Chapter 34: Half a Year in the Blink of an Eye
For the next half a year, Akira's days settled into a simple, unadorned rhythm.
Life became a steady cycle: practicing his Breathing Techniques, pondering the creation of new sword forms, and executing missions to slay demons. It was a demanding loop, but one that brought with it a deep sense of purpose.
During this time, he made it a point to occasionally visit Mount Sagiri to chat with Urokodaki and his disciples. These visits served a dual purpose: they strengthened the bonds of their fledgling family and provided a valuable forum for exchanging insights on Water Breathing. The discussions were a wellspring of inspiration, feeding directly into Akira's research for his own evolving swordsmanship.
His finances had also seen a significant improvement. After writing to Ubuyashiki Kagaya to complain—politely, of course—that the missions were too frequent and the locations too widely dispersed even for his speed, Kagaya had replied with his characteristic generosity. The Master of the Corps wrote a great deal, but in Akira's pragmatic view, the message could be distilled into two simple words: a pay raise.
To this, Akira could only say that Kagaya had moved him with his absolute sincerity.
The newfound funds allowed him to add many comforts to Kuwajima's small courtyard on Mount Momoyama. And every time he visited Mount Sagiri, he brought a delicate little gift for each of them. Makomo, in particular, still wore the blue flower hairpin he had given her. Akira had chosen it because its style was strikingly similar to the floral pattern on her fox mask, and the young girl was clearly delighted with the thoughtful present.
His correspondence, of course, never ceased. Beyond his regular letters to Kagaya and Himejima Gyoumei, he also wrote to Urokodaki and his two young disciples. A novel discovery came from this exchange: Tomioka Giyuu, the boy who was so famously inept at communication, was actually a master of the written word. His phrasing was elegant without being flowery, and his language was impeccably appropriate. In terms of sheer writing skill, he could even rival Kagaya himself.
Then, a few weeks ago, another little fellow entered Akira's life—Agatsuma Zenitsu.
Though Akira thought of him as a 'little fellow,' Zenitsu was nearly ten years old, not much younger than Akira himself. It was hard to believe that when Akira had first found the boy, he was on the street, desperately hugging a girl's leg and begging her not to abandon him. One could only say that in certain aspects, the child was precocious to an alarming degree.
Fortunately, Akira had found him early enough. While Zenitsu had been swindled out of all his money by a string of manipulative girls, he hadn't yet fallen into debt, which saved Akira a considerable sum.
As for how he managed to coax the unlucky boy onto Mount Momoyama without paying off a single nonexistent debt?
It was a simple, two-step process. First, Akira pulled him into a deserted alley. The moment Zenitsu, still sniffling, saw the Nichirin Blade at Akira's hip, the words of refusal died on his lips. He didn't dare utter a single one.
"Are you moved?" Akira had asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"N-No..." Zenitsu had stammered, trembling. "I don't dare..."
After the initial intimidation, Akira switched tactics. He performed a few flashy moves from Thunder Breathing, the crackle of lightning and the sheer spectacle of it all instantly capturing the boy's attention. Zenitsu's fear melted away, replaced by a wide-eyed longing, carefully nurtured by Akira's words.
"Zenitsu, look," Akira had said, his tone conspiratorial. "With moves this cool, if you learn them well, wouldn't finding a girlfriend be simple?"
He leaned in closer. "By the way, there are quite a few girls in the Demon Slayer Corps, and they're all very good-looking."
"Big Brother Kanzaki, I'm willing to join!" Zenitsu had declared, his eyes shining with newfound determination. "Please teach me!"
And so, Zenitsu—a boy who was overly mature in some ways yet terrifyingly naive in others—was brought to Mount Momoyama to keep Kuwajima Jigorou company. His actual training in Breathing Techniques would have to wait a few years; he was still too young.
'Let Zenitsu enjoy the last few years of his leisurely life,' Akira had thought with a private smile. With himself as a brilliant precedent, he was quite looking forward to the day Kuwajima began teaching the boy. It promised to be an entertaining spectacle.
As time marched on, Akira's fourteenth birthday approached. It also meant it was time again to pay his respects to his grandfather, Kanzaki Keizan.
"Old Man, Zenitsu, I'm heading out," he called, adjusting the pack on his shoulders.
"Be safe, Big Brother Kanzaki!" Zenitsu yelled back, waving enthusiastically.
Under the watchful eyes of Kuwajima and Zenitsu, Akira walked down the mountain path, his figure silhouetted against the rising sun. This time, he didn't bother renting a carriage. With the progress he'd made in his Breathing Technique, he could now maintain a speed significantly faster than any horse-drawn cart over long distances without feeling the slightest bit of fatigue.
Breathing Techniques, he mused, were truly amazing.
In just a single day, he arrived at the familiar small town. After purchasing the usual ritual offerings, he waited for night to fall before making his way to Kanzaki Keizan's grave. There, under the quiet stars, he began their customary grandfather-grandson heart-to-heart.
"Your grandson here became a Rank: Kinoto swordsman in just half a year," Akira murmured, leaning against the cool stone. "This promotion speed has broken the Demon Slayer Corps' records..."
It was true. In six short months, he had climbed the ranks to Kinoto and was already not far from Kinoe, the highest rank below Hashira. One couldn't say whether his luck was good or bad; the number of demons with Blood Demon Arts he encountered on missions was even greater than what Gyoumei had faced in his early days. As a result, his promotions came at a blistering pace.
Akira had originally considered going to Mount Natagumo to farm the Lower Rank Five, Rui. But after some inquiries, it seemed the demon who liked to play house hadn't settled there yet. He was still out there somewhere, searching for other demons willing to become his 'family.'
Besides that, he had also searched for a physician with the surname 'Kochou,' the location of Mount Kumotori, and any information regarding the Eternal Paradise Cult.
Unfortunately, his efforts had yielded little. While he had easily found the specific location of Mount Kumotori, he had gained nothing on the other leads for the time being.
Of course, Akira hadn't tried to enlist Kagaya's help. The Ubuyashiki intelligence network ultimately served the purpose of killing demons, and these two matters—a physician's family and a strange cult—hadn't yet established any connection to that primary goal. Besides, in terms of timing, there was no need to rush.
Especially not with the Eternal Paradise Cult. It housed a super boss capable of wiping out the entire Demon Slayer Corps as it currently stood, yet the Corps was completely unaware of how terrifying he truly was. What if Kagaya found something and, in his earnest desire to help, sent a group of slayers to their deaths?
Upper Rank Two, Douma. Even if the current Gyoumei were to encounter him, the Stone Hashira could, at best, barely ensure his own survival. Anyone else, including Akira himself, would be marching to their doom.
As for Mount Kumotori, he couldn't go there for now either. A place likely being personally watched by the Demon King himself was even more troublesome than the cult. Akira's search for its location was purely for future planning.
The Kamado Family. A small, unassuming family that had lived deep in the mountains for generations, selling charcoal and hunting. By a twist of fate, they had met Tsugikuni Yoriichi hundreds of years ago and received the inheritance of Sun Breathing.
Although later generations, limited by talent and knowledge, had adapted the sword forms into a ritual dance—the Hinokami Kagura—and many errors had appeared in its transmission, this generation had produced a man named Kamado Tanjuro. A man Akira considered a 'mini Tsugikuni Yoriichi.'
He was a being suspected of having a natural Demon Slayer Mark, one who later realized the Transparent World on his own and managed to correct the error-prone Sun Breathing passed down through hundreds of years.
Perhaps it was precisely because of his existence that the Demon King had set his sights on this small, isolated family.
Akira could almost picture it: one day, Kibutsuji Muzan is wandering the countryside, searching for the mythical blue spider lily. He passes through a remote mountain corner and sees a man wearing the sun-patterned hanafuda earrings inherited from Tsugikuni Yoriichi. He sees the faint, flame-like mark on his forehead. He sees him wielding a simple hatchet, performing the sacred movements of Sun Breathing in a clearing.
Presumably, in that instant, Muzan's PTSD would have flared violently.
After Yoriichi died, Muzan had teamed up with Tsugikuni Michikatsu—by then the demon Kokushibo—to slaughter almost everyone who knew of Sun Breathing. Yet, somehow, they had missed this small family in the deep mountains. This, Akira reasoned, was why Muzan had personally gone to exterminate the family right after Tanjuro passed away from his illness.
From this, the conclusion was clear: the only chance to change the tragedy of the Kamado family massacre was while Tanjuro was still alive.
, one would need the strength to contend with an Upper Rank demon for an entire night. Muzan, wary of Tanjuro, likely wouldn't act personally while the man lived. But the moment he discovered the family was trying to flee, he would inevitably have his subordinates strike.
Since the matter involved Sun Breathing, it was unlikely he would send the weaker bottom three Upper Ranks. And among the top three, Muzan probably wouldn't command Upper Rank One—the former Tsugikuni Michikatsu, now Kokushibo. Muzan mostly issued temporary orders to his subordinates via a mental link, a privilege of a higher-ranking demon over a lower-ranking one. But Kokushibo's mind was a maelstrom of thoughts about Yoriichi; if Muzan were to link to his consciousness, it would be a case of 'one more look and he'll explode.'
As for Douma, his nature was too fickle. He treated every mission like a game. Muzan didn't actually like the demon; he only kept him around because he was strong. Therefore, it was highly improbable that such an important mission would be entrusted to him.
That left only one likely candidate. The most probable enemy they would face was clear: Upper Rank Three, Akaza. Muzan's number one worker.
As Akira leaned against the tombstone, lost in his strategic planning and murmuring to himself, the moon rose high in the sky. A dark shape swooped in from the distance. It was Ink Shadow, his Kasugai Crow.
"South-southeast! South-southeast!" the crow squawked, landing on a nearby branch. "Demon spotted! Demon spotted!"
Akira sighed, pushing himself to his feet.
"Tch. Grandpa, wait a moment," he said, patting the tombstone. "I'll go take out that blind fool first."
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