Disclaimer: Demon Slayer is not mine. This fanfic is a translation.
Enjoy Reading!
---
It was decided that Tanjuro will teach everything he knew about the Transparent World in one week to the Hashiras.
And unlike in the Butterfly Mansion, their training can't be conducted silently.
Many noises of screaming, frustrated howls, and confrontation tones were heard from the dojo of the Ubuyashiki residence. Such pollution of sound will certainly disturb the patients trying to recover in the tranquil atmosphere of the Butterfly Mansion.
However, the Kamado children were restless since they hadn't seen their father after his departure to the Swordsmith village. So, they pleaded and begged to come with him to the Ubuyashiki residence.
Though, they were all playing (Takeo: training!) in the courtyard outside of the dojo when the noises started.
"Was that Father's voice just now?" Shigeru poked his head from the dojo entrance. His voice hushed as he looked inside with curious eyes.
"Yeah, I heard it too!" Takeo also poked his head out and nodded, agreeing with Shigeru seriously.
"Guys!" Tanjiro was behind his two brothers, pulling at their collars with a helpless expression.
"Come on! Don't disturb our father and the others practicing!" He said in a low tone.
"We shouldn't be here in the first place." Tanjiro looked a little embarrassed at failing to control his siblings.
'If we caused more trouble for others, that would be too rude!' Tanjiro thought to himself.
After their pleading, only two children were brought here by Tanjuro along with Tanjiro to monitor them.
In addition,
The Tokito brothers also insisted on coming along.
"Nii-san..."
Muichiro and Yuichiro were practicing in the yard while watching the antics of the three Kamado siblings. Tanjiro seems to be having a hard time pulling away his brothers from the dojo entrance.
Muichiro wore his kimono gifted by Uncle Michikatsu, and he attached the flute given to him on his waist too.
Between the two of them, it was Muichiro who insisted on coming along.
Yuichiro had no choice but to come too. He didn't trust his younger brother to stay out of trouble.
The two of them had a recorded text of the remaining forms of Moon Breathing on a scroll that they received from Uncle Michikatsu's gifts in the form of words and pictures.
-Inside the dojo-
The screaming and frustrated noise died down as Sanemi finally calmed down and continued his meditation.
On a normal day, the other Hashiras would have gossiped about this impossible event occurring, but they also concentrated on their own training.
"Blood vessels and muscle movement." Sanemi released the posture he had been maintaining, adjusted by Tanjuro several times.
"Of course I know about them, and of course I can control them!" He panted as he rubbed his head.
"But!"
Sanemi took a mouthful of oxygen while sliding back into his meditation posture. Veins popped out of his forehead as he demonstrated.
"It doesn't work!"
Seeing Sanemi's crazy demonstration, Tanjuro sees that Sanemi has improved a little in his breathing intake compared to before.
"Keep it up."
"Huh!?" Sanemi looked at him in surprise.
Before he could say anything, Tanjuro moved on to others and kept giving advice for their meditation.
After finishing yesterday's Hashiras meeting.
Kagaya asked for a private chat with Tanjuro.
The core subject of the discussion was the map of the Infinite Castle left by Kokushibo.
Seeing how much information was contained in this intel, Kagaya has decided to speed up the Hashiras' training.
Tactics were rehearsed and devised for the Infinity Castle environment, and practice was scheduled after the Hashiras' training in the Transparent World.
In addition to making a copy of the Castle for each Hashira to memorize and hold.
Also, the possible defection of Kokushibo from Muzan's camp.
---
-Flashback-
"...You suspect that the Upper Moon One has defected from Muzan's side..." Kagaya repeated Tanjuro's conclusion. His tone showed his surprise as he moved his hand to his chin.
"That's right." Tanjuro nodded. His earrings swayed lightly, and his eyes reflected a thoughtful mind.
After thinking of every possibility for two days, Tanjuro figured that the reason for Kokushibo's weird action at the Swordsmith village, the Tokito family status of still being alive after his visits, and the fact that the Tokito boys mastered the Moon Breathing Technique was because Kokushibo had decided to defect from Muzan's faction.
Tanjuro made eye contact with Kagaya as the other came back to his senses.
For Kagaya, Kokushibo has been one of the Corp's nightmares to solve. He learned about the demon's general appearance from previous Hashira's battle reports and some rumors of villagers who were lucky enough to be there.
And now that report was contradicting the recent report about the Upper Moon One behavior pattern and tendencies. Kagaya had no doubt that the Hashira's report was accurate, yet the same being of discussion was proving him otherwise.
Kagaya catches Tanjuro's eyes looking on to his own. He hasn't lost all vision, though only blurry images remain of the Tanjuro in front of him.
He suddenly recalls Tanjuro's appearance and how it resembles the legendary swordsman of the Corps.
"I see..." He nodded gently. His hand reached out and touched the map of the Infinity Castle in front of him.
---
Returning to the training Hashira.
Shinobu stretched her body after several hours of meditation.
As a doctor, she probably knew more about the human body structure than anyone else in the Corps.
If she let her imagination run wild, she could roughly see in her mind what her muscles would be like when she was fighting.
But...
She raised her head and looked at Tanjuro's back as he instructed others.
This technique to see the world clearer that Kamado-san spoke of... it certainly sounds incredible.
And Himejima-san was able to do it too.
Shinobu sighed to herself.
She slowly stood up and made her way to where Gyomei was sitting. He was chanting Buddha scriptures as his meditation training.
"Himejima-san." Shinobu said, smiling softly.
"What kind of environment were you in when you activated your Transparent World?"
"What does it feel like?"
Hearing the questions,
Gyomei snapped out of his deep meditation as he thought about how to answer it.
But the more he thought about it, the less he was inclined to say.
"I was...
...petting my cat."
---
Tanjuro walked past several Hashiras who were in various states of meditation.
Unlike the original timeline, there was no desperate situation of dying and defeat to forcefully open up Transparent World.
In the current situation where there is time to practice, the Hashiras who have awakened the Transparent World have to go through the normal training required to learn it.
Tanjuro's gaze swept over Obanai, whose face was red from holding back his breath trying to force enlightenment through brushing with death. His lips twitched imperceptibly.
"...your cat?" Shinobu's bewildered voice echoed. Her conversation with Gyomei was heard by all.
Tanjuro turned his head to look over.
Shinobu was standing in front of Gyomei, looking confused by his answer. It's funny; Gyomei's sitting position is still taller than her standing up.
Giyu, Tengen, and the others also looked over to their conversation. Especially Sanemi, who was frustrated because he couldn't find the feeling of entering meditation.
Gyomei didn't say anything anymore, because he himself didn't know how to actively enter the Transparent World. The only reason he could use it is his strict training and blind condition that forced him to adapt.
"What's wrong?"
Sanemi frowned. He still held the wooden sword he brought for the duel and walked closer to Shinobu.
Shinobu straightened up, seeing that Gyomei didn't continue his sentence. She turned to Sanemi and explained her conversation.
Sanemi raised an eyebrow when hearing the last words.
"...you can activate Transparent World...by petting cats?"
Tanjuro didn't focus on the commotion by the Hashiras.
He took out a piece of paper from his chest pocket.
On the paper, there were patterns that looked like eyes drawn with ink.
This paper is the medium that Yushiro had given him to locate and transmit messages when there is an important matter to discuss.
Now, this paper was emitting a faint blue light.
And Tanjuro was stuck on how to send a message back.
"Meow~"
A soft meow came from his feet.
Tanjuro looked down to see... it was a kitten with golden pupils and brown and black spots spreading across its fur. The little animal was rubbing its head to his feet.
The kitten also had a piece of paper hanging from its neck with the same pattern as the one in Tanjuro's hand.
It was carrying a small leather backpack and raised its paw to gently coax Tanjuro.
Tanjuro squatted down to the cat's level and reached out. Vaguely understood that this was Yushiro contacting him.
Sanemi walked over to Tanjuro for some more information after his talk with Shinobu. He was also wondering if a cat could—
Sanemi's pupils contracted when he caught sight of the brown and black cat at Tanjuro's feet.
"...could it be?"