The room was silent. Only the faint chirping of sparrows and the rustle of leaves outside filled the air.
Akira sat cross-legged in the center of his room, eyes closed, his breathing deep and measured. The faint light of dawn filtered through the paper windows, painting soft gold patterns on the floor.
Now that he had finally learned Hinokami Kagura from Tanjiro, it was time. Time to create a Breathing Technique of his own.
He straightened his back slightly, hands resting calmly on his knees. Erika was still away, training with Mitsuri as usual, which gave him the peace he needed to focus.
He took a deep breath and, slow and steady, started mimicking the rhythm he'd memorized from Tanjiro. His breathing pattern followed the same flow of the Sun Breathing imitation: Hinokami Kagura.
With each inhale, he didn't just pull in oxygen. He pulled in the faint natural energy that flowed in the air, the life force surrounding him. He let it mingle with his breath, circulating through his blood, empowering his muscles.
Immediately, he could feel his muscles tightening, his blood pumping faster, his strength surging. His entire being felt alive, overflowing with power.
"…So this is Sun Breathing, huh." He muttered softly.
He wanted to stand and test how powerful his body had become, but a part of him resisted. He could tell that the flow wasn't perfect yet. There was something off, subtle inefficiencies.
Hinokami Kagura, Tanjiro's Sun Breathing imitation, was powerful, yes, but also flawed. The energy flow was uneven, leaking power in several points of energy circulation.
Akira frowned slightly, he knew the real sun breathing should me more powerful than this, so he first decided to fix it.
Slowly. Carefully.
With each inhale and exhale, he modified the flow, redirecting energy, sealing leaks, refining rhythm.
Bit by bit, breath by breath, he adjusted the flow. He could sense every path the energy took through his body, and with each inhale, he redirected it, correcting the distortions Tanjiro's version had.
It was a delicate process. But Akira wasn't new to this; he had years of manipulating magic and energy and had refined his control to near perfection. And it gave him an advantage no ordinary swordsman could have. So he could easily do it.
He gradually stabilized his breathing and allowed his energy to flow like a perfect circuit.
Minutes passed. Then an hour.
Finally, he exhaled slowly, eyes fluttering open. His irises glowed faintly with a purple sheen, and faint heat waves shimmered around him.
"…Yeah," he muttered, a small grin forming. "This must be the true Sun Breathing."
Selena's voice rang telepathically in his mind.
"Good, good. So, are we going for a Chinese cultivation arc now or something?"
Akira groaned. "Oh, come on. How else am I supposed to create my own Breathing Style? I have to do it this way!"
"Fine, fine," Selena replied dryly. "Just don't go too far. I don't want you suddenly turning into a Chinese wuxia Mc, I hate those guys".
"Huh, what's wrong with them?" Akira asked in confusion.
Selena said, "What's wrong with them, what about them is good? They are arrogant, narcissistic, toxic, psychopathic, and utterly convinced he's the centre of the universe".
Akira laughs lightly, "That's harsh. You really can't stand them, huh?".
Selena said in an angry voice, "No, it's not just that I can't stand them, brother, I hate their entire existence. They act like heroes, but if you think about what they do… they're basically villains with good luck".
Akira asked, "How so?"
Selena explained. "Just think about it, brother. They slaughter people over "disrespect." They manipulate, deceive, and destroy entire sects just because someone "blocked their path." And somehow, the story justifies it, because they're the protagonist. But if you switched perspectives, if you told the story from the point of view of the guy they killed, the MC would look like a psychopath with plot armor".
Akira leaned back, "Well, that's what makes them humans, right? A lot of people really do think they don't act like traditional heroes, but that's also why people like reading them, right? And besides, not all of them are like that; some of them are good guys, too, right?"
Selena sighed. "Well, you are not wrong about some of them being good guys, but think about it, most of the time, they become worse than the villains they hate…...wait, why are we even talking about this again?"
Akira thought for a while and said. "I think you said something about me going on a cultivation arc or something, about the sun breathing?"
Selena sighed. "Forget it, I just got a little overwhelmed by that topic. We can talk about it later, now, about your breathing technique, what are you going to do about it?"
Akira's grin widened. "Well, since I've reached true Sun Breathing, the next part is simple: make something even better."
"Yeah, I figured as much," Selena sighed. "What I meant is… how exactly are you planning to do that?"
"With the power of science," Akira said confidently. "…and anime."
There was a moment of silence before Selena replied, deadpan. "…Right. Just don't blow yourself up."
"I won't," Akira said confidently, closing his eyes once more and diving deeper into meditation.
Meanwhile, in another part of the Butterfly Mansion.
Tanjiro had just finished his rehabilitation training and was walking back toward the infirmary. As he reached the hallway, he could already hear a familiar, high-pitched scream echoing through the corridor.
"WHYYY DOES THIS MEDICINE TASTE AWFUL!?" Zenitsu's voice carried through the hallway like a tortured spirit. "WHY DO I HAVE TO TRAIN AND DRINK THIS BITTER STUFF!? I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!"
"Shut up!" Inosuke barked from the next bed. "Your voice is more annoying than the taste!"
Tanjiro slid open the door with a patient smile. "Zenitsu, Inosuke, please calm down."
Zenitsu, noticing Tanjiro's unusually cheerful face, blinked. "Huh? What's going on? You look way too happy for someone who got crushed in training… Don't tell me, you won!?"
Tanjiro chuckled sheepishly. "No, no. It's not that. I talked with Akira-san today."
Zenitsu froze mid-whine. "Wait… that creepy, ridiculously handsome guy with no heartbeat!?"
Inosuke snorted. "You mean the bear guy!?"
"Yes," Tanjiro said, nodding with a small smile. "And he said he'd help me turn Nezuko back into a human."
For a few seconds, the room went completely silent.
Then Zenitsu screamed so loud the birds outside flew away. "EHHHHHHHH!?!?"
He leapt off the bed, grabbed Tanjiro by the shoulders, and started shaking him like a rag doll. "HE SAID WHAT!? YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT INSANELY HANDSOME, GENIUS SUPER-DOCTOR MAGICIAN IS HELPING NEZUKO-CHAN!?"
Tanjiro blinked rapidly. "U-um… yes?"
"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THAT MEANS!?" Zenitsu wailed dramatically. "I CAN'T COMPETE WITH THAT! HE'S STRONG! HE'S SMART! HE'S HANDSOME! HE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A HEARTBEAT, BUT STILL SOMEHOW MAKES IT COOL! AND NEZUKO-CHAN'S GOING TO THINK HE'S AMAZING! THIS IS UNFAIR!"
Inosuke crossed his arms, frowning. "Who cares about that? The bear guy's strong! We should fight him!"
"YOU'LL DIE!" Zenitsu screamed.
Tanjiro sighed patiently. "Zenitsu, please calm down. He's not a bad person."
Zenitsu continued, still shaking him. "And anyway, can we even trust him? He doesn't even have a heartbeat! Who knows what he's thinking!?"
Tanjiro shook his head. "I don't know much about him… but he doesn't smell like someone who lies. His scent is calm and steady, like clear air. So no, I don't think he's a bad..."
He paused suddenly, his nostrils twitching. "…Wait. What's that smell?"
Zenitsu blinked. "Huh? What smell?"
"Something's… burning," Tanjiro muttered, eyes narrowing.
"WHAT!?" Inosuke roared, eyes sparkling with excitement. "FIRE!? FINALLY, A BATTLE!"
Zenitsu slapped him upside the head. "We're inside a hospital, you moron! It's probably not a fight!"
But Tanjiro didn't answer. He sniffed again. "…No, it's not wood or paper. It smells like… meat? Slow-cooked meat?"
Zenitsu's expression twisted in confusion. "Why would there be meat burning in a hospital? Is it lunch time already? Are they really going to give us meat..."
Meanwhile, back in Akira's room.
His eyes remained closed, his focus deep, but his breathing had changed. The air around him shimmered faintly, heat rising off his skin. The floor beneath him creaked softly as the temperature built up.
Inside his body, energy was swirling at terrifying speed, and his blood surging like magma, heart pounding without pause.
"Oi! Stupid brother! STOP!" Selena's voice cut through his thoughts like a whip.
Akira ignored her, too immersed in his rhythm to respond. His body felt like it was burning alive, but he refused to stop.
"IDIOT!" Selena yelled again. "You're going to boil your brain!"
Akira replied calmly telepathically through their link. "Relax, I'll be fine. I have a healing factor."
"Healing factor doesn't make you INVINCIBLE! Look at yourself, what are you going to tell Erika-chan when she sees you like this!?" Selena said, almost screaming.
"Like what?" Akira asked absently.
"Open your eyes and look down!" Selena replied.
He did.
And immediately froze.
His body was glowing red, his skin flushed, veins pulsing with light. Steam rose from his shoulders, and the air around him warped slightly from the heat.
"Oh," he said flatly. "I look like Rock Lee or Might Guy when they open the Eight Gates."
"…That's what you notice FIRST!?" Selena's voice practically exploded in his head. "You look like a roasted tomato and smell like burning meat! Erika-chan is going to MURDER you if she sees this!"
Akira blinked. "Yeah, that's… probably true." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "So what do I do? Wait it out?"
"NO! Find water! Cool down your body before you actually catch fire! There's a river nearby, right? So move before you turn into a barbecue!" Selena said
"I don't think that's a good idea..."
"GO!" Selena shouted.
"Alright, alright!" Akira stood, opened the window, and leapt out in one smooth motion, landing lightly on the grass below. His footsteps blurred as he sprinted through the trees, leaving faint scorch marks in the dirt.
But after a few moments of running, he realized something. "Uh… Sister, where's the river again?"
"How would I know!?
"You're the one who told me to go there!"
"Why didn't you ask for directions first!?"
"You're the one who told me to hurry up and go to the river! Before anything else"
"Well, excuse me for trying to save your life! Just find water before you cook yourself!"
"Fine, fine," Akira muttered, scanning the area. "If only I had X-ray vision…"
He stopped suddenly, ears twitching slightly. "Wait, I think, I hear something. Flowing water."
Selena perked up. "Where?"
"Over there!" Akira darted toward the sound, and after a few moments, he broke through a thicket and saw it, a beautiful waterfall cascading down into a clear pool. Mist hung in the air, glittering in the sunlight.
"There it is!" he exclaimed and dove straight into the water.
The moment his skin touched it, steam erupted violently, filling the area with a hiss.
"Ahhh…" Akira sighed in relief, sinking into the water. "Much better."
Selena's tone softened. "Finally. But, uh… where even are we?"
"No idea."
"…Figures."
Akira tilted his head, looking up at the waterfall. "Wait, a waterfall… This is perfect."
Selena hesitated. "Perfect for what?"
"For training! In anime, characters always train under waterfalls. I can do the same, control my breathing, regulate body heat, and look cool doing it!"
"…You're impossible."
"No, no, hear me out! The cold water stabilizes the heat generated from Sun Breathing. It's the perfect balance."
"You know what? Not the worst idea you've had."
"Exactly! I'll start right now."
"Wait, it's already getting dark. Shouldn't you go back before Erika-chan sees your room and panics?" Selena warned.
"Just a few minutes," Akira said. "Just a few."
"Fine. But when she gets mad, don't say I didn't warn you."
Back at the Butterfly Mansion, as the sun set behind the mountains, Erika quietly opened the door to their room.
The lights were off. The room was empty.
And it reeked of something burned.
Erika blinked, her expression unreadable. "…Why does it smell like roasted meat?"