Demon Slayer: Can I add points to my Breathing Technique?

【Full focus! 】

Water Breathing! First Form: Flowing Dance

Not to be outdone, the persimmon, seemingly harboring some kind of anger, transformed into a wisp of water mist and swiftly approached from the side.

I saw that both of my partners had gone up.

Kojiro had no choice but to use his breathing technique and wield his wooden sword as he charged forward.

[Water Surface Slash!]

Xia Xi showed no intention of launching a full-scale attack.

Instead, he stared at the three men who exuded considerable presence, constantly reasoning about their actions [logic] in his mind.

The skill "Insight" was faintly glowing in the panel.

Although the Storm Pillar did not fully comprehend the "First of First," his arduous training during this period was not without results.

The circle formed by consciousness and cognition is spreading silently.

That was Xia Xi's pure instinct for retaliation, honed through countless games, including the Demon Slayer game.

It is a field of prediction and defense.

When Dojima stepped into the boundary of that "circle".

Xia Xi moved.

His speed wasn't much faster than Dojima's, but it was as if he had anticipated Dojima's next move.

Turn sideways, lower your shoulders, and step back.

Then he placed his invincible fist on the path that the sword hilt would inevitably swing through.

The blazing flames immediately paused.

The wooden sword was intercepted by a fist.

Whether it's a slash or a strike, it ultimately comes down to the application of power and speed.

Xiaxi doesn't need to confront them head-on.

All you need to do is gently and precisely trip them up as they race toward the top.

This is the skill.

As for Dojima, his sword strike and power were only half used before being forcibly stopped.

It must be very uncomfortable.

Even my breathing technique was disrupted for a fleeting moment.

But his years of experience in killing ghosts gave him good adaptability.

The moment his slash was interrupted, he abandoned his sword and switched to a side kick, intending to cause Xia Xi some trouble.

At the same time, the persimmon's slash arrived from another angle.

[Water Breathing]...

Xia Xi's breathing rhythm suddenly changed.

Along with this change, the wooden knife in his other hand also changed.

With a gentle flick.

He placed a palm on Dojima's ankle, while the knife struck the side of Osamu's wooden sword.

The two's momentum was forcibly deflected by Xia Xi.

The original combined attack plan completely deviated from its intended course; Dojima's side kick hit Oathko, and the girl's slash struck the swordsman.

Having only [skills] is not enough in battle.

It also requires sufficient strength and awareness to support it.

Just like the indispensable "four ounces" in "using four ounces to move a thousand pounds".

And Xia Xi's breathing method.

This completes the final piece of the puzzle in this logical system.

Dojima and Kaki tumbled and rolled away.

The last one to appear was Kojiro, wielding his sword, unsure whether to strike down or retreat.

The Xiaxi breathing technique was switched again.

Breath of Thunder

A faint white mist wafted from his chest and between his teeth.

Xia Xi looked at Kojiro, who had stepped into the defensive counter-attack zone and was full of openings.

Then he raised the wooden sword.

Have you ever been hit by the speed of light?

The moment the words left her lips, Xia Xi's figure transformed into a bolt of lightning.

[Thunderbolt Flash]

Although it wasn't a real sword, given the vast difference in strength between the two sides, Kojiro felt as if a massive wall was pressing down on him.

It felt as if he was about to step into the underworld at any moment.

The wooden sword grazed past his ear, the force of the wind whipping his hair wildly.

"Holding back? Holding back?"

No.

It was a feint.

Because the next second, Kojiro felt a pain in his calf.

[Breath of the Storm]...

Like an unstoppable breeze sweeping over his lower body, Xia Xi's sweeping leg sent him spinning wildly.

Xia Xi looked at Kojiro, who was lying on the ground and had not gotten up.

He muttered to himself: This kid... did I hit him a little too hard just now?

Dojima and Shiko, who were not far away, quickly got up.

Perhaps because they had suffered a loss, the two did not attack immediately this time, but stood in place with their knives in a defensive stance.

Senior Jiuche/Stepson/Xia Xi-kun... are really strong.

The three "apprentices" all felt a sense of shared emotion.

Seeing that they were slightly intimidated, he raised his chin, his voice filled with undisguised disappointment.

"I thought you were so determined."

"So, slaying demons, seeking revenge, and protecting others? That sounds impressive, doesn't it?"

"But if you don't even have the courage to raise your sword against me, then your character and capacity are nothing more than this."

He walked slowly forward, his gaze sweeping over the three tense faces one by one.

Suddenly, Xia Xi grinned, revealing an almost malicious smile.

"If that's all there is to it, then the three of you are the worst class I've ever taught."

I've never eaten pork, but I've seen pigs run away.

Xia Xi can still effortlessly spout "Japanese-style passionate mentor quotes" from her mouth.

It's been a long time since Sabito and Giyu have fried fish like this.

Cool!

As for the three swordsmen...

If Xia Xi's words were placed hundreds of years later, they might just be considered ordinary motivational rhetoric.

But for this era, and for these swordsmen who stake their lives on the path of slaying demons, every word was a heavy blow.

A sense of shame arose spontaneously.

The girl couldn't help but ask herself if she was really too weak.

Dojima also began to doubt himself, wondering if he had lost the drive to challenge the strong.

Even Kojiro vaguely recalled the passion and determination he had when he first joined the Demon Slayer Corps.

"I'm sorry, senior."

“My stepson, I have been lax in my work.”

"From now on... I will not back down anymore."

Xia Xi nodded.

It seems the mockery was more effective than I expected.

"continue."

Xia Xi stretched out her right hand and beckoned to them.

After regaining their momentum, the three of them used their breathing techniques again to attack Xia Xi.

For a moment, the sounds of fists, feet, and wooden swords clashing filled the courtyard.

Thai fighting god Gaorang Unsawad once said...

"Between unarmed and armed, there is a high wall."

The human body is ultimately no match for a weapon forged from steel.

Even fighters face the risk of injury and defeat when facing thugs wielding weapons.

However, if both sides are well-trained.

The side with weapons naturally has a more insurmountable advantage.