Anime/Manga: Bankai Starting with Demon Slayer

From the shadows of the trees in the distance, Arashizaki Teshin was watching this scene, and he was also somewhat shaken.

The method of infusing the breath of wind around the body, adding cutting wounds like fist wind and sword energy to physical attacks, is only accessible to users who are proficient in the breath of wind.

Arashizaki Tesshin wasn't hiding anything from Asuka; it's just that Asuka is still honing his Wind Breathing swordsmanship, and he hasn't yet taught him the concepts. He hadn't expected this...

Was it simply because he saw Shinazugawa Saneya attack him with a scabbard imbued with the Breath of the Wind technique during battle that he immediately grasped this method of use...?

"You brat!" Shinazugawa Saneya's chin stung, but a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

He didn't draw his sword; he simply met the attack with his fists and feet, which were imbued with the Breath of Wind!

boom! boom! boom!

Shinazugawa's body performed an exaggerated spin in the air, not only dodging Asuka's full-force downward slash, but also beginning to entangle with him!

The dull thuds of flesh colliding echoed in the arena. At first, Shinazugawa Saneya intentionally held back, only wanting to test Asuka's strength. But Asuka was like a desperate street fighter, every move ruthless and cunning, aimed directly at Shinazugawa Saneya's vital points!

This forced Shinazugawa Saneya to exert even more effort, and the situation began to develop in a way that was unfavorable to Asuka.

Finally, under a tricky slash, Shinazugawa reluctantly swung his scabbard again, blocking Asuka's attack, the blade trembling.

"Hey! Kid! Are you serious?"

“…”

Seeing that Asuka wasn't responding, Shinazugawa grew impatient and decided to end the farce.

Clang—!

In the blink of an eye, he drew his Nichirin Blade, which had green serrated blade markings, and the four characters on the blade, "Demon Slayer," began to flash with an ominous light.

"Let me see what you've learned from that old man! Breathing of the Wind, First Form..."

"Oh no!" Arashizaki Tetsuka was startled and swayed as he tried to stop Shinazugawa from going berserk!

That kid! Still so reckless and hot-tempered! It's like two rotten tempers clashing!

Asuka instantly sensed the change in the white-haired man's aura. It was obvious that he was preparing a terrifying attack!

The spiritual pressure emanating from his body began to tremble wildly, roaring at him to get away!

But for some reason, Asuka did something that surprised Arashizaki Tesshin, who was on his way.

He threw away the wooden sword in his hand and untied the cloth strip that had been tied to his chest. Just as Shinazugawa Saneya's thrusting wind blades were converging, he slashed out the long sword in mid-air with a clang!

"Tooth protrusion!"

A violent, gray-black cyclone, accompanied by a tearing sound, also exploded on the broken sword that the bird had swung!

Clang! Boom!

The gray blade light and the blue wind pressure collided with a deafening roar!

The deafening roar of metal clashing was like a thunderclap from a clear sky! A violent surge of air instantly exploded around the two of them!

Dust, grass clippings, and gravel were violently swirled into the sky, forming a murky cyclone several meters in diameter! Startling countless birds in the forest!

The ground shook violently, and cracks spread out like a spider web. Even the disciples on the front of Ye Mountain felt the commotion!

scoff!scoff!

The sturdy sleeve of Shinazugawa's uniform ripped open! Thin, long streaks of blood appeared on his bronze arm muscles!

Asuka on the other side was in a similar state; the wind blades generated by their collision were raging wildly, constantly tearing apart their outer clothing and skin! However, Asuka was in a more sorry state, with deeper and more numerous wounds on her body.

Boom!

With a loud cracking sound, the whirlwind generated by the clash of their twin swords exploded completely!

Although Shinazugawa Saneya stumbled a few times, he managed to stay in place. Asuka, on the other hand, was thrown backward as if she had been flung away, crashing heavily into a thick tree trunk with a loud bang that shook countless leaves to the ground!

Although he had outmaneuvered the kid, Shinazugawa Saneya didn't feel particularly happy.

He frowned slightly and looked down at the wounds on his body.

Putting aside the fact that he was injured by a kid who was still in training... at least the old man had good judgment and chose a decent successor...

But what happened to the wounds on his body....

This wasn't just the pain of being cut; it felt like a strange, burning pain, as if countless tiny teeth were constantly gnawing at and tearing at the wound...

Along with the burning pain, he felt as if the flow of blood was being invisibly blocked, as if it were being... sucked away?

He raised his arm and noticed that near his wound, there were indeed faint, almost invisible, grayish-black energy fluctuations, unlike the vortex of a breathing technique...

"What the hell is this thing?" Shinazugawa's voice deepened, the previous contempt and playfulness completely disappearing, and his expression becoming somewhat solemn.

"Vampire magic?"

Shinazugawa Saneya didn't understand, but a bad feeling had already formed in his heart. So he gripped the Nichirin Blade in his hand and walked towards Asuka with a puzzled look.

However, at that moment, Arashizaki Teshin leaped over his head and landed slowly in front of him.

"You should have been more careful, Sanemi!"

"...Teacher Tie Xin, wishing you a good day."

Chapter 11 Repaying Kindness

When facing people he respects, Saneya Shinazugawa remains quite rational and articulate.

He came here to visit Arashizaki Tesshin, to have a brief chat with him about recent work matters, and to inquire about his teacher's health. Shinazugawa Saneya's purpose was thus achieved.

Shinazugawa Saneya glanced at Asuka, who was still somewhat unwilling to admit defeat, struggling to stand up and leaning on her broken sword, her brows furrowing slightly.

"Teacher, what's the situation with that kid?"

“…Sanemi, you know about natural breathing, right?”

Natural Breathing? Shinazugawa Saneya raised an eyebrow.

The so-called natural breathing refers to the ability developed by some people with special constitutions without any prior knowledge of breathing techniques. This ability can strengthen the body and even enable them to fight demons.

The origin of the Demon Slayer Corps, the Sun Breathing, the progenitor of the Five Breathing Techniques, originated from the natural ability of a powerful swordsman, so much so that later generations were unable to learn it and it was gradually lost.

For example, the Sound Pillar in the same team, although his Sound Breathing is said to have evolved from it, it seems to be based on specially made explosives. The true essence of his power, the "Spectrum," still comes from his own ninja training method, which is basically unrelated to breathing techniques.

So when Arasaki spoke of the natural breathing technique, Shinazugawa Miya immediately understood what he meant.

"You mean, this kid is...?"

Arashizaki Tesshin nodded. "That's good... Miya, his name is Asuka, he's a very special child, you two should get along well!"

“…” Shinazugawa Saneya did not agree directly, but instead bowed respectfully to Arashizaki Tesshin and continued to steer the conversation back to the Demon Slayer Corps.

He couldn't hear the distant birds clearly; he only felt his head spinning.

This was the first time he had ever fought a true Wind Breathing technique since he began his training, and his internal energy was being churned and turbulent by Shinazugawa Saneya's terrifying sword energy.

"Be careful, Sanemi's sword has a powerful tearing effect; if you don't handle it properly, you'll suffer hidden injuries!"

Miss Pear Blossom reappeared out of nowhere and began bandaging the bird's wound.

"Thank you..." Asuka nodded slightly, expressing her gratitude for the help she had received from this female disciple whose strength was unknown.

As the sun gradually set in the west, Shinazugawa Saneya had said what he needed to say, and it was time for him to leave.

"Have you been to the graves of Miyabi, Kōchika, and Suzune?"

"...Please take care of yourself, Teacher Tiexin."

Shinazugawa Saneya bowed deeply, looking at Asuka, who was already bandaged up and sitting cross-legged with Rika, calming her internal energy.

His lips twitched, and with a flicker, he vanished from the spot.

After the training ground calmed down again, Arashizaki Tesshin slowly walked towards the two people who were sitting cross-legged.

"Asuka, are you alright?"

Arasaki's voice rang out above Asuka's head, and Asuka quickly stood up to reply, "...It's alright, thank you for your help."

"This doesn't count as helping, Asuka... You still need to learn more about how to get along with people from Rika..." Hearing Asuka actually think that stopping Shinazugawa counts as helping him, he felt a bit strange, but could only sigh helplessly.

"Semi isn't your enemy; he's just not very good at expressing himself... You two should get along well!"

"....yes!"

Arashizaki Tesshin glanced at Asuka's bandaged wounds. Although she looked bloody and somewhat frightening, Sanemi had shown some restraint; it was just superficial injury, and there were no hidden dangers of lasting damage...

He cleared his throat and said seriously:

"Bird, the time has come!"

Upon hearing this, Asuka was taken aback, only to hear Arashisaki continue, "In two months, it will be the Demon Slayer Corps' selection ceremony for this year! It will be held at Mount Fujisa!"

“Normally, I would have planned to hone your skills for a while longer, at least until you could hold out under Rinka's supervision for an hour before letting you go for the selection, but…”

He glanced at the mottled sword marks on the training ground behind the mountain and made a decision in his heart:

"The fact that you were able to withstand a serious blow from the Wind Pillar and still stand up... proves that you already possess the abilities to become a Demon Slayer!"

The Demon Slayer Corps... Asuka listened silently to Arasaki-sensei's words, her thoughts drifting back to two years ago.

Back then, Arashizaki Tesshin asked him, who had just escaped death, if he would be willing to become a Demon Slayer. He only agreed out of a desire to protect himself and survive. Is it time to pay the price now?

He raised his head, his expression equally serious, and asked:

"Teacher, what exactly is the Demon Slayer Corps? And what are these Wind Pillars you mentioned?"

Upon hearing this, even Rika, who had maintained a calm expression, was stunned and looked at Arashizaki Teshin in disbelief.

Arashizaki Tesshin awkwardly scratched his head of white hair, and upon thinking about it carefully, it seemed to be true...

For the past two years, I've only been training Asuka. All Asuka knows is that I'm practicing his demon-slaying abilities; he knows nothing else...

"Ahem..." He cleared his throat, ignoring Rika's speechless gaze, and began explaining the basic knowledge that should have been covered much earlier to Asuka...

Ghosts are monsters that appear at any time and in any place and feed primarily on humans.

They possess extremely high physical abilities, and they heal quickly when injured. In some cases, the severed parts even maintain a connection with the body and grow new limbs.

Even worse, some may possess powerful and terrifying superpowers, posing a serious threat to the human living environment.

The Demon Slayer Corps is an organization that specifically deals with demons.

As for the "Wind Pillar," it is the title of one of the most powerful swordsmen in the Demon Slayer Corps.

At this point, Arashizaki Teshin paused, his gaze somewhat complicated.

Although the Demon Slayer Corps has existed since ancient times, for hundreds of years now.

However, during the Taisho era, the government was implementing a "sword abolition order," and organizations like the Demon Slayer Corps, which carried swords to fight demons, were not officially recognized.

Therefore, the Demon Slayer Corps members not only have to fight demons with their flesh and blood bodies, but also have to be careful of the control from human society.

"Humans aren't ghosts; their limbs can't be restored if they're broken, and they'll die if they're seriously injured... It's a profession purely for protection, one that's thankless and exhausting..."

"Do you understand, Asuka? Are you prepared for this?"

Arashizaki Tesshin looked at Asuka's calm expression, unsure of what the child was thinking.

He had already made his plans. If Asuka, given her personality, was unwilling to become a Demon Slayer, he would leave her in Hayama and let her become a trainer who would be even stronger than him in the future.

Pear Blossom, standing to the side, also looked at Asuka, wanting to hear what this disciple, who had been training so diligently, planned to do.

"...Becoming a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, is that how I repay your kindness?"

...What? Arashizaki frowned.

Asuka looked calmly at Arashizaki Tesshin without any hesitation: "I just want to gain enough strength to survive, to be stronger than anyone else, and to no longer be bullied... I'm doing very well in Hayama, and I'm very grateful for your shelter and guidance."

"If this debt of gratitude needs to be repaid by joining the Demon Slayer Corps and slaying demons, I will not refuse."

This kid....

Arashizaki Tesshin clenched his remaining right hand, his gaze deep.

The two stared at each other for a long time, until a gentle breeze broke the silence with a heavy sigh from Arashizaki Teshin.

He walked slowly to Asuka and ruffled her messy, thick hair with his hand.

Arashizaki Tesshin, who always had a stern face, revealed a gentle and worried look for the first time.

"Asuka...you're a very capable and hardworking child..."

"You must pass the final selection and come back alive..."

"We made a promise."