Anime/Manga: Bankai Starting with Demon Slayer

A teenager who was sweeping fallen leaves in the yard was so frightened that he dropped the broom and shouted in panic.

Inosuke ignored him and headed straight for the largest dojo main building in front of him, where voices were coming from.

boom--! ! !

He stormed into the house without hesitation, roaring under a pair of alluring, piercing gazes:

"Inosuke-sama has arrived!! Who is Toritaro's trainer?! I want to train him too!!"

The eyes beneath the boar's hood were like torches, scanning the startled creature.

In the center of the main house, a tall, thin, white-haired, one-armed old man sat cross-legged on a futon, holding a steaming cup of coarse tea in his only right hand: "Remember, when you breathe, pay attention to the expansion of your lungs, remember..."

Right now, Arashizaki Teshin, a trainer at the Hayama Breeding Center, is explaining the secrets of the breathing technique to Shin-chan.

The imposing intrusion he had just witnessed was like a gentle breeze to him, and it did not interrupt his lecture.

Beside him, a young woman dressed in an elegant light gray kimono, with a gentle and calm demeanor, had just refilled the old man's tea.

At that moment, she also raised her eyelids and looked at the uninvited guest with surprise.

"Hey! What's going on? Why aren't you responding?" Inosuke's noisy chatter made Arashizaki Tesshin frown.

Seeing that the attention of all the members had been drawn to Inosuke, he stopped trying and slowly put down his teacup: "Alright, let's end today's lesson here. Go practice on your own."

When the fishy-smelling creature finally spoke, it asked, "Is it the Demon Slayer Corps member that Lord Slayer mentioned?"

He had received a message from the crow the day before yesterday, so he naturally knew that a reckless young man would come to cultivate soon, but he hadn't expected...

Arashizaki Tesshin scrutinized Inosuke, his brows furrowed. "I don't quite understand. You already have your own breathing style, so why bother coming here?"

"My Beast Breathing is of course the strongest! I just want to know, how did you train Toritaro to be so amazing!" Inosuke thumped his chest, the tusks on his boar's head trembling excitedly.

"Teach me too! I want to defeat the Upper Moon too!"

Arashizaki Tesshin narrowed his eyes slightly, sighed softly, and his eyes were filled with helplessness at being unable to cope.

He already knew that Asuka had narrowly lost to the Upper Moon and was very worried about his disciple. Every two days, he would send out a raven to inquire about Asuka's treatment.

To be honest, the fact that Asuka could fight the Upper Moon Demon Moon until dawn was simply unbelievable to him.

In his heart, Asuka was still that cold, aloof little fellow, who kept her distance from everyone. He never imagined she would grow up so quickly...

However, Arashizaki Tesshin is not so shameless as to claim credit for this achievement.

"...Asuka is a strong and hardworking child. He is strong today not because of me. You have the wrong person." Arashi picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said in a calm tone, "Now that you have the power to slay demons, go and fulfill your duties. Do not disturb the peace and quiet of this place."

This casual refusal instantly ignited Inosuke's explosive temper.

"You nagging old man!" He was so enraged that he charged directly at Arashizaki Teshin, his right fist unleashing a fierce gust of wind: "Let's see if you'll talk!"

Despite the devastating punch that could split rocks, Arashizaki Teshin's body didn't even sway.

In the instant the force of the punch came, he used the hand holding the teacup to forcefully parry Inosuke's inner wrist—

boom! !

The small movement caused Inosuke to lose his balance, his forward momentum was abruptly cut off, and his huge body flipped in mid-air like a clumsy spinning top!

Not only did he miss his punch, but he also crashed into the sliding door behind him.

"Ouch—!!"

He fell flat on his face like a wild boar, and awkwardly straightened up.

"Pfft." Pear Blossom covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

Yes, yes, that's exactly the feeling! Inosuke's gaze, hidden beneath the boar's headgear, was intense and burning.

When I provoked Toritaro, he demonstrated the weaknesses of my attack with very subtle movements.

What did he say again? Something about a flaw, a momentum, never mind, I've forgotten it all!

That one-armed old man is really something! I should learn from him! I'll definitely be better than Toritaro when I get back!

Arashizaki Teshin slowly stood up, looking down at the disheveled Inosuke on the ground:

"Alright, alright, stop fooling around. Your stubbornness, if it's just about imitating others, will only lead you astray." He waved his hand helplessly and turned to walk outside.

"Kenichi! See you off."

Kenichi, whose name was called, quickly responded, glanced at Inosuke lying on the ground with some sympathy, and ran to pick up the pair of serrated swords that had been thrown out.

"Wait! You...you old geezer! Don't leave!"

Inosuke struggled to his feet, not even bothering to brush the dust off his clothes, and hurriedly shouted:

"I...I can't go back like this! Toritaro is still lying there!.....I have to become stronger! Stronger than everyone else!"

"I will no longer stand by and watch my teammates fall without being able to do anything!"

"Please! Teach me!"

"If you don't teach me... I'll practice here myself! Until I master it!"

He held his neck straight, like a stubborn wild boar cornered on the edge of a cliff, expressing his most unwavering determination with the fiercest posture.

The eyes beneath the pig's head were even slightly red with extreme resentment.

Arashizaki Tesshin stopped at the entrance to the corridor leading to the inner room, but did not turn back.

He remained silent for a moment, then finally turned his head and looked helplessly at the pear blossom:

"Hey... why don't you take him under your wing?"

Chapter 78 The Pillar of Convergence

Feiniao leaned against the cold platform pillar, closing her eyes to rest under the dim gaslight.

But no matter how much you try to rest and recuperate, it's been too long.

He glanced at Shinobu Kocho, who was sitting quietly in the waiting area on the platform beside him, flipping through her notes and occasionally looking towards the tracks that stretched into the darkness.

More than half a day has passed, and we are four hours late for the scheduled pick-up time.

"Tch." Asuka clicked her tongue impatiently and kicked a piece of gravel at her feet.

"Are you in a hurry?" Butterfly chuckled and looked at Asuka with curiosity: "I thought you were the type who wouldn't be bothered by the outside world no matter what."

"...This is going on for too long. I'm worried that Mr. Tomioka might be in danger," Asuka replied sullenly.

This is not a lie.

After the battle with the Upper Moon Demon Moon, Asuka had a deep impression of this powerful predator.

Giyu Tomioka didn't show up at the expected time, which made him a little worried that the other party might have encountered the Upper Moon prematurely.

"Don't worry, Mr. Tomioka..."

Before Shinobu could finish her sentence, the distant rumble of a new train and the rhythmic sound of wheels rolling over the tracks could be heard.

The night train, puffing out white smoke, slowly pulled into the platform and came to a stop with a screeching sound of brakes.

The doors opened, and a few passengers disembarked.

Finally, a figure wearing a two-tone haori with a Demon Slayer Corps uniform underneath and a low ponytail appeared at the car door.

Water Column Yoshiyuki Tomioka stepped onto the platform expressionlessly. His face, which seemed to be forever expressionless, showed no regret or explanation for being late, only his usual calm.

Or rather, it's a silence that's hard for others to understand.

He walked straight toward the two people who were waiting.

“Mr. Tomioka, you are long overdue.” Asuka spoke directly, without any intention of beating around the bush: “Even if you had other plans, you should have had the raven deliver the message to avoid us making an incorrect judgment.”

Seeing that Giyu Tomioka was not in danger, Asuka's slight concern for him turned into dissatisfaction.

Time waits for no one. Although he and Shinobu Kocho had gathered important information from the Fujino family in the countryside, which sped up the mission, it was no excuse for being slow.

Giyu Tomioka paused for a moment, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something.

But in the end, he just gave a faint "hmm" as a response.

Butterfly took a small step forward at the opportune moment, a gentle yet knowing smile on her face, and explained softly:

"Haha, Asuka, you wouldn't know this..."

She waved to an old scabbard circling on the roof of the car, as if to say hello: "Mr. Tomioka's scabbard is very old. Sometimes it leads the wrong way or makes mistakes... It must have mixed up the instructions again and gone in a big circle before finally getting back to the station."

Shinobu Kocho had already experienced Giyu Tomioka's bumbling crow a few times, so she wasn't surprised that he was late.

She looked at Giyuu, who did not deny it, but simply looked away slightly, which was considered an admission of Shinobu's speculation.

Asuka thought of her capable scythe, then glanced at the old scythe that had perched on Yoshiyuki Tomioka's shoulder, looking rather dejected and with its feathers much duller. Her dissatisfaction dissipated, and she sighed helplessly.

"Never mind, it's good that they've arrived." Asuka waved her hand, not wanting to dwell on the topic: "Our investigation in the countryside has made progress, although the process has been a bit strange..."

Together with Shinobu Kocho, he quickly recounted the events that had occurred at his relatives' house in the Fujino countryside:

"...Unfortunately, that monk is dead. We didn't have time to get more information out of him. Kanao is currently conducting an autopsy on him." Shinobu Kocho said seriously, "By the way, he mentioned a name—Doma. Have you found out anything about it?"

Asuka added, "The ice Buddha made by that Blood Demon Art can move on its own. We don't know how many of these remotely controlled puppets that demon can make. Judging from the concentration of demonic energy in them, it is very likely an Upper Moon demon."

Yoshiyuki Tomioka nodded silently, listened attentively to their report, and then said in a deep voice:

"I don't have much useful information here, but I can confirm that the headquarters of that sect is in Mount Miaogao."

"Then let's set off."

With a clear objective, no further words are needed.

Without further delay, the three set off immediately, leaving the deserted station under the cover of night and heading deep into the Xinyue Mountains.

The night was deep, and the mountain road was rugged.

Far from human habitation, the air in the mountains and forests becomes primitive and chilly.

In late autumn, the mountains and forests should be ablaze with color, a tapestry of reds and yellows. However, on the way to Mount Myoko, as the altitude increases, the air temperature begins to drop sharply.

While it may still be chilly at the foot of the mountain, snowflakes have already begun to fall on Mount Myoko, covering the trees with a thin layer of the first snow.

Moonlight spilled onto the pristine snow-covered slopes, reflecting a cool, clear glow. Under the deep blue night sky, the entire mountain appeared exceptionally solitary and desolate, which explains its nickname, Echigo Fuji.

"Asuka, have you heard the story of 'Mikoshi Nyudo'?" On the way, Shinobu Kocho suddenly remembered a folk legend:

"It is said that there is a kind of monster on Mount Myoko that will quietly appear above the mountain path when travelers are climbing it, and look down at them."

"When pedestrians look up at it out of fear or curiosity, it will grow taller and taller, becoming larger and more terrifying, until it scares the traveler out of their wits and causes them to fall into the abyss..."

"Legends are often another way of saying reality, and they may not be entirely unfounded."

“Perhaps these legends were originally the actions of evil spirits, but they have been distorted over the long years and have become strange tales,” she said seriously.

Asuka nodded in agreement, but also said frankly, "If it were me, I would draw my sword the moment I saw that monster."

"...Birds, that's not how the supernatural tales go."

After walking for an unknown amount of time, the group circled a huge, exposed rock face covered in ice and snow, and finally came to see a flat clearing in the forest.

It was a shrine.

Contrary to what Asuka had imagined—an ancient or dilapidated shrine deep in the mountains—the building before her exuded a deliberately constructed, almost eerie, sanctity and luxury.

The vermilion torii gate was so vibrant it looked as if it had just been painted, and it stood out dazzlingly in the moonlight over the snow.

The bright red pillars are intricately carved with layers of golden lotus patterns, winding from the base to the top.

Behind the torii gate, the lights on both sides of the approach path cast a cold blue glow on the thin snow covering them.

Feiniao walked ahead and entered the courtyard of the building first. From a distance, she could see the large characters on the plaque of the main hall.

"What does it say?" Asuka asked in a low voice.

Yoshiyuki Tomioka replied expressionlessly, "The Eternal Bliss Cult."

Is this the main camp of the Eternal Bliss Cult?

Asuka drew her weapon and prepared for battle ahead of schedule.

The response he received was a deliberately affected and unpleasant male voice:

"Oh dear, oh dear, why are you already resorting to violence before we've even exchanged a single word?"

The sliding door was opened by two human figures, and a man stepped out.

The person who emerged held a pair of golden iron fans and looked down at his brother with eyes like seven-colored glass.

Upper Moon · Second Moon