Mitsuri Kanroji smiled brightly and said to Roa, "Brother Roa, what do you think I should choose? Whatever you suggest, I'll go with it. I believe you're a good person."
Roa instinctively rubbed his nose. Her trust in him made him feel a bit embarrassed.
But embarrassed or not, she was going to join the Demon Slayer Corps anyway. Working under Kyojuro was better than working under someone else. Besides, in the original story, she was also under Kyojuro's care. Roa was just giving her a head start.
Roa nodded, extended his hand to Mitsuri Kanroji, and smiled warmly. "Then, welcome to the team."
At that moment, a Kasugai Crow flew over and landed on Kyojuro's shoulder. It cawed twice and began grooming its feathers. Kyojuro said to Mitsuri Kanroji, "Since you're joining us too, let's take you both to meet the Master."
Roa and Mitsuri Kanroji followed Kyojuro to meet the Master.
The Demon Slayer Corps headquarters wasn't far away. After walking for about an hour, they reached the mountain where the headquarters was hidden.
The Demon Slayer Corps members they passed along the way would bow slightly to Kyojuro and greet him warmly.
Kyojuro responded to each greeting.
The surroundings were filled with blooming wisteria flowers, their purple hues adding a touch of elegance to the courtyard. This surprised Roa a bit.
Unexpectedly, there weren't many Demon Slayer Corps members guarding the Master's residence. Only a few members passed by, and aside from the necessary attendants, no one else lingered.
Seeing Mitsuri Kanroji curiously looking around, Kyojuro explained, "Aside from necessary meetings, we usually don't disturb the Master. His health hasn't been great recently, and our headquarters is well-hidden, so there's no need for excessive security."
Mitsuri Kanroji's words were directed at both Kyojuro and Roa.
Then, Kyojuro began explaining the various rules of the Demon Slayer Corps to Mitsuri Kanroji.
Under Kyojuro's loud explanations, the group soon arrived at a room surrounded by wisteria flowers.
Kyojuro called out loudly to the room, "Master, I've brought the young man I mentioned in my letter. Oh, and the girl next to him, I plan to make her my Tsuguko."
Then, Roa began observing the so-called Master.
His first impression was that the man looked frail, as if something was constantly draining his life force. His face, which was still somewhat handsome, showed signs of disfigurement on the right side.
Roa bowed slightly to him and then sat on a cushion on the floor.
Although he wasn't used to sitting like this, it was the man's territory, and not sitting would feel disrespectful.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki smiled at the group and said, "You've all arrived. Child, what's your name?"
Roa instinctively looked at Mitsuri Kanroji, who was confused by the attention.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki coughed a few times and said to Roa, "Ah, child, I'm asking you. Of course, the lovely girl too."
Kagaya's voice was pleasant, with a unique charm that made people feel at ease. It was a voice that could lift one's spirits.
Of course, Roa didn't like being called "child." He said to Kagaya, "Please don't call me 'child.' I really don't like that term."
Kagaya smiled and nodded. "Is that so? Then what should I call you?"
Roa said, "Just call me Roa."
Kagaya nodded and turned his attention to Mitsuri Kanroji, who said, "My name is Mitsuri Kanroji. Nice to meet you, Mr. Ubuyashiki."
Kagaya smiled and nodded.
After the three of them exchanged greetings, Kyojuro said loudly to Kagaya, "I plan to take the girl as my Tsuguko. As for Mr. Roa, he wants to join the Demon Slayer Corps and learn a Breathing Style that suits him. Oh, and it was Mr. Roa who took down Lower Moon Three during our mission to Mount Natagumo."
Kagaya looked surprised, then seemed to remember something. He suddenly said to Roa, "The young man who killed demons with a fruit knife?"
Roa tilted his head, recalling the four demons he had killed at the wedding. It was a bit awkward.
But Kagaya stood up, looking excited, and grabbed Roa's hand. Roa was stunned as Kagaya said softly, "You, you killed Lower Moon Three? That's wonderful, cough, cough…"
Perhaps due to his excitement, Kagaya's already frail body trembled, and he began coughing.
Kagaya's wife quickly patted his back, looking worried.
Roa nodded and said, "That's right. So, if I join you, can you give me higher authority? At the very least, I want the freedom to act independently. Of course, I'll still hunt demons."
Kagaya was slightly taken aback by Roa's request but smiled and agreed to this somewhat unconventional demand.
Kagaya said to Roa, "Every member of the Demon Slayer Corps has a deep hatred for demons. I don't know what you've been through, but since you've made this request, I'm sure you have your reasons. As long as it doesn't harm the Demon Slayer Corps, there's no problem with giving you the freedom to act independently. However, I hope you'll still take on some missions assigned by the organization. Of course, we'll consult you before assigning any tasks. We won't force you to do anything."
Kagaya looked at Roa with sincere eyes. Roa fell silent. To be honest, he was a bit surprised and somewhat impressed by Kagaya's generosity.
This was essentially giving him full authority. As long as Roa joined, resources would be provided, and he could choose his missions freely. Even the assigned missions would be discussed with him.
This was an incredibly generous offer for a newcomer.
Even with Roa's achievement of killing Lower Moon Three, this was still an exceptionally favorable deal.
Kagaya smiled and asked, "What do you think?"
Roa nodded. "I accept."
There was no reason to refuse. Free benefits were not to be passed up.
Then, Kagaya turned his attention to Kyojuro and asked, "Kyojuro, have you made up your mind?"
Kyojuro nodded and said loudly, "Master, I've made my decision."
Kagaya smiled. "Then go ahead."
Kagaya's gaze softened as he looked at Roa and Kyojuro. This made Roa feel a bit uncomfortable, as if there was something strange about the man's eyes.
Kagaya stood up, picked up a cup of tea from the table, took a sip, and then said, "Then Roa and Mitsuri Kanroji will stay at your place for now. How does that sound?"
Kyojuro replied, "Taking care of juniors is my responsibility."
Just as Roa thought the discussion was over and they could leave, Kagaya seemed to remember something and said to Roa, "Recently, Jigoro Kuwajima has been looking for you. He seems to want to take you as his disciple. If you have time, you can try Thunder Breathing and see if it suits you. The position of Thunder Hashira has been vacant for a while now."
If outsiders heard this, they would be shocked.
For Kagaya to say this to Roa right after he joined showed just how much expectation Kagaya had for him.
Roa thought for a moment and murmured, "Thunder Breathing, huh?"
He bowed slightly and prepared to leave. Mitsuri Kanroji, seeing Roa's actions, followed suit and bowed as well. Kagaya then dismissed them.
On the way, Mitsuri Kanroji said with some emotion, "Kagaya Ubuyashiki is such a kind person."
Kyojuro led the two to his family's courtyard and pointed to a nearby house. "You can stay there from now on. Oh, and for meals, you can come here. We'll eat together."
Roa nodded, and Mitsuri Kanroji also indicated that she understood.
Kyojuro said to the two of them, "Then, let's start training."
Kyojuro's training naturally referred to Breathing Techniques and swordsmanship.
Breathing Techniques weren't particularly difficult. Even maintaining Total Concentration Breathing all day was a breeze for Roa.
Kyojuro's training was mainly for Mitsuri Kanroji's benefit.
But it was clear that Mitsuri Kanroji wasn't very interested in Breathing Techniques. Even so, after Kyojuro demonstrated a few times, Mitsuri Kanroji quickly grasped the basics and began adding her own twists to it.
Kyojuro looked at the two of them, who seemed somewhat distracted, and sighed helplessly.
Just then, a gruff voice came from inside the house.
"What's all this noise?"
A disheveled, bearded man appeared.
He looked strikingly similar to his son, Kyojuro, with yellow and red hair and thick eyebrows.
The only difference was that he always carried a jug of wine and would take hearty swigs from it from time to time.
Kyojuro said to Shinjuro Rengoku, "Father, what are you doing here?"
Shinjuro glared and said angrily, "Why can't I come? I could hear all that 'huff and puff' from a mile away. Really, can't you keep it down? And who are these two?"
Kyojuro smiled at Shinjuro and said, "This is my Tsuguko. Her name is Mitsuri Kanroji." He pointed to Mitsuri Kanroji, who was smiling brightly.
Mitsuri Kanroji bowed slightly to Shinjuro and said, "Uncle, my name is Mitsuri Kanroji. I look forward to your guidance."
Shinjuro snorted and said in a rather unfriendly tone, "You'll have to pay for your own meals, you know."
Then he turned to the handsome young man with golden hair and said with some admiration, "This guy has about half the charm I had in my youth."
Roa: "…"
Shinjuro pointed at Roa and asked, "Are you joining too?"
Roa nodded. Shinjuro let out a nonchalant "Oh," then glanced at his wine jug and said to Roa, "Since you remind me of my younger self, I'll let you stay here. Just pay for your meals, lodging, and my wine."
Roa: "…"
What could he say? Looking at this shameless old man, he could only nod.
Shinjuro gave Roa a once-over and sighed, "The Demon Slayer Corps is really going downhill. Even scrawny kids like you are joining now."
Roa took a deep breath, barely suppressing the urge to give the man a taste of his fists. In the end, he managed to hold back his anger.
Since they had already eaten lunch, and that meal had nearly bankrupted Kyojuro, Roa felt it would be rude to freeload any further. He took out a piece of gold from his pocket, roughly four or five taels, and tossed it to Kyojuro. "This should cover our meals, the old man's wine, and our lodging."
Kyojuro thought for a moment and said to Roa, "Handsome young man, this is too much. I can't make change."
Roa rolled his eyes and said expressionlessly, "Keep the rest. You're almost broke after that one meal."
Kyojuro didn't seem embarrassed at all. He nodded and gave Roa a big smile, saying loudly, "In that case, thank you, handsome young man."
As the sun began to set, Kyojuro Rengoku had to leave due to the heavy responsibilities of being a Hashira. He couldn't stay at home for too long. Before leaving, he said a few words to Roa.
Kyojuro's intention was to take Mitsuri Kanroji out for training, while Roa could do whatever he wanted.
This arrangement suited Roa just fine.
However, just a few days later, an old man with a cane walked up to Roa, who was practicing his sword swings. The old man looked Roa up and down and said, "Young man, you've got quite the vitality."
Roa was slightly taken aback. He looked at the old man and seemed to recall something. With a look of surprise, he said, "You're that… what's your name again?"
The old man smiled and said, "Yes, I'm the one you're thinking of—"
He looked at Roa with anticipation, but Roa tilted his head and said, "I forgot."
The old man choked, almost unable to speak. With a look of anger, he said, "My name is Jigoro Kuwajima, the former Thunder Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps. Kid, you should at least show some respect."
Jigoro Kuwajima could tell that Roa was teasing him.
Roa smiled and said, "Ah, so it's Mr. Jigoro Kuwajima."
Jigoro didn't waste any more words. He looked at Roa and said, "Swing your sword for me."
Roa looked at him curiously, but Jigoro glared and said impatiently, "Just swing it when I tell you to. What's there to hesitate about?"
Roa let out a casual "Oh," then raised his wooden sword high and brought it down with a swift motion.
Jigoro nodded and muttered, "A very standard posture. You must have practiced for quite some time." Then he said loudly, "Use your full strength. Let's spar."
Roa looked at the old man with a strange expression.
Did he just say he wanted me to use my full strength against him?
Roa said to Jigoro, "Are you sure about that?"
Roa always had respect for those who weren't afraid of death.
Jigoro glared, his white hair standing on end, and said impatiently, "Just do as I say. What's there to hesitate about?"
Roa let out another casual "Oh," then gripped his sword tightly and said to Jigoro, "Maybe you should step back a bit? This distance isn't fair."
The distance was indeed unfair for Jigoro.
At this distance, it was a one-strike kill. With just one swing, Roa could cut him down.
At this range, the Sword God Style was an absolute killer. No one could react to the Sword God Style's draw at this distance. Even without charging up, just one swing would be a guaranteed hit.
Jigoro raised his bushy white eyebrows, somewhat surprised by Roa's words. He grinned and said, "Thunder Breathing is indeed fast, but I'm old now. I'm not as strong as I used to be. Fine, fine, I'll give you youngsters a chance."
With that, he took a few steps back. The distance was still a bit close, but the farther he went, the more it would affect Jigoro's performance. After all, Jigoro had a lame leg. While he could still teach disciples, going any farther would definitely hinder his movements.
However, Jigoro's words made Roa's expression even more interesting. He had originally planned to hold back, but now he decided against it.
Roa called out to Jigoro, "If you're ready, just shout 'start.'"
Jigoro nodded, took a wooden sword from the rack, swung it a few times, and stood still, taking deep breaths. His aura changed noticeably. Despite his lame leg, he was still a former Hashira and had some fighting prowess.
Jigoro coughed lightly and said to Roa, "Alright, start!"
At this moment, he was already fantasizing about the various ways he could defeat Roa, how Roa would beg him for the secrets to becoming stronger, and how he would reluctantly accept Roa as his disciple. After his diligent training, Roa would finally become a powerful demon slayer.
Jigoro's body suddenly lunged forward. His small, frail frame seemed to swell with energy. He gripped the hilt of his sword at his waist, stomped his front foot on the ground, and in an instant, his figure turned into a blur as he disappeared from his original position.
Thunder Breathing
First Form: Thunderclap and Flash!
This was a technique that moved so fast that even a demon's eyes couldn't catch it. It was a slash that could instantly kill an opponent.