"Don't spread your arms too much. You'll end up with broken joints during a fight… Hm, you're flexing the muscles a lot. Loosen them a bit. Here, and here…"
As Tanjiro instructed Mitsuri closely, adjusting her posture and stance, there was naturally a lot of touching. His intense warmth pressed against her skin so vividly that the overly excited girl began breathing heavily.
Despite her flushed face, Mitsuri followed her Master's instructions carefully.
Even though Tanjiro knew her thoughts and her body's honest reactions, he kept a straight face and didn't let it get to his head.
He had to teach her thoroughly. Otherwise, she could end up dead in a low-level battle because of him.
Poking her upper arm, he said, "Keep your arms close to your body, and don't tense your shoulders…"
"H-hai…!" She did as told in an instant, doing her best to keep her mind focused. She knew it would be bad if she looked at his face even for a moment, so she chose to stare down to stay concentrated.
Tanjiro's lips twitched when he noticed. 'This girl… She needs more mental training!' he decided.
"Eyes ahead, Mitsuri. You're not holding the sword properly." Seeing the wooden sword — weighted the same as a real one — tilting incorrectly in her hands, he had no choice but to gently straighten her chin himself.
Her flickering eyes met his calm ones. Her voluptuous body flinched immediately as she blurted out, "I'm sorry! I'll do my best!"
She fixed her sword the next second, but her eyes were now fixed on the sky.
'…Ha… She'll do fine once I'm gone, hm. Let's just speed this up,' he decided.
"Keep the grip strong. The Nichirin sword is your only weapon against demons. If it slips, you're as good as dead." He tightened her grip with his hands, demonstrating the exact amount of force needed. "Understood?"
"Yes!" She nodded, ignoring the tingling sensation.
Next, he glanced at her well-endowed lower body and secretly bit his lip. 'She really is blessed in all the right places… Look at those child-bearing hips. By God… That fiancé of hers must have been blind or gay to reject a girl this ravishing… What a fool. Tch, whatever… I'm glad he did…'
Subduing his urge to play with that pair of plump, meaty ass, he quickly gave instructions.
"The major strength comes from your lower body. Tighten your glutes, thighs, and calves. Since your muscles are compact and your body flexible, you'll be able to perform lots of jumpy movements with ease once you've mastered it."
Hearing this, Mitsuri followed his command and tightened her lower body without any embarrassment.
Since she wore thin clothes, the outline of her butt was clearly visible from behind. After clenching, the shape became even more accentuated.
Tanjiro wisely averted his eyes. Otherwise he might get in trouble.
For now, he had no desire to walk around with a visible bulge in his pants. Having dealt with one earlier in the forest, he didn't want to relive that frustration.
Observing her corrected stance, he nodded inwardly.
"Now keep practicing the first five forms like I taught you. Do it for one hour, then switch to the next five forms for the same amount of time. Finally, do all ten moves together in the third hour," he said, his voice extremely gentle.
"Do your best like you promised, hm. I'll be watching and correcting you from there." He flashed a smile before heading toward the engawa, where Nayuta and Kanao were practicing Total Concentration Breathing: Constant. "And don't worry about food. Aoi will bring rice crackers later. Just keep practicing…"
Seeing him leave, Mitsuri showed a hidden pout, but when she heard "rice crackers," her mood lifted instantly and she started training right away.
Swinging the sword for hours was no problem for her. But sparring with Tanjiro at the end was a very different matter… Her muscles would ache, exhaustion would overwhelm her body. Still, she'd be fine the next morning after eating plenty and getting a good night's sleep.
'One month… I'll give it my all, mm~!' Reinforcing her mind as she recalled the promise Tanjiro had made to her, her spirit soared.
She must endure one month of training, and then he would bring her along to defeat demons together!
Moreover, as the first apprentice of the strongest Sun Hashira — who was now also Commander-in-Chief — she refused to be a disappointment. She wanted to live up to her Master's glory.
On the other side.
Tanjiro quietly left for five seconds before appearing behind Kanao and Nayuta. He sat cross-legged behind them.
In his hand was a thick book on Medical Physiology, which he had been reading for quite some time and was almost finished with.
Looking at the girls next to him, eyes closed, he observed their stable breathing and smiled slightly.
'Kanao will likely master Constant within a month. Nayuta, huh… well, she needs to train her body and expand her lung capacity first. Only then can she remaster the technique… She's progressing quite fast, though… Hm, must be the effects of Transparent World. It all comes down to heightened perception and control, after all…'
"Keep at it. You're doing great," he said, not caring that his voice would interrupt their deep concentration.
In fact, he held a bird's soft feather for the sole purpose of disrupting their breathing.
Why wouldn't he?
Total Concentration Breathing: Constant wasn't something you learned by simply focusing. It was something you had to engrave into your body — like a habit. It had to become natural, not constantly controlled.
His methods were rough, of course, but he knew they were far more effective than letting them train however they wanted.
Kanao's eyebrows twitched as her breathing almost became unstable. She persisted, raised her focus, and successfully regained control.
Unlike her, Nayuta's focus shattered. She pouted at Tanjiro in fake anger. He simply teased her by sticking out his tongue. "Go on, try again," he said, playful yet serious.
Exhaling through her nose, she stopped her pointless action and returned to meditation.
Even though her lungs weren't trained and her breath intake was lower than Kanao's, she was still proficient enough to feel her entire body — despite it being her first time in this new life.
Seeing they were working hard, he smiled faintly and began reading the book.
Thanks to his extrasensory perception, he could sense their body movements and catch their mistakes — especially Mitsuri's.
Whenever she made an error, he gently corrected her without standing. In doing so, he trained not only her, but also the other two, by being a pain in the ass from time to time.
Behind them, inside the room, his siblings and the others rested after completing their morning classes and household duties.
As the four basked in the mild sunlight and listened to the distant chirping of birds, time passed gradually.
"Unleash all your strength," Tanjiro said, holding a wooden sword casually. "Squeeze your muscles thoroughly and attack me as if I'm a demon!"
His gaze turned piercing cold, his aura spiking.
Kanao's body shivered. She took a step back unconsciously. Terror was written across her pale face. Mitsuri, on the other hand, felt a chill run down her spine for some reason.
'What is this… I feel like my strength is seeping away from my body…' Mitsuri's green eyes narrowed nervously. 'Tanjiro… How strong are you… seriously!'
Nayuta, running some distance away, curled her lips wryly. 'Same as usual, huh. Showing no mercy even to delicate girls…'
However, she knew Tanjiro was doing this because he was concerned about them.
Though he appeared cruel in the spar, she knew he was holding back — a lot. He never caused them injuries, only defending and teaching to improve their sword forms and refine their combat experience.
'Stay strong, you guys. It's good for you anyway.'
Praying silently, she focused on her own training.
Kanao recovered from his pressure quickly and launched herself toward him in a burst of speed.
[Flower Breathing First Form — Blossom Strike]
A double neck-aimed attack from both front and behind in a zigzag motion.
Tanjiro saw through her attack and blocked both without moving an inch. "Great. Keep attacking like this. Don't stop," he said, impressed by her swift strikes.
Giving a small nod, Kanao launched herself again.
[Flower Breathing Fifth Form — Peonies of Futility]
A flurry of nine consecutive attacks that flowed and wove in on themselves.
Moving his hand barely, Tanjiro parried them all and countered toward her waist.
Feeling danger, Kanao bent her body midway and barely dodged the attack.
"Ha… ha…" She took a deep breath and stabilized her thumping heart, ready to attack once more.
Tanjiro showed a satisfied smile. He then looked at Mitsuri, who was standing still, and waved his fingers at her. "Don't think for a second I won't come to you instead. Attack me while I'm still. If you don't, I'll have no choice but to spank you nicely later…"
'Ah…' Mitsuri's knees trembled as she shook her head vigorously. "N-no, no… I'll attack!"
No matter how nervous she was, she could only gulp it down and force herself to move forward.
"Hiiya—!" Taking a rough stance for Lunar Breathing's first form, she let out her voice before striking.
'…'
Tanjiro almost face-palmed himself.
Why was she adding sound effects?
~~<>~~
All chapters have 1500 words or more from now on.