The first impression Uzen Igarashi gave was that of an exceptionally gentle man.
His brown hair was soft and fluffy, his frame slender, and he wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses that gave him a distinctly scholarly air. According to Kuguruma Natsunishi's "cheap" master, Igarashi had studied abroad in the West during his student days. He was a true academic. Consequently, many of his perspectives differed from those of the older generation.
Nevertheless, Kazami had emphasized repeatedly that Igarashi remained a man to whom one could confidently entrust their back.
Upon meeting Kuguruma Natsunishi, the man did not question him as Urokodaki once had, nor was he flippantly eager to spar like Nikaido. Instead, he brought Kuguruma Natsunishi to a quiet, high-end cafe in Yokohama. There, he engaged in small talk.
The conversation mostly revolved around Master Kazami's current well-being or Kuguruma Natsunishi's daily life. Sometimes, Igarashi's lips would curl into a smile upon hearing about their master's stubbornness over trivial matters. Other times, he would ask curious follow-up questions regarding Kuguruma Natsunishi's encounters with demons.
His tone was humble and his gaze warm. It was impossible to tell that he was a swordsman who fought life-and-death battles with demons—let alone one standing at the very pinnacle of their order.
As they sat together drinking hot coffee and chatting while watching the scenery outside, the afternoon sun filtered through the glass windows, casting warm yellow spots of light on the dark wooden table. The air was thick with the aroma of freshly ground coffee beans and the faint sound of a piano. For a moment, Kuguruma Natsunishi had the illusion that he was back in the modern era, simply vacationing in a foreign country.
However, the status panel floating above the man's head constantly reminded him. This was not reality. And the man before him was no frail commoner.
[Uzen Igarashi]
[Power Level: 354 (Vitality 161, Technique 122, Spirit 71)]
[Storm Breathing LV.6] [Wind Breathing LV.5]
Just his "Vitality" attribute alone was nearly equal to the sum of Kuguruma Natsunishi's three stats combined. While NPCs did not gain attributes by leveling up Breathing Styles through a system like Kuguruma Natsunishi did, they raised their levels through bitter cultivation and training. The sweat and effort poured into that journey naturally tempered their techniques and bodies to a terrifying degree.
This was the first time Kuguruma Natsunishi had come into such close and authentic contact with one of the Demon Slayer Corps' top-tier combatants.
"Kuguruma, you've drifted off again."
"Such a habit can be fatal in combat," Igarashi said, pushing up his metal frames. His voice was gentle and clear.
Kuguruma Natsunishi nodded. "Right, Aizen-senpai."
The young man pressed a hand to his forehead, somewhat helpless. He couldn't tell if this junior brother of his was doing it on purpose or by accident, but he always seemed to get his name wrong.
Igarashi gently placed his white porcelain cup back onto the saucer with a pleasant click. Then, he spoke.
"Kuguruma, what do you believe true strength is?"
A broken game mechanic? A top-tier skill set? Or just plain, raw, massive stats?
Kuguruma Natsunishi answered tentatively, "A strong body, rich experience, and high-level technique?"
Igarashi shook his head slightly.
"Correct, yet incomplete. Many people possess all three and still find it difficult to defeat those who stand at the world's peak. Thus, many attribute that gap to 'combat genius' or 'monstrous talent.'"
The gaze behind the lenses rested warmly on Kuguruma Natsunishi. "I believe those are merely 'phenomena'—blind generalizations made by ordinary people regarding things they do not understand."
Kuguruma Natsunishi asked curiously, "Then what do you think it is, Brother?"
The young man replied, "I believe... it is consciousness and logic."
"Logic?" Kuguruma Natsunishi was puzzled.
"Exactly."
Igarashi dipped a fingertip into a bit of water and drew a flowing line on the tabletop. "Exquisite swordsmanship, powerful strikes, perfect redirection of force, even a tempered physique and reflexes... these can all be considered the wind blowing through a mountain."
"But what drives them, and determines where they flow? It is the shape of the valley, the temperature of the air, and the levels of atmospheric pressure. That is the underlying logic of utilizing power."
He looked at Kuguruma Natsunishi, his gaze seemingly piercing through the boy's thoughts. "Others do not understand why you study multiple Breathing Styles simultaneously. They think it is merely the arrogance of a youth reaching for too much. They believe scattering your talent and time across different styles is far inferior to focusing on a single style until it is perfected or even transcended."
This was a common line of thought. Uzen Igarashi naturally understood it. After all, human time is limited; there is nothing wrong with training in the most efficient manner possible. Furthermore, practicing multiple Breathing Styles doesn't necessarily change a swordsman's power level. A swordsman who knows two styles isn't inherently stronger than one who knows one; in fact, in most cases, the more one studies, the less proficient one becomes.
And the less proficient, the weaker. A swordsman's maximum output usually remains tied to the style they have mastered most deeply. Much like choosing a mode of transportation, one cannot pick two simultaneously. At most, one can only choose a sequence—like taking a carriage to the station before switching to a train. But instead of doing that, it would be better to simply train a legendary stallion and ride it at full speed from home to the destination.
But Igarashi did not share the thoughts of ordinary people. He also knew that the Kuguruma Natsunishi sitting across from him did not either.
"I understand that you are not like them. You are attempting to reverse-engineer the 'map of the valley.' You wish to understand the essence of the five basic Breathing Styles and use them to climb to a higher plateau."
Kuguruma Natsunishi's breath hitched. Had this "cheap" senior brother of his actually guessed his intentions?
Igarashi's next words pointed even deeper. "The unrestrained nature of Wind, the fluidity of Water, the solidity of Stone, the extreme speed of Thunder... they seem entirely different. But in essence, they are nothing more than the application of different [logics] to the generation, conduction, and eruption of force. When one possesses enough knowledge, one can derive the universal formula for the human body's exertion of power."
His finger continued to slide across the table, sketching a simple human form and writing down a few mathematical formulas that looked familiar to Kuguruma Natsunishi.
"When knowledge is abundant enough, you can derive that universal formula. At that point, the breathing you create will no longer be a simple 'degraded imitation' of nature, but something closer to the origin of all Breathing Styles. A pure path that is entirely your own."
"I did not take the path of studying a hundred schools," he paused, his voice tinged with a hint of longing. "But I am still researching the underlying logic of Breathing Styles in my own way. My purpose... is to achieve a perfect balance between my consciousness and my power."
Having said that, he gave Kuguruma Natsunishi a warm smile. "Though our methods differ, Kuguruma, I understand you. Your path is not wrong."
Kuguruma Natsunishi: ...
Well, that is a small part of the reason. But honestly, I just thought collecting all five might unlock some hidden reward.
"Look at the people in this shop."
Igarashi suddenly shifted the topic, his gaze sweeping across the cafe. "Kuguruma, what do you see?"
Kuguruma Natsunishi followed his gaze, seeing the waiter grinding beans, an old man reading a newspaper, and a lady enjoying cake. He also saw the virtual tags floating above them—their power levels and skills.
"Mostly a group of ordinary people and their various professional skills. For instance, that middle-aged man must have been in a gang before; his marksmanship should be decent."
After all, his power level was 15, indicating he had undergone some solid training. He also had LV.1 Firearm skill and a LV.1 Intimidation skill.
The young Hashira nodded, acknowledging Kuguruma Natsunishi's insight. "To see that much means you've already grasped the basics."
Kuguruma Natsunishi: Of course. After all, without me, the system wouldn't have reached this point.
Igarashi then looked at the barista behind the counter.
"What I see is this: the gentleman's right shoulder slumps slightly, he has thin calluses on the webbing of his thumb, his breathing is steady, and he habitually uses his right hand for power. He has likely been in this profession for about three years. Hmm... his center of gravity is also slightly toward the rear, and his eyes are sensitive to changes in his surroundings; he should be a cautious person. If danger were to strike now, his first reaction would be to shrink back. His right hand would instinctively reach for the heaviest coffee pot rather than the small knife beside it."
Kuguruma Natsunishi was amused. So my senior brother is actually a Sherlock Holmes of the Far East?
But Igarashi wasn't finished.
As if prophesying, he continued: "Now, he is about to finish this cup of hand-poured coffee. The water temperature is right; he will begin grinding the beans. He will stop after about 23 rotations. Hmm, now he takes the filter cup... oh, that stack of cups next to him is slightly tilted; when he takes the top one, he might..."
"It will still be the right hand."
Before he could finish, a soft "ting" came from the counter. As the barista picked up the top cup, the one below it was nudged and wobbled slightly. He immediately reached out with his right hand to steady it.
The movement was exactly as Igarashi had described two or three seconds prior!
Kuguruma Natsunishi's eyes widened. What the hell? Does my senior brother have the ability to see the future?!
Igarashi took a sip of his coffee and explained calmly to Kuguruma Natsunishi, "Just a small achievement in [logic]."
"I call it..."
"[Sen no Sen]."
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