Chapter 20: A Walk |
After that battle, the situation reached another stalemate.
The demons were unable to wipe out the Slayers without the direct assistance of their progenitor, but Muzan did not dare act personally, even with his overwhelming power, if there was even a hint of a threat.
Pure swordsmanship could very well pose such a threat, and combined with his lack of information, Muzan hesitated to move himself.
If his worst fears were confirmed and another Yoriichi Tsugikuni appeared in the world, he would simply go into hiding for a hundred years until the man died.
The situation calmed down slightly, and the mortality rate among the Slayers decreased, but they still bore a significant burden due to the active movements of the demons.
The Hashira, in particular, had very little free time.
After all, besides missions, they spent their time honing their swordsmanship.
In the courtyard of the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters.
Shinobu Kocho, dressed in a training kimono, stared ahead with intense focus, gripping the hilt of her Nichirin Sword with both hands. Soon, she slowly raised the blade above her head and swung it down sharply.
As she struck, a faint glow condensed on the sharp edge of the blade, taking the form of a cutting wave. However, this weak attack flew barely a few meters before dissolving, leaving only a shallow gash on a wooden post.
'It failed again...' Shinobu sighed.
She was simply too weak.
About a year ago, she had mastered Total Concentration Breathing: Constant and had maintained it ever since, steadily approaching the level of the Hashira.
In essence, she was already equal to them in agility and speed.
But her physique...
Standing at four feet eleven inches and weighing barely eighty-two pounds, she looked like a doll, and her strength was similarly delicate. She simply lacked the power to take a demon's head!
Furthermore, her progress in pure swordsmanship was mediocre at best, even after training under Makomo.
Someone like Kanae could not only slice a target from at least ten meters away but had also created a powerful technique by merging pure swordsmanship with her Breathing Technique. They almost always trained together, yet Shinobu couldn't achieve anything close to that.
'How can I help my sister if I'm always lagging behind!' Shinobu gritted her teeth, swinging her Nichirin Sword over and over, but in her current state, she couldn't accomplish anything at all.
Just then, Kanae appeared in the courtyard.
"That's enough for now, take a break..." She walked over gracefully and, with a gentle smile, wiped the sweat from Shinobu’s panting forehead with a white handkerchief.
"But my progress..." Shinobu paused, her voice trailing off.
"Stop tormenting yourself; you're doing wonderful. Let's go for a walk instead. Today is a remarkably quiet day," Kanae interrupted her sister with a soothing smile. "Training shouldn't be rushed, you know."
She clearly saw her sister's burning desire to improve, but she also understood the importance of a solid foundation for progress. Perhaps pure swordsmanship wasn't entirely suitable for Shinobu.
But brute strength wasn't everything.
Right now, she needed to relax and distract herself. Who knew? Perhaps with a clear head, she might stumble upon a more suitable path.
"Alright..." Shinobu looked at her sister's gentle smile and sighed helplessly, finally lowering her blade.
Afterward, she went home to wash, eat, and change before returning to the courtyard with Kanae.
Walking side by side, they headed into the city.
Along the way, they passed many poor folk in tattered clothes; only a few passersby wore decent clothes without patches, which was considered a sign of a good life.
With a kind smile capable of melting even the coldest heart, Kanae led her younger sister through the city streets. From time to time, they stopped at roadside stalls to look, and occasionally Kanae would try various trinkets on Shinobu.
Shinobu had absolutely no interest in jewelry or other baubles, but she endured it all solely for the sake of her older sister's preferences.
"Wow, how cute!" Kanae beamed, placing a butterfly-shaped lace hairpiece on her younger sister.
Shinobu turned her gaze away in embarrassment. At that exact moment, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a man on a wooden bridge leading a child by a rope.
"Sister..." she called out, stunned.
Following her younger sister's gaze, Kanae was taken aback for a moment before setting aside the trinkets and stepping decisively toward them.
"Um, excuse me, could I have a moment of your time?" she asked politely, catching up with the man and the child.
"Hmm?" He looked back.
"I'd like to ask why you're treating this girl this way. Is she a criminal or something?" Kanae inquired.
"Isn't it obvious? Because she's filthy, and she might try to run off!" the man replied with a shrug.
From what they heard, Kanae and Shinobu immediately understood that this man was not the girl's father, but either a buyer or a human trafficker.
These were such dark times that even adults often found it difficult to feed themselves, making the sale of one's own children a frequent occurrence.
"Hello!" Kanae greeted softly, leaning closer to the girl and introducing herself with a tender smile. "My name is Kanae Kocho. What's yours?"
The girl remained silent, staring at her with eyes as hollow as a living corpse.
"Hmph, her parents didn't give her a name, and that's enough... keep away from her!" the man answered coldly, attempting to push the stranger away from the girl.
Clap!
"Don't touch my sister!" Shinobu stepped forward, catching the man's arm with a frown.
Her body might have lacked strength compared to demons or the Hashira, but compared to ordinary people, they weren't even in the same league.
"Hey, hey, what are you doing?! I bought this girl fair and square... pay up if you like her so much!" The man was taken aback at first, then recovered and grumbled irritably.
"Fine." Shinobu glanced sideways at her worried sister standing beside the girl. Understanding her thoughts perfectly, she reached into her pocket. "This should be more than enough!"
Clink! Clink! Clink!
With those words, she disdainfully showered him with a pile of money and, snatching the rope from the man, pulled the girl and Kanae away.
"Hey, wait!" the man exclaimed, coming to his senses too late.
"Hurry up, it's so windy out here, she might catch a cold!" Shinobu grinned mischievously as she looked back while running.
"Mm, is this really okay?" Kanae looked back bashfully, unable to stop herself from apologizing even then. "I'm sorry!"
The man was certainly annoyed, but money was money, especially since passersby had already begun to scramble for the scattered riches. He was left with no choice but to gather them as quickly as possible, allowing Kanae and Shinobu to escape safely with the girl. flocking toward the scattered riches. He was left with no choice but to gather them as quickly as possible, allowing Kanae and Shinobu to escape safely with the girl.