Chapter 151: Questioning, Understanding, Becoming
"Now, are you willing to join the Demon Slayer Corps?"
Akira's voice broke the heavy silence, steady and unhurried. "Don't think that just because you live deep in the mountains, you won't encounter demons. While these creatures feed on humans, many of them burrow into remote forests to escape the sunlight. Who knows? One day, they might just show up right at your doorstep."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle over the two young boys. "As for you two... when that happens, you will have nowhere to run and no one to turn to."
"Joining the Demon Slayer Corps doesn't guarantee you a safe life. But at the very least, it provides a channel to improve your own strength, giving you the means to fight back when facing evil demons."
"Besides, at your current age, the Corps isn't so deranged as to force a child to risk their life on the front lines."
Akira looked at the twin brothers standing before him. They appeared slightly younger than Kanao, their small frames tense and defensive. A sudden wave of realization washed over him. He finally understood the exact feelings Kuwajima Jigoro must have harbored all those years ago, back when the old man had tried so desperately to dissuade him from learning the Breathing Technique.
Questioning Jigoro, understanding Jigoro, becoming Jigoro. The cycle felt almost comical in its irony.
To the former Roaring Hashira, an under-thirteen Akira was just a child who had yet to experience the world. Even though the Demon Slayer Corps was severely short-staffed back then, they had not sunk to the level of tossing mere children onto the blood-soaked battlefield.
also, the Corps was vastly stronger now than it had been a few years ago. There was absolutely no need for the Tokito brothers to step into the line of fire so early in their lives.
Akira had already formulated a plan. Once these two agreed to join, he would toss them straight to Gyomei to train their bodies for a year or two. They could keep Tanjiro company while they were at it.
Shortly after Tanjiro made the life-altering decision to join the Corps, Akira had sent him directly to the Stone Hashira to temper his physique.
Sun Breathing was notoriously difficult to master. In the original timeline, even a fully awakened Tanjiro bearing the Demon Slayer Mark could not complete a full set of Sun Breathing forms consecutively. He only managed that monumental feat after comprehending the Transparent World.
Akira had managed to quickly master Sun Breathing not solely because his unique eyes acted like a cheat code, but because his physical constitution—ranked second only to Gyomei within the entire Corps—provided the immense stamina required to sustain the forms.
Recognizing his own physical limits, Tanjiro had taken the initiative to ask Akira for ways to improve his bodily fitness. Akira had not hesitated to point him toward the towering giant of the Corps.
Judging from their recent correspondence, the Kamado boy was growing at a frightening pace. His relentless diligence and grueling hard work had earned him high praise from Gyomei in multiple letters.
The early traits of an absolute workaholic were already beginning to emerge in the young swordsman.
Turning his attention back to the twins, Akira assessed their potential. It was hard to gauge Yuichiro's latent talent just yet, but Muichiro's aptitude was undeniably monstrous. Whether it was his calm performance just moments ago or the absurd growth rate he displayed in the original timeline, the evidence was overwhelming.
If Muichiro could be given the luxury of time—allowed to train and mature without the immediate threat of death hanging over his head—Akira could not even fathom the heights of strength the boy might reach.
The younger twin's talent exceeded the very definition of a genius. It defied prediction.
It felt akin to a struggling university student staring blankly at advanced calculus, completely unable to empathize with a mathematical prodigy who casually labeled anyone unable to master the subject by age fourteen as stupid.
It had taken Akira over a year from his very first contact with a Breathing Technique to reach a level of strength capable of rivaling a Hashira. It took even more time after that to officially earn his title by slaying Lower Rank Three.
Yet, in the original story, it took Muichiro a mere two months from picking up a blade to becoming a Hashira.
While Akira was widely celebrated as a famous prodigy within the Demon Slayer Corps, his natural talent still paled in comparison to Muichiro's sheer instinct.
And that was even with Akira possessing eyes that functioned as an absolute cheat in close-quarters combat.
Shaking away the stray thoughts, Akira quickly composed himself. He focused his gaze entirely on Yuichiro, who was still staring at the ground, his expression twisted in deep contemplation.
Akira was not the only one watching. Amane, her two daughters, and even Muichiro were all silently observing the older twin.
From the very beginning, Muichiro had shown a positive inclination toward joining the Corps. He had only held his tongue out of respect and concern for his brother. Now, Yuichiro's stubborn attitude was visibly wavering.
Just as Akira had warned, hiding in the deep mountains offered no true guarantee of safety.
To survive, the brothers frequently traded wild vegetables and medicinal herbs for daily necessities. Because of this, their secluded cabin was not particularly far from the nearby human settlements. If a demon managed to sneak into a neighboring village and feast, it was highly likely the creature would flee into this exact mountain range to escape the rising sun.
Previously, Yuichiro had neither confirmed the existence of demons nor understood their fatal weakness to sunlight. That ignorance had fueled his belief that isolation equated to safety.
Now, faced with the obvious truth, joining the Demon Slayer Corps presented the most logical path to ensure his and his brother's survival.
A heavy silence blanketed the clearing.
"Brother..."
Muichiro reached out, gently nudging Yuichiro's tense shoulder.
Yuichiro let out a long, defeated exhale. "Sigh... Fine, fine, I'll join. Is that okay?"
He looked at his younger brother's expectant face, then shifted his gaze toward Amane and the two young ladies watching him with burning intensity. Finally, his eyes landed on the tall swordsman casually holding a writhing sack. Yuichiro agreed, though his tone remained half-hearted.
In truth, the primary catalyst for his sudden change of heart was the bone-deep chill that had gripped his very soul upon seeing the demon. The terrifying sensation of his limbs stiffening and his brain nearly shutting down in panic made him realize a harsh reality. When faced with true danger, he would not be able to protect his brother. He would only become a burden.
He chose to join the Corps to find a way to shatter that paralyzing fear.
He was simply too embarrassed to admit such a vulnerable truth out loud.
Akira, however, paid no mind to the boy's tsundere attitude. His mind was already spinning with training regimens. The intensity of Gyomei's boot camp was notoriously brutal; it was physically impossible for anyone to stay there year-round without breaking.
Tanjiro would occasionally return home to rest and spend time with his family between training arcs. How should he arrange the Tokito brothers' schedule when the time came?
Since the Tokito family consisted solely of the two orphaned boys, they had very few worldly possessions to pack. After a brief cleanup of their cabin and a hearty meal in a nearby town, the newly expanded group began their journey back toward the Ubuyashiki Estate.
Inside the gently swaying carriage, Amane took the lead. She detailed the organizational structure, the ranking system, and the benefits of the Demon Slayer Corps, patiently answering every cautious question the twins threw her way.
Nichika and Hinaki sat quietly, their eyes darting between the Tokito brothers and Akira. The two girls had been rigorously trained in emotional management since birth, yet the sheer surprise swimming in their eyes could not be concealed.
Earlier, they had only refrained from questioning Akira's absurd method of bringing a live demon in a sack to a recruitment pitch out of deep respect for his status as a Hashira.
They never expected such a chaotic tactic to actually succeed on the very first try, and in record time no less.
Looking back at the roster of individuals Akira had personally scouted for the Corps, the track record was staggering. A current Hashira, the two foundational pillars of the Butterfly Mansion's medical team, a rapidly evolving swordsman, and an entire family carrying the legacy of Sun Breathing.
And now, he had just secured two direct descendants of the founder of Sun Breathing.
Akira leaned back against the carriage wall, a faint, amused smile playing on his lips. If the Demon Slayer Corps had a gold-medal human resources department, he would undoubtedly be running it. Who would dare object?
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