Just as excitement was building, Sanemi, who had a contentious relationship with Tanjiro, was the first to challenge him.
"Don't you all find this strange?"
"Strange? What's strange about it?" The others were puzzled by his remark.
Sanemi glared at Tanjiro and said viciously, "If he really knows the Sun Breathing, why did he learn Water Breathing from the former Water Pillar, Sakonji Urokodaki? Is Sun Breathing somehow inferior to Water Breathing?"
His words gave everyone pause.
"When you put it that way..." They fell silent, considering the logic of his argument.
Indeed, his reasoning made sense.
After all, Sun Breathing is the strongest technique!
It seemed absurd to forgo learning it in favor of Water Breathing. Who would take such a roundabout path, essentially trading a watermelon for sesame seeds?
Unless there was something wrong with Tanjiro's head...
Tanjiro hastily clarified, "I only know Water Breathing, I don't know Sun Breathing!"
While everyone had hoped he knew Sun Breathing, Sanemi's argument was compelling. Why would someone with knowledge of the Ultimate Breathing choose to learn a much weaker technique instead?
The group found themselves leaning towards Sanemi's perspective.
Adam, however, remained unperturbed. He calmly said to Tanjiro, "No, you do."
"No, no, no, I'm telling you, you do."
The two of them fell into a back-and-forth exchange.
The situation took an intriguing turn. Who was telling the truth — Adam or Tanjiro?
A peculiar atmosphere settled over the group.
"Suoh-san, I truly don't know any Sun Breathing. I've never even heard of it. Are you certain you're not mistaken?" Tanjiro wished he knew it, but in reality, it was unfamiliar to him.
Kagaya, believing Adam wasn't speaking nonsense, sensed there must be more to the story. He inquired, "Suoh-kun, could you please elaborate? Everyone is eagerly waiting."
'I think you're the eager one.' Adam thought critically. Nevertheless, he decided to be direct, "There is indeed a hidden truth to this."
"It's said that after Yoriichi Tsugikuni left the Demon Slayer Corps, he didn't pass down the Sun Breathing to the Tsugikuni family. Instead, he entrusted it, along with his earrings, to a charcoal seller and renamed it..." Adam summarized, then looked at Tanjiro and said, "The new name is..."
"Hinokami Kagura — it's Hinokami Kagura!" Tanjiro exclaimed, suddenly understanding. It was the name of the dance his family had passed down for generations.
He finally grasped the nature of the flame sword technique he had instinctively used in his battle with Lower Moon Five, Rui.
It was a breathing technique — the most powerful Sun Breathing!
"It's... it's true!" Sanemi's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Tanjiro.
The boy he had dismissed as weak was actually the inheritor of Sun Breathing!
Sanemi, the Wind Pillar, found it hard to accept, but the facts were undeniable.
"Tanjiro, could you tell us more about this Hinokami Kagura?" Kagaya asked, his usual composure slipping. He realized the Sun Breathing technique was right before them!
"Yes." Tanjiro nodded respectfully and began, "To be honest, I don't know much about Hinokami Kagura. I only know that during our yearly festival, my father would perform this dance from dusk till dawn without tiring."
"My father always stressed the importance of preserving our family's traditional dance. He emphasized that maintaining proper breathing was crucial when performing Hinokami Kagura. I now realize he must have been referring to Sun Breathing."
A wave of sadness washed over Tanjiro's face as memories of his father resurfaced.
The revelation was undeniable — Hinokami Kagura was indeed Sun Breathing!
This time, everyone had to accept that Tanjiro was the inheritor of the most powerful Breathing Technique!
"Tanjiro." Kagaya asked gently, "Would you be willing to teach Sun Breathing to the Demon Slayer Corps?"
"Of course!" Tanjiro exclaimed, "I'll do anything if it helps defeat Muzan Kibutsuji and turn my sister back into a human!"
"Well done, young man!" Kyojuro's opinion of Tanjiro soared.
"Such beautiful sibling love~" Mitsuri cooed, deeply moved.
"The flamboyant me has newfound respect for you!" Tengen boomed, clapping Tanjiro's shoulder heartily.
"Tanjiro, your wish will come true." Gyomei declared. Though he'd sympathized with Tanjiro's plight before, his own past experiences had bred distrust. Now, he was certain the boy harbored no ill intentions.
Even Obanai, who had earlier insisted on his execution, turned his head slightly at the boy's resolute decision.
Sanemi, at a loss for words, could only mutter, "This guy..."
The remaining Pillars, though silent, felt their opinion of Tanjiro improving dramatically.
"Thank you, Tanjiro. The Demon Slayer Corps won't forget your contribution." Kagaya said warmly. His earlier insistence that Tanjiro not be punished had been vindicated — and in less than an hour, this unexpected reward had materialized.
Though his original intention wasn't for a reward.
"If I may, Suoh-kun." Kagaya began, "Why did Yoriichi Tsugikuni choose to pass down the Sun Breathing to Tanjiro's ancestor instead of the Tsugikuni family?"
This question puzzled everyone else as well.
It seemed only logical to leave powerful abilities to one's descendants. Passing it to an outsider made little sense.
Indeed, it was strange.
"I believe it was to protect his own descendants while leaving a final spark for eradicating Muzan Kibutsuji in the future." Adam sighed, "You see, this was a way of indirectly safeguarding his lineage while ensuring the technique's survival."
"I see." Kagaya had considered this possibility but wasn't certain, which is why he posed the question. After all, other reasons weren't impossible. He then remarked, "Suoh-kun, you possess a wealth of secrets."
"Oh, just a smidgen." Adam chuckled, holding his right hand to his chest with his thumb and index finger pinched together, leaving a tiny gap, "What I know is merely a billion times more than what you all know."
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