(Demon Slayer)-- CHAPTER 34: Sun Breath

The eighth day

Yuri felt the scorching power within his body and couldn't help but frown.

"No wonder so few people can learn the Sun Breathing technique. Normal people's bodies simply wouldn't be able to withstand this burning sensation from the sun's energy."

There are many breathing techniques in Kimetsu no Yaiba, each of which is unique.

Moon Breathing is a style of breathing that imitates the Moon, specifically the crescent shape of the moon as it waxes and wanes and the erratic behavior of passing moonlight, and replicates it with the user's movements, techniques, and skills.

Most, if not all, known techniques and forms are standard but varied fencing techniques that focus on quick, powerful strikes that combine attack and defense. Most of the sword strikes performed follow the shape and pattern of crescent moons.

Like all other original Breathing Styles, Moon Breathing also branched off from Sun Breathing. When its creator, Michikatsu Tsugikuni, tried to learn Sun Breathing from his twin brother Yoriichi Tsugikuni, he found that he could not master it, instead, he created and mastered an alternative Breathing Style that would later become known as Moon Breathing.

Moon Breathing is used exclusively by Michikatsu Tsugikuni, one of the first Demon Slayers to utilize Total Concentration Breathing, and is a breathing style that he continued to use and perfect even after becoming a demon. Michikatsu, now Kokushibo uses Moon Breathing in conjunction with his Blood Demon Art, which allows him to release barrages of erratic, crescent-shaped blades, an ability that complements his breathing style and also makes it more deadly and effective.

Skilled users of water breathing can deliver nimble blows like the flow of water.

Thunder has the fastest breathing speed and the strongest explosive power. It has extremely high requirements for the user's physical fitness, so it is also extremely difficult to practice.

They all seem powerful, but in reality they are, to some extent, far inferior to Sun Breathing.

In this world, there are only two breathing methods.

One of them is: Sun Breathing Method.

And the other is: other respiratory methods.

Breathing Styles are styles of swordsmanship that make use of an esoteric breathing technique known as Total Concentration Breathing, practiced and taught by members of the Demon Hunter Corps and used in combat by Demon Hunters.

The basic ability of the breathing style is to use a large amount of oxygen to strengthen heart and lung function, accelerate blood flow, and give people temporary power beyond the human body.

On this basis, Sun Breath can emit the same energy as the sun, which is extremely lethal to demons. At the same time, energy can also be directly attached to the blade to form a fiery crimson blade.

Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the most powerful Demon Slayer who ever lived, created Sun Breathing, the first Breathing Style and progenitor of all others that would come after him. He attempted to teach his Breathing Style to several Demon Slayers, including his brother Michikatsu, but none were able to learn it, as he lacked the innate talent for unparalleled swordsmanship that Yoriichi possessed from birth.

Instead, Yoriichi chose to modify Sun Breathing and teach several "inferior" versions to his students, each of which focused on each student's individual strengths and weaknesses.

Thus the Breath of the Sun begat his first offspring; an incredibly versatile and flexible style evolved into Water Breathing; a style centered on powerful singular strikes that "burn" evolved into Flame Breathing; a style that channeled strength into the legs to reach blinding speeds evolved into Thunder Breathing; a purely offensive style with fast rotational movements evolved into Wind Breathing; a style that utilizes the ground to execute powerful attacks and robust defenses evolved into Stone Breathing.

Michikatsu Tsugikuni's attempt to learn Sun Breathing eventually evolved into Moon Breathing.

This adaptation makes several basic skills of the breathing sword appear to have their own specialties, but in fact, the aspect of generating energy through the breathing method has been weakened.

This can be clearly seen by the fact that before Yoriichi almost died of old age, he almost killed Kokushibo. If it weren't for the affection between the two, Kokushibo would have died a long time ago.

In essence, the rest of the breathing methods are a lower form of Sun Breathing.

This was especially confirmed by Yuri after she learned the Hinokami Kagura and felt the sun's energy coursing through her body.

Only those with a naturally strong physique like Tsugikuni Yoriichi can withstand this kind of power and truly wield the power of Sun Breathing.

Even fighting against Muzan Kibutsuji in the original work, Tanjiro, who inherited this Technique, may not be able to exert its true power.

If Tanjiro had half Yoriichi's strength, he wouldn't have suffered so much at the hands of Michael Jackson.

After practicing sun breathing for an entire day, Yuri, who had completed his objective, decided to leave, but before that, he still had to solve the Kamado family's problem.

That night

After eating dinner and putting the little ones to bed, Yuri called Tanjiro and Kie.

"Kie, do you know about the 'demons'?"

In this era, the existence of demons is no secret. Many places know about ghosts and the Demon Slayer corps. At the beginning of the plot, the man who kindly asked Tanjiro to stay away from the night road knew about the existence of demons.

"I heard about it."

Yuri nodded at her words. As she knew, it would be easier to explain.

In the original work, the story of Yoriichi and Muzan was told much further in the future.

"The Hinokami Kagura, inherited by his family. I'm sure it's Yoriichi Tsugikuni's sun breathing technique."

"If this is discovered by a demon, it is very likely that he will come. At that moment, all of you will be in danger."

After hearing this, Kie and Tanjiro were a little scared. His brothers and sisters were still young. If they really encountered those demons, he couldn't even think about the consequences.

"Don't worry, Tanjiro, I'll teach you everything I learned about sun breathing. At the same time, I will send you to a safer city first, and Tanjiro, you should also put away your earrings."

Yuri took out several Yen and gave them to Kie and told them to live a normal and discreet life.

"After I contact the Demon Slayer Corps and gain cooperation, I will take you to live in a place protected by the Demon Slayer Corps."

Yuri held Kie's hand to reassure her. Tanjiro looked at this and then looked away.

He was young and kind, but he wasn't foolish, he knew something was going on between his mother and Yuri.

Over the next two days, Yuri, who had established the Kamado family in a safe city and taught Tanjiro as much as he could, was searching for the Demon Slayer Team while killing several demons along the way.

After wandering like this for six or seven days, Yuri heard a story about a man-eating monster.

"Is there a man-eating monster haunting Mount Natagumo?"

Yuri remembered the Lower Moon from the original work and his hands itched to hold the sword he had purchased.

"Finally I can have a decent fight. After so many days of learning and easily killing those demons on the road, I can really train with a strong opponent."

Yuri seemed to have thought of something and at the same time added the remaining roulette point to acquire a certain skill.

............

............

Headquarters of the Demon Slayer corps.

With the support of his wife, Kagaya Ubuyashiki stood up and walked to the front of the courtyard.

"Sir."

Kanae Kocho and Shinobu Kocho knelt down and saluted Kagaya.

"Recently, I heard about the appearance of a new demon slayer. But he is not part of Demon Slayer corps. And from what I heard, he doesn't own a Nichirin Sword either, but he somehow managed to kill demons."

Kagaya's voice was always as calming as the spring breeze, but this time, Kanae and Shinobu heard an uncontrollable excitement in it.

"According to the description, the katana he uses has a dark red blade that appears to produce heat waves. It is very likely that he had mastered the long-lost Sun Breathing Technique.

"Kanae, Shinobu, he is heading towards Natagumo Mountain, preparing to kill the demons there."

(End of chapter)