Chapter 28: Test...?

Twenty Days Later.

As Ace relaxed inside the compound, Shinobu and Mitsuri were having some casual talk.

Suddenly Shinobu grinned mischievously and said, "I heard some crows joking about someone's mom."

A tick mark appeared in his head as he heard that and said in a serious voice "Make sure to tell me if you see them anywhere."

"Ara Ace-kun don't take those jokes seriously, you were not the only one who had suffered from them" Shinobu said while chuckling.

Mitsuri joined in with a laugh, sharing an amusing memory, "They once took Tengen's whole uniform when he was bathing. He had to run for seven miles naked with nothing but leaves covering him."

Ace couldn't help but chuckle at the mental image and, shifting the topic, asked about the protagonist trio, "So how are those three doing?"

Shinobu shared her observations with a contemplative look, "They're healed fully now and training with Kanao."

Continuing, she added, "Zenitsu is a bit on the cowardly side and a little lazy, but surprisingly fights better when he's half asleep rather than awake."

"And then there's Inosuke—he's a tough nut with a wild and savage fighting style, operating purely on instincts. He even developed his breathing style on his own, although his brain is a bit pig-headed."

As for Tanjiro, Shinobu concluded, "He's the most balanced of the trio—good instincts, a level head. Although, he can be a bit too kind for this line of work."

Suddenly, Shinobu turned to Mitsuri and asked, "By the way, did you notice something unusual about Kanao?"

Mitsuri nodded in agreement, affirming, "Yeah, she has begun acting a bit different than before. Even showing her emotions more openly now."

With a thoughtful expression, Mitsuri continued, "She has grown stronger too. Her breathing technique has changed as well."

Shinobu's expression brightened at the thought of Kanao regaining her emotions. The guilt she felt for not taking good care of her and disappointing her sister seemed to lift, knowing that Kanao had been returning to a more normal state.

Shinobu gazed at Ace, thinking of how everything began to change when he entered the picture, even making her life a bit more lively.

What surprised her even more was Kanao's lack of negative feelings despite being surpassed by Ace in such a short time. While she expected that of her, she also knew how competitive she was and it was easy to grow jealous in that kind of situation.

However, the significant changes in Kanao's demeanour began just a week ago when she started training with Ace and Yuki in the morning amidst the woods. It was as if a dormant flower had started to bloom. She started showing joy and brightness in her expression—something Shinobu had never witnessed before. And not to forget how her strength and swordsmanship have improved.

Even how she breathes, how she moves, how she walks have begun to show subtle changes.

These changes might be too difficult for others to notice, but having shared most of her life with Kanao, how could she not notice it?

Shinobu's thoughts raced as she thought, 'Did this guy change her breathing style?' The notion shocked her since improving a breathing style was no small feat. These techniques had been passed down through generations, each master dedicating their entire lives to practising them. The idea that it could change so easily, and within just a week, seemed almost unbelievable—developing a new style would be more plausible than such rapid improvement on an existing one.

Curious about their training, Shinobu asked Ace, "What exactly do you two practice in the woods every morning?"

Ace choked a little hearing her question 'that sounded a little dirty' but swiftly regaining his composure, he responded with a mischievous grin, "It's a surprise."

Shinobu couldn't help but shake her head, and said, annoyed, "You and your surprises!"

Mitsuri, on the other hand, pouted and said, "you can't just tease us like that! I want to know the surprise too."

Relaxing in his position, Ace reassured, "Don't worry. You'll find out in due time."

In a change of topic, Mitsuri casually asked, "and what about Yuki, how is her training going?"

Since Yuki was mainly trained by Shinobu and Ace together while she only focused on training Ace."

"She is doing well, and her progress is very good. While still not surpassing this guy, it's significantly better than any ordinary recruit. And after her battle with the demon, she gained much confidence in herself, and her progress doubled. Much like her own Breathing style, she is like a flower waiting to blossom."

"How did she create her own style so early? It took me two years before I was able to create my own Love Breathing style?" Mitsuri asked, expressing her surprise.

"Ask him, he helped her, in most of it" Shinobu replied.

"I didn't do much; she laid most of the foundations herself. I simply provided knowledge on bodily functions and air pathways," Ace explained.

It was indeed true. He found Yuki's talent impressive and surprising, especially considering she wasn't part of the canon Demon Slayer universe. While he did help in refining her Blossom style with his technique, it was her who laid the basic layout of her unique breathing style.

"Now that I think of it, why don't we arrange a battle royale with the trio, Yuki, and Kanao?" Ace suggested. "It will test their strength before they go into missions, and you guys will also be able to see how much Kanao has progressed and most importantly it will be fun!".

'I mean it's like watching Rome's colosseum in real life but it is better in every way.'

Shinobu looked a little troubled but Mitsuri had an excited expression after she heard him and quickly said "Yes, we should totally do that."

"But what if they get injured again? They don't have demon-like regeneration and a cut in muscle wood takes some time to heal," Shinobu advised against it.

"Don't worry, we won't use real swords in the spar," Ace reassured.

"Yes, we won't use real blades!" Mitsuri quickly supported Ace's words.

Interrupting Mitsuri's enthusiasm, Shinobu sighed and said, "Okay, I will allow it, but you have to make sure they don't end up with a crippling injury in your hot-headedness.""

"Yess," Mitsuri yelled in excitement, since she always wanted to see a battle royale.

Seeing the matter of the spar settled,Ace asked in a little more serious expression "Did you guys find anything unusual about the recent demon sightings ? "

Since that ominous night, He had been inquiring about any unusual activities among the demons. Based on the information gathered, it seemed that Muzan either hadn't discovered the blue spider lily yet or, if he had, had yet to produce the cure. He reasoned that if Muzan had found the cure already, demon slayers would have already faced annihilation, as it would not be very hard with Nakima using her full focus on finding the Headquarters.

And there had been no changes to the sightings of the demons over the time and considering Muzan's ruthless personality, he would be the first to eliminate any lower demons.

Frowning slightly, Shinobu shared, "Now that you say it, the regions under Stone Hashira and Wind Hashira have experienced a sudden surge in demon attacks recently. Fortunately, they were able to respond swiftly and eliminate them in time."

Hmm… It appears they might be searching for something. Has Muzan gotten some lead about the blue spider lilies? or it's just a reaction to me killing Rui.

I need to meet Tamayo fast, but she has been hiding very deeply—even Muzan couldn't find her. I'll have to ask Tanjiro to introduce me to her and perhaps convince her to join the corps earlier than in the canon.

And with the Infinity Train Arc coming close, I have to think of some way to save Rangoku too.

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