In this wooden house hidden deep in the mountains.
Kocho Kanae began her lesson, teaching Kamihara Tetsuya the basics of Breathing Technique.
Breathing Technique is a special breathing method used by Demon Slayer Corps members, allowing them to enhance their bodies by inhaling large amounts of air, gaining strength to contend with demons.
Handed down for hundreds of years, there are five major basic styles: Water, Thunder, Flame, Stone, and Wind. Some powerful swordsmen can create their own branch Breathing Techniques from these five basic ones.
Kocho Kanae's Flower Breathing is a branch of Water Breathing.
Therefore, in addition to Flower Breathing, Kocho Kanae also has some understanding of Water Breathing.
Kamihara Tetsuya's physical conditioning surpasses most Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen, so he didn't need physical training and directly skipped to learning Breathing Technique.
"Hmph! Hmph!"
Under Kocho Kanae's careful guidance, Kamihara Tetsuya subtly controlled every wisp of air inhaled into his lungs, feeling the air flow within his body.
The cells, receiving a large amount of oxygen, fed back a noticeable amount of power, accumulating bit by bit.
"Is this the Breathing Technique?"
Kamihara Tetsuya thought to himself, his earlier disdain fading.
Demons possess immortal bodies at night and powerful, magical Blood Demon Arts. The fact that the Demon Slayer Corps has been able to contend with demons for many years means this Breathing Technique must have its unique merits.
"That's amazing, much better than when I first learned it," Kocho Kanae said, clapping with a smile.
"It's because you're a good teacher."
Kamihara Tetsuya exchanged pleasantries. There was nothing to be proud of; with a demon's strong physique and Kocho Kanae, a patient and beautiful former Pillar, tirelessly teaching him.
These conditions already put him ahead of most people; even a pig could take flight.
"However…"
Kocho Kanae frowned slightly. As she expected, Flower Breathing and Water Breathing were not suitable for Kamihara Tetsuya.
Water Breathing requires a calm and steady mind, free from distractions, and a peaceful inner state to cultivate.
Compared to other Breathing Techniques, Water Breathing is the most gentle and easiest to master. Skilled users can unleash agile slashes imbued with sword energy like flowing water.
The characteristics of Flower Breathing are quite similar.
Kocho Kanae could sense that Kamihara Tetsuya's mind was somewhat restless, perhaps making him more suited for powerful and aggressive Breathing Techniques like Thunder Breathing or Flame Breathing.
Therefore, she could only teach him the basics of Breathing Technique.
Kamihara Tetsuya's comprehension was astonishing; he mastered the basics of Breathing Technique in just a few days.
"Then there's nothing more I can teach you," Kocho Kanae said with a wry smile, regretting that she had been so eager to impart all her knowledge.
"It's enough," Kamihara Tetsuya said, clenching his fist and feeling the enhanced strength. Even just learning the superficial aspects of Breathing Technique, he clearly felt his strength had increased significantly.
"Next is the issue of how to join the Demon Slayer Corps," Kocho Kanae murmured to herself. Kamihara Tetsuya could only learn other Breathing Techniques by joining the Demon Slayer Corps.
The Demon Slayer Corps couldn't possibly accept a demon into their ranks.
Moreover, demons cannot be exposed to sunlight, so Kamihara Tetsuya could only act at night, which would easily arouse suspicion.
Facing Kocho Kanae's troubled gaze, Kamihara Tetsuya said, "Just joining the Demon Slayer Corps will suffice. I'll handle the sunlight problem."
Kocho Kanae's face showed a hint of surprise. The longer she spent with Kamihara Tetsuya, the more astonished she became.
From Kamihara Tetsuya's words, it seemed he had a way to deal with the demon's natural enemy: sunlight.
Kocho Kanae didn't press for details. When Kamihara Tetsuya wanted to tell her, she would naturally know.
Simply joining the Demon Slayer Corps wasn't too difficult. Kocho Kanae suggested, "How about becoming a support staff member then?"
"Support staff?"
Kamihara Tetsuya's eyes lit up even more.
He had almost forgotten that besides the swordsmen who hunted demons, the Demon Slayer Corps also had a large number of support personnel.
For example, the "Kakushi" who handled corpse disposal, the cultivators who trained new recruits, the medical organization Butterfly Mansion, the Pillars' dojos, and so on.
The damn system's requirement was to be certified by the Demon Slayer Corps, not specifically to become a Demon Slayer Corps swordsman.
He could completely infiltrate the Demon Slayer Corps first, obtain the Immune Constitution, and then look for opportunities to learn Breathing Technique. The difficulty of this matter would decrease significantly.
"I'll write you a letter of recommendation. You can say it was left behind by me while I was alive. With your medical skills, joining the Butterfly Mansion shouldn't be a problem," Kocho Kanae said with a smile. This way, Kamihara Tetsuya could also look after her younger sister, Kochou Shinobu, killing two birds with one stone.
Kamihara Tetsuya smiled meaningfully.
As the saying goes, it's easy to guard against outsiders, but hard to guard against an insider. A former Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps was helping him join the Demon Slayer Corps.
Even if this wall was hard, a hole would be dug through it!
The two began to finalize some details, ensuring Kamihara Tetsuya was as familiar as possible with the Demon Slayer Corps' work procedures, so that joining felt like coming home.
Of course, Kocho Kanae would not disclose important information about the Demon Slayer Corps, such as the location of the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters or key figures like Ubuyashiki Kagaya.
A moment later, Kocho Kanae felt drowsiness creeping in, and her small face looked sleepy.
Kamihara Tetsuya secretly shook his head. Kocho Kanae's waking hours were getting shorter and shorter each day.
Was it like Kamado Nezuko, where the huge physical consumption of demonization required several years of sleep to recover?
He had to join the Demon Slayer Corps and couldn't just leave Kocho Kanae in the wilderness.
The intelligent Kocho Kanae naturally thought of this, but she couldn't solve it.
Everyone she knew had been harmed by demons and would not believe anything a demon said.
She and Kamihara Tetsuya were anomalies, not accepted by demons and hated by humans.
"I've thought of a good place to go."
A flash of inspiration struck Kamihara Tetsuya's mind. There was only one person in the world who could understand their predicament.
Kocho Kanae asked curiously, "Who?"
"A fugitive among demons!" Kamihara Tetsuya said with a smile. It was time to approach that strongest support.
...
When the two walked out of the wooden house, they were stunned by the night sky in the deep mountains.
In the dark night, the night wind blew, and the tree branches swayed with the wind, making rustling sounds. The bright moon was radiant, and the stars sparkled, casting a silvery glow everywhere.
This beautiful scene made one's heart surge with new hope.
"Tetsuya, Sister Kanae!"
Akiyama Rinka's petite figure darted out from the nearby woods, shouting excitedly.
Kamihara Tetsuya and Kocho Kanae looked at the lively and cheerful Akiyama Rinka and smiled at each other.
Demons do not need to eat ordinary food, but human habits are hard to change in a short time.
The person who brought them food during their seven or eight days of hiding in the deep mountains was Akiyama Rinka.
That food wouldn't provide nutrition, at most, it offered a taste and a false sense of fullness, but it brought a feeling of satisfaction and peace of mind.
The three left the deep mountains and headed towards their destination.
Asakusa, Tokyo Prefecture.