Chapter 8 – The Former Thunder Hashira, Kuwajima Jigorō
When one of the Kakushi members delivered the battle report, Kagaya Ubuyashiki—the young leader of the Demon Slayer Corps—clenched his fist and stood up, his gentle expression quietly ignited by emotion.
"So… another remarkable swordsman has emerged… and he's slain a demon."
The Kakushi bowed respectfully before continuing his report.
"Yes, Oyakata-sama. According to a Mizunoto named Fujiwara Naoto, the swordsman in question initially had no mastery of any Breathing Technique."
"Yet, with sheer swordsmanship alone, he managed to hold his ground against a Lower Moon Two demon, even before the demon used any Blood Demon Art."
"He then lured the demon away from the city, ensuring the civilians' safety."
"After watching Naoto use a single form of Water Breathing, that man copied the move on the spot… and with one clean strike, decapitated the demon."
Kagaya fell silent for a moment, then smiled faintly.
"He's not just strong… he has a kind heart, too."
"I would very much like to meet such a swordsman myself."
He didn't seem even slightly concerned that a Breathing Technique had been learned by an outsider.
"Should we summon him to headquarters?" the Kakushi asked cautiously.
"He's currently resting at the Wisteria House in Tōshō City. The former Thunder Hashira is there as well."
But Kagaya only shook his head softly.
"We mustn't ask someone who just risked his life to travel far just to meet me."
"Let the Kasugai Crow deliver my message. Treat that swordsman with the utmost respect. I will go to Tōshō City myself to meet him."
Though his illness hadn't worsened much at the time, the Kakushi still hesitated briefly. But when he met the unwavering gaze of his master, he simply bowed and hurried off to make the arrangements.
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Dawn broke over the rooftops of Tōshō City.
Within the peaceful Wisteria House that served as a resting place for injured Demon Slayers, Tachibana Kyūjō was already awake, even before the sun had fully risen.
His chest was still wrapped in thick bandages from the injuries he'd sustained the night before, but that didn't stop him from carrying out his morning training.
As usual, Kyūjō stepped into the quiet courtyard, still wet with dew and shrouded in shadows. With his sword in hand, he began to move—each swing practiced in silence, each breath calm and steady.
To him, routine was part of his strength. Even injuries couldn't stop that.
His light clothing gradually grew damp from sweat and morning mist, but his sword strikes remained sharp and deliberate. Every motion carried intention and awareness.
Soon, the sound of footsteps echoed across the courtyard.
Kuwajima Jigorō, the former Thunder Hashira, approached, holding a Nichirin Blade in one hand.
He stopped in his tracks when he saw Kyūjō still training despite being clearly injured. Frowning deeply, he barked:
"Young man! Don't push yourself recklessly!"
"Your body will break before your spirit grows strong!"
Kyūjō wiped the sweat from his brow and turned toward the old warrior, a bright smile forming on his face as the golden light of morning warmed the space between them.
"Thank you for the warning, sir. But these wounds aren't serious enough to stop me."
He wasn't trying to act tough—it was simply the truth.
Ever since he'd awakened the Transparent World during last night's battle, Kyūjō had gained an uncanny level of control over his body.
The human body contains 639 muscles and billions of muscle fibers.
With precise control over each fiber and the flow of blood throughout his system, Kyūjō could consciously deactivate the muscles near his injured areas, allowing them to rest while he continued training other parts of his body.
In fact, by controlling blood circulation to the wounded regions, he could even accelerate the healing of his bones and torn tissue.
— — —
Of course, Jigorō didn't see it that way. To him, it was just another example of youthful recklessness.
He let out a gruff snort, clearly irritated—but deep down, he respected the boy's resolve.
He was never good with words or lectures.
So if this kid was going to be stubborn...
"Fine then! If you're so set on training… I'll join you!"
Before Kyūjō could even respond, Jigorō unsheathed his Nichirin Blade and moved like a thunderbolt.
"Get ready, boy!" he shouted, slashing straight toward Kyūjō's chest.
Kyūjō's body tensed in an instant.
Even with one leg missing, Jigorō was still a former Hashira—a true master of Thunder Breathing. His strength was nothing to scoff at.
What made him even more terrifying was the fact that he had maintained Total Concentration Breathing: Constant for decades.
That kind of training had preserved his physical abilities despite his age, keeping his body in remarkable condition.
If not for the leg he'd lost… if not for the wear of time…
Kyūjō knew without a doubt—he wouldn't stand a chance against him.
This wasn't the frail, weary Jigorō from the main story—years down the line, when a disciple of his would fall to darkness and he would choose to end his own life out of shame.
No.
Right now, Jigorō still had the strength to fight.
If a disciple of his were to betray the Corps and become a demon, Kyūjō was absolutely sure—
Jigorō wouldn't take his own life.
He would chase that traitor to the ends of the earth. He would burn their body to ash. Only then would he speak of honor.
Because this version of Jigorō… still had the power to do so.
— — —
At this point, it's worth laying out the stages of mastering Breathing Techniques.
Originally developed by Yoriichi Tsugikuni, these techniques were created to allow humans to fight demons on equal footing.
The first stage is Basic Breathing Mastery. At this level, a user strengthens their body temporarily through controlled breathing. Even that alone is enough for an average person to slay low-tier demons.
Most Demon Slayer Corps members only ever reach this stage. Their breathing becomes their inner strength, while their swordplay acts as external force.
With solid fundamentals in both, a swordsman can reliably slay lesser demons.
The second stage is Total Concentration Breathing: Constant.
In this stage, the user maintains their breathing in an active state at all times—even while asleep.
Once the body adapts to this state, their basic physical abilities skyrocket. And the longer they maintain it, the stronger they become.
Mastering Total Concentration Breathing: Constant is the bare minimum requirement to become a Hashira.
When combined with high-level sword techniques that match the element of their breathing style, a swordsman can fight on equal footing with a Hashira.
They can stand against Lower Moons… even Upper Moons ranked four to six.
Of course, true combat strength depends on several factors—physical fitness, technique mastery, battle experience…
But this is the general framework for the strength scaling within the Breathing Technique system.
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