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44.05% Looking Forward to Another World / Chapter 152: The Origin of Breathing Style

章節 152: The Origin of Breathing Style

Ubuyashiki Kagaya.

That was the name of the man who appeared before Riezel.

He was the head of the Ubuyashiki family as well as the 97th-generation leader of the Demon Slayer Corps.

Every member of the Demon Slayer Corps, whether they were the Hashira or ordinary members, held deep reverence and respect for their leader, as evidenced by how they addressed him as 'Master'.

Now, this leader was being supported by his wife and daughters, walking out of the mansion together, to a place where the sunlight could reach, standing opposite Riezel.

"Welcome to the headquarters of the Demon Slayer Corps, Tsugikuni Yoriichi."

Kagaya greeted Riezel with a gentle tone and a serene expression.

"I apologize for not being able to bow. As you can see, I am seriously ill and cannot make too many vigorous movements. Just walking out of the house like this has already drained most of my strength. I hope you can understand."

Although his voice was gentle, it carried a strong charisma, making people involuntarily feel a sense of trust toward him. Even Riezel, when facing him, couldn't help but slightly relax his usually calm expression.

"No need to be polite, Lord Ubuyashiki." Riezel shook his head. "I may have been invited, but I am just an ordinary guest, so don't bother with formality."

In this world, the Ubuyashiki family was an ancient family with a history of over a thousand years, extending from the Heian period to the present day, holding significant influence throughout the country.

This could be seen from the fact that they were able to establish a large organization like the Demon Slayer Corps without government support and have managed it almost single-handedly until this day.

Moreover, Riezel recalled from the original work that the salaries in the Demon Slayer Corps were quite generous; even the lowest-ranked Mizunoto could receive a monthly salary equivalent to about 200,000 yen in 2019, not to mention the salary of a Hashira.

Furthermore, all these salaries were paid by the Ubuyashiki family, along with expenses such as the treatment of injured members, post-demon battle cleanup, and expenses during mission execution, all of which were borne solely by this family.

Such a family undoubtedly possesses vast financial resources; otherwise, it would be impossible to independently manage a big organization like Demon Slayer Corps for nearly a thousand years.

Naturally, as the head of the Ubuyashiki family and the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, Kagaya's status was extremely prestigious. In comparison, Riezel was just an ordinary young man and really didn't need any grand gestures.

"That being said, you are neither a member of the Demon Slayer Corps nor obligated to eradicate demons, yet you helped us defeat the Upper Three of the Twelve Kizuki. For this alone, we are deeply grateful."

Kagaya spoke softly to Riezel and shook his head slightly.

"Members of the Upper Ranks haven't changed for over a hundred years, which means that in all that time, no one has ever defeated an Upper Rank. On the contrary, we have lost countless Hashira to them."

As Kagaya's voice turned melancholic, it carried a tinge of sorrow.

It was a sorrow for the once sacrificial victim.

Every Hashira also hung their heads, their eyes clouded with gloom.

Twelve Kizuki, an organization composed of the highest and most powerful demons, had always been the bane of the Demon Slayer Corps, a constant thorn in their side.

Many Hashira had hunted Lower Ranks before; however, many had also perished at the hands of Upper Ranks.

Both the Demon Slayer Corps and the Twelve Kizuki were truly sworn enemies.

Once casualties occurred among the Lower Ranks of the Twelve Kizuki, they almost always fell to the Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps. Likewise, if casualties occurred among the Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, they almost always fell to the Upper Ranks of the Twelve Kizuki.

They were nemesis locked in a cycle of mutual hunting, with the Hashira gaining fame by hunting Lower Ranks, and Upper Ranks earning their greatest merits by hunting the Hashira.

From Riezel's perspective, this was quite ironic.

After experiencing the event of the Mugen Train and successfully hunting both a Lower Rank and an Upper Rank, Riezel had roughly gauged the strength of demons and Demon Slayers.

Beginning with the weakest, a demon newly transformed, possessing diluted demon's blood, and not yet mastering the Blood Demon Art, was roughly equivalent to a Level 1 adventurer. They were stronger than ordinary humans but not entirely invincible against them.

Those who had mastered the Blood Demon Art, consumed humans, and gained some experience and strength were roughly equivalent to Level 2.

Lower Ranks were roughly equivalent to Level 3.

The Hashira and the Upper Ranks were roughly equivalent to Level 4.

However, the Upper Ranks generally surpassed the Hashira. If they had to be classified, most of the Hashira were akin to lower Level 4, while the Upper Ranks were at least upper Level 4.

Moreover, demons were naturally unafraid of death; whether their limbs were severed or their bodies pierced, as long as their heads weren't cut off by Nichirin Swords, they could immediately regenerate. With this advantage alone, they naturally held a significant edge over the Hashira when facing them.

Therefore, once someone in the Demon Slayer Corps reached the strength of a Hashira, they could easily slay Lower Ranks, earn merit, and become a Hashira. However, when facing the Upper Ranks, the Hashira often found themselves lacking in strength and were ultimately hunted down by them.

This led to the basic fact that the successive generations of Hashira had almost all perished at the hands of the Upper Ranks, leading to their deep hatred toward the Upper Ranks.

In fact, this was also the reason why the reaction of the Hashira was so big upon learning that Riezel had slain an Upper Rank.

On the other hand, since members of the Twelve Kizuki only met their demise at the hands of the Hashira, the Upper Ranks regarded them as enemies to be eliminated at all costs. Once confronted, they would never let the Hashira go.

Now, with Riezel having slain an Upper Rank for the Demon Slayer Corps, causing an absence in the Upper Ranks, which hadn't occurred in over a hundred years, this undoubtedly marked a monumental achievement for the Corps.

"Plus, with the Sun Breathing reemerging from you, I can already sense it. In our generation, Demon Slayers and demons may finally settle the score, putting an end to this millennia-old history of mistakes."

Kagaya's voice became somewhat energized as he spoke.

*Cough!* *Cough!*

However, due to the shift in his emotions, he suddenly started coughing violently.

"Master!"

"Please take care of yourself!"

Every Hashira was shocked one after another, speaking hastily as they saw Kagaya's wife and daughters supporting him by patting his chest and back to ease his discomfort.

"Don't worry, I'm fine... I'm just overwhelmed with happiness."

Kagaya reassured his wife and daughters, patting their hands, then gestured for everyone to relax before turning to Riezel with a smile.

"You truly live up to the name 'Tsugikuni Yoriichi'... Perhaps it's fate."

Hearing Kagaya's words, Riezel raised an eyebrow.

"You know Tsugikuni Yoriichi?"

"Of course..." Kagaya replied, looking deeply at Riezel's eyes.

"Tsugikuni Yoriichi, a swordsman born in the Sengoku era, was the first to master and create the breathing style."

"The Corps began practicing the breathing style under his guidance, giving us the ability to fight demons."

"However, the breathing style he created and used was said to be so powerful that it demanded strict requirements of the user's body, making it nearly impossible for anyone to learn it."

"As a result, various breathing styles were derived from the one he used."

Kagaya glanced at every Hashira kneeling in the courtyard as his voice slowly spread out.

"Water Breathing, Thunder Breathing, Flame Breathing, Stone Breathing, Wind Breathing—these are the five fundamental breathing styles. They are branches derived from Tsugikuni Yoriichi's breathing style."

"After the emergence of these five fundamental breathing styles, the Corps witnessed the rise of many talented individuals who developed derivative styles based on them."

"Love Breathing used by Love Hashira Kanroji Mitsuri is a derivative branch of Flame Breathing."

"Insect Breathing used by Insect Hashira Kochou Shinobu and Serpent Breathing used by Serpent Hashira Iguro Obanai are derivative branches of Water Breathing."

"Sound Breathing used by Sound Hashira Uzui Tengen is a derivative branch of Thunder Breathing."

"Mist Breathing used by Mist Hashira Tokitou Muichirou is a derivative branch of Wind Breathing."

"In this way, various breathing styles emerged successively, but the breathing style of Tsugikuni Yoriichi, which served as the origin of all these breathing styles, has been lost."

As Kagaya spoke, a rich smile appeared on his face involuntarily.

"Until my generation, the origin of all breathing styles—the ancestor and foundation of them all—has finally been revived in the world once again."

Upon hearing that, everyone couldn't help but wonder what Kagaya meant.

"Could it be... the Sun Breathing this boy used is the breathing style Master was talking about?"

Sanemi couldn't help but speak up in shock.

Upon hearing him, the other Hashira cast astonished looks at Riezel one after another, surprised by this sudden revelation.

"Master!" Kyoujurou exclaimed surprisedly. "Why were we not informed of such an important matter?"

Indeed, whether it was Sun Breathing or Tsugikuni Yoriichi, hardly any Hashira present knew of their existence.

This was very absurd.

Sun Breathing was the origin and foundation of all breathing styles, the strongest breathing style, while Tsugikuni Yoriichi was the one who created this breathing style, bringing it to the world.

Why were such important matters devoid of any records or tales within the Demon Slayer Corps?

"The reason is simple..."

Riezel spoke up, answering Kyoujurou's question.

"Because Tsugikuni Yoriichi once made some mistakes and got banished from the Corps. On top of that, the legacy and records about Sun Breathing were brutally destroyed. That's why there are hardly any records about these two within the Corps."

Riezel's explanation shook everyone.

"That's right..."

Kagaya sighed resignedly and lowered his head.

"I must say, it's a very tragic situation."


創作者的想法
VALRRR VALRRR

Support and read advanced chapters at:

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章節 153: Collecting Breathing Styles

In Riezel's eyes, Tsugikuni Yoriichi was undoubtedly the most powerful being in this world. It was not just because he created the first ever breathing style and introduced it to the world, but also because his talent was simply inhuman.

He inherently understood the principles of breathing style, with Sun Breathing being the result of organizing these principles.

He even came with a cheat from birth, not only having the Demon Slayer Mark on his forehead that greatly enhanced his physical abilities but also reaching the so-called 'highest domain (Selfless State)' mentioned by Akaza, demonstrating extraordinary strength from childhood.

He also had a history of nearly exterminating the Demon King, who had survived for a millennium, leaving him with psychological trauma. The Demon King was so traumatized that he refused to show himself to the world again until Yoriichi's dying day.

All these feats made Riezel genuinely believe that Yoriichi, the swordsman born in the Sengoku period, was the strongest existence in this world.

Unfortunately, at the moment when he was most likely to resolve everything and end the tragedy that had spanned a thousand years, he failed.

With this failure, Yoriichi, who was born overpowered, fell from grace.

Not only was he banished from the Demon Slayer Corps, but he also carried a lifelong regret that he could never let go of. Moreover, it was also because of him that the Corps faced numerous major crises of destruction.

Fearing Yoriichi and his Sun Breathing, the Demon King launched a pursuit against anyone who knew about Sun Breathing after surviving the crisis brought by this overpowered swordsman, nearly destroying the Demon Slayer Corps several times.

As a result, the records of Yoriichi and Sun Breathing were lost, with only the Ubuyashiki family, who had always led the Demon Slayer Corps, retaining some records.

However, at this moment, Kagaya suddenly mentioned something else.

"If I'm not wrong, the Rengoku family should have more or less kept some relevant records."

As Kagaya suddenly brought up Kyoujurou's family, every Hashira turned their attention to Kyoujurou.

"My family?" Kyoujurou was also somewhat perplexed.

"Yes..." Kagaya nodded. "As you know, the Flame Hashira has almost always been from your family, making it a long-standing family of Demon Slayers."

"In the beginning, it was your family's ancestor who encountered Tsugikuni Yoriichi and introduced him to the Corps, shaping it into what it is today. Even after being banished from the Corps, he still maintained contact with your family."

"Based on this, your family should have records similar to mine. The evidence lies in the fact that your family's Flame Breathing style is the closest and most identical to Sun Breathing among all breathing styles."

Sun Breathing and Flame Breathing were indeed very identical—breathing styles that manipulated flames and experts in flame manipulation.

However, Sun Breathing wasn't just about flames; it harnessed the power of the sun. From this perspective, Flame Breathing could perhaps be considered a lower version of Sun Breathing.

Of course, since the five fundamental breathing styles were all derived from Sun Breathing, they could be seen as lower versions as well.

As for Sound Breathing, Serpent Breathing, Mist Breathing, Love Breathing, and Insect Breathing, since they were derived and modified versions from the five fundamental breathing styles, they should be the lowest. The ones who could really make them shine were probably only the current Hashira.

"Kyoujurou, you aren't very fond of exploring your family history, are you? Your free time is spent studying swordsmanship, so that's why you're not familiar with it." Kagaya said with a smile. "Your father should know more about these. If you're interested, you can go back and ask him."

Upon hearing that, Kyoujurou fell silent.

"Nevertheless, the strongest breathing style is re-emerging again, and that's a good thing." Kagaya turned to every Hashira. "You should not disrespect the swordsman who inherits the great ancestor's name and swordsmanship too much, understood?"

"..."

""Yes.""

Every Hashira bowed their heads and remained silent for a moment before answering.

Even the most unruly Sanemi and Obanai refrained from speaking out against Kagaya. However, what they truly thought in their hearts, only they themselves knew.

As Riezel watched all this, his appreciation for Kagaya couldn't help but grow even more.

Not because Kagaya spoke up for him, but because, after explaining the situation, Kagaya had no intention of pursuing the matter regarding his origin.

Such as why Riezel could use the long-lost Sun Breathing? Or why did he know about Tsugikuni Yoriichi's existence and even use his name?

Kagaya didn't ask any of those questions and didn't even inquire about Riezel's origin or purpose.

Frankly, allowing Riezel to come here to meet him face-to-face was in itself an expression of trust. Just this alone was enough to make Riezel have a much better impression of him.

"Tsugikuni Yoriichi, would you like to join the Demon Slayer Corps?" Kagaya asked politely.

His question made all the Hashira present look at Riezel.

Although some of them weren't quite fond of Riezel, at least his strength was recognized by them. Being able to effortlessly defeat three Hashira, his strength was beyond doubt, proving that his feat of slaying an Upper Rank was no mere boast.

On top of that, Riezel also possessed knowledge of the strongest breathing style. If he could remain in the Demon Slayer Corps, the Corps' strength would undoubtedly become unprecedentedly powerful. Moreover, if he could pass down Sun Breathing, that would be even better.

Unfortunately, Riezel did not agree.

"To be honest, I wasn't really keen on joining the Demon Slayer Corps..." Riezel answered calmly. "I might need some time to learn some secret techniques and train in seclusion. If I stay in the Corps, I doubt I'll have time for that."

In all honesty, he wasn't entirely opposed to joining the Demon Slayer Corps. Joining the Corps would allow him to utilize their intelligence network to find out where demons were to be hunted, thus obtaining excelia.

Unfortunately, as he had suspected before the dimensional travel, demons in this world weren't plentiful enough to warrant a killing spree. Each demon hunt involved a considerable journey to various towns, taking up a significant amount of time, and usually resulted in only one or so demons being slain, making the efficiency of obtaining excelia quite low.

It would be a different story if these demons were powerful.

After all, the stronger the enemy, the more excelia one could gain. If his opponent was powerful enough, all the effort he put into hunting them down wouldn't be a waste of time.

However, the problem was that he had already figured out that even the Upper Ranks were only equivalent to Level 4 adventurers at best, and at his current level, killing such creatures wouldn't yield much excelia.

Unless the Demon King himself showed up or the strongest Upper One among the Upper Ranks made a move, he wouldn't be interested.

As far as he knew, the strength of those two surpassed all the demons in the Twelve Kizuki, possibly even reaching Level 5. Especially the Demon King; if there was anyone in this world who could be his opponent, it might only be this Demon King.

If he encountered these two strongest demons, he would be interested in taking action, whereas for the rest of the demons, he felt that instead of coveting that little bit of excelia, it would be better to stick to his original plan and collect the breathing styles of this world to see if he could realize his idea.

If he could succeed, then this dimensional travel wouldn't have been in vain.

Considering all of those factors, Riezel abandoned the idea of joining the Demon Slayer Corps. Once he joined, he knew they wouldn't let him train leisurely; they would surely assign him numerous missions to hunt demons.

Because of this, Riezel politely declined Kagaya's invitation.

However, Kagaya didn't seem disappointed, and instead, he became quite interested in Riezel's reason.

"Learning secret techniques and training in seclusion, is it?" Kagaya chuckled gently. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Can you?" Riezel asked in surprise.

"Yes, I will help if I can." Kagaya nodded gently. "Even if you don't join the Corps, as long as there are people in this world who can kill demons, threaten the Upper Ranks, or even threaten the progenitor of demons himself, it's meaningful to us."

"Is that so?"

Riezel looked deeply into Kagaya's eyes before asking a question.

"What if I want to learn your Corps' breathing style?"

His question caught Kagaya and every Hashira off guard, but in the next second, Kagaya nodded without hesitation.

"If it helps you, then naturally, there's no problem." Kagaya agreed readily with a smile.

In fact, the knowledge of breathing styles wasn't really a tightly guarded secret, as the Demon Slayer Corps had appointed several members to teach breathing styles to outsiders, thereby adding fresh blood to the Corps.

Generally speaking, as long as there was an intention and desire, the Demon Slayer Corps welcomed anyone interested in learning breathing styles.

"What breathing style do you need?" Kagaya asked.

"Wind, Flame, Water, Stone, Thunder, these five fundamental breathing styles, I probably need them all..." Riezel answered, then thought for a moment before continuing his words. "As for the other derived breathing styles, I'm not sure if they'll be useful. We'll see when the need arises."

His words instantly offended quite a few people.

"Hmph, just so you know, my Sound Breathing is quite magnificent." Tengen snorted irritatedly.

"Is he looking down on our breathing styles?" Obanai was displeased.

"Oh my, being underestimated..." Shinobu remarked with a gentle smile.

"I'm really sorry if mine can't be of use..." Mitsuri pouted.

"..." Muichirou remained silent as if lost in thought.

"Kyoujurou." Kagaya turned his head to Kyoujurou. "Let Tsugikuni stay in your place for the time being, remember to entertain him well."

"Yes, Master!" Kyoujurou instantly agreed and had no objections.

"Alright then, let's call it a day." Kagaya nodded with a gentle smile. "I hope to see all of you gathered here again next time, don't be absent."

""Yes!""

All the Hashira answered in unison and bowed their heads in respect.


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Support and read advanced chapters at:

pat*reon.com/VALRRR

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