Chapter 12. The Best Way to Kill Demons

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"So, I came to tell you that we are leaving today."

Kotaro was sitting in front of his guardian, Aunt Aiko who was casually listening to him while sipping tea.

Mitsuri was also beside him, who was a bit nervous unlike him. And behind them was a bag, packed which shows that both of them were kind of ready to leave somewhere.

"So, why do you have this thought suddenly?"

Aiko looked at the new couple very strangely. After all, it's only been a week since both of them married. For her it is too early to wander around and celebrate honeymoon.

And what made her shocked was the time period of this particular honeymoon.

'This guy said there is no time limit.'

Looking at her furious face, Kotaro just smiled wryly. How could he not guess Aunt Aiko's mind?

Both of them are indeed going for a honeymoon, but the ultimate reason for leaving is to fulfil Mitsuri's wish of becoming a demon slayer.

Even now he denied her, but looking at determined eyes he just nodded but at the condition of accompanying her.

Demon Slayer.

The title of the people working to slay demons.

Without a doubt this is a very dangerous job with a high fatality rate.

And now both of them are going to join and become demon slayers. How can he tell his aunt about this?

There is a chance that someone might die. He might die. Or Mitsuri might die.

He didn't even want to think about it, but he can't just ignore the truth.

And in the midst of it, he can't tell his aunt the false hope that he will definitely return.

And that's why he told her that he himself doesn't know when he is going to come back.

And to hide it, he has to tell her about it in the idea of a honeymoon, so she doesn't worry too much about both of them.

"It's just we thought this might be a good time to wander around the country."

"Yes! I told Kotaro-san that we are going to slay— No, we are going to see all around the country."

Mitsuri, who suddenly misspoke, quickly corrected her words so as not to arouse her suspicion.

'Mitsuri.'

Kotaro looked at her with a sigh.

'Sorry!!'

Mitsuri just apologized in eye contact fidgetly.

Aiko looked at them deeply and with her experience could tell that both of them were hiding something from her.

But…

'They are already grown up. They are already free to make decisions in their life.'

She didn't ask anything much about it since she could see both of them are quite determined about it.

"So, why did you come to me if you already decided to leave for a long time?"

She asked in a pretentious grumpy voice to make them believe that she was angry.

"Haha! It's just Aunt Aiko, I want you to tell the students that I won't be taking classes for a long while. And I hope you can take care of my house this time."

Kotaro bowed and asked her. He was a bit reluctant to ask her favours but he had no choice. She was the only one who could help him.

"Sigh! I have no choice but to listen to your demands."

Kotaro got up and smiled a bit happily, listening to her agreeing with him. Mitsuri also happily came near him and grabbed his arm.

"To be honest, I know you both are hiding something. But I won't force you after all I believe you must have a reason to do so. Take care, both of you."

Kotaro's eyes kind of became a bit wet, while Mitsuri was already bawling. He just hugged Aiko and then with a smile took up his straw hat and both of them walked slowly leaving the town full of memories.

—

"Kotaro-san. Where are we going first?"

Mitsuri asked Kotaro while walking behind him.

It's been a while since both of them departed from the town.

Kotaro himself was thinking about it. In the story, there was no specific location about the demon slayer headquarters.

Then the only option was to find them on his own.

'The best way to find them would be by slaying demons.'

When many demons are slayed, it is very likely that they would get notice of it.

But still it is very time-consuming and ineffective.

'Wait! If I remember properly then wasn't Mitsuri learned from Rengoku Kyojuro in the story?'

Rengoku Kyojuro. The new generation Flame Hashira.

In the story, before Mitsuri became a demon slayer she was taught the way of breathing from Kyojuro.

'Maybe I should look for him. With his personality, I am a bit sure that he will help us.'

"Mitsuri, I have decided where to go."

"Where are we going?"

"The place where you are going to learn the way to fight. The home of Flame Hashira."

"But Kotaro-san, isn't it better for me to learn your way of fighting? You even said that I might have potential."

"You are right. But I changed my mind. My way of fighting might not be suitable for you. And moreover, I don't have any intention to pass it over to you."

In terms of destructiveness, Hamon is way better than any breathing techniques but still its flaws are very apparent.

And the biggest of it is that it is a close combat technique. In story, Kotaro remembers very distinctively that Mitsuri used a sword which much longer and elastic which allowed her to use very long ranged flexible attacks.

After using it to fight, Kotaro realized that though it is a very good power, it is not as omnipotent as he thought it to be.

After analysing, he found that breathing style is indeed the most optimised and effective way to kill demons.

It is made for the use of swords, and that's why it fits with nichirin katana very well.

The crucial difference between hamon and breathing style lies in its speed. Hamon is very slow compared to breathing styles.

It doesn't mean it is weak. But its way of using is totally different.

Breathing style uses swords as a medium to fight, while Hamon is mostly a power which is very versatile compared to it, but still it is a power mostly used barehanded.

The best resemblance to Hamon's use of fighting is probably Stone Breathing.

It improves the power to a high level but there is not that much increase in agility. All of it will come down to the user's physique.

No much fancy techniques like other breathing techniques and to execute more powerful moves, one require more powerful physique.

Hamon and Stone Breathing are same in some particular aspects.

While the breathing style can kill demons in one slice, Hamon takes a bit of time since it needs to penetrate the body of the demon. And if the demon removes the hamon contaminated part himself before it spreads to its body then probably it will survive.

'Moreover, I don't have a proper way of fighting till now. I don't have any idea which weapons would suit me more. I have a couple ideas but… Well, now is not the time to think all about it. For now, we need to find the house of the Flame Hashira.'