Roa felt a bit helpless and took the initiative to grab a piece of meat to taste.
To his surprise, it was quite good.
The meat was tender and flavorful, bursting with taste as he chewed.
There was no doubt about Kie's cooking skills; it was definitely better than that of a certain drunkard.
However, there were still too few dishes on the table. Seeing the eager faces of the children, Roa smiled helplessly and pointed to the dishes, saying, "Don't be shy; let's eat together. We're all family now, so there's no need to be so formal. Next time, let's cook a bit more."
The children exchanged glances, and it was only then that Kie spoke up. She cleared her throat gently and said to the kids, "Alright, let's eat."
The children then picked up their bowls and began to eat in unison.
Roa felt satisfied after eating about two-thirds of his fill. Although the dishes looked plentiful, they would quickly be devoured by him, so he only needed a little to fill his stomach.
After the meal, the energetic Tanjiro was ready to head down the mountain to work. Curious, Roa said to Tanjiro, "Tanjiro, let me go with you."
Tanjiro hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded in agreement. He asked Roa, "Brother Roa, what are you going to do? No offense, just asking."
Roa smiled and pointed to the axe he had picked up from the firewood pile by the door, saying, "I'm going to chop wood with you."
Tanjiro was taken aback and quickly asked, "Brother Roa, don't you have work? Besides, chopping wood is a job for rough men; there's no need to trouble you."
Roa waved his hand dismissively, saying, "Work mostly involves patrolling at night. I'll go out and check the mountains to see if there are any man-eating beasts. If I encounter any, it'll be easier to deal with. As for chopping wood, just think of it as a game for me."
Tanjiro smiled helplessly. He opened his mouth to persuade Roa further but could tell from his curious expression that it was pointless.
Well, if a rich kid wants to chop wood, Tanjiro had no choice but to lead Roa down the mountain.
Roa slung the bamboo basket over his back. It was now noon, and while the spring sun wasn't scorching, the temperature had noticeably risen.
After walking a short distance, Tanjiro began to sweat from his forehead.
Roa curiously observed Tanjiro and said, "Tanjiro, you might want to try changing your breathing rhythm, like I do."
After saying that, Roa began to demonstrate what breathing techniques were. Breathing techniques weren't very difficult to learn, but they required a certain level of adaptability. While they were easy to learn, mastering them was another story. However, for an ordinary person, they were incredibly useful, as learning a breathing technique could instantly multiply one's combat power several times.
Tanjiro scratched his head, looking somewhat confused.
Roa felt a bit helpless and walked over to Tanjiro's side to provide detailed guidance.
He initially tried to teach him Thunder Breathing, but it was clear that Thunder Breathing wasn't suitable for Tanjiro. It was the fastest and most explosive of all breathing techniques, but it required a high level of physical fitness, making it difficult to practice.
Roa could master Thunder Breathing quickly due to his own strength, but transforming Tanjiro from an ordinary person into a swordsman capable of using breathing techniques was a bit challenging.
Roa was just trying to see if he could teach Tanjiro the breathing techniques.
He began to explain the benefits of breathing techniques to Tanjiro, such as how even a skinny boy like him could unleash unimaginable power.
Tanjiro expressed skepticism about this.
They chatted a lot along the way, and soon they arrived at the place where Tanjiro often chopped trees. Tanjiro had a method for chopping trees; he wouldn't stubbornly stick to one spot but would change locations.
Most of the time, he would try to go further away from spring to autumn, while the nearby forest would be saved for winter when he needed to chop trees.
Of course, there were more than just the Kamado family selling charcoal on this mountain, and even if the chopped trees weren't made into charcoal, they had many uses. This made the forest area a resource zone, essentially an unmanaged resource area, which could be described as first come, first served.
The rugged path led straight to the town. Tanjiro stopped at the foot of the mountain and pointed to a nearby forest, smiling at Roa, saying, "This is where we chop trees."
Roa nodded, picked up the axe, and swung it a few times. The axe didn't look particularly impressive, but it was surprisingly sturdy, and it seemed unlikely to break while chopping.
Chopping trees was undoubtedly exhausting and physically demanding. Even someone like Tanjiro couldn't chop down a tree without taking breaks.
Typically, he would swing the axe halfway, adjust his position, try to push the tree down, and then start cutting the branches and trunk, placing each part into the bamboo basket.
Although Roa couldn't really learn the techniques of chopping trees, he still found it fascinating to watch.
Tanjiro's movements were quite skilled; he was already a competent lumberjack.
However, thinking of lumberjacks reminded Roa of a certain character.
For some reason, his expression became somewhat amusing, but unfortunately, he looked around and didn't see any bears claiming to be "Kuma" and "Kuma Er."
Watching Tanjiro chop trees was quite entertaining for Roa.
Feeling bored, he started chatting with Tanjiro.
Roa laughed and said, "Tanjiro, your nose is quite sensitive, right?"
As soon as the topic of his nose came up, Tanjiro felt a bit embarrassed, but he proudly raised his head and explained to Roa, "I can use my nose to discern people's intentions, whether they're good or bad, and I can also determine their location by scent."
As Tanjiro spoke, he continued chopping the tree in front of him.
The wind chime on Tanjiro's earring jingled softly with each of his movements, producing a clear sound.
At first, Roa didn't pay much attention, but he felt inexplicably tired and even a bit sleepy.
He lazily yawned, basking in the warm sunlight, feeling warm all over.
This was the perfect time for a nap; under normal circumstances, he would definitely take a quick rest.
But wait? Tired?
Roa suddenly jolted. His mental strength had always been strong; how could he feel tired? Instinctively, he looked up again.
But the surrounding scenery had undergone a dramatic change.
Roa looked around; he was on a mountaintop, seemingly very high and close to the sky, completely bathed in sunlight, making the sun appear enormous.
Roa instinctively thought that his whereabouts had been exposed and that he had fallen victim to a blood demon art released by Muzan Kibutsuji's subordinates.
However, upon further reflection, he felt something was off. Not to mention whether such a power existed in the original story, the ability to silently pull him into such an illusion simply didn't exist.
Moreover, who would set a blood demon art illusion on a mountaintop completely exposed to sunlight?
Additionally, Roa was an extremely sensitive person, combined with the instincts of a sword king and the passive ability of sword heart, he could quickly detect even the slightest killing intent or malice.
Since he had been pulled in without any awareness, it was highly likely that the other party did not harbor any ill intentions toward him.
But what exactly was going on in this situation?
He felt a bit lost.
Roa gently slapped his cheeks, feeling no pain at all. The heat radiating from the blazing sun was also imperceptible to him.
Unable to comprehend, Roa frowned again, preparing to instinctively use his mental power to break free from the illusion. But the next moment, a cold voice came from beside him.
"The Breath of the Sun has a total of thirteen forms."
Roa was slightly taken aback and turned to look at the source of the voice.
Before him stood a figure with deep red hair, the edges of which were crimson, tied in a high ponytail, and with red irises. He also had a red mark on the upper left side of his face. He was holding a crimson sword in his hand.
This sword was also a Nichirin sword, but unlike ordinary Nichirin swords, it was a Bright Red Nichirin sword.
The overall deep red color made it look extraordinarily remarkable.
In the world of Demon Slayer, there are three essential items for slaying demons.
Bright Red Nichirin sword, transparent world, and markings.
Obtaining any one of these would result in a qualitative leap in one's combat power.
As the saying goes, all roads lead to Rome, but some people are born in Rome.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni was one such person.
He was a child favored by the heavens in this world, born with the three essential items for slaying demons, achieving a terrifying level of power. He was also the creator of all breathing techniques, having pioneered the "Breath of the Sun."
Yoriichi Tsugikuni once fought against Muzan Kibutsuji, and with a single strike, he made Muzan shrink in fear, causing the demon king to scatter and flee, never daring to appear in the human world until Yoriichi Tsugikuni passed away.
However, even such a person has a time when they must pass away; life is but a hundred years, and who can escape the shackles of mortality?
Of course, Roa's lifespan is not limited to just a hundred years. In the future, he would think of ways to strive for immortality.
The sound of the wind chime rang out again as the swordsman named Yoriichi Tsugikuni gripped the hilt of the crimson sword. His hand moved.
He took a deep breath, inhaling a large amount of oxygen, and then he began to swing his sword.
"Breath of the Sun, First Form - Dance of the Sun." The cold voice came from his mouth.
The movement was swift, and flames ignited on the sword, wrapping around it in a near-perfect arc as he swung down. Yoriichi Tsugikuni's movements were quick yet graceful, like a spirit dancing in the sunlight.
"Breath of the Sun, Second Form - Blue Sky."
The transition to the next move was extremely smooth. The sword flipped, and the action remained incredibly swift. As it turned, it fell from above, the flaming katana creating a fiery circle—a vertical slash that resembled the sun drawing a circle.
"Breath of the Sun, Third Form - Raging Sun."
"Breath of the Sun, Fourth Form: Fake Rainbow."
"Breath of the Sun, Fifth Form: Fire Wheel."
"Breath of the Sun, Sixth Form: Burning Bones, Summer Sun."
"Breath of the Sun, Seventh Form: Sunflower Thrust Form."
"Breath of the Sun, Eighth Form: Solar Heat Haze."
"Breath of the Sun, Ninth Form: Setting Sun Transformation."
"Breath of the Sun, Tenth Form: Beneficent Radiance."
"Breath of the Sun, Eleventh Form: Dragon Sun Halo Head Dance."
"Breath of the Sun, Twelfth Form: Flame Dance Form of Sun Breathing."
The cold voice continued to resonate as the katana in his hand swung continuously, the flames igniting as if they could burn the atmosphere, illuminating everything around him.
Dancing in the blazing sun, he was a spirit of the sun, and this was the sword dance of the spirit master.
Elegant and composed, yet burning away all the filth in the world.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni was fortunate; he was born as a favored child of the heavens, and everything that ordinary people yearned for was easily within his grasp.
But he was also unfortunate. Yoriichi Tsugikuni was born into the samurai family of the Tsugikuni clan. Due to a strange mark on his head at birth, his father initially wanted to kill him but was stopped by his mother. When Yoriichi Tsugikuni was two years old, his father told him, "You are an unblessed child who should not have been born. You, this ill-omened child, will bring disaster to the Tsugikuni clan."
After running away from home, he met the love of his life, a girl named Uta, and they fell deeply in love.
As Uta was about to give birth, Yoriichi Tsugikuni went out to find a midwife for her. He originally planned to return home before dark, but on the way, he encountered an elderly man with a heart condition. The old man wanted to go to a place far from the three mountains to visit his son, who was dying from injuries sustained in battle. Yoriichi Tsugikuni helped the old man reach his son.
After delivering the old man, Yoriichi Tsugikuni intended to find the midwife the next day and hurried back home. However, when he arrived home, it was already dark. Upon opening the door, he discovered that both Uta and their unborn child had been killed by demons. Yoriichi Tsugikuni sat in shock, holding the bodies of his wife and child for about ten days until a swordsman tracking the demons arrived.
This was the story of his early life.
From that moment on, Yoriichi Tsugikuni decided to eradicate all demons in the world. Demons should not exist in this world, and thus he joined the Demon Slayer Corps to hunt down the Demon King.
Just as Roa was astonished by the sword techniques released by Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the calm and cold voice continued, "Breath of the Sun - Thirteenth Form."
The spirit of fire began to dance, and the magnificent sword techniques were unleashed, dancing, dancing, continuously dancing.
With unceasing steps, the spirit of fire would relentlessly chase the light.
He would shine brightly, illuminating all the filth in the world.
Continuously transitioning from the First Form to the Twelfth Form, forming a cycle that continued on, this was the Thirteenth Form.
After executing all the sword techniques in one breath, Yoriichi Tsugikuni's expressionless face continued, "The Breath of the Sun has a total of thirteen forms."
Yoriichi Tsugikuni demonstrated the Breath of the Sun once more.
Roa silently watched him.
The sound of breathing, the heartbeat, the movements, the steps, how to exert force, how to apply strength.
Roa's hand gripped the Nichirin Sword at his waist.
His breathing rhythm gradually aligned with Yoriichi Tsugikuni's, the long and continuous breaths filling his limbs with power, that ability transforming into burning flames.
So, let the dance begin.
The passive skill of Sword Heart activated; with each movement Yoriichi Tsugikuni made, Roa could effortlessly replicate his actions.
How to grip the sword, how to draw the sword.
The spirit of the sun, the spirit of fire began to dance.
Roa's golden hair flowed with each of his movements, and his golden pupils were now solely focused on Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
By the time the fifth set of sword moves passed, Roa had completely mastered the Breath of the Sun.
Yet the voice still echoed in his ears.
"The Breath of the Sun has a total of thirteen forms."
From the First Form to the Thirteenth Form, finally sheathing the sword.
The swordsman named Yoriichi Tsugikuni looked up at Roa, and for the first time, he spoke words different from before.
"Then, I leave everything to you."
The old flames had extinguished, but new embers were burning fiercely.
In the next moment, the illusion shattered, and the pleasant sound of wind chimes still echoed in Roa's ears.
Roa suddenly looked up, realizing he had unknowingly fallen asleep, leaning against the bamboo basket.
He took a deep breath, and the rhythm of his breathing began to change, that familiar power starting to spread within him.
Tanjiro, who was swinging his axe nearby, paused for a moment, his movements stalling as he said helplessly, "Brother Roa, if you haven't rested well, please take a good rest. You were talking and suddenly fell asleep, ε=(ο｀*))) sigh."
After saying this, Tanjiro let out a mock sigh.
But then, Tanjiro's nose twitched, and he sniffed the air, looking at Roa with a strange expression. He asked, "What's going on? Brother Roa, you look completely different after your nap."
Roa ignored Tanjiro and rubbed his forehead, imprinting the Breath of the Sun in his mind.
He murmured, "Yoriichi Tsugikuni, huh?"
Then he turned his gaze to Tanjiro, his expression serious as he said, "From today on, I will teach you sword techniques and breathing techniques."
Tanjiro was taken aback, scratching his head in confusion as he looked at Roa and asked, "Brother Roa, what's going on? Why are you suddenly saying this?"
With a serious expression, Roa replied, "This world is not as simple as you think. The so-called monsters I mentioned are man-eating demons. They possess human appearances and voices; they were once human but now feed on humans. Our existence is to completely eliminate these man-eating demons."
Tanjiro was at a loss for words.