As Chiba Yo expected, Genya was still unable to use Water Breathing.
"I… I still can't…"
Holding the wooden sword in his hand, unwillingness and pain surged in his heart. Even though he possessed a constitution that allowed him to devour demons, it was truly inexcusable for a Demon Slayer Corps swordsman not to know a Breathing Technique. He didn't care much about what others thought, but if Sanemi found out, he would definitely want him to leave the Demon Slayer Corps even more.
"What do you think about making the Breathing Technique and swordsmanship purely auxiliary means?" Chiba Yo suddenly asked Genya.
Judging from the fact that Genya was able to pass the Demon Slayer Corps' Final Selection and persist until now, his strength was guaranteed even without a Breathing Technique. Given this, it would be better to make Water Breathing softer and transform the Breathing Technique and swordsmanship, originally used for offense, into auxiliary means.
His demonization ability, on the other hand, could serve as his primary offensive method.
"You mean…" Genya looked up at Chiba Yo, not quite understanding his words.
"Like this."
Chiba Yo said to Genya while raising the wooden sword in his hand again.
Following the Water Breathing method, the breathing in the lungs was softer, and there was no need to inhale too much air at once.
Then Chiba Yo swung the wooden sword in his hand. Unlike the previous demonstration, this time there was no large amount of water swirling around the blade. Instead, large patches of mist, like white clouds, emerged from the blade.
From a distance, the white mist obscured Chiba Yo's figure. The water droplets in the air reflected the light entering them, creating five more figures of Chiba Yo within the mist.
Genya, standing by, was stunned. He hadn't expected Chiba Yo to directly create a Breathing Technique in the time they had been talking.
If I can do this, with the concealment provided by this mist, the accuracy of my firearm will definitely improve significantly, and I'll also be able to seize opportunities to bite off a demon's body to demonize.
After a moment of stunned, Genya's mood became excited.
It's just… can I learn this Breathing Technique…
However, thinking of the two previous failed attempts to learn a Breathing Technique, Genya's excited heart began to sink again.
The six figures of Chiba Yo within the mist simultaneously swung the wooden swords in their hands. The white mist shrouding his body dispersed at the same time, leaving only one figure on the training ground.
"What do you think of this Breathing Technique? While it lacks offensive capability, if used well, it should be quite effective for assisting in combat," Chiba Yo said to Genya as he walked towards him.
The illusion just now was created by him using the refraction of light by the small water droplets in the mist. Theoretically, as long as it's controlled properly, countless such illusions can be formed in this mist. Anything within this mist can form an illusion.
However, Chiba Yo didn't see much use for this ability. He couldn't possibly scare demons to death by creating a few more illusions, could he? If he had that much effort, he might as well just go up and slash with his sword.
"I think this Breathing Technique is very good. It's just… can I really learn this Breathing Technique?"
Genya replied to Chiba Yo, he was quite satisfied with this Breathing Technique.
Chiba Yo smiled upon hearing this and said to him, "Since I said so, I've definitely considered your physical fitness. Don't worry, as long as you're willing to work hard, you can definitely learn this Breathing Technique.
Moreover, the move I just demonstrated is just one application of this Breathing Technique. After you learn it, you can continue to try and develop other moves."
When Chiba Yo transformed Water Breathing into this Breathing Technique, he did so according to the limits of Genya's body. His body could definitely withstand this Breathing Technique.
"I will definitely work twice as hard," Genya immediately said after hearing Chiba Yo's words.
Now he was already looking forward to what he would be like after learning this Breathing Technique.
"Then let's start now."
Chiba Yo began teaching Genya how to use this Breathing Technique.
Unbeknownst to them, night had fallen. On the other side, the Entertainment District, which should have been bustling with activity, had now become a battlefield.
Long sashes slashed in all directions, intending to completely shred this area.
So many! And faster too!
Tanjirou, holding his nichirin blade, was startled by the sashes attacking him, but he didn't retreat. He gripped his nichirin blade tightly and took a step forward.
"Hinokami Kagura: Setting Sun Transformation!"
Leaping up, Tanjirou's figure spun in the air. His nichirin blade was wreathed in flames as scorching as the sun. He swung his blade horizontally, instantly cutting down many of the sashes that were slashing in all directions, but some still slipped past.
Not good…
Tanjirou, still in the air, knew he hadn't managed to cut down all the sashes. He turned his head in alarm and worry towards the street behind him.
Boom!
About four houses were struck by the sashes. The parts of the buildings cut by the sashes collapsed with a roar. The man Tanjirou had protected behind him was unharmed, and Tanjirou himself wasn't injured, but the residents along the street suffered.
"Ah ah ah ah!!!"
One woman looked terrified. The body of another woman beside her had already been cut into two pieces, blood splattering onto her face. The floor had been dyed blood-red.
"Help! Someone save me!"
A man was buried under a collapsed building. His legs had been severed, and blood gushed from the cuts. His body, however, was pinned by a heavy pillar, rendering him completely immobile. With the current blood loss, he definitely wouldn't last much longer.
Tanjirou landed back on the ground, sweat beading on his forehead. Although his stamina was much better than before, and he could continuously use Hinokami Kagura, he had still expended a considerable amount of energy fighting until now.
"What… what's going on…?"
The man behind Tanjirou trembled as he looked at the scene before him. He was so scared he could barely stand.
Originally, he had only come out to scold whoever was making noise outside, not expecting to encounter something like this.
"Don't panic… I will definitely protect you all. First, find a place to hide. If you have the strength, you can go and help the injured people."
Tanjirou gripped his nichirin blade tightly, staring fixedly at Daki in front of him, while speaking to the man behind him.
"Hahahahaha, ugly monster, weren't you quite smug just now? Try cutting me again now! I'll cut you to pieces!"
Daki laughed as she shouted at Tanjirou. She had been somewhat uncomfortable being suppressed by Tanjirou's Sun Breathing just now. Now that all her sashes had returned to her body, her strength had greatly increased. Even though she had already received news from the returned sashes that a Hashira was coming, she still planned to deal with Tanjirou first before resolving the infiltrating Hashira.
Otherwise, she absolutely couldn't swallow the humiliation she had just suffered.
"You ugly humans have no right to live! Turn into corpses and rot away with me!"
The sashes flew again, simultaneously slashing towards Tanjirou's direction…