Demon Slayer: My breathing technique went awry after Nezuko pushed me down.

"Tanjiro, you're being too narrow-minded."

Shirakawa Yu shook her finger. "We're a team now, so we need to help each other. My power needs Nezuko to activate it, and the power Nezuko helps me activate can protect her. It's a win-win situation! It's a match made in heaven!"

"Who said you're a match made in heaven! You're not allowed to use that kind of word to describe my sister!"

Tanjiro was so angry his hair almost stood on end. He stood up abruptly, stood in front of Nezuko, and spread his arms like a mother hen protecting her chicks.

"I'll say it again! Stay away from my sister!"

"No." Shirakawa Yu also stood up, his height advantage allowing him to look down at Tanjiro.

"I'm doing this to maximize the team's combat power. Master, you agree, right? As a trainer, improving your disciples' strength should be your priority, shouldn't it?"

He passed the ball to Urokodaki.

Urokodaki was still sitting on the ground, listening to the two arguing, feeling his head buzzing.

He glanced at Shirakawa Yu, who had a "I'm thinking of the team" look on his face, then at Tanjiro, who was practically fuming with anger, and then at the "little femme fatale" on the bed who had caused all the trouble...

"Shut up, all of you!" Urokodaki finally lost his temper and roared.

The two fell silent instantly and looked at him.

Urokodaki, supporting himself on his knees, slowly stood up, dusted himself off, and walked to the center of the room, saying to Tanjiro, "Tanjiro, you have passed the initial test. Starting tomorrow, you will begin my training."

Tanjiro jolted awake and immediately bowed: "Yes! Thank you, Urokodaki-san!"

Urokodaki then turned to Shirakawa Yu, his mask facing him, and remained silent for several seconds.

The silence contained so many complex emotions, which finally culminated in a single sentence, tinged with deep weariness: "Your...your training, I will arrange something else."

"Yes, Master!"

Shirakawa Yu readily agreed, then tentatively asked, "Then... about Nezuko and I's 'cooperation training'...?"

“There’s no such training!” Urokodaki and Tanjiro said in unison.

Tanjiro added, "Don't even think about it!"

Shirakawa Yu pouted, feeling like she was being ostracized.

But it doesn't matter, since everyone sleeps in the same room at night anyway.

I have plenty of time to use the normal breathing method.

Chapter 13 The insidious Shirakawa Yu, a terrifying trap.

The next day, Tanjiro was sent down the mountain for training early in the morning.

Urokodaki then called Shirakawa Hajime aside to the open space from yesterday.

The two stood facing each other for a long time before Urokodaki, perhaps having mentally prepared himself, slowly spoke.

"Shirakawa Yu, your breathing technique... besides being enhanced when you're around women, what other limitations or characteristics does it have?"

Bai Chuanyu knew he couldn't hide it from everyone, and he was too lazy to hide it all; he needed his master's help to analyze some of the information.

He thought for a moment and said, "It seems that the closer you are, the better the effect. And I think that the more women around you, the stronger the enhancement will be? But so far I've only met Nezuko, so I'm not sure yet."

Even though he was mentally prepared, Urokodaki's shoulders still seemed to slump a little.

He paused for a moment, then asked, "What about the moves? Besides 'First Form,' do you have any other ideas?"

"Not yet," Shirakawa Yu said honestly. "I only suddenly learned how to use the First Form. Maybe... I need more 'inspiration'?" He deliberately emphasized the word "inspiration".

Urokodaki, of course, understood the subtext of "inspiration".

He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, as if trying to calm himself down.

“Listen,” Urokodaki turned around, his tengu mask looking particularly solemn in the morning light.

"I don't care how... how special your breathing technique is."

"Since we want you to become a Demon Slayer, you must abide by the Demon Slayer Corps' discipline and shoulder the responsibility of slaying evil spirits and protecting the innocent."

"Strength is a good thing, but character is more important. If you dare to use that power to do anything immoral, harm others, especially exploit women..."

His voice suddenly turned cold, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze for a moment.

"...I will deal with you myself."

"Do you understand?"

Bai Chuanyu's playful smile faded, and he nodded seriously. "Understood, Master. Although I crave strength, I also know what I should and shouldn't do."

He paused, then added, "Although my breathing technique... well, the triggering conditions are a bit special, it's essentially for combat. I'll use it to kill demons properly."

Urokodaki stared at him for a few seconds, seemingly trying to discern something deeper from his handsome face.

Finally, he nodded.

"Remember what you said." He walked towards the small warehouse next to the training ground. "Get ready to begin today's training."

Shirakawa Yu paused for a moment, then called out to Urokodaki's retreating figure.

"Master, I have learned the breathing technique. Should I go to the final trial this year?"

Urokodaki paused, frozen for two seconds, before replying coldly with anger.

"You're not allowed to go!"

Shirakawa Yu: "Why?" [?_??]

"Why?!" Urokodaki's back exuded a chilling aura as he gritted his teeth and replied.

"Because I'm not ready for utter disgrace!!!"

Bai Chuanyu: "..."

Fine... if you don't want to go, then you don't want to go...

I don't really care to go this early...

"Master, what are we practicing today?"

"Wait."

A moment later, Linlong came out carrying three gourds of different sizes.

As a long-time Demon Slayer fan, Shirakawa Yu immediately knew the direction of today's or future training.

"Starting today, practice breathing techniques, and keep it up!"

"But Master, I automatically enter normal state as long as I'm near Nezuko, I don't need to—"

"Shut up!" Urokodaki's voice carried a hint of anger.

"I know your breathing technique is unusual, but can you guarantee that there will always be women around you? Will you stop training if no one is with you?"

"It's the same in battle. What if you're all alone? Even if there are other women around you, what if your weakness is discovered, and the demon bypasses you and kills her?"

"Killing ghosts is no child's play! Ghosts aren't stupid either! You can't entrust your life entirely to someone else!"

The ease on Shirakawa Yu's face gradually faded.

He is indeed a bit lazy and a bit cynical.

But that doesn't mean he won't listen to what you say.

His master's words made sense, so he was naturally willing to listen.

"I understand, Master."

Seeing that Shirakawa Yu's expression had lost its previous playful tone, Urokodaki breathed a sigh of relief.

Martial artists have many concerns!

This kid will clearly never be able to resist lust again.

If you can't even avoid arrogance and impatience.

That would really render it useless!

After carefully teaching the essentials of the Total Concentration Breathing Technique, Urokodaki went up the mountain to check on Tanjiro.

Shirakawa Yu's situation is easier; he can just practice on his own with a few gourds.

Tanjiro is a real problem; we have to keep updating the traps for him.

Before leaving, clinging to his last glimmer of hope, he left behind these words.

"Practice hard, and strive to reach a point where you can unleash your full potential without a woman!"

Shirakawa Yu was left speechless, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Ultimately, Urokodaki still wanted to preserve his last shred of dignity as a breeder and the former Water Pillar.

He just misunderstood one thing.

What Shirakawa Yu displayed in the open space was actually his full strength.

Nezuko's presence enhanced his physical abilities and the power of his techniques.

It's not that his strength would decline without Nezuko.

However, Shirakawa Yu did not explain this point.

Yesterday, by chance, I developed a new breathing technique and moves, and today I've figured out all the intricacies of it.

It sounds a little unrealistic.

Wait until I'm more familiar with the Breath of Color before slowly informing my master.

There is no sun or moon in the mountains...

A year of training passed in the blink of an eye.

Throughout the year, Tanjiro was never idle. For the first half of the year, he repeated the same training down the mountain every day. In the second half of the year, he added the learning of breathing techniques and kata, and the training down the mountain was moved to areas with thinner air in the mountains.

Of course, Shirakawa Yu wasn't idle either.

You could even say they're both equally busy.

He first spent three months barely managing to master the breathing techniques for daily life, and then...

However, it's in a state of barely breaking down when subjected to strenuous exercise.