Disclaimer: Demon Slayer is not mine. This fanfic is a translation.
Enjoy Reading!
---
"Meow."
The kitten mewed softly, its golden eyes looking at the crouching Tanjuro expectantly.
Seeing it closer, Tanjuro recognized the cat.
It's Chachamaru.
It is the pet cat that Tamayo keeps.
Chachamaru sat obediently and licked its paw while Tanjuro opened the small bag on its back and took out the items inside.
The small package contained a letter and three syringes.
The green liquid was quite light, seeing as sunlight can still pierce through it.
"Good boy."
Tanjuro said as he rubbed Chachamaru's head. Then, he opened the letter and read the contents.
The first thing he noticed was the neat handwriting by a fountain pen.
--Kamado-san—
--First of all, we would like to express our sincere gratitude for your provision of blood and the blood of the Upper Moon One. —
--The following data is the results we have achieved so far.—
While reading the letter, Tanjuro got up and walked out of the dojo for some privacy.
Since achieving the Transparent World can't be done by repeatedly talking about it, it is more about their own interpretation of the world and experience.
Tanjuro stopped reading at the last sentence of the letter's content.
--We successfully turned a demon back into a human through medicine. —
The knot in his heart unraveled.
He rolled up the letter and put away the three syringes in his pockets. He looked to the courtyard where his children and the Tokito brothers were practicing their swordsmanship.
Their shout and the sound of wooden swords clashing filled the background noise in his head.
"Isn't that great..."
"...Muzan?"
Tanjuro muttered to himself. His eyes gradually became firm as he took in the serene scene.
And didn't miss the sight of Takeo taking Shigeru's wooden sword out of his hand.
---
Muzan suddenly shivered in his little corner at the Infinity Castle.
"...What was that?" He turned his head around and cautiously scanned his surroundings. He also sniffed his nose for good measure. "...what is this chill?"
After dismissing his worries, he contacted Doma and planned for the next moves in his search for the blue spider lily.
---
Sanemi frowned as his eyes fixed on Chachamaru licking its fur leisurely. His face was contemplating something.
He much prefers dogs to cats...
No! This is not the time to think about such things!
Sanemi shook his head and turned to look at Obanai, who was sitting quietly to the side.
Obanai was the newest Hashira to be promoted last year. His personality was very compatible with Sanemi's own. They could have a conversation by just a glance in no time.
Obanai was keeping to himself and not at all concerned by the commotion from other Hashiras. His snake friend, Kaburamaru, flicked its tongue and hissed patiently, as if it were telling Obanai something.
"Hmm... Uhuh... I see." Obanai nodded his head. His eyes closed as he murmured softly. "So that's how it is."
As a snake, Kaburamaru has a stronger sense of perception than humans.
Through talking with Kaburamaru, Obanai learned the key points of the duel between Tanjur and Sanemi.
This also helped him understand the principles of Transparent World.
Looking at Obanai following instruction from a snake.
Sanemi's expression froze for a moment, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
He opened his mouth to say something but couldn't think of anything to say.
He turned his head to look at the cat in front of him again.
"Meow." Chachamaru mewed softly.
Suddenly, under Sanemi's gaze, the paper hanging on its neck gave off a faint blue light.
Chachamaru's figure instantly disappeared from the spot.
Leaving Sanemi standing there dumbfounded.
---
Knowing he hadn't made any progress, Shinjuro walked out of the dojo with a helpless look on his face.
He tried the advice by Tanjuro and the other Hashiras, but he just couldn't figure out how to start his meditation for the Transparent World.
So, he seeks out Tanjuro outside about his predicament.
"...still not clear enough, huh? I understand."
Tanjuro listened to Shinjuro's complaint and nodded.
He thought he had explained it clearly enough.
Back before his coma, before crossing over to Sekiro, he had explained the Transparent World to Tanjiro because he thought he would die.
That's why the Hashiras, who were much stronger than Tanjiro, would be able to understand it quickly and start training in the Transparent World.
After a moment of contemplation, Tanjuro may have realized that perhaps he was not a good teacher.
He stood up from his sitting posture at the veranda, looking over the courtyard, and turned around.
The Hashiras also follow Shinjuro's example in taking a break, watching over the children training in the courtyard, and offering pointers.
Tanjuro's eyes swept over them and settled on one person in particular. "Tomioka-kun."
Giyu perked up at the sudden call. He looked to Tanjuro in confusion.
"Let's have a spar."
Tanjuro said as he picked up his bamboo sword that he used to smack Sanemi. He weighed the blade in his hand a couple of times and made his way to an empty courtyard.
He turned around to face the Hashiras. "I will show you guys how to use the Transparent World in actual combat, so watch carefully."
Yes.
Letting them experience facing the Transparent World in person would probably accelerate their understanding of it. Plus, this is his way of apologizing for stealing Giyu's name to coax Urokodaki.
Giyu felt dread.
'Is this really going to work?'
He still has work to do, but Oyakata-sama insisted that the Hashiras go through with this training.
Nonetheless, Giyu also took a bamboo sword from the dojo and squared up against Tanjuro.
5 minutes passed...
Swish!
Swish!
Giyu exhaled a mouthful of white steam. He held his wooden sword in front of him, and the blue waves of water followed the tip of the blade.
He tensed his arms and kept his attacks on Tanjuro.
Clack!
Tanjuro held his blade horizontally and repelled all of Giyu's attacks.
The sound of wooden swords colliding rang out through the courtyard.
Giyu took a step back to catch his breath. He was confused. Since the start, none of his attacks had been able to break through Tanjuro's defense.
"Don't give up!" Tanjuro shouted between his defense.
"You have to keep thinking!"
"Feel the opening and closing of the blood vessels and the muscle movement in your body!"
Clack!
The wooden swords clashed again.
"Through the expansion of the blood vessels, you can see the movement of the muscles."
"Then, you can predict the enemy's next action in advance!"
Tanjuro turned his body sideways, narrowly avoiding a vertical slash by an inch.
Tap.
He put the tip of his blade on Giyu's neck.
"This is the Transparent World."
Seeing the action.
Tengen was stunned at the observation he was doing and the demonstration.
In his mind, it was as if something had been connected and stimulated his brain with lightning!
"Do you feel anything?"
Tanjuro asked his audience as he moved his sword away from Giyu's throat. His gaze catches every eye of the Hashiras.
"...a pity." Shinjuro shook his head as he closed his eyes and sighed heavily.
He picked up the served teapot for the guest and gulped straight from the jar.
Muichiro, who was doing his own training, was looking over to the demonstration with sparkly eyes.
He ran over and stopped next to Tanjuro. He tugged at the man's kimono sleeve excitedly.
"Uncle! Uncle!"
Muichiro's voice attracted everyone's attention and snapped several Hashiras from their deep contemplation.
"That Transparent World..." Muichiro's wide-open, light blue, innocent eyes looked at Tanjuro.
"Can I do it too?" He asked expectantly, smiling brightly.
Tanjuro bent down and patted Muichiro on the head.
"If you work hard, then yes." He said, smiling back.