‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾
AFTER A YEAR OF TRAINING, Tanjiro would head down the mountain with a newfound sense of motivation.
Yeah, maybe it wasn't his proudest moment back there, being insulted and defeated by some kid with a kitsune mask—but upon coming to and receiving guidance from the other girl that was there, he returned to Urokodaki's home to rest for the night.
He was ready to start training himself properly this time. Not remember it as a fact, but teach his body what it has to do. He'll get stronger and stronger, and then he'll challenge Sabito again.
What he wasn't ready for, however, was the appearance of—
"...An angel?" He muttered in disbelief, staring at the sight before him. He couldn't believe his eyes.
There, in the room where Nezuko laid, sat a being that radiated so much...how could he even begin to describe it? His senses were overwhelmed with the pure energy that filled the small room. They were kneeling, and his beloved sister's head was on their lap. He watched in awe as they casually raised their head to look at him, combing their fingers through her long, dark locks.
"I see that you've met Sabito," Their voice snapped him from his thoughts, and his eyes darted back to their figure. "He truly didn't hold back on you, did he?"
He couldn't bring himself to speak in such a presence—he was practically speechless.
All he could think about was how accurate his mother was when she told him how beautiful their wings were.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to the boy, he quickly regained his bearings and bowed his head. He seemed to realize his staring as well, face flushed in embarrassment. "Y—Yes! I apologize for staring!"
"...Ah, but..." He raised his head, though his body remained as stiff as a board. "You...you know Sabito?"
A chuckle left their mouth, nodding. "Of course. I know him all too well," They opened their mouth to say something—though seemed to fall into deep thought. After a few moments, whatever internal conflict they had...seemed to disappear as they shook their head.
"He...yes, I've met him before." They cracked a small smile. "He's strong-willed and confident. It's admirable."
Their smile seemed to affect him as the corners of his mouth turned upwards, nodding in agreement. "Right! Oh, maybe I should introduce myself first—" He placed a hand on his chest. "My name is Tanjiro Kamado! It's nice to meet you, Mx. Angel!"
Shaking their head, they held a hand up dismissively. "...Don't be so formal, Kamado—I promise you I'm not that scary. You can call me y/n."
'All of a sudden, they seem really laid-back,' Tanjiro thought to himself as he blinked in surprise at how quickly the atmosphere changed. 'Casual, even. Now that I think about it, they seem pretty young...or maybe that's just how they look?'
"I—I see..." He scratched the back of his head, now feeling less tense with their reassurance. Though they were also quite curious—y/n was definitely something he's never heard of before. People would only refer to the angel as—well, 'angel.' Was he the first to know their true name? Why him, of all people? "y/n. Um, if it's not too much to ask, what are you doing here?"
"Well," They tilted their head a bit, sharing a smile. "You've certainly caught my attention these past few months. You're working hard for your sister, aren't you? Even if she became a demon."
He tensed at this. They knew? Wait, they slayed demons—did they come to kill her? "y—y/n, I swear it's not what it looks like! See, she's my kid sister—"
A raised hand stopped him from talking, and he watched as that same hand fell back to softly patting Nezuko's hair.
"You don't have to explain anything, Kamado," They huffed, shaking their head. "Like I said, I've been watching for a while. If I wanted to kill your sister, it would have already been done."
Though a little unnerved at the half-threat, he nodded and forced down his uneasiness. Not that he had to try hard to do so—just being in their presence was enough to make him relax. They were just surrounded with positive energy—how could they ever hurt the innocent? "I—I understand. But, why now? Why do you appear now?"
"Great question..." They hummed. "...I don't know!"
Tanjiro blinked.
'...Eh? Eh?!?!'
"You don't...know?"
"Nope."
"Oh..." He stared blankly at them, while imaginary stars sparkled around their innocent form. He sweatdropped, deciding to sit down on the futon. "Um, well, in that case, what...do you plan to do now, then?"
"Sabito and Makomo will be great teachers for your water breathing, and I'm sure you'll learn it in time," They smiled. "However, while they do that, why don't we see how compatible you are with a 'breathing style' of my own, hm?"
𓆩♡𓆪
When Tanjiro descended the mountain once more from Sabito and Makomo's training, he visibly brightened up when he caught sight of white feathers at the door of the house. He noticed that even the owner of the house himself—Urokodaki, was speaking to them.
...Needless to say, he was a little surprised to hear that Tanjiro ended up meeting the well-known angel (He had been drinking tea when they walked in. He choked.).
Due to his exhaustion, he was unable to stay up to listen to their conversation. However, when he had woken up the following morning, he'd notice older man rinsing a teapot.
And on the ground were two zabutons, visible signs of activity left behind along with them. There were even two empty cups that hadn't been washed yet left on the table.
Seems the two of them shared quite the long conversation during the night.
So when he had seen that the angel made their swift return like they promised, he'd rush over to greet them with an excited smile on his face.
"R—Really? You'll...you'll teach me some fighting techniques?" He exclaimed in disbelief, watching as they nodded with a chuckle.
"Of course. Granted, it may be quite taxing to manage two breathing techniques at once...however, I assure you that it won't be too difficult. After all, water breathing will still be your main technique. I'm only giving you tips and moves that will help you in the future."
"Y—Yes, I understand! Thank you for the opportunity!" He bowed hastily, though his body shook with excitement. He could definitely use this extra training.
And he'll cut through that boulder in no time! He'll make not only Urokodaki, Sabito, and Makomo proud—but the angel as well!
After all, how often was it that he'd meet the all-famous guardian angel, much less be personally trained by them?
At this rate, he'd cut through the boulder in no time!
"You seem rather happy to see me," The angel remarked cheekily as the boy lit up in embarrassment, and he could feel his face grow warm. "Had another wonderful lesson with Sabito and Makomo, I take it?"
At the mention of it, he sighed with an awkward chuckle and subconsciously rubbed at the growing bruises on his arms. "...Yeah, I sure did." Though his expression became determined, and he curled his hand into a fist. "But I'm ready as I'll ever be for your training! Thank you again for taking me in!"
"Right," Urokodaki's gruff voice cut through their conversation, and the two of them would look over at him. "I trust that you will shape him into an even more skilled swordsman, y/n."
"Of course," They nodded with a smile, looking over at him. "Tanjiro's got a lot of potential. He's going to get far in his life," They shrugged. "I'm merely fortifying that, you know?"
"Regardless," The older man shook his head, turning to the boy. "Tanjiro, you do your best and make them proud. I'm sure you can do it if you try your hardest and put effort into it."
Feeling his heart warm at the continuous praise, it only fired up his motivation even more. He stood up straighter, bowing down at a ninety degree angle. "I will give it my all!"
And thus, their training commenced. The two figures ascended the mountain once more, though in an area different to the one where the two kids resided in.
"I called it a breathing style because it's a familiar term to you, isn't it?" They spoke while they walked, effectively catching his attention. He responded with a hum, beckoning them to continue.
"But breathing styles are more or less something that is unique to the Demon Slayer Corps. And I...I'm not exactly recognized as a member, anyways. Though it's still a swordsmanship technique, and I have also modified it for you, or anyone in the corps to learn—so it can be considered a breathing style." They turned to him. "I call it Angel Breathing!"
"Angel breathing is more on the defensive side. It calls for the user to be graceful and flexible—so you could think of it like water breathing if it makes it easier for you. Despite their similarities, their biggest difference is that angel breathing completely focuses on defence itself. Don't you ever underestimate it, though," They placed a finger on their lips, an unreadable expression on their face. "Because it is as they say—the best kind of offence is having a good defence."
Tanjiro glanced at them with curiosity, nodding along with their words. What an interesting way to look at it.
"Anyways," They clasped their hands together, their wings fluttering behind them. "Let's get to it then, hm?"
y/n's training was different than the other two he'd previously gone through. For one, he noticed that they were kind and gentle with him, yet at the same time, kept him in check. All in all, he could definitely say that it was a much-needed breather from the rather...passionate teachers.
For the first few days, they focused on his physical fitness, perfecting his joint movements and his flexibility. He wasn't so much tested on his strength—Sabito already had that covered.
He had been taught how to safely fall and roll in the event that he was pushed to the ground, as well as techniques to help him get up as quickly as possible. They certainly weren't kidding when they said the technique was more on the defensive side.
It helped a lot that his physical capabilities were already pretty strong to begin with, and he had adapted to the training regimen incredibly quickly. It was just a matter of getting used to it, and repeating this process in or out of the sessions.
And soon enough, he was already working with a sword. Quite like Sabito, however, they had insisted on one-on-one training. Sparring, as they'd say.
However it wasn't like they were fighting until the other could pin them to the ground, but instead, they had him practice using the forms against them without fighting back. So, in a sense...he was the training dummy, except he was able to defend himself.
They'd teach him the motions to play out the form, and then attack him in different directions to defend himself. They would start by shouting out their next movements first, and slowly become quieter as their moves became more and more unpredictable. Every day, they'd practice a different form—and since it was a little different than what he was used to, it did take quite a bit to start feeling it.
Because after just three months, he could feel a newfound sensation of power flowing through his veins. His body was a lot more flexible, and he was starting to be able to see visual effects casted along his blade.
It was almost as if the blade was glowing a bright yellow when he used those forms.
And now there he was—after almost two whole years of training, he stood before a sliced boulder, his two mentors beginning to fade away into the fog.
"You did great. Don't forget what you just did. Win, okay, Tanjiro?" Makomo spoke softly, a calm smile plastered on her face. "Beat that guy, too. After all...you have an angel watching over you, don't you?"
And as the fog completely concealed their figures, the burgundy-haired boy was left alone with a sliced boulder that had already sealed his fate.
𓆩♡𓆪
— end of chapter 03.
AUTHORS NOTE ;
i know things seem a little slow at the moment, but just hold on for a while !! it'll get more focused into your perspective and all that very soon ^^ just laying out the base