Zenitsu finished his breakfast in a couple of bites, stood up, and said calmly, "Let's continue."
Having said that, he carried his wooden sword and headed toward the open area by himself.
Sanemi Shinazugawa hadn't finished eating yet. He grinned, wolfed down his meal in one gulp, and followed, carrying his sword.
This kid was starting to appeal to him.
The group of swordsmen:...Are these two monsters?
They've only been sitting down for less than five minutes.
They haven't even taken a few bites of their food!!!
Appropriate effort is called 'involution'; excessive effort is called courting death.
They didn't know what this blond-haired guy was aiming for—just another beating?
"Ain't letting that guy sneak off," Inosuke mumbled indistinctly while stuffing his face.
He finished his meal in a couple of bites and quickly chased after the two.
Everyone: That's not the point at all!
This guy is truly carefree and oblivious.
However... perhaps Inosuke was using his own method to lighten Zenitsu's mood.
Shinazugawa Genya looked at the distant figures of the three with some hesitation. He still hadn't reconciled with his older brother. He had already been severely scolded for participating in the training; actively asking for special training with his brother would probably end disastrously.
Mizuki watched the figures of the three fighting intensely, lost in thought.
The two who had activated their Demon Slayer Mark could now keep up with Sanemi Shinazugawa's pace, trading blows back and forth, and fully possessed the qualities expected of a Hashira.
Considering their age advantage, they were already remarkably outstanding.
Nezuko looked at the three figures with some worry, murmuring, "Is this really okay?"
"It will definitely get better," Tanjirou said soothingly, gently rubbing his younger sister's head with a soft expression.
Kochou Shinobu chimed in with a smile, "At least for now, it seems he's working much harder than before, isn't he?"
"...That's true," Nezuko conceded, sweating slightly, but the worry in her eyes hadn't disappeared.
Although this was good, she still preferred the old Brother Zenitsu compared to the current one.
Kochou Kanae didn't join the conversation, instead, like Mizuki, she gazed distractedly at the intense battle in the distance, or perhaps at a certain person involved in the fight.
Kochou Shinobu noticed the anomaly in her older sister, followed her line of sight, and the corner of her mouth curled up slightly.
She then quietly reached behind her older sister and gave her a sharp slap.
"Ah!" Kanae shrieked without any regard for her image, instantly drawing the attention of everyone present.
"Sister?" Kanao asked, concerned.
Noticing everyone's gaze, Kanae lowered her head further, and her earlobes grew increasingly red.
Kochou Shinobu naturally leaned toward her ear, smoothed the hair that had fallen near her ear due to her lowered head, and whispered softly to Kanae, "Sister, you were looking at Mr. Shinazugawa, weren't you?"
"Are you planning to confess to him?"
Kanae's face was flushed crimson, her eyes were spinning like Mosquito Coil Eyes, and she looked exactly like the legendary Steam Princess.
Fortunately, Kochou Shinobu's voice was low enough that besides Mizuki, who had a Physique stronger than ordinary people and was standing near them, everyone else had already looked away.
Hearing this, Mizuki couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth.
She felt that Kanae had been completely Dominated by Junior.
The older sister had completely lost all her authority!
...After breakfast, swordsmen one by one joined the training.
They were then beaten black and blue by the fiery Sanemi Shinazugawa, howling miserably, until they ran over to Kanae to ask for her instruction, pulling her away as well.
Hearing the horrific screams nearby, Tanjirou sighed with emotion, "Everyone is working so hard."
"That's true," Mizuki said faintly. "Those who weren't working hard have already been eliminated."
Kochou Shinobu had originally intended to agree, but she couldn't hold back when she heard the second half of Mizuki's sentence.
She reached out and pulled Mizuki's cheeks back and forth, complaining, "Mizuki, try to be normal!"
"Sorry, sorry," Mizuki said, her smile looking slightly ridiculous as her face was being stretched.
Kochou Shinobu, on the contrary, became more interested and rubbed her cheeks even harder.
Mizuki sweated slightly, wondering why she was getting more enthusiastic about playing. She immediately broke free from Kochou Shinobu's teasing and changed the subject: "Why don't we have special training too?"
Kanao, who was sitting quietly nearby, was the first to have her eyes light up. Although she didn't speak, her eyes sincerely looked at Mizuki, like a small puppy waiting for affection.
Shinazugawa Genya's eyes also lit up: "Special training with Young Miss Mizuki?"
"I wonder how long I can last now," Tanjirou said, also intrigued.
Seeing the area occupied by Shinazugawa and Kanae, Mizuki suggested, "That place is already packed. Let's change locations."
"Are you coming too, Shinobu?" She turned to Kochou Shinobu.
"Of course. I'm a Hashira too," Kochou Shinobu nodded naturally.
Although she couldn't compare to the other Hashira in direct combat, and might not even be able to beat Kanao now.
But she was also a Hashira, a Hashira who needed to fight with all her strength.
If her strength was lacking, she would hone her Sword Techniques and find a Breakthrough in her areas of expertise.
Shinazugawa Genya said, "I know a secluded training area. Everyone, come with me."
"Brother, Yuko-san, I won't be joining you," Nezuko raised her hand. "I want to stay here."
She must be worried about Zenitsu, right?
This thought arose simultaneously in everyone's minds.
Tanjirou nodded slightly: "Nezuko, stay here."
Shinazugawa Genya led the group to a corner of the mansion.
"How about this place?"
Mizuki briefly scanned the area: "It's not bad."
It was a small courtyard, but it was sufficient for them to carry out skill-based special training.
"Oh right, Genya, there's something I forgot earlier," Mizuki suddenly spoke up.
"What?" Genya looked at her with a puzzled gaze.
Mizuki drew the Nichirin Blade at her waist, grabbed a strand of long hair near her ear with her hand, and cut it off.
That strand of crimson long hair had not lost its vitality even after being detached; Mizuki could even control it to a certain extent.
This was different from before.
A demon's Regeneration is considered unsolvable; they can achieve infinite Rebirth as long as their head isn't cut off, but starting from a single strand of hair would be asking too much of a demon.
Only Kibutsuji Muzan, who could regenerate from a lump of minced flesh, could achieve that level.
Now, Mizuki could also achieve that level.
Just as Tamayo had said, she would become the second Demon King after Muzan.
A Demon King without muzan cells for support, relying entirely on her own will and power as the source.
She never expected that what ultimately made her stronger wasn't Swordsmanship, nor diligent training, but Science and Technology.
A sentence inexplicably surfaced in Mizuki's mind.
Sir, the times have changed.
She secretly shook her head, tossing the strange thought out of her mind, and handed the strand of long hair to Shinazugawa Genya: "This should be able to make you stronger."
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