Destroyer Of Demons (Demon Slayer AU)

Chp 7 : Training In The River

The Sun burned in the mid-afternoon sky, warming the bare ground beneath its light and being the first to greet Nezuko as she threw her head out of the water. "Agh! Ugh! Ack!" She gasped for air, anxiously clinging onto a protruding stone for support.

"H-How... How did I do...?" the girl asked once she caught her breath, her eyes facing her teacher.

"Three minutes. You've improved," Urokodaki said. He was sitting cross-legged on a large rock bordering the waterfall's edge.

Could be better... she thought to herself with slight disappointment.

"As slayers, our breath is our greatest weapon. To reach great heights of strength, it is important we learn to control and regulate our breathing. Otherwise, there would be little point in wielding our katanas."

"Yes, I know." With fingers pressed into the dirt, Nezuko brought herself out of the river and onto the muddy bank. Her sword and outerwear were strewn across the ground along with her sandals. Shaking off a bit of the water, she pulled her shoulder-length hair into a ponytail, then snatched her blade from where it lay.

Carefully, she hopped onto a half-submerged rock and made her way from one stepping stone to another until she was in the middle of the river and a good enough distance from her mentor. She adjusted her stance, raising her arms out to keep from falling.

"Master, I think I'm ready to start."

With a nod, Urokodaki slowly stood up and reaching into his belt, drew out his katana. "Remember. All you must do is cause me to fall into the water below. Once you do that, we will move on to the final stage of training."

"Got it!"

She began to run across the water towards him, her footsteps light. Breathing in, she swiped her blade in an uppercut which Urokodaki evaded by swiftly leaning to the side. The old man twisted his weapon and with a deep breath, thrust it forwards near Nezuko's chest. It would have pierced his student had she not immediately pulled her body back.

So close...!! she grimaced, her heartbeat quickening. Was that the seventh form? So precise! She stumbled on the stepping stones for a second before finding her footing again. She had purposefully avoided landing in the water, for treading on the uneven riverbed would be troublesome.

Urokodaki seemed to notice this and promptly dropped his feet into the water one by one. Nezuko watched as he carefully aligned his sword at his side and with a brief and quick motion, flicked his wrists upwards. Before she realized it, a thin, vertical line of water came dashing in her direction from her teacher's blade.

That's--!

It slashed harshly against her chest and face, the speed and force of the attack nearly breaking her skin and the fabric of her clothes. She slipped and fell into the river, causing a loud splash and scaring away the loitering fishes. She flailed her arms about underwater, attempting to sit up and oppose the undertow.

"Haah...!!" Nezuko inhaled as she surfaced.

"Each breathing style works best within the mediums they are labeled after," Urokodaki explained when she had straightened herself out. "Naturally, Water Breathing reaches its full potential when performed underwater or in other fluid-like mediums. It's important you don't forget that." The girl nodded.

I see! I'll have to keep that in mind from now on. Flapping her weapon around to remove the excess water, she repositioned herself in the stream.

Suddenly, the old man rushed at her with great speed, his feet scarcely grazing the surface of the river. He was so quick and graceful with his footwork, not so much as a single ripple shattered the water. Nezuko braced as Urokodaki released a large downward slash which forced the surrounding waves to burst into the air.