Anime/Manga: Bankai Starting with Demon Slayer

The movements begin slowly, each one carrying the solemn rhythm of an ancient ritual, steady and fluid.

Arms swung, waist twisted, toes touched the ground.

Their steps moved nimbly and fluidly within the limited space, drawing powerful arcs.

"Is this the Fire Sword type?" Asuka's brow furrowed silently.

His gaze followed Tanjiro's every move closely—the tension in his muscles, the shift in his center of gravity, the rise and fall of his spine—nothing escaped his observation.

But... this just looks like an ancient sacrificial dance...

Before long, Tanjiro, whose body had not fully recovered, stopped panting after only dancing half of the Kagura dance.

He scratched his head sheepishly and gave Asuka an awkward smile: "I'm so sorry, Mr. Asuka, I...I still have some..."

"It's alright." Asuka wasn't an unreasonable person, so she naturally wouldn't fuss over such a matter. "Is this your sword type? Why is it different from the one I saw that night?"

He imitated Tanjiro's gesture of raising both hands as if offering a sacrifice: "I didn't see anything special about the gesture itself, but how could it generate such a powerful strike?"

"A powerful slash..." Tanjiro gasped, a look of confusion on his face.

He confessed that he was jealous, and his tone was very uncertain: "To be honest, I don't quite understand the reason."

"When my father taught me, he only said that this was a 'Kagura dance' passed down from our ancestors, a sacrificial dance to express respect and gratitude to the 'Fire God' and to pray for divine protection..."

"It also contains a special breathing method, which is completely integrated with the dance. I think... maybe it was because I accidentally combined water breathing with it that day that I was able to do those movements."

Fusion... Asuka fell into thought.

Can different breathing techniques be combined?

In fact, all existing breathing techniques evolved from the earliest forms of breathing; perhaps there are ways in which they interact and work together...

"I understand. You can rest for a bit and then slowly show me the whole routine."

"Yes!"

So, every few minutes Tanjiro would rest, he would show Asuka a part of the Kagura dance, and Asuka would watch it carefully, occasionally trying to imitate the movements, trying to find the key to it.

However.

When Asuka attempted to perform a movement that required a large body rotation and a flow of breath, in accordance with Tanjiro's rhythm, her previously effortless Wind Breathing suddenly stalled.

It was like a rushing torrent crashing into an invisible dam, causing a sudden surge of energy in the chest and abdomen!

Uh... A muffled groan escaped uncontrollably from his throat.

Asuka instinctively covered her ribs, her face showing some displeasure.

The force of the counter-current wasn't particularly strong; his physique allowed him to suppress it instantly. However, the awkward resistance and sense of conflict clearly told him that this path was blocked.

It seems that the key of Kagura Mai is not compatible with the lock of the Breath of Wind within him.

We should start with Tanjiro's family's blessed breathing technique.

Just then, a cry of surprise and the clatter of a wooden basin falling to the ground came from the other end of the courtyard.

A member of the Gui team, who was still recovering from an injury and walking unsteadily, fell to the ground in a sorry state. The overturned basin of water soaked his trousers and the ground around him.

"Ah! Mr. Oda!" Tanjiro's attention was instantly drawn, and a genuine worry appeared on his face.

He rushed over without even saying another word to Asuka.

"Are you alright? Did you hurt yourself?" Tanjiro quickly squatted down and carefully supported the arm of the team member named Oda. "Come on, get up slowly."

He half-carried, half-supported the other person to a dry spot under the eaves to sit down, then quickly ran to pick up the wooden basin, deftly used a rag to absorb the water stains, and cleaned up the mess on the ground.

"I'm so sorry to have troubled you, Tanjiro." Oda, the team member, looked apologetic and grateful; he didn't want to be in such a sorry state.

"It's no trouble at all!" Tanjiro said with a bright smile. "You stay seated and don't move. I'll go get a basin of clean water!"

After he finished speaking, he ran off in a flurry.

This wasn't the first time Asuka had noticed this situation; the boy always showed extraordinary concern for others.

He helped a teammate with an injured arm re-wrap the loose bandages, talked to a depressed young teammate, and carried a heavy first-aid kit to a member of the hidden unit...

During her time at the Butterfly Mansion, Asuka noticed that Tanjiro was constantly sweating, and he didn't look like an injured patient at all.

His eyes were always bright and sparkling, and after each act of helping someone, a pure, warm smile would naturally bloom on his face, capable of dispelling gloom...

The law of the jungle prevails, and everything is exchanged for something of equal value.

Every act of kindness may conceal a trap, and every act of assistance requires a clear price.

This is the true logic of the world.

Asuka understands Tanjiro's selfless protection of his sister Nezuko; it's a bond of blood, a matter of course.

But his actions, as if possessed by an inexhaustible furnace within him, burning himself to warm the hearts of everyone insignificant...

It was almost incomprehensible, even bordering on dangerous folly.

After Tanjiro finished cleaning up the water basin for Konishi's crew and rushed back, Asuka asked in confusion:

Why?

Tanjiro was taken aback for a moment, but looking into his eyes, he immediately understood what Asuka meant.

He walked to a pillar near the birds, leaned against it, picked up his water bottle, and took several large gulps, his smiling face still flushed from his busy work.

"Mr. Asuka, do you mean doing things for everyone?"

Asuka didn't nod, but only confirmed it with her eyes.

Tanjiro put down his water bottle and looked at the team members in the courtyard, some supporting each other, others doing their rehabilitation exercises alone, his eyes gentle yet firm:

"Because everyone has a tough time... When you get injured, it hurts, and it's tough. If you see someone who needs a helping hand, you should help if you can."

He paused, then turned to look at the bird, its bright, clear eyes reflecting the afternoon sunlight: "My father once said: 'Helping others brings joy, and in the end, you will be rewarded!'"

“I feel that helping others and seeing their relieved smiles warms my heart and makes me happy. This happiness is the best reward!”

Finding joy in helping others? Asuka chewed on the word, feeling a bit strange.

"...Is that so?"

Confusion, like vines, quietly grew on his hardened heart.

Chapter 46 The Genius Swordsman

Xia Zhu·Tokito Muichiro.

His frail and thin frame, and his blank and lifeless eyes, make it hard to associate him with the title of one of the nine strongest swordsmen.

It is said that he transformed from an ordinary boy into a pillar in just two months of wielding a knife, which is truly admirable.

As agreed, Asuka needs to come to the Ubuyashiki mansion three days a week to learn swordsmanship from Muichiro Tokito, who is temporarily staying there.

"Um... what's your name again? Ah, Asuka..."

Muichiro remained in a dazed and confused state, something that Lord Ubuyashiki had specifically instructed Asuka to do:

He has some memory problems. If possible, please talk to Muichiro more and help him recover his health.

Since it was a swordsmanship lesson, Asuka bowed slightly to Muichiro as if she were addressing a teacher, and said in a deep voice, "Senior Muichiro, please instruct me."

In the corridor of the mansion, the lord's wife, Ubuyashiki Amane, was silently watching the two people in the room with her children. She had always been very concerned about Muichiro.

A gentle breeze rustled through the trees in the courtyard.

Asuka and Tokito Muichiro stood facing each other, each holding a plain wooden sword used for practice.

Muichiro stood ramrod straight, his small frame hunched over. His gaze wasn't fixed on the birds, but rather drifted aimlessly into the distance, as if a part of his soul was still lost in the thick fog.

However, Asuka would not underestimate his opponent. In his spiritual pressure perception, he could sense the sharp and deadly sword on Muichiro Tokito's body!

During the three-day training last week, without using his breathing techniques, his sword posed virtually no threat to Muichiro.

"You...have a very good foundation, but you haven't fought enough..."

"Your body is very stiff. Did you overdo it during training before? It caused your movements to become sluggish without you even realizing it..."

"You don't need to learn sword techniques... just keep fighting."

Muichiro once said this.

Indeed, that was the case. Asuka recalled that she had only fought less than five demons, and most of them were at the last moment, relying on the power of the tamamo-no-Mae to fight.

If Arashi-sensei saw my performance, she'd be angry...

"Let's begin," Asuka said in a deep voice, and the two got into position.

whoosh-

Without a word, the bird transformed into a flash of light.

The wooden sword slashed out with a swift gray shadow, accompanied by a sharp sound as it tore through the air, aiming straight for Muichiro's throat!

Muichiro remained calm. Just as the blade tip was about to touch his collar, he subtly shifted his feet and made a quick, efficient sideways movement, dodging the sharp gust of wind.

Asuka was not surprised when her attack missed. Instead, she twisted her body and used the momentum of her downward slash to deliver a downward sweeping strike!

Oh? A new move? Tokito Muichiro raised an eyebrow slightly. Asuka hadn't used this move last week.

Asuka subconsciously used the Kagura dance she learned from Tanjiro, specifically the dance step called "Azure Heaven".

"A pretty nice strike, but... it was still too slow."

Muichiro's wooden sword flashed out like lightning, its position pinpointed perfectly and its timing flawless.

With just a light touch, the wooden sword precisely pierced the bird's wrist, hitting the most vulnerable point of the power chain.

Asuka's entire right arm went numb instantly, and the power she had just gathered deflated like a punctured balloon, thus nipping any potential changes in the bud.

His expression changed, and he quickly stepped back to create distance, readjusting his breathing rhythm.

Muichiro sheathed his wooden sword, his eyes still blankly staring at a camellia in the corner of the courtyard, as if his previous strike, which resembled a gazelle's horn hanging from its shell, was merely a casual brush of dust off his clothes, utterly insignificant.

"What a beautiful strike! Muichiro is really something..." Ubuyashiki Amane remarked as she brewed green tea outside the arena.

"Of course! Lord Muichiro is a descendant of that swordsman! He's certainly not someone these small fry can compare to! Lord Muichiro's 'Mu' is the invincible 'Mu'!"

On the treetop, an exceptionally noisy scabbard was excitedly waving its arms and legs, constantly praising Muichiro Tokito.

That was Muichiro's scabbard crow—Ginko. She was extremely proud of everything about Muichiro and looked down on any swordsman other than Muichiro.

"Shut up, you're so noisy." Beside her stood a raven with calm eyes, exuding an aura that kept strangers at bay.

He named himself "Black Feather" and was Asuka's companion, but he rarely saw Asuka except to relay orders.

Even so, he disliked the other ravens pointing at the birds, feeling it was like other children taking away his toys, which annoyed him.

Putting aside the squabble between the two ravens, the bird struck again.

This time, Asuka's knife was extremely fast.

It should be said that Muichiro slowed down in his eyes.

Asuka didn't know if this counted as a trick, but he could indeed more clearly predict his opponent's movements by consciously releasing spiritual pressure.

If Asuka were to push this power to its absolute limit, she could even see the texture of the muscles and blood vessels beneath the opponent's skin...

Bang!

With a dull thud, he and Muichiro's wooden sword clashed, surprising the latter.

Then, a fierce and relentless exchange of blows began. Asuka kept swinging her wooden sword, and Muichiro's expression finally changed from nonchalant to serious, parrying Asuka's attacks time and time again.

The two fought from dawn until noon, until their wooden swords began to crack and their hands were blistered and bleeding, but they did not stop.

Snap!

Seizing a fleeting opening, Asuka's wooden sword grazed Muichiro's cheek, severing a few strands of his hair.

He himself had Muichiro's wooden sword pressed against his throat.

"You're getting stronger very quickly..." he said calmly, his expression grave.

What Muichiro didn't mention was that he had subconsciously used the Breath of Mist to barely dodge the bird's attack; otherwise, it might have hit him squarely in the face...

"Let's stop here for now..." Muichiro looked at the damaged wooden sword, put it away, and took out his handkerchief to wipe the fine sweat from his brow.

Ubuyashiki Amane, who was in the corridor, had already prepared tea and refreshments for them and was smiling as she waved to them.

"Come on over here, have a good rest."

Asuka did not resist the arrangement, but he was still immersed in the sword moves that Muichiro had just used to subdue him, and his thoughts were somewhat scattered.