38. I Don't Know it Either!
"Oyakata-sama!"
The Hashiras were once again baffled, seeing Kagaya bowing to Kotaro. Hamon didn't seem as powerful as the Breath Style, so why was Oyakata-sama bowing to him just for this technique?
Their thoughts were valid, but they stemmed from ignorance. Kagaya knew that acquiring Hamon was crucial—it could be the key to fulfilling the Ubuyashiki family's long-standing wish: slaying Kibutsuji Muzan! His Foresight was at work, telling Kagaya that this married couple sitting before him would be essential to defeating Muzan.
Breath Style can indeed slay demons quickly—a swipe of the blade, and the demon is dead. But the true key to killing demons isn't the Breath Style itself, but the Nichirin blade. If one performs the Breath Style with a normal blade, it does nothing to the demon. The injuries inflicted will regenerate, even if the head is decapitated. So, the blade is critical.
Nichirin blades are effective against demons because they are forged from ore that has been bathed in sunlight all year round at the top of Mount Yoko, retaining the sun's energy to help kill demons. But what if these blades, effective on demons, don't work? To the Hashiras, this might seem unbelievable, but Kagaya's Foresight had long warned him that Muzan, the Demon King, might be immune to Nichirin blades.
In the end, Nichirin blades are merely tools that retain some of the sun's energy. Hamon, however, is different. It is not a tool but a technique, and that's what makes the difference. Breath Style alone can't kill a demon, but Hamon can. Hamon generates energy identical to that of the sun, making it lethal to all demons—even to the Demon King, Kibutsuji Muzan.
Kagaya looked at Kotaro with expectant eyes, but Kotaro's eye twitched at the request. Don't get him wrong—it's not that he didn't want to teach them the Hamon technique. The problem was that he didn't know how to teach it!
"Sorry, Kagaya-san. I can't teach the Hamon technique."
"Why not?"
"Please don't misunderstand. It's not that I don't want to teach you; it's that I can't. I don't know how to teach others to use Hamon."
"Huh?"
Kagaya and the Hashiras were all dumbfounded by his words. He can use Hamon but can't teach it to others? They all thought—What kind of nonsense is that?!
"You bastard! Are you messing with us? What do you mean you don't know how to teach Hamon? 'I don't know how to teach others to use Hamon.' Don't give us that crap!"
"I'm not messing with you, Loser Hashira."
"You… Who are you calling a loser, you bastard?! I'll kill you!"
And once again...
"Sanemi."
"Y-Yes, Oyakata-sama!"
Controlling Sanemi, Kagaya looked at Kotaro, assessing him. He could tell Kotaro wasn't lying, but the claim that he didn't know how to teach the use of Hamon seemed illogical. If he didn't know, then how was he using it himself?
"Kotaro-kun, if you don't know how to teach others to use Hamon, then how do you use it yourself?"
A valid question indeed.
Kotaro took a deep breath and replied with a serious and solemn expression.
"I don't know that either."
"…"
"Kotaro-san, I think you should stop joking now."
"I know you like to be flashy, but this is going too far."
"Namu Amida Butsu."
Sensing the animosity in the air from the Stone, Sound, and Insect Hashiras, Kotaro quickly shouted, "W-Wait! Wait! I'm telling the truth. Why are you all so angry at me?"
Twitch!
'Isn't that obvious?!' x3
"You bastard, isn't that obvious?!"
While the three thought it to themselves, Sanemi voiced the inner thoughts of all the Hashiras. Meanwhile, Giyu, the Water Hashira…
"…" He remained silent, maintaining his usual cold and cool demeanor.
…
It's not like Kotaro didn't understand the reason behind their anger. They were fuming because he seemed to be talking nonsense during a serious meeting. But the truth is, Kotaro wasn't talking nonsense—he was telling the truth!
Why can he use Hamon? He doesn't know! In that moment of crisis, a voice called out to him, and suddenly, he was able to use it.
Now, if they ask him to teach it, how can he?
He doesn't know how he was able to use it himself, so how could he possibly teach others? There are methods to teach Hamon, like Forced Hamon Breathing, which is generated by precisely poking a pinky finger under the diaphragm to force the person to generate Hamon for a short period of time.
But that was Baron Zeppeli, who had used Hamon for years. Kotaro Kenshin, on the other hand, had just learned it a day ago.
"Kagaya-san, Hamon… I was never taught how to use it. It was something that came to me in a moment of crisis. It felt more like an instinct that helped me defeat that demon."
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
Kagaya looked at him for several seconds before showing his gentle smile.
"Alright. It seems Kotaro-kun is telling the truth."
"Oyakata-sama!"
The Hashiras were surprised but didn't question his decision. If there was one thing they all agreed on, it was Kagaya's judgment. Kagaya might lack fighting prowess, but he excelled in communication and intellect.
Many of Kagaya's predictions had come true, and he could see the essence of people and offer advice when they were troubled. The Hashiras themselves were proof of that.
Gyomei had been imprisoned due to a false statement given by a child and was scheduled for execution, but Kagaya believed in him and saved him. Sanemi was angry and mocked him at first, but then came to acknowledge him. Tengen was confused about his life but found solace under his advice.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki wasn't the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps for nothing.
"If Kotaro-kun can't teach us how to use Hamon, that's alright. But I still hope you can help us in slaying the Demon King, Kibutsuji Muzan."
"About that… I'm sorry, but I refuse."
===
A/N:
Well, how is the chapter?