[Seiji's POV]
Jigoro Kuwajima.
I totally read that off his haori because there was no way I could've rembered the na of such a vague side character for that long.
"Young man!" Jigoro called out while dodging the attacks of the demon who had sohow turned his arms into long blades.
Was that his blood demon art? Turning parts of his body into blades?
I observed the demon's biology carefully and concluded that he was not a threat. He could turn his body into steel blades which required his blood gathering in parts he wanted blades - so he should not be able to turn any part of his body into a blade much less simultaneously.
But the thing that put him into the harmless category was his simplicity.
You don't want to be simple when facing .
I took out my sword from my back and with a crack of my neck, I blitzed towards the demon. The enemy imdiately took a step back as his instinct scread at him.
He pulled up his arms which were blades and shielded himself. But I had seen such a reply coming from miles away.
I cut at the exact spot in his arm where steel connected flesh. My blade cleaved through his arm and then his neck. The enemy had no ti to react.
My action was resolute and it said...
Disappear.
And so the demon's head hit the ground along with both his arms-turned-blades. By the ti I sheathed my sword, his body had disintegrated to disappear from the face of the earth.
One less demon in the world was a step towards a perfect world.
Fuck them.
"Ohhh.. you are quite the swordsman young man!!" Jigoro said, "I totally misjudged you, hahahaha."
"The sa goes for you, old man. You might be tiny but you sure can fight." I comnted plainly which made the small jab I made more effective. He visibly reeled back.
He might be small but the old man could really fight. Even if I had not intervened, he would've slayed the demon one way or another. I would expect nothing less from the forr Thunder Hashira.
"Tiny? I will have you know I used to be average height when I was young!! It's just that old age has shrunk ." he said in defiance.
My eyes see through all lies. Not only that, I could construct how his body would look like in its pri by observing its current state. He was at most two inches taller when he was young.
"Right."
"Why do I get the feeling you don't believe ?" he said.
"I do sir."
"Really?"
"Of course."
"You do then, hahahaha!!" he said with a laugh and twirled his long moustache.
"What's your na kid?" he asked while he strapped his short sword back to his belt.
"Seiji Shigan." I said.
"Seiji Shigan, what exactly does it an? Seer of Turth? Ruler of Will?" Jigoro analysed the aning behind my na but there was no exact aning. My na could an many things in kanji.
"I'm not sure what my parents intended as they died before I can ask them what my na ans." I said.
" A demon killed them?" he guessed.
"Yes, how did you know?"
"Bah! Whose families aren't killed by demons? You see, it requires a unique kind of hate - that can only co from having lost loved ones - to beco a Demon Slayer." he said with a nod.
"I see."
"Enough about that, What I want to know is which one of us old goats managed to create a monster like you?" he said and rubbed his chin. He analysed up and down.
"I'd say you are already at the strength of a Hashira, how old are you?"
"14. Well, 13 years 11 months to be exact."
"God damn those poor demons, hahahaha!! I am certain you will be their greatest nightmare ten years from now," he said, amused.
"So do tell, who trained you."
"No one." I said, "I used to train kendo under Master Naito Takaharu in Tokyo but that was it. I never had soone to train in the ways of a demon slayer."
"..."
"..."
"You are not ssing with , young man?"
"Positive."
"Well that puts you in a completely different league again." he said thoughtfully, "And also disprove my speculation that you are as strong as a Hashira. Without a breathing style, you will never cross that threshold."
I wisely decided not to ntion how I learned and copied Fla Breathing successfully in the span of a week.
After a long silence, the old man suddenly revealed a wide smile on his face. My eyes also detect greed under his harmless smile.
He wanted to have all for himself, like a jewellery smith who finds a diamond in the mud, ready to be polished.
"Tell you what kid, my na is Jigoro Kuwajima. A forr Hashira, also known as the Lightning Pillar or the Roaring Hashira," he said with no small amount of pride in his tone.
"And if you want, I will be more than happy to beco your trainer and pass down the secret art of Thunder Breathing to you." he said and grinned at .
"So, what do you say?" he asked.
"I would love to." I replied.
It was a no-brainer. In my opinion, Thunder Breathing was one of the strongest breathing styles even in the context of the five original breathing styles.
Not only that, I had already mastered Fla Breathing so Thunder Breathing seed like the next step since, you know, fire and lightning always have similar affinities in fiction - like in the Avatar.
It will also add more weapons to my arsenal. It ant I would have more varied ways to kill a demon.
The thought of killing a demon so quickly that it had no ti to pray and ask for forgiveness put a smile on his face. Without such a chance, it will make sure they go straight to hell.
"But." I said. "I won't be able to do it now."
"Huh? And why not?" he asked.
I stayed silent for a while before I decided to tell him about my plan and my goal of becoming a Hashira in less than two months.
At first, he thought it was ridiculous but when he realized I was serious, he had a change in mind. He said it was always good for soone to challenge themselves and he respected my goal.
"So..can I co back to you in a month or so?" I asked.
"There will be no need of such a thing." he said, "I am actually quite free myself and have no student under at the mont."
"So I can follow you in your missions. You are already physically more than capable so I will only need to teach you Thunder Breathing. If you spare three or so hours everyday, it will be enough." he said.
I remained silent and took a look at him again, this ti in a new light.
He was a nice old man.
The reason why he wanted to follow was not because he was desperate to teach . In fact, it made no sense why he should trouble himself and follow around just because he could get a few hours of teaching every day with when I said I will seek him out for training in a month.
The real reason was that he wanted to make sure I lived. The goal I had was a reckless one even though Jigoro decided to respect it.
To go on multiple missions consecutively without allowing myself ti to rest or grow just for the sake of reaching a higher rank quickly was not a very wise choice without knowing the whole context. It scread of the reckless, burning passion of youth.
And Jigoro wanted to make sure I lived by accompanying . He could help in fights or advise aginst my actions if he realized that I was putting myself in too much danger.
In the end, he wanted the new generation to be safe, especially soone with talents like mine.
"Are you sure gramps? Can you even keep up with ?" I said and glanced at his prosthetic leg.
"Nonsense, I was the fastest Hashira and would leave you to dust even today." he waved his hand.
"Well then." I said and bowed, "Thank you, I will be in your care."
"Sa to you." Jigoro said with a smile.
..
..
..
Sothing feels wrong.
Bowing was a sign of respect because you basically put your head lower than the person you are bowing to. It was a sign of humility.
But Jigoro was too short that my head was still higher than his even when I bowed.
So I lay face down on the ground.
"Stop insulting brat!!"
.
.
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Author : Give stones and I give you extra Chapter today.
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