously.
Obanai said, "You know, I met the Flame Pillar yesterday. Guess what he told me?" "What?" Sanemi turned his head. "The Flame Pillar said he learned a new move," Obanai explained. "And then I sparred with him."
Hearing this, Sanemi was somewhat disdainful. "What's so special about that?" Obanai's face remained calm. "I lost."
"What?!" Sanemi Shinazugawa's eyes widened. "You lost in one move?!"
"Of course not! Am I that bad?!" Obanai said irritably. "It's just... his opening move was very strange. I held back on the first strike, and he caught me off guard." "After I lost that first exchange, I used my ultimate technique before Kyoujurou could, so I guess I lost."
After listening to Obanai's explanation, Sanemi was extremely puzzled. He stroked his chin and asked again, "What was that move?"
"That move was very strange. It allowed him to unleash physical flames!"
"What?!" Sanemi's eyes were almost as wide as Kyoujurou's. He said in disbelief, "Has the Flame Pillar already mastered that skill?! Has he already activated his Mark!"
But Obanai shook his head. "No. He said Su Chen taught him that move."
"Su Chen?" Sanemi's excited face immediately fell. How could it be Su Chen?
Obanai continued, "Shinazugawa, do you still look down on Su Chen now?" Sanemi was uncharacteristically silent. Originally, he hadn't taken the match with Su Chen seriously at all. But now, it seemed Su Chen's talent was truly terrifying.
"If you really want to know how to awaken the Mark, I think you should go to the Butterfly Mansion," Obanai offered Sanemi a suggestion.
But Sanemi shook his head like a rattle-drum. What a joke, Sanemi thought. Go ask Su Chen? He, Sanemi Shinazugawa, would rather swing the Fifth Form until he died today than go ask that kid for anything!
Obanai covered his forehead helplessly, and the look in his eyes toward Sanemi changed. "You misunderstood."