Unfortunately, no matter how fast the old man was, someone was faster.
Just as Jigoro disappeared from his original position and his wooden sword swung toward Roa from his waist, he realized that a sword was already pressed against his throat.
It was so fast, without any warning, that Jigoro felt like it was an illusion. But the cold touch of the sword against his throat told him he had lost.
Jigoro's eyes widened in disbelief, and the sword he was about to swing stopped mid-air.
Roa said in a teasing tone, "So, former Thunder Hashira, how was that?"
Jigoro glared at Roa and scolded without holding back, "You really gave me a surprise. I believe you'll soon become the strongest Thunder Hashira in history."
Roa moved the wooden sword away from the old man's neck and said with a smirk, "Becoming the strongest Hashira in history isn't my goal."
Jigoro grabbed Roa's hand, his expression turning kind and gentle. He said bluntly, "With your speed and your strikes, you're perfect for Thunder Breathing. Come on, I'll teach you how to use Thunder Breathing."
Then Jigoro began to demonstrate his breathing rhythm, the tricks of breathing, how to retain this power, and how to better utilize it.
Jigoro's explanation was straightforward and easy to understand. As expected of a master of Thunder Breathing, Roa grasped the basics after just a brief explanation.
In fact, this breathing technique was quite similar to Flame Breathing, with many similarities. With a bit of thought, one could easily understand the patterns.
Once Roa had a good grasp, Jigoro continued, "Now, let me demonstrate the derived sword techniques."
Just as Roa was about to listen attentively, he suddenly said, "Actually, just demonstrate the technique you used earlier. I don't need to learn the others."
Jigoro was taken aback. "You mean the First Form: Thunderclap and Flash? That's the hardest technique to master among all the forms. But with your talent, you should be able to handle it. Are you sure you don't want to learn the others?"
It wasn't that Roa was arrogant, but he genuinely felt that the other techniques weren't particularly useful.
Roa shook his head and rejected the idea. "The others? They're just so-so."
In Roa's opinion, the only technique worth learning in Thunder Breathing was this one.
The principle of the First Form: Thunderclap and Flash was quite simple. By stomping the ground with both feet, one could achieve high-speed movement and deliver a swift slash.
It was a single-target burst damage skill with incredible speed. The downside was that it could only move in a straight line, and changing directions required adjusting one's stance.
Of course, Roa found these limitations acceptable. While changing directions might be a bit tricky, the sheer speed of the technique made up for most of its flaws.
Jigoro frowned at Roa, but thinking of that lightning-fast strike, he ultimately said nothing and silently demonstrated the technique.
Roa quickly grasped the breathing rhythm and movements unique to the technique.
Then it was Roa's turn to try. He stepped forward with his left foot, then pushed off with both feet, achieving an instant burst of speed. It was somewhat similar to the Navy's "Soru" technique from "One Piece," where rapid stomping on the ground created explosive bursts for instant movement.
This technique was very taxing on stamina, especially when used repeatedly.
But for Roa, it felt like he could use it seven or eight times in a row without breaking a sweat. It was a technique that could be mastered with just a breath.
Not bad.
Now, it was time to modify it. Roa wanted to try using the Lightning Sword while moving at high speed.
Currently, Roa's Lightning Sword had a significant flaw: he had to stand still and wait for the opponent to attack. Only when the opponent entered his attack range could he strike and take their head.
Not only was it very passive, but it also consumed a lot of mental energy.
The Lightning Sword was cool, but the stamina it consumed was no joke.
To achieve superhuman feats, one had to expend superhuman amounts of energy.
Roa could already imagine that once he unleashed the Lightning Sword at high speed, his opponent would have no way to dodge.
Of course, the Lightning Sword could only be used as a trump card. In most situations, Roa relied on the Draw Sword Style as his regular sword technique.
This aligned perfectly with the First Form: Thunderclap and Flash.
Then Roa demonstrated his newly developed sword technique to Jigoro.
Thunder Breathing First Form: Thunderclap and Flash, Modified Draw Sword Style—
Cough, it sounded a bit like something a certain blond-haired guy would name. Let's just call it the Draw Sword Style with a "Thunder" added to it.
Thus, the Draw Sword Style: Thunder was born.
Roa said to Jigoro, "Old man, don't blink."
Jigoro resisted the urge to grab the kid and give him a beating, but in the end, he nodded.
Roa took a deep breath and said, "Listen to the sound of the divine wind."
Jigoro's face twitched. This kid was so cringy.
But in the next moment, a lightning-fast slash, like a bolt of thunder piercing through the night, flashed by. The ground was left with deep indentations from Roa's stomps, and in an instant, the head of the training dummy fell to the ground.
"So, so fast!"
Jigoro's eyes widened in shock. Although the slash wasn't as fast as Roa's earlier strike, its power was immense.
Roa twirled his sword with a flourish and placed it back at his waist.
You had to admit, with his striking golden hair, slender and upright posture, and the night scene around him, a gust of wind blowing through his clothes and hair would make him look quite impressive.
Jigoro was silent. At nearly sixty years old, this was the first time he had been completely shut down by someone.
He opened his mouth to say something, but it turned into a sigh.
Jigoro walked up to Roa with a dejected expression and said bluntly, "I have nothing left to teach you. Your sword technique is faster, stronger, and more dazzling."
Roa smiled smugly and comforted him in a soft voice, "Don't be sad, old man. After all, a genius like me only comes once in a hundred, no, a thousand years. You don't need to think too much about it."
Jigoro choked. He looked up at Roa, wanting to shout at him that respecting one's elders was a noble tradition.
Wait, he wasn't Roa's teacher? Then at least respect the elderly!
Don't keep calling him "old man" all the time.
Roa leaned down, patted Jigoro's shoulder, and smiled brightly. "Old man, thanks for coming over so late. Thanks~ Want to grab a bite? My treat?"
Jigoro's mouth twitched. He snorted and said coldly, "I'm leaving."
With that, he walked away. Roa shrugged and was about to head to Shinjuro's place for dinner when he suddenly heard a voice from behind and paused.
"Hey, kid, interested in the position of Thunder Hashira?"
It was Jigoro speaking to Roa, who was now standing by the wooden door, looking at Roa with hopeful eyes.
Roa thought for a moment and nodded. "Sure."
Jigoro breathed a sigh of relief and said to Roa, "As long as you kill another Lower Moon, I'll recommend you to the Master for the position of Thunder Hashira. So, young man, work hard. With your strength, it shouldn't be a problem."
Roa waved his hand and headed toward the dining hall at Shinjuro's house.
The night was quiet, the moon was hazy, and the long night was dim, with the bright moon hanging high.
In the end, Roa was kicked out by Shinjuro because he ate too much.
The irritable former Flame Hashira said that from now on, he would only provide ten bowls of rice per meal, and no more.
Roa thought that ten bowls of rice would barely fill him up to about 30%, but he also felt that eating all the family's food in one go was a bit excessive. Still, he muttered under his breath, "You'd think with a son who eats so much, the family would have more food stocked up."
Shinjuro heard this and sneered, "He's my son. What are you to me?"
Roa choked and decided not to argue with this unreasonable old man. After all, he would only be staying here for a short while before heading out to hunt demons.
Right now, he really wanted to visit the area under the Sound Hashira's jurisdiction, the legendary red-light district known for its wealth and beautiful women.
Not for any particular reason, of course. He just thought that Upper Moon Six might be there, so he wanted to check it out.
And maybe experience the local culture.
This body was in the midst of puberty, after all, and it was natural for some wild thoughts to pop up.
Let's be clear, this was just a physical thing. Young men are often overwhelmed by the surge of hormones, so it's normal to act a bit impulsively. It definitely doesn't mean that Roa is the type to have a head full of dirty thoughts.
Cough, just kidding.
Experiencing the local culture was one thing, but hunting demons was the main goal. Of course, he wouldn't actually get himself into trouble. He just wanted to experience something different.
But this would have to wait for a while. First, he needed to become the Thunder Hashira, then he could go there for a visit.
Besides, it was still too early to go now. Upper Moon Six might not even be in the same place as in the original story.
With that in mind, Roa decided to rest for the night. Tomorrow, the Master would send someone to deliver the Nichirin Sword, and then he would set out to hunt demons.
He entered the room Kyojuro had left for him. The room wasn't large; in fact, it felt a bit cramped. The furnishings were simple: just a bed, a table, a small stool, and nothing else.
The so-called bed was also very simple—it was just a futon laid out on the floor, allowing one to lie down and sleep directly. Roa didn't make a fuss about it and lay down to sleep.
Three hours later, he opened his eyes.
His energy had fully recovered, but due to his overly vigorous mental state, his body was in an excited state.
This meant he couldn't sleep anymore.
If this were his past life, he might have taken out his phone and scrolled through some videos. If this were the "Mushoku Tensei" world, he might have gone out to show off and see if there were any young ladies around. But in this world, there wasn't much he could do except go out and hunt some lost demon girls.
He got up, dressed, and now wore the Demon Slayer Corps uniform with its emblem instead of the kimono.
Yawning, he walked outside, planning to kill a few demons for fun. He hoped they'd be female demons so he could play some strange games.
It felt like his skills had gotten a bit rusty.
He instinctively glanced around, looking for some sturdy rope. Spotting the ropes used for grooming horses in the stable nearby, he grabbed two or three and prepared to head out.
"Bold demoness, I'll make you aid my cultivation," Roa thought with a smile as his figure turned into a blur and disappeared.
There were no demons at the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters, so he had to venture further out.
Roa's speed wasn't slow. Running at full speed, he was already far enough that the mountain where the Demon Slayer Corps was hidden was no longer visible.
Under the night sky, a figure flashed by, leaving deep footprints in the ground.
Roa was trying to use Thunder Breathing to travel.
Since he had plenty of stamina, he decided to use the First Form: Thunderclap and Flash to move in a straight line, turning into a bolt of lightning and disappearing.
This time, Roa randomly chose a direction and charged forward. He couldn't keep circling around Mitsuri Kanroji's hometown since the demons there had already been cleared out. Hunting demons was like cutting weeds—you couldn't rush it. You had to wait a while before going back.
This kind of thing had to be done slowly.
Passing through a small town, he jumped onto a roof and began looking around. The lights in the town flickered, and it was naturally much livelier than the mountains.
Even at night, there were occasional lights.
Roa walked along the street.
At this moment, the surroundings were completely silent, with only the quiet night remaining.
Roa gripped the hilt of his sword and began to walk forward.
Roa's senses were naturally very sharp. As he felt the aura around him, he frowned slightly. He had just been passing through and hadn't expected to actually find a demon here.
Following the aura, he eventually arrived at a house on the outskirts of the town.
It was a small house, and although it was in the town, it gave the impression of being long neglected.
The rotting wooden door emitted a foul smell as he approached.
This house was undoubtedly a failure. Anyone who saw it would instinctively want to stay away.
Roa raised an eyebrow. This house gave him an extremely evil feeling.
It felt like a piece of rotting meat.
Roa gently gripped the hilt of his sword and walked inside.
With a kick, he sent the door flying open and peered inside.
Even though the room was dark, Roa could still see a figure lying on the ground, clutching its head.
It was muttering something incomprehensible.