Demon Slayer: Muzan, will you dance too?

Kiyokawa Izumi stood silently before the boulder, her pupils as black as obsidian. Perhaps she was concerned about the side effects of overusing the Sharingan, or perhaps she felt there was no need to use it.

His breathing was very steady at this moment. His right hand rested on the hilt of the knife at his waist and he slowly drew it out. The gentle movement was like brushing dust off his sleeve.

The bluish blade slowly emerged from its sheath, silently and without any sign of muscle tension or rising aura.

Kiyokawa Izumi calmly delivered the slash.

The sharp blade sliced ​​through the air, so light it seemed not to exist. When it touched the stone surface, there was no loud noise from the collision of hard objects, nor were there any flying stone chips.

A faint, crisp, and clear sound rang out.

A boulder that required several people to encircle was instantly sliced ​​in two.

The smooth cut clearly reflects the figure of Kiyokawa Izumi.

His expression remained calm as he calmly sheathed his sword, silently putting it back into its sheath.

"It seems we'll have to trouble Mr. Urokodaki to find another boulder."

Tanjiro was truly shocked by this calm and composed demeanor.

It's incredible that a blade less than an arm's width could actually cut through a boulder.

How exactly did they do that?

"It's difficult to explain exactly how it was done."

Kiyokawa Izumi noticed Tanjiro's expression not far away and didn't mind sharing his thoughts, since Tanjiro was the main character and they would have to rely on him to defeat Muzan in the future.

"Just now, it was less like I was wielding a sword and more like I was imitating Mr. Urokodaki."

"Water nourishes all things without being visible, yet it can penetrate stone and rock over time. The key to water's breath lies not in extreme bursts or extreme speeds."

As Kiyokawa Izumi explained his understanding, he observed the protagonist's expression—he looked completely bewildered, as if he hadn't understood at all.

Okay, that does sound a bit far-fetched.

"All this talk might be hard to understand, so let's just fight!"

With Kiyokawa Izumi's current swordsmanship level, she could easily give Tanjiro some pointers, even though he hasn't participated in the Final Selection yet.

His breathing technique is indeed lacking, but his swordsmanship is among the best of the ordinary team members.

He didn't give Tanjiro any chance to refuse; he was determined to do Tanjiro this favor.

As a time traveler, how could he not know about the Breath of the Sun?

How could I not be interested in Hinokami Kagura?

Having a truncated version of the Sharingan, he also wanted to try to learn the Breathing of the Sun.

Water breathing really doesn't suit him!

Kiyokawa Izumi, harboring some ulterior motives, suddenly had her pupils turn blood red.

It's not that I lack confidence, but I feel that I can't beat Tanjiro without the Sharingan.

If you're going to do favors, then do it thoroughly.

Needless to say, the Sharingan's ability to perceive things is remarkable. Using these eyes, one can more subtly point out Tanjiro's unnecessary movements.

Of course, this can also be considered as repaying half a favor to Urokodaki Sakon.

He gave me guidance, but there was nothing I could do to help him except help his disciples become stronger.

Tanjiro was given little time to prepare, and the distance between them closed in an instant.

Kiyokawa Izumi did not draw his Nichirin Blade, clearly fearing he might mishandle it and actually hurt the person—he didn't think he had the same precise control as the Pillar.

"Why are you hesitating? Are you unsure whether to draw your sword?"

The scabbard struck Tanjiro's hand precisely, Kiyokawa Izumi doing her best to correct the blow.

"There are too many unnecessary movements here and here. We'll be at a disadvantage when facing experienced opponents or demons."

Tanjiro, wincing in pain in his arms and shoulders, showed a slight change in expression. However, he was also very resilient, and his efforts were no less than anyone else's.

While quickly adjusting, he didn't forget to loudly thank Kiyokawa Izumi.

Perhaps this is what they mean by "I hit you, and you still have to thank me."

"The techniques are too rigid and not flexible enough. A skilled Water Breathing Swordsman can create his own unique techniques based on the existing ones."

Time passed by second by second, and before we knew it, the sun was about to set.

Kiyokawa Izumi realized that this person's stamina might even surpass his own.

With Sakon Urokodaki as his teacher for the first time, the foundation he laid was indeed quite solid.

Kiyokawa Izumi, who was not quite able to keep up physically, said casually while breathing heavily.

Let's call it a day!

He only activated his Sharingan initially, and staring at it for an entire afternoon until his eyes turned red was too much for him to handle.

Therefore, the longer the battle dragged on, the more difficult it became – after all, it wasn't a life-or-death battle, but rather a sparring match.

His strength is not far superior to this person's, and his physical condition is not as good. He has already made a great effort to play for an afternoon.

"Mr. Izumi, please have some water!"

Kiyokawa Izumi felt slightly uncomfortable in the face of Tanjiro's enthusiasm.

"Mr. Izumi, you must have seen many demons, right? Do you know how to turn a demon back into a human?"

Upon receiving the water bottle, Kiyokawa Izumi's lips twitched slightly as he heard these expectant yet somewhat apprehensive words, unsure of how to respond.

He could definitely smell the lies in her words when she said she didn't know.

He claims to know? How could a mere swordsman like him possibly know?

"To my knowledge, there have been no known examples of demons turning back into humans."