As usual, a very big thank you to euphoricimage who has helped me beta the chapter, as well as LittleDoot and Nobody(Super_NovaGrey) who have helped me proofread. Also, thank you TungstenCat, for advising me on the romance aspect of the story :)
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That night, they hiked up the mountain. Cold wind blew through the air as snowflakes floated around them. The sky was darkening, but the torches they brought were enough to light up their path. The suzu bells attached on Tanjirou's wand clinked softly, filling up the solemn silence that had descended upon the Kamado family.
Soon, they reached a glade lined with bamboo torches. Shigeru and Takeo lit up the torches one by one as Kie arranged the Kagura equipment at the center of the clearing. Slowly, Tanjirou kneeled in front of his mother and bowed deeply. Kie smiled before leaving to stand outside the marked clearing with the rest of her children.
Tanjirou took the cloth headpiece marked with '炎' and tied the two ends at the back of his head, obscuring his face. He lifted up his wand, an imitation of the Sun God's flaming sword, and held it close to his chest. Tanjirou bowed to setting sun, not moving until its light was no longer visible to his eyes.
Then, he took a deep breath and began his dance.
Kanao's eyes widened when flames burst forth from his sword, creating magnificent arcs of light as he moved. Tanjirou glowed brightly as if he was the sun itself, chasing away the darkness around him. The flames weren't real, but her supernatural vision could perceive it clearly. Unaware of what it really was, Tanjirou was performing a Demon Slayer Breathing Style, disguised as a traditional Kagura dance meant to please the Sun God.
First form, second form, third form. Tanjirou leapt up in the air, suzu bells ringing sharply as his sword left streams of fire in its wake. Kanao had seen the Flame Hashira fight before and had initially thought that the dance was a variation of the Flame Breathing Style, but she began to see the differences as Tanjirou went through the forms. The Hinokami Kagura was full of unnecessary movements, but the essence was much older than the Flame Breathing Style. More raw. More… brilliant.
It was a shame that the Kamado family could not see the fiery aura he was emitting. Didn't stop them from being proud of him, however. The eyes of his younger siblings sparkled in awe as they watched their oldest brother dance continuously.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Kie whispered to Kanao, her red-rimmed eyes glassy with tears. "Our family works with fire, so to ward off injuries and disasters, we offer this dance to the Sun God on every New Year's Day along with our prayers. It may have the same root as the Demon Slayer's Breathing Styles, but it was said that the dance had existed long before demons roamed the Earth."
It may have very well been true. Kanao's hands twitched as she longed for her own Nichirin sword. Suddenly, she had this strange urge to perform with him. The Flower Breathing Style had different moves and rhythms, but she had a feeling that it would fit the dance perfectly should she move with him. Like a moth dancing with flames.
As the moon rose higher in the sky, the Kamado siblings began to return home one by one, unable to fight the exhaustion any longer. Soon, Kie patted her shoulder before leaving Kanao alone with him. Tanjirou didn't stop his dance, and Kanao didn't take her eyes off him.
For thirteen hours he danced until the sky began to brighten with the first rays of the sun. The Hinokami Kagura ended with a powerful thrust to the sky, releasing a phoenix of fire breathing its last. Kanao rushed forward and caught him before he could fall painfully onto the ground.
"Tanjirou-san," Kanao looked down at the panting boy. "Are you okay?"
Tanjirou took a few gulps of cold air, coughing a few times as he struggled to regain his breath. His body was hot like a furnace and his limbs trembled in exhaustion. But it didn't stop his lips from widening into a brilliant smile.
"I… did it…" Tanjirou wheezed, face flushed as his eyes crinkled in delight. "I did it, Kanao!"
"... You did," Kanao replied. A genuine smile unwittingly formed on her lips. "Congratulations, Tanjirou-san."
Tanjirou grinned at her. Then, his hand rose to pat her head, his damp palm rubbing her hair softly.
"Thanks for… staying with me," he said. His eyelids began to drift shut as drowsiness hit. "You must be tired… You should go back to sleep… now…"
Then, Tanjirou fell asleep in her arms. Kanao stared at his sleeping face for a long time until Kie came to fetch them.
For some reason, the butterfly refused to stop fluttering in her chest.
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Tanjirou stared at Kanao in incomprehension.
"... Sorry, what did you say you wanted me to do?"
"Blow into this," Kanao said, passing him a gourd.
"Okay," Tanjirou accepted the gourd, still confused. He thought she was passing him the gourd so he could drink because he really just woke up after being unconscious for a full day. Even now, he was still sitting on his futon. Shrugging, he tapped the hard surface of the gourd and smiled. "So, am I supposed to make some kind of sound by blowing into this?"
"No. You're supposed to blow it up."
"I see. I'm supposed to—"
Tanjirou froze, eyes widening.
"I'm supposed to do what?!"
Kanao blinked innocently, still smiling. "Explode the gourd."
… Okay. He shouldn't be surprised. Kanao had been with them for more than a week, so he should've been used to this. The Demon Slayer was strange sometimes, but she always did things for a reason. Flipping coins, talking to a talking crow, slaying demons, blowing up gourds… There must be some sensible reason, because gourds were supposed to be used for storing up water and not to be blown up. "Why?"
"It's to help you with your Kagura dance," Kanao explained.
Tanjirou blinked in surprise. "My Kagura dance?"
"Yes. I have noticed that the Hinokami Kagura dance has similar fundamentals as our Demon Slayer techniques, in that both revolve around controlling and maintaining Total Concentration Breathing," Kanao breathed in and out to demonstrate, letting out a sharp whistling sound as she exhaled. "It allows one to increase their lung capacity and amount of oxygen in the bloodstream, thus enhancing their physical capabilities and mental concentration to do extraordinary feats."
"I see," Tanjirou tilted his head and hummed. "I guess that's also how you regulate your body temperature. No wonder Dad kept telling me to breathe properly. But why suddenly talk about the Kagura dance?"
"I have spoken to Kie-san while you were sleeping. As a thanks for saving my life, I will help you master your Kagura dance."
His eyes widened. This… was unbelievable!
"Thank you, Kanao!" Tanjirou beamed and almost grabbed her hand to shake it, but caught himself at the last second. Still, he couldn't believe Kanao would help him with the dance. Dad had barely taught him the basics before he succumbed to his illness, so it was difficult for him to grasp the meaning behind every step. He would do anything to continue his father's legacy.
Briefly, he wondered if Kanao had flipped the coin before she arrived at this decision. Nonetheless, he was happy, since that would mean she had thought of offering him help even before she flipped the coin.
Excited, Tanjirou looked down at the gourd in his hands. He paled. "So… blow this up?"
"Yes. To see the progress of your Total Concentration Breathing exercise."
Tanjirou wasn't one to whine about doing something he didn't like, but he literally just woke up after passing out from exhaustion and the breathing technique his father had taught him was, to put it simply, extremely tiring to do.
So, he smiled uneasily. "Can I, um, do it later? The dance is not going to be performed until the next New Year's Eve."
"You still have to do it now if you want to perform your dance properly next year," Kanao replied brazenly. "Total Concentration Breathing is supposed to be maintained around the clock, and not only when you're dancing."
Once again, Tanjirou stared at the Demon Slayer in disbelief.
"... Huh?"
"Morning, noon, and night. You're supposed to do it all the time, even when you're asleep."
What the. "I-Is that even possible?!"
Wait, no. Maybe it was. Dad and Kanao had even done it when they were both bedridden. Perhaps, what she said was possible, that the breathing technique should be done all the time. Morning, noon and night. Even when he was asleep.
How?!
Kanao tilted her head, seemingly confused by his bewilderment. Then, she took out her coin and did the usual.
Tanjirou felt apprehensive when heads was revealed and she nodded.
"I'll give you a demonstration," she said, pointing at the gourd. "Try blowing into the gourd first."
Tanjirou took a deep breath and did as he was told. The gourd produced no sound when he blew into it, but his ears immediately popped when he did so. Veins popping, he forced his lungs to exhale, but he couldn't get more air into the gourd. It was as if the gourd was pushing air back into his own mouth. Tanjirou choked on his own breath and coughed when he could no longer blow into the gourd.
"And-and I'm supposed to blow… this… up?" he wheezed at her.
"Yes," Kanao simply replied. "With Total Concentration Breathing."
Then, she asked for the gourd in his hands. Tanjirou wiped the mouth of the gourd with his sleeve because it was wet with his saliva before handing it back to her.
Tanjirou straightened in anticipation when she took a deep breath and put her lips on the mouth of the gourd—
Immediately, the gourd broke apart.
Tanjirou's eyes widened comically at the crumbling gourd. It truly exploded. And she had barely breathed out.
Kanao also blinked at the gourd in surprise.
"It's… more fragile than I had thought," she said. "Ours back in the Butterfly Mansion are much harder and bigger than this."
Tanjirou stared at her in a daze. "Like, how hard and how big?"
"As hard as granite and as tall as I am," Kanao replied as if it was no big deal. "You can practice with the gourd you have first. I'll bring better gourds for you later should I visit in the future."
Tanjirou perked up at that. "You're coming back here?"
"... If I am allowed to," Kanao answered after a pause. "Even if I can't, a Demon Slayer might be sent here to study the talisman. I can ask them to pass the gourds to you."
"That's great," Tanjirou grinned, delighted by the prospect of her visits in the future, even if it was not confirmed yet. Then, he looked down at the broken pieces of the gourd and the realisation sunk in. "... Maybe, bring the smallest one first?"
Kanao didn't reply, but her smile remained.
"Now, start doing the Total Concentration Breathing."
"...Yes, ma'am."
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It was when he scooped rice into his siblings' bowls during lunch that Tanjirou came to realise something groundbreaking.
Kanao planned to come back here. To pass him gourds to be blown up, sure, but the important point was that she had admitted she wanted to visit. Without flipping her coin first.
He couldn't stop grinning for hours afterwards.
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