A former Water Hashira, plus an ordinary person, are actually raising a demon in their house?
Suzuki Makoto pondered, closed the inner room's door, exited the house, and sat by the entrance, beginning to wait calmly for the homeowner's return.
He wasn't some bloodthirsty brute. Since a former Water Hashira could tolerate such a demon staying in the house, it meant there must be some hidden story. Plus, that demon had indeed never eaten a human, so Suzuki Makoto didn't mind waiting outside to hear their explanation before making a decision.
Soon, the presences of two people rapidly approached. Suzuki Makoto opened his eyes and saw an old man wearing a mask and a boy who looked like he hadn't had a haircut in a long time.
Both of them were a bit nervous upon seeing Suzuki Makoto, especially after noticing his Demon Slayer Corps uniform. The young boy, in particular, immediately rushed towards the house.
"Nezuko! Are you okay, Nezuko?!"
"So the demon sleeping inside is named Nezuko? May I ask who you are to her?"
"I'm her older brother! Nezuko is a demon, but she's never eaten anyone! You didn't hurt her, did you—please, she has truly never harmed anyone! I can guarantee it!"
The boy looked like he was about to cry.
"Of course not. I was just waiting for Master Sakonji Urokodaki."
Suzuki Makoto moved away from the door. The boy didn't have time to think and immediately rushed inside. Seeing Nezuko still sound asleep, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
The old man also breathed a sigh of relief and then walked over.
"I am Sakonji Urokodaki. Thank you for sparing that child."
"She is, after all, a demon who has never eaten a human. Had I smelled even a hint of blood, I might not have waited so calmly for your return."
Suzuki Makoto took out a letter from his robe, written for him by Ubuyashiki.
"I am Suzuki Makoto. I have come to learn some techniques of Water Breathing from Master Urokodaki. This is a letter of introduction."
The old man solemnly took the letter, read it, and then handed it back to Suzuki Makoto.
"So you are the newly promoted Hashira. Forgive my rudeness. I am willing to entrust all my knowledge of Water Breathing to you."
"Then I'll be in your care."
Sakonji Urokodaki invited Suzuki Makoto into the house. The boy had already closed the door to the inner room and bowed to Suzuki Makoto.
"I'm Tanjiro Kamado. Thank you for not hurting Nezuko."
"I am Suzuki Makoto. Don't mention it. The credit belongs to you and your sister."
Just then, Sakonji Urokodaki brought over a large pot.
"Mr. Suzuki, have you had dinner? If you don't mind, please join us. Today is the day Tanjiro completed his training, so I bought a lot of extra food."
"Then thank you very much. I have some wild game on my horse. If you don't mind, you can have some."
A fire was lit, and the three of them sat around it, starting to eat hot pot. The boy named Tanjiro Kamado was clearly very curious about Suzuki Makoto, as he was the first Demon Slayer Corps member he had seen besides Giyu Tomioka and Sakonji Urokodaki.
"Mr. Suzuki, are you also a Hashira?"
"Yes. Although I haven't chosen a title yet, I have indeed fulfilled the prerequisites to become a Hashira."
"What do you need to do to become a Hashira?"
"You need to kill fifty demons, or one of the Twelve Kizuki—a type of demon whose neck even ten of you couldn't sever."
The old man lectured Tanjiro in a serious tone.
"No wonder. I was wondering why I smelled the scent of a thread on you just now, but in the next moment, all the threads on you disappeared."
Tanjiro said with a sudden realization, while Suzuki Makoto looked at him with some surprise.
"Kamado, are you saying you can also see some kind of 'thread' on the body?"
"No, no, I don't see it, I smell it. It seems that thread is the opening in the opponent's defense. As long as I swing my sword towards the thread, I can defeat them."
Even Sakonji Urokodaki looked at his student with surprise. He had practiced Water Breathing for so many years, how had he never had such a perception?
Could it be because of the boy's extraordinary sense of smell?
"Smelled it... How interesting. So it can be perceived that way too?"
"Mr. Suzuki, you said 'also' see it, so does that mean you can actually see it too?"
"Yes, but I can probably see a bit more than you. Not just defense, but offense as well. From techniques to the physical body, I can see it all."
This was the first time Suzuki Makoto had met someone with the same kind of talent as himself.
"Tanjiro Kamado, this talent of yours is your most precious asset. Never stop training it. As long as you keep practicing, you will see more and more threads in the future, and eventually, you will see more than just [threads]!"
This was the reason he could learn any technique and Breathing Style after seeing it just once. What he could see now was no longer a simple prompt like a thread; all of his opponent's movements were completely transparent to him.
Therefore, even though he was far inferior to his master, Ida Kojuro, in terms of strength and speed, he was allowed to face the Sukuna-oni for his graduation battle precisely because he possessed such a talent.
In his master's words, the Sukuna-oni's regeneration was its only strong point, plus it had two faces, front and back, that could spit things. It was basically the weakest Demon King of its size he had ever seen, so letting Suzuki Makoto take care of it would be good enough.
And that was the truth. When Suzuki Makoto faced the Sukuna-oni, he saw so many openings all over its body that he almost suffered from decision paralysis. Unfortunately, he still couldn't find the one thread that would kill it for good, so he could only seal it temporarily.
"Yes, Mr. Suzuki! I won't forget your teachings!"
Tanjiro Kamado responded loudly.
"Mr. Suzuki, so this talent isn't due to Tanjiro's unusually keen sense of smell?"
"Sense of smell? Hmm, it's probably related. My master once speculated that this kind of ability might originate from an ultimate sensory perception, which is why Tanjiro said he [smelled the scent of a thread]."
Suzuki Makoto answered Sakonji Urokodaki's question, but he also grew curious himself.
"Tanjiro, if your sense of smell is so wondrous, what scent do you get from me?"
"Eh... well, it's a bit hard to describe."
Tanjiro sniffed hard, an involuntary, comfortable smile appearing on his face.
"Hmm, how should I put it... it's like lying on a quilt that has just been warmed by the sun. Even though the sun isn't shining on you, you can still feel its warmth and presence."
Suzuki Makoto nodded with a subtle expression. That "scent" did indeed sound a bit complex.
But, it was probably a good description, right?
_____
🔥 New content is here! 🔥
🪦 Big offer: 25% off on my P... (Walnutchan)!
✅ Jump 40 chapters ahead of the public release!
✅ Get access to special perks and news!
Help smash these goals:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter (for everyone)
🚀 80 MEMBERS = +5 extra chapters (for all stories)!
👻 P - Walnutchan