章 7: 7 Mount Sagiri
The forest was quiet, only the occasional rustle of leaves breaking the silence, the weather was warm as the sun was casting long shadows on the path ahead. Six days passed since Giyu left his parents' home, and now he walked slowly, his pace steady. He carried a small box of food in his hands, and a katana was strapped to his waist. His destination was Mount Sagiri, where he planned to once again become a disciple of Master Urokodaki.
Giyu's purpose wasn't to receive training. He had already mastered the Water Breathing, and his body was in excellent shape from the secret training he had conducted alone.
As he continued along the winding path, the dense forest began to thin, and in the distance, he spotted the outline of Mount Sagiri, shrouded in mist. Giyu paused for a moment, calculating the distance. The mountain was about forty kilometers away, a journey that would take him half a day on foot if he maintained a steady pace and didn't stop to rest. It was a reasonable distance for him
"Sabito..." Giyu whispered to himself, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He could almost picture them, training under Urokodaki's watchful eye. The thought of seeing his old friends again filled him with a sense of warmth "Wait for me," he murmured.
***
By the time Giyu reached the base of Mount Sagiri, night had already fallen. The sky was a deep, velvety blue, and the stars were just beginning to emerge. Despite the late hour and the growing darkness, Giyu continued to press forward, his footsteps steady and unhesitant.
The forest around him was quiet, almost unnaturally so. the only noise was the soft crunch of leaves beneath his feet. The atmosphere was eerie, the dense fog that clung to the trees giving the surroundings an uncomfortable feeling. But Giyu showed no signs of fear as he kept moving forward.
Suddenly, Giyu stopped in his tracks, his body tensing as he sensed someone or something nearby. His hand moved instinctively to the hilt of his sword, and in one swift move, he unsheathed it, pointing the blade toward a nearby tree. His expression turned cold, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the presence that had appeared so close to him without warning. 'A demon? But I didn't feel its presence until it was next to me. Could it be...?'
A deep, mature voice confirmed Giyu's thoughts. "You managed to find me." The voice came from behind the tree, and a moment later, a figure stepped into view. The man wore a haori that resembled the clouds of a blue sky, and his face was obscured by a red, devil-like mask.
Giyu lowered his sword, recognizing the man immediately. He sheathed his weapon, his posture relaxing as he stared at Urokodaki awkwardly.
Now that he met Master Urokodaki, he didn't know where to start. His brain froze as he tried to think if he should introduce himself or what to say so Giyu ended up just standing there, staring at him motionlessly, struggling to find an answer. In contrast to Giyu, Master Urokodaki was quietly observing the child, taking in every detail.
'I didn't make a sound, yet he managed to find me in such darkness. He's either incredibly skilled or incredibly lucky,' Urokodaki thought, his eyes narrowing behind the mask as he assessed Giyu's stance and demeanor. 'But why did he freeze when facing an unknown person? Is he too arrogant or just foolish? Lowering his weapon in such a situation... This kid won't cut it.'
The silence stretched on, becoming almost uncomfortable, before Urokodaki finally spoke. "You're wearing clothes made of top-quality silk, carry an expensive sword, and your face shows no signs of real struggle. You've clearly never faced any hardships as a child." His tone was dismissive. "It's already late, so it would be dangerous to climb back down the mountain. Come, sleep and leave in the morning."
With that, Urokodaki turned and began to walk away, clearly expecting Giyu to follow. Giyu opened his mouth to respond, but then he stoped. Urokodaki was right—the haori and sword were expensive, gifts from his well-off family. Giyu couldn't deny that he had faced hardships so far in this life. His parents had never made him work, and he had spent most of his time playing with his sister, studying, or secretly training his body and practicing the Water Breathing techniques.
Realizing that his master was already some distance ahead, Giyu quickly decided to save his words for later. Urokodaki, sensing the boy catching up him, began to pick up the pace, subtly testing him. He didn't intend to leave the child behind but wanted to gauge his abilities. To his surprise, Giyu kept up without any sign of exertion, his speed as fast as Urokodaki's.
'Not only that, but his steps are just as light as mine,' Urokodaki thought not hearing the sound of Giyus foot touching the groung, a hint of surprise creeping into his mind.
'Maybe it wasn't luck that helped him sense me.' Deciding to push the boy further, Urokodaki suddenly increased his speed, moving with a swiftness that would have left most people far behind. For a moment, Giyu was caught off guard thinking 'He is so fast'
Before death, Giyu spent a lot of time with Tengen. During one of those times, Tengen taught him how to run faster by improving his steping technique. Giyu decided to play along and learn, eventually combining Tengen's speed technique with Urokodaki's method of making his steps lighter.
Even tho the fusion of these two techniques remained incomplete Giyu's speed improved as he quickly matched his master's pace, keeping stride with him effortlessly.
This sudden burst of speed surprised Urokodaki to his core. As he considered pushing even harder, a sharp pain in his right leg reminded him of his age, and he decided to end the test.
'He's passed with flying colors,' Urokodaki admitted to himself as he slowed to a stop. His body was no longer in its prime, and while he could still move swiftly, the years had taken their toll. The boy, however, had long ago proven his skill.
They arrived at Urokodaki's hut, a simple yet sturdy structure among the trees. Urokodaki showed Giyu to a small room where he would sleep. The room was sparse, with only a futon and a small window that looked out onto the forest. Just as Urokodaki was about to leave, Giyu finally found the opportunity to speak. He bowed respectfully and spoke. "Thank you, Master."
Urokodaki paused his steps without turning as Giyu continued. "I've come to receive training to become a Demon Slayer."
For a moment, Urokodaki was silent, without another word, he turned and walked away. Just as he reached the door, he spoke over his shoulder, his voice calm. "We will talk tomorrow."
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