[Location: An Invisible House in Asakusa] Time: Night
Manjiro stood before the blank wall in the dead-end alley. Where the concealment spell was active. He leaned against the wall, slid down until he was sitting, and let his aura slip loose just enough to say he'd arrived.
He knocked.
"Yushiro-kun. I know you're in there. Open up."
The wall rippled, then Yushiro burst out, his face furious.
"GET LOST! You pest! You demon-slaying trash!" Yushiro hissed, looking around frantically to ensure no one saw them. "Lady Tamayo is resting! She doesn't have time for your suicide nonsen..."
Manjiro looked up, blinking innocently. "Is that how you talk to your father, Yushiro-kun?"
"I AM OLDER THAN YOU! AND SHE IS NOT YOUR..."
"Yushiro," a voice floated out soft, warm, and terrifyingly calm. "Let him in."
Yushiro froze. He looked like he had been slapped with a wet fish.
Manjiro smirked, equal parts charm and menace. Manjiro: "You heard Mom. Move aside, son."
Yushiro trembled, his anger instantly replaced by a whimpering obedience. He stepped aside, muttering curses about ungrateful humans.
Manjiro strolled in. The illusion washed over him, revealing the beautiful estate hidden within. He walked straight to Lady Tamayo, who was sitting on a floor cushion.
He knelt before her, taking her hand with the grace of a noble prince.
"Lady Tamayo," Manjiro purred. "You look ravishing tonight. The smell of medicinal herbs suits you better than any perfume. Tell me, would you be willing to strangle me gently with those beautiful hands? It would be a dream come true."
Tamayo smiled gently, completely ignoring the suicide request but holding his hand firmly. "Welcome home, Manjiro-san. The Master sent word of your arrival. Dinner is almost ready. Yushiro, please fetch the tea."
Manjiro squeezed her hand. "I came myself. He usually sends a Kasugai crow, but it's been too long since I've seen you. I missed you and besides, I wanted to deliver the message in person."
In the background, Yushiro was shaking, holding a broom like a weapon. "W-Welcome... home?! Dinner?! Since when does she cook for humans?! And why is he holding her hand?!"
Manjiro winked at him over his shoulder. "Don't be jealous, Yushiro. You can set the table. Like a good boy."
Yushiro sputtered a curse and scuttled away.
---
Manjiro sat on the polished wooden floor of the engawa. Yushiro poured tea into a cup until the surface tension formed a dome, clearly hoping Manjiro would spill it.
Manjiro watched the steam spiral, thinking to himself.
While they were preoccupied, Manjiro closed his eyes, accessing 'The Book' in his mind. Since the battle at Black Pine Fortress, the pages had updated.
[The Book]
[World: Demon Slayer - Kimetsu no Yaiba]
[Titles: "Rumble Hashira" / "The Seraph" / "Suicide Freak"]
[Name: Manjiro Asakura.]
[Race: Human.]
Enhanced Strength [★★★☆☆] -> [★★★★★]
Enhanced Speed & Reflexes [★★★★★]
Enhanced Agility [★★★☆☆] -> [★★★★★]
Enhanced Stamina & Endurance [★★★★★]
Enhanced Durability [★★★☆☆] -> [★★★★★]
World Progress: 50/100% -> 80/100%
[Exclusive Bundle: Demon Slayer]
[PASSIVE SKILLS]
[SKILL: ACCELERATED ADAPTATION (GENETIC)]
- Effect: The user learns as they fight. The user gradually sees through an opponent's attack patterns, eventually rendering the same technique useless.
[SKILL: DEMON SLAYER MARK (PERMANENT)]
- Effect: A permanent mark of the "Golden Era." Grants immense physical enhancement. Unlike others, you are Immune to the age-25 curse.
[SKILL: TRANSPARENT WORLD (LV. MAX)]
- Effect: Perception of time slows down. Direct X-ray vision of the opponent's internal biology.
[SKILL: SELFLESS STATE (LV. MAX)]
- Effect: The user emanates zero fighting spirit, hatred, or bloodlust. Movement becomes impossible to predict or detect through "Sensory" skills.
[SKILL: QUIET RADIANCE - LV. S]
- Effect: The user's presence is serene. High-level [Fear] or [Pressure] debuffs from enemies are negated for the user and all nearby allies.
[SKILL: EXTRASENSORY PERCEPTION] - LV. S
- Effect: Allows for the immediate detection of malicious auras and the identification of an opponent's vital weaknesses upon first sight.
[SCENT OF THE OPENING THREAD] - LV. S
- Detects the exact moment an opponent's defense drops through olfactory cues.
[TOTAL CONCENTRATION – LV. B] -> [RIPPLE BREATHING (HAMON) (LV. MAX)]
Type: Passive/Active Hybrid
Description: An evolution of Total Concentration. A rhythmic breathing pattern that increases oxygen saturation to produce a bio-electric vibration identical to the sun's radiation.
PRIMARY EFFECTS: [SOLAR MIMICRY],[PHYSICAL AUGMENTATION],[CELLULAR REGENERATION], [PHYSICS MANIPULATION] and [VIBRATIONAL SENSE].
[SOLAR MIMICRY]: Your physical attacks now deal Holy/Sunlight Damage. Biological targets with the "Undead" or "Demons" tag will disintegrate into ash upon contact with your skin or weapons.
[PHYSICAL AUGMENTATION]: Passive increase to Strength, Agility, and Durability. Your body becomes harder than tempered steel for the duration of a single breath.
[CELLULAR REGENERATION]: Grants a constant HP Recovery buff. The Ripple can instantly knit fractured bones, close gashes, and neutralize most biological toxins or poisons within the bloodstream.
[PHYSICS MANIPULATION]: By focusing the Ripple into the soles of the feet or palms, you can manipulate surface tension. This allows you to walk on water or adhere to vertical walls/ceilings.
[VIBRATIONAL SENSE]: Allows you to "see" life forms through walls or underground by detecting the vibrations of their heartbeat through the environment.
[BRIGHT RED NICHIRIN SWORD]
- Effect: Turns the blade bright red through immense grip strength. Negates the regeneration of Demons.
[BREATHING STYLES]
THUNDER BREATHING: Mastered (Forms 1-7).
New: 7th Form: God of Moon and Thunder (Lightning-Dragon Strike).
MOON BREATHING: Mastered (Forms 1-16).
[EQUIPMENT]
Weapon: Nichirin Katana [KIRA]. Trait: Sunlight Absorption / High Conductivity.
Standard: Lock-picking tools, Beretta M9 (Exclusive Bundle: Earth-22).
Manjiro opened his eyes, looking at his hand.
'With the help of The Book, Total Concentration: Constant has evolved into The Ripple... Hamon.'
He flexed his fingers.
'Breathing Styles mimic elements, but they aren't REAL elements. But Hamon... Hamon is literal solar energy produced by the bloodstream. It heals bones, slows aging, and acts as a direct counter to dark creatures.'
"You seem deep in thought, Manjiro-san," Tamayo said, walking in with a tray of ohagi. "Is there anything I can help with?"
Manjiro smiled lazily. "Actually, yes. But first... the message."
His demeanor shifted, becoming serious. "The Master wants you to know: The time has come. The pieces are in place. He requests your presence at the Estate when the final drug is ready."
Tamayo looked at him, her violet eyes softening. "It has been centuries... The Ubuyashiki family still trusts a demon?"
"He trusts you," Manjiro said. "And so do I."
"Why did you need to come here of all times?" Yushiro hissed from the corner. "You leech! Just send the crow!"
Manjiro sighed. "Because I need to test something. And I can't test it on humans."
He set his tea cup down.
"Tamayo. Yushiro. I'm going to turn off my 'Selfless State(partial)' now. I need you to tell me what you feel."
"What we feel?" Yushiro scoffed. "I feel annoyed that you're breathing my air..."
Manjiro exhaled. He stopped suppressing his aura. He shifted his breathing pattern, engaging the Ripple.
ZOOM.
An oppressive pressure settled over the room, awakening a primal fight-or-flight instinct.
Yushiro choked, leaping back and slamming against the wall, clutching his chest. Tamayo flinched, her pupils contracting as her skin began to prickle.
They felt death. It was a primal prey-predator the feeling of standing naked before a supernova.
"What... what is that?!" Yushiro gasped, looking at Manjiro with pure horror.
Tamayo stepped back, her composure cracking. "Manjiro-san... please stop. Your presence... it is corrosive to us."
Manjiro stopped the breathing technique, returning to his normal state. The oppressive aura vanished instantly.
"I call it Hamon," Manjiro explained, picking up his tea again. "Or 'The Ripple.' It's an energy identical to the sun's rays, produced by controlled breathing."
"It feels opposite to blood demon art?" Tamayo whispered, fascinated despite the fear. "That explains your regeneration speed. It stimulates the cells."
"Exactly," Manjiro nodded. "But to master it, I need to understand the opposite. Tamayo, tell me about Blood Demon Arts."
Tamayo sat down, regaining her grace. "Blood Demon Arts... are the antithesis of what you just showed me."
She began to explain, her voice taking on a lecture tone.
"Breathing Styles are internal," she said. "They enhance the human body. But Blood Demon Arts are external. They are 'Blood Magic.' It is a process of imagination forced into reality using the blood as a catalyst."
"Imagination?" Manjiro asked.
"Yes. A demon projects their obsession, their trauma, or their deepest desire into the world," Tamayo explained. "The blood acts as the medium to give that desire physical form. The stronger the demon's ego and the more humans they consume, the more complex the manifestation becomes."
Manjiro nodded slowly, 'That explains why they look the way they do.'
'Gyutaro lived in poverty and was a debt collector—so his art manifests as flying sickles, tools of reaping. Daki was obsessed with beauty and clothes—so her art is Obi sashes.'
"It physically manifests," Tamayo continued. "Unlike your Swordsmen, whose elements are illusions of spirit, a Demon's art is tangible matter created from nothing but blood and will."
"And they are unique," Yushiro added, still eyeing Manjiro warily. "Based on the demon's obsession. The more humans they eat, the stronger the art becomes."
Manjiro nodded slowly, categorizing the powers in his mind.
Breathing Styles: Internal Enhancement (Human).
Blood Demon Arts: External Reality Warping (Demon).
Hamon: Internal generation that manifests Externally (Hybrid).
"So," Manjiro mused. "My Hamon is the bridge. It's generated like a Breath, but manifests like an Art."
He dipped his finger into his tea. A clear, golden ripple spread across the surface, spinning perfectly without stopping.
Tamayo watched him, her eyes keen. "You are also using Recovery Breathing unconsciously, aren't you?"
Manjiro blinked. "Am I?"
"Your fatigue from the journey is already gone," she observed. "You are shifting your respiratory rhythm to reset your nervous system. It is a technique to stabilize the body after extreme strain. You truly have become a master of breathing."
Manjiro grinned, finishing his tea in one gulp.
"It was hardly a journey," he continued, standing up and stretching. "If I'm going to kill the King of Demons, I can't just be your average swordsman."