"That's because both Giyu and I are Pillars of the Demon Slayer Corps," Urokodaki Sakonji explained, stroking his long tengu mask as if it were a beard. "I've grown old, so the one who serves as the Water Pillar now is Giyu."
Just as demons had their elite—the Twelve Demon Moons—humans had their own forces who could stand against them.Those warriors were known as the Pillars, the strongest and most gifted swordsmen in the entire Demon Slayer Corps.
Some were prodigies who had invented their own breathing styles.Others had polished inherited styles to perfection, developing new techniques through sheer mastery.
At present, the Corps had nine Pillars in total.And Giyu Tomioka—the man who had fought Yuto to a draw—was the current Water Pillar.
In the days that followed, Urokodaki Sakonji upheld his promise to Tanjiro, dedicating himself to the boy's training.Yuto, on the other hand, had time to spare. He wasn't in a rush to leave and found himself surprisingly invested in watching Sakonji instruct Tanjiro in the art of Water Breathing.
What surprised him most was how openly Sakonji taught.The old master didn't hide anything, didn't shield his techniques, didn't try to block Yuto from observing.If anything, he seemed completely unbothered by Yuto's presence, which left the half-demon feeling faintly self-conscious.
But Sakonji had watched Yuto closely during that time.He had noticed things—important things.
Yuto could walk freely under the sun.He ate normal food with no trouble, the same meals Tanjiro did.He didn't react to the scent of blood; he never showed hunger for human flesh.By all appearances, the boy lived no differently from an ordinary human.
Combined with Giyu Tomioka's earlier testimony—that Yuto had revealed his own weaknesses to protect Tanjiro and Nezuko—Sakonji reached a conclusion:
Yuto possessed credibility.
That was why he didn't hesitate to demonstrate Water Breathing in front of him.In Sakonji's eyes, Yuto might even become a member of the Demon Slayer Corps someday.
Yes, Yuto's identity was unusual… but that wasn't unprecedented.After all, the strongest of Muzan's Twelve Demon Moons—the Upper Rank One, Kokushibo—had once been a swordsman of the Demon Slayer Corps himself.
If a human could fall and become a demon's right-hand monster…why couldn't a demon-like boy choose to fight on humanity's side?
Sakonji had even heard, through quiet investigation, that Yuto had saved several villages.No one knew why he fought demons with such dedication, but the boy clearly shared the same enemy.
There was potential here.And potential demanded trust.
Even before learning any breathing technique, Yuto had been able to fight on equal footing with Giyu Tomioka—a Pillar.If he learned breathing techniques and someday became a Pillar himself…
Would he surpass even the Stone Pillar—the Corps' mightiest warrior?
With that possibility in mind, Urokodaki Sakonji decided to bet everything.He would reveal his Water Breathing without reservation, hoping to earn Yuto's faith.
If Yuto someday turned against humanity, the consequences would be catastrophic.But if he continued to fight demons as he did now—
They would gain a powerful ally beyond anything the Corps had ever seen.
Yuto himself, meanwhile, was nowhere near as strategic as Sakonji imagined.He hadn't been in this world long.His understanding of both the Demon Slayer Corps and demons came from scattered pieces of information gathered along the way.
Still… the Corps' approach felt far more appealing to him than anything involving demons.
The breathing techniques, for instance, intrigued him. They were clearly a system developed by a genius of this world—methods that strengthened the heart and flooded the blood with oxygen, temporarily pushing human bodies to a level that could rival demons.
For an entire month, Yuto observed Urokodaki's Water Breathing.
But he discovered something important:
The breathing method didn't suit him.
Breathing techniques boosted human physical ability to reach demonic levels for a short time.But Yuto's baseline physical abilities already far surpassed the average demon without any breathing assistance.
Still… a technique was a technique.If humans could derive multiple breathing styles from Yoriichi Tsugikuni's original Sun Breathing…
Why couldn't Yuto create something of his own?
He already had a strong foundation from mastering "Advanced Swordsmanship."So after learning the breathing patterns, he spent the next six months experimenting—refining, adjusting, pushing his limits.
The result was a breathing method of his own creation.
Yuto named it:
"Demon Breathing."
The system rated it at A-rank, the same level as his Wind–Forest–Fire–Mountain technique.
As its name suggested, Demon Breathing was a style powered by demonic energy.Humans couldn't use it.Only someone like Yuto—a half-demon with a regenerative body and monstrous stamina—could endure the strain it placed on the body.
Unlike the other breathing techniques, which boasted elegant named forms and sword techniques—First Form, Second Form, and so on—Yuto's breathing style had none.
It was pure breathing.A method only.
When he first experimented with adding demonic energy to the breathing flow, it nearly killed him.His meridians couldn't withstand the strain, and he had collapsed, paralyzed for days.
Fortunately, his half-demon regeneration brought him back quickly.And when he attempted again—this time carefully—he started slow, channeling only tiny amounts of demonic energy.
After six long months, he finally succeeded.He mastered the flow.Mastered the amplification.Mastered Demon Breathing.
Others who created their own breathing styles typically devised entirely new sword techniques to accompany them, but Yuto felt no such need.His Wind–Forest–Fire–Mountain style was already powerful enough.
Thus, Demon Breathing consisted only of the breathing method, without any additional sword forms.
Even so, Yuto suspected that using Demon Breathing to empower his Wind–Forest–Fire–Mountain style…
If such a combination were given a system rating—
It might surpass A-rank.It might even reach the legendary S-rank.
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