Harsh winds swept across the land, adding to the suffering already inflicted by the cold climate. Inside a heavily damaged house, three people stared down at the figure lying on the ground.
Standing in the middle, I found myself lost in thought.
'Too weak,' that is all I could think of. The breathing techniques, specifically Water Breathing, are too weak.
For looks, it unquestionably scores full marks, but for actual large-scale combat, it will fail miserably.
Well, Breathing Styles exists to fight the demons of this world, and they seem to be doing the work.
On the other hand, Battle Arts are fully cosmic-level fighting styles, and most importantly, they are magic-based.
Even though I was not using magic, the arts themselves are superior in every sense.
Once my dimension—the Sanctuary of Immortals, Elysium—is complete, I plan to make massive upgrades to my Battle Arts.
Developing my own Breathing Style sounds good, too. I will incorporate magic into it, which will massively boost its power.
"So that's what happened. As you can see, Nezuko here is different from what you said," I glance down towards a bandaged Giyu, who is now sitting inside the house after our 'fight'.
"Ho-how?" he murmured in a low voice.
Giyu was also regretting that if he had come earlier, he might have been able to save the innocents.
Then he locked eyes with Tanjiro and said with a righteous voice.
"If you want to find the man who did this to your family, you need to become stronger, not just physically, but emotionally too. Demons might have answers you are looking for, but to obtain them, you have to defeat the demons." he stood up and walked toward Tanjiro.
'Recruiting the desperate who have lost hope in life. These demon slayers are really cruel.'
I always had my suspicions about Demon Slayer Corp, and even more toward the Ubuyashiki family. There is no such thing as 'helping humanity.'
If the world hadn't cursed the Ubuyashiki family, they wouldn't have given a crap about how many poor die. Like the Japanese Government, at most, they would have donated some money to fight against demons.
"Ahem, you should contact the former Water Hashira. He has a talent for the sword. If you hadn't noticed yet, check his breathing pattern."
Giyu is surprised again by my observation and nods thoughtfully.
"You should also join. With your strength, you can already become a Hashira."
'And now he is recruiting me,' my eyes twitch slightly.
"I will think about it."
"Then I will take my leave. You should see Sakonji Urokodaki. He lives at the foot of Mount Sagiri," he said and disappeared with a blur.
'Tch… acting cool,' I scoffed, still watching him leave in slow motion.
After all he has seen, Giyu isn't surprised that I know about the former Water Hashira.
After ten minutes, they took whatever essentials they could find and prepared to leave. Kie is also coming with us. There is no place for her to live anyway, and by coming with us, she can take care of our needs.
Naturally, I am tagging along. Kie and Tanjiro are fun to hang around with, and I have nothing better to do.
As we were leaving, I paused for a second and touched Kie's forehead with my finger.
"Let me grant you some strength."
A golden light flowed from my finger into her body. That was my blessing, although it is the first time I have given it to someone.
The blessing gives stamina enhancement, strength enhancement, protection against diseases and dark creatures, and other related things.
I never interacted with someone so weak, so I never got the opportunity to use blessings.
"It may be fine by now, but your body will transform slowly, so expect some pain."
Hmm, strange. Is my blessing so strong? Her face is all red to the tip of her ears. If I didn't know she was a conservative woman, I would have thought she was blushing.
"Thank you for your generosity, Nior-sama," Kie bowed deeply, hiding her face.
I decided to change into something more traditional so as not attract much attention.
Using my magic, the overcoat I was wearing changed into a pure black shirt and trousers. Over it, I put a black haori to look cool.
Now that I think about it. I should have changed my body. Currently, I have a rather muscular body, which is perfect for a magic swordsman. But even this body is too much attention-grabbing here in Japan. The height, more specifically. I am currently 6 feet and 2 inches tall, which is above the average height in Japan.
I have no plans to join the Demon Slayer Corps. Why should I join? I don't need Nichirin blades to kill demons; magic is more than enough. Also, the entire corp combined does not even amount to a per cent of my strength.
I plan to stay with Sakonji and develop my breathing style, then accompany Tanjiro to have some fun. Teasing Zenitsu will be amusing.
On the way, Tanjiro borrowed a random basket from someone. With straws and bamboo, he refurbished it into something usable for Nezuko.
Snap
With a snap, the basket became more comfortable and fairly more presentable.
I don't know anything about making baskets, but magic is a cheat.
"Nior-same can really do anything, can't you?" Kie asked with an amused chuckle.
"Just some little tricks. They can't compare to actual skills"
Nezuko shrank and slipped into the basket.
"Haha... you look so cute, Nezuko"
Pat! Pat!
She enjoyed the headpats and leaned toward my touch.
After an entire day of walking and asking for directions along the way, we arrived near the mountain by evening.
Seeing a woman, Tanjiro stopped to ask for directions.
"You have to cross that mountain to get to Mount Sagiri. The sun will set soon. Be careful on your way. People get disappeared up there," she replied with concern.
"I will be careful. Thank you very much," Tanjiro and Kie expressed their gratitude with a bow.
These people really like to bow for everything. It's rather awkward. Don't get me wrong. Vampires are noble creatures and follow every proper etiquette, but there is a time when bowing is elegant. Here, it just seems too forced.
Obviously, I was standing to the side. Like hell I will bow to some no-name mortal.
Soon, we arrived at a dilapidated way station. I couldn't help but get excited.
Finally, we will meet. The former Water Hashira!