Blowing the Jug

"If I knew, would I still ask?"

Kanae was speechless with Rio's reply, now she could confirm that the youth in front of her was completely unaware of Total Concentration Breathing.

Lifting her index finger, Kanae taught Rio and said:

"Simply Total Concentration Breathing: Constant is doing Total Concentration Breathing all day long."

"Morning, noon and night… Even while sleeping, you perform Total Concentration Breathing."

"Eh… All day?" Rio said surprised but his face was always expressionless.

Rio knew how difficult it was to do Total Concentration Breathing for too long, his lungs would ache and his chest would ache excruciatingly. That was why he always did Total Concentration Breathing when only necessary.

Kanae smiled with satisfaction seeing Rio's reaction, of course it was only her opinion because the young man in front of her always seemed indifferent.

"How about Shin-kun, can you Breathe Total Concentration: Constant?"

"I can't, how about you?"

"Of course I can do Total Concentration Breathing: Constant, not just me. All Hashiras can do that, of course there are some Demon Slayers who aren't Hashira too."

Hearing that there were regular members of the Demon Slayer Corps, only now did Rio realize he was still too weak.

"Is there really a difference when doing Total Concentration Breathing: Constant?"

Rio threw away the thought of looking down on himself and asked Kanae.

"There's certainly a big difference between those who can do it and those who can't."

Kanae could sense curiosity through Rio's eyes, and he explained patiently.

"I see… Though Total Concentration Breathing for a while is already difficult…" Rio muttered holding his chest, he couldn't imagine always using Total Concentration Breathing.

"So what's Shin-kun's decision, are you going to go tomorrow and hunt the Demons or stay in the Butterfly Mansion until you master Total Concentration Breathing: Constant?"

In front of Kanae's two choices, Rio answered without hesitation:

"I'll give it a try, please help." Rio slightly lowered his head in front of Kanae.

"You're welcome, consider this a gift from me for not giving up on helping me that time." Kanae smiled gently.

If other boys saw that smile, they would be mesmerized by the beauty of Kanae's spring-like smile. Unfortunately there wasn't any emotional fluctuation in Rio's heart seeing Kanae's smile, it was like a breeze that no one noticed.

In the courtyard of the Butterfly Mansion...

Rio had changed his Demon Slayer clothes into patient clothes again...

Standing in the cold snow pile barefoot, Rio ignored the snowflakes that had accumulated on his head and completely focused on controlling his breathing.

Not far from where Rio was standing, Kanae sat on the wooden floor sheltered from the snow and watched Rio.

"Huhhhh… Hahhh… Breathing Total Concentration…"

With a stance, Rio closed his eyes and started Total Concentration Breathing.

During the 15 minutes Rio was doing Total Concentration Breathing, there were beads of sweat dripping down his forehead.

"Damn it, I can't do it!"

Rio fell to the ground from using Total Concentration Breathing beyond his limits.

"Ara ara….15 minutes is Shin-kun's limit."

Kanae took the cup containing the green tea beside her, then drank the hot tea in the cold winter temperature and didn't forget to judge Rio's limits.

"Hah Hah Hah… When I did Total Concentration Breathing for a long time, my lungs hurt so much they felt like they were going to explode."

"Are you really using Total Concentration Breathing right now? Hah hah hah hah..."

Rio breathlessly glanced at Kanae who put down the cup, it was hard to believe Kanae was currently using Total Concentration Breathing but not showing any abnormality.

"Of course." Kanae replied with a small nod.

"Is there a method to mastering Total Concentration Breathing: Constant other than constantly using Total Concentration Breathing?" Rio asked trying to stand up.

"There is."

"Then why didn't you say so from the start!"

"Fufufu… This is so that Shin-kun can feel how difficult it is to master Total Concentration Breathing: Constant."

"You did it on purpose, didn't you?"

"I don't know, who knows."

"Tsk, what a woman."

Rio clicked his tongue at Kanae's mischievous behavior.

"Take this."

Kanae threw the jug beside her which Rio immediately caught.

"Drinking jug? What is this for?"

Rio was holding a jug the size of a 600-millimetre bottle and looked at Kanae in confusion.

"Shin-kun's first training was to blow the jug until it broke."

"Blow the jug until it breaks? This jug is made of clay, can it really break with just blowing?" Rio expressed his doubts.

Kanae knew Rio wouldn't believe it, she took another jug nearby and placed it in front of her mouth.

"Right, look at this."

"Huhhh... Fuuuu...."

Putting the tip of the jug to her mouth, Kanae took a deep breath, then blew air into the jug.

Under Rio's disbelieving gaze, the jug in Kanae's hand cracked like a spider's web and finally broke into pieces.

"Oh my god..." Rio said in English without realizing it.

"See, this jug is broken isn't it?"

"This is the first step Shin-kun should take, any questions."

Rio shook his head indicating he had nothing to ask.

"Good, I'll supervise Shin-kun's training from here." Kanae said with a smile, but there was redness on her face.

"Aren't you going? Isn't Hashira busy?"

"As far as I know Hashira is assigned to a certain area that they have to patrol, usually to gather information about the Demons that inhabit the area and to improve their swordsmanship."

"Hashira is also deployed on missions only if members of a lower rank are unable to complete them." Rio asked curiously.

Of course all this information Rio got from the three little girls in the Butterfly Mansion, namely Sumi, Kiyo and Naho through conversations when Rio was still being treated.

"It's true that Hashira is very busy, Oyakata-sama gave me a break to recover from Doma's attack." Kanae said while rubbing her chest which had a cut from Doma.

"Is that so..." Rio no longer asked.

*Tock Tock*

Knocking on the drinking jug made of clay, Rio felt that this would not be as easy as it seemed.

"This thing is so hard..."

"Oh right, there's one more thing I haven't said." Kanae suddenly said.

"Especially?"

"The jug in Shin-kun's hand is a special jug, it's harder than an ordinary jug."

Seeing the smile on Kanae's face, Rio felt that smile was scarier than any demon he had ever faced.

(This meek looking girl can blow this hard jug of broken trash? It's hard to imagine what if she gave her husband a blowjob, wouldn't her husband's genitals be broken in just one puff) Rio thought shivering thinking about that scene.

"Ara ara Shin-kun, did you think of something rude?" Kanae smiled at Rio, but this time it wasn't her usual friendly smile, but a dangerous smile.

"No, it's just how you feel." Rio replied without changing his expression.

Not wanting to be questioned by Kanae anymore, Rio pointed the hole of the jug at his mouth and started blowing the jug until it could burst.

"Huhhh...."

Even after Rio blew out the jug with all his breath, the jug didn't suffer the slightest damage.