Breath of the Void

Breath of the Void: Chapter 21

"That's good," Musashi said, nodding as Shuten hummed a bit as well.

"Anything interesting out there?" she asked, raising a brow.

Kyojuro snorted, "Not by your standards!"

"Fufufu, I see... a shame, then." The Oni lamented, abandoning her sake dish in favor of just drinking from the jug. Kyojuro just shrugged.

"Maybe for you," he said simply. "But knowing what you find interesting, it's probably for the best for us!"

"Hm, you're probably right," she agreed, shrugging.

(x)

"That's it, Zenitsu! Use what Rnegoku taught you last time!"

The sound of wood against wood sounded in the clearing as Musashi parried the Thunder Breath user's sword. Armed with her newest weapon, a Naginata, instead of her swords, she was finally facing the previously downed slayers. She had sent a group on ahead to Himejima already, as she had deemed them strong enough and well enough, but neither Zenitsu nor Tanjirou had been a part of that group. Inosuke has been, though. He had overcome the poisons quite quickly, interesting Shuten and making Musashi proud.

She stepped to the side to avoid a slash from the boy, spinning the pole-arm to block Tanjirou and another Slayer— a boy named Kinji, if she remembered correctly.

A few others were still struggling to stand, some still staring at Shuten in fear as the Oni drunk herself to oblivion.

Tanjirou lunged forwards, the energy around him crackling and Musashi raised a brow, preparing to block the attack. That certainly was new. Though, then again, Tokito and Uzui had told Kyojuro that his fighting style had changed. No longer Water Breathing but Sun? Now that was interesting.

Musashi only grinned, meeting the boy head-on as their weapons clashed. Her movements were hardly as fast as she would like, but that was the price of taking Shuten's next strongest poison— even though she didn't have to. The Oni had warned her and the swordswoman had been prone and cursed her cockiness the next few days afterward— thankfully, Uzui had been happy enough to oversee both her and Kyojuro's training areas while the latter fussed over the former. Ubuyashiki's response?

Orders to rest up, and a lecture on how not to overexert herself via Kasugaigarasu.

Just like a real father would, she had thought.

Thankfully, she was back to normal for the most part.

Musashi moved her head to the side as Zenitsu's blade was thrust much like a western-style rapier would be towards her head. She just grinned again. The boys were getting better, using their breathing to control and disperse the poison.

She dodged and blocked Zenitsu and Tanjirou before she knocked Kinji and another Slayer off their feet.

Tanjirou lunged at her again, determined to strike her with his bokken, but to no avail as Musashi fend him off. To many of the Slayers, this was becoming far more difficult than they had expected— seeing Musashi standing there without two bokken like they had expected her to have had made them think that it would be an easy fight. Instead, they learned that she was just as powerful with a pole-arm weapon.

Shuten had made a comment on how they expected the Pillars to be the strongest if they couldn't adapt to using other weapons.

Musashi then proceeded to kick their asses.

She dodged another strike from Zenitsu, knocking his legs out from under him before she ducked under a swing from another Slayer, eye flicking over to the bamboo that was rustling before she rolled out of the way of Tanjirou. Kyojuro stepped out into the clearing, watching with a smile on his face as per usual. A few of the other Slayers startled at his arrival, leaving them open to Musashi's attack as she knocked them over. Genya came out of nowhere suddenly, having been waiting on the edges of the clearing.

She had passed the boy already, but he insisted on staying back for another round of fighting.

He leaped forwards, slamming his foot down on the pole of the naginata, startling Musashi. The blade lodged into the dirt below and she had a split second to dodge a fist thrown at her face by the young Shinazugawa. The boy was still planted on the weapon, keeping her from pulling it up, least she get hit in the face by him.

She let go and jumped back before she gazed at the Slayers in front of her.

She let out a breath, relaxing her posture. "Enough," she said, smiling. "I've held you here long enough. You're all very strong and I can tell you're improving. Though some of you might not have been able to get up and fight, your new resistance and control over your breathing should save you from most other poisons."

"So.. So that means we pass?" Tanjirou asked.

"Indeed, Young Kamado!" Kyojro spoke up from his spot at the edge of the clearing, startling several Slayers who hadn't realized he was there. "For those who cannot stand right now, rest and move onto Himejima's training tomorrow. Those who can, it would be best to test yourselves at Himejima's trial."

Musashi nodded in agreement. "Indeed, that would be the best in order to test your limits."

She clapped her hands. "Now, if you can move, please help your comrades who cannot."

There was some shuffling as the Slayers who could got to their feet and helped their comrades up. Kyojuro walked over to Musashi as the Slayers ambled out of the clearing, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"That was nice of you to do," he said and she hummed.

"Well, best let them think I was merciful and then face Gyoumei with determination rather than be disinherited because it took them so long to get past Shuten," she said simply.

Kyojuro just chuckled.

"Those poor souls won't know if they were better off staying with you or not."

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I'm currently working on a Hobbit/Fate fanfiction because I binged the movies two weeks ago