"For ordinary people, I suppose I am," Hakuya said lightly.
"Keep up with my pace. Don't fall behind!" Urokodaki didn't press further about Hakuya's abilities.
The moment Urokodaki finished speaking, he shot forward at tremendous speed, moving without making a single sound.
Tanjiro didn't react immediately. Hakuya quickly shouted at him to hurry up.
Tanjiro then took off after Urokodaki. Hakuya didn't linger either—he rushed into the temple to retrieve the bamboo basket containing Nezuko and strapped it onto his back.
In just a few seconds, both Urokodaki and Tanjiro had disappeared from view.
Hakuya activated Water Breathing to enhance his physical capabilities. If he ran normally, he obviously wouldn't catch up with them—especially while carrying Nezuko on his back.
Urokodaki, running at the front, glanced back over his shoulder. He found only Tanjiro following about a hundred meters behind. Hakuya seemed to have fallen behind.
Urokodaki couldn't help but wonder—could it be that Hakuya wasn't as capable as Tanjiro after all?
Tanjiro, worried that Hakuya would lose the trail, used a branch he'd picked up to mark their route on the ground as he ran.
Tanjiro knew Hakuya was taking care of Nezuko. With his reaction time and speed, if he'd still tried to look after Nezuko, he would have been left far behind by Urokodaki.
When Hakuya caught up to where they'd been, he soon discovered the scratches on the path. The marks were so fresh that Hakuya immediately knew Tanjiro had left them.
So Hakuya followed closely, relying on the lingering scent of Urokodaki and the marks Tanjiro had left behind.
Having mastered Water Breathing, Hakuya's physical abilities were naturally incomparable to those of an ordinary person. Furthermore, Urokodaki had to consider Tanjiro's physical condition, so he couldn't exert his full strength.
As time passed, Hakuya gradually caught up with Tanjiro. When he reached Tanjiro's side, he spotted Urokodaki about a hundred meters ahead.
Tanjiro's ability to maintain visual distance from Urokodaki was truly remarkable.
Tanjiro's breathing was now extremely heavy and ragged. Seeing Hakuya approach, he showed a look of relief and attempted to speak.
"Control your breathing! Now's not the time to talk!" Hakuya cut him off before he could begin.
Hearing this, Tanjiro realized his current state wasn't suitable for conversation. He was struggling just to control his breathing, let alone speak.
However, when Tanjiro noticed that Hakuya wasn't tired at all and his steps remained light and effortless, he couldn't help but feel envious and admiring.
"If you want to become stronger, pass old man Urokodaki's test, then learn everything you can from him," Hakuya advised.
This time, Tanjiro simply nodded, then focused on adjusting his breathing.
The two of them followed at a steady pace, neither closing the distance with Urokodaki nor falling too far behind.
"He's caught up?" Urokodaki sensed Hakuya's presence and turned his head to look back.
Wait... this young man is actually using Water Breathing!
"No doubt about it—this is Water Breathing! Who taught this boy that technique?" Urokodaki muttered to himself in astonishment.
Every demon slayer possessed their own unique Breathing technique. All Breathing styles originated from Sun Breathing, the progenitor of all Breathing techniques.
Because Sun Breathing was so powerful and demanding, it wasn't suitable for everyone to learn. Therefore, over time, five major Breathing techniques evolved from Sun Breathing: Water Breathing, Flame Breathing, Stone Breathing, Wind Breathing, and Thunder Breathing.
Throughout history, some had further developed new Breathing techniques based on these five core styles. Among the nine Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, some used Breathing techniques derived from these five major schools.
Due to the unique nature of the Hashira, no two Hashira shared the same Breathing technique. Each Breathing style was unique to only one Hashira. Only when the current Hashira stepped down due to circumstances beyond their control or died in battle could the position be inherited by a qualified successor.
A Hashira was merely a title within the Demon Slayer Corps—it carried no special privilege or symbolized personal power. As a Hashira, one's sole mission was to completely eradicate demons from this world.
As time passed, dusk suddenly fell. Urokodaki stopped in front of a small wooden cabin. Hakuya and Tanjiro, who arrived shortly after, also stopped. Tanjiro collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily.
Hakuya remained composed, breathing steadily as he stood before Urokodaki.
"Hah... hah... Urokodaki-san, have Hakuya-san and I passed the test?" Tanjiro asked between gasps, his voice hopeful.
Urokodaki opened the cabin door and said, "Hakuya's test is complete. Yours begins now. Follow me up the mountain."
Tanjiro's face fell.
"Hakuya, you stay here and watch over Tanjiro's sister. When I return, I have something to ask you," Urokodaki said.
Hearing this, Hakuya glanced at the somewhat devastated Tanjiro. "Don't let me down."
With that, Hakuya entered the cabin and placed Nezuko on a wooden bed in the shade. For some reason, Nezuko had fallen asleep. Hakuya made no move to wake her, instead sitting cross-legged on the floor to rest.
Tanjiro watched Hakuya settle his sister and declared, "Hakuya-san, I'll definitely pass this test!"
Hakuya glanced at Tanjiro and nodded without saying anything.
"Let's go, Tanjiro!" Urokodaki's voice rang out.
Tanjiro didn't linger. He turned and headed up the mountain with Urokodaki.
Tanjiro had no idea what kind of test awaited him.
Hakuya, who had been waiting in the cabin, remained there until nightfall when Urokodaki returned. Hakuya looked around, but Tanjiro was nowhere to be seen, which puzzled him.
However, Hakuya didn't ask immediately. After all, he knew the old man wouldn't let Tanjiro die.
The two regarded each other for a moment, and finally it was Urokodaki who spoke first: "Let's have shabu-shabu tonight."
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P@atreon/Soulforger (45+ advanced chapters)