[I placed an explanation at the end of the chapter!]
[...]
POV: Devas Asura.
After the initial surprise, I exchanged a few more words with Tanjuro, and now we were here, in the Kamado family's living room, alone... In parts, of course.
I was never "alone" since I almost always had the stream open.
And on Tanjuro's side, I knew the rest of the Kamado family was on the other side of the door, listening to the conversation.
I didn't even need the Minimap to figure this out, as they weren't very good at sneaking around.
I could hear their "whispers" from here, and from the exasperated smile on Tanjuro's face, he could hear them too.
"Well, I won't lie or mince words here, Mr. Kamado." Before I could continue, he raised his hand, stopping me.
"You can call me Tanjuro, there are too many Kamados in this house, it'll get confusing." He shook his head, pointing to the door, where I could see several pairs of eyes.
I even heard some "They know!" and "We've been found out!"
"Alright, Tanjuro it is then." I commented with amusement, waving to the door, and I received a wave back, presumably from Nezuko's hand or Mrs. Kamado, as it was a feminine hand.
Let's get straight to the point then... I only had seven days here, no time for beating around the bush.
"I won't mince words or lie, Tanjuro." I nodded to the man, at the same time bringing out the Purification Powder pills from my inventory and placing them on the table.
"This pill here should be able to cure you; it basically purifies the body of all abnormal states." I pointed to him, who looked genuinely ill.
"That includes diseases like tuberculosis..." I finished my statement, letting him absorb the information.
I had analyzed the man before entering the room; it cost about five hundred thousand SP, but it had confirmed his illness for me.
It was tuberculosis, something that Purification Powder could easily cure, as Dylan had told me, this powder basically cured all diseases that were curable... to a certain extent.
I highly doubted it cured everything and removed all curses as Dylan claimed, but for something like tuberculosis, it was more than enough.
"You found out then... And without an examination, just by observing me... Are you a doctor... by any chance?" He asked slowly.
I could see that he seemed to be holding back a cough, and at the same time, he looked tired.
But still, he had only glanced at the pills once, without even trying to touch them.
"I'm not a doctor, but I have my ways..." I replied honestly, after all, I wasn't a doctor, I was a streamer.
My "ways" were basically cheating using the stream, simple and easy, but it cost a lot of SP!
Tanjuro hummed for a moment, coughing lightly into his hand before asking the question I was waiting for.
"Why?" He asked, before continuing. "No one does anything for free, what's the price?"
The moment he said that, something in his gaze changed, the aura around him changed. He seemed to have lost his essence, his will.
It was as if he was just there, looking at me, with no intention at all, or rather, looking through me.
Frankly, it was unnerving.
It was like being watched by a statue, a statue that you knew could move.
What the hell was this? Some kind of technique? Something to do with the Slayer Mark?
I had only seen the anime up to the middle of the third season, without reading the manga, and at no point do I remember anyone talking about this "technique," if it is indeed a technique.
"It's true, everything has a price," I commented lightly, ignoring the unsettling feeling I was experiencing but raising my guard to the maximum.
"I won't mince words, as I said before," I pointed at him and uttered two words. "Hinokami Kagura." Or what he knew as Hinokami Kagura, since for me, it was the Breath of the Sun.
He remained silent, not reacting to my response... which was good, as it wasn't an immediate denial.
As far as I remembered, Hinokami Kagura was a family tradition, passed from father to son.
Obviously, I came prepared; in case he refused, I had a backup plan... several plans, actually.
The first, my plan B, was the invitations.
I had five stream invitations; inviting Tanjiro to it and exchanging Hinokami Kagura later was something simple... even inviting Tanjuro, as I doubted he wouldn't reconsider upon seeing the stream.
My plan C was to run through Japan, find another oni hunter, and invite him to the stream, exchanging his breathing technique for something. It wasn't the Breath of the Sun, but it was better than nothing.
My plan D was, if everything else failed, to create my own breathing technique using what I knew.
It had a good chance of being crap? Yes, but as I said before, it was better than nothing.
I pushed these thoughts to the back of my mind and waited as Tanjuro made his decision. It didn't take long before he sighed and returned to "Normal," that strange state of his disappearing.
Still, I could see the determination in his eyes.
"I won't ask how or where you got this information..." He coughed a bit before continuing. "But if the cure you speak of is true..." He briefly looked at the door before finishing...
"...I'll accept your offer."
...Accepting my offer.
I didn't celebrate or feel happy, but instead, I asked him something.
"I know Kagura is a family tradition, and I know how the Japanese are with this kind of tradition... Why?" Why accept? Honestly, I thought he would refuse in the end.
He sighed, looking at the door briefly once again before answering.
"I may have a responsibility to my ancestors, but above all, I have a responsibility to my family..." He coughed, bringing his hand to his mouth.
I could see that this time, there was blood in his cough.
"I can't leave my children and wife alone in this world..." He held back a cough, his back straightening as he looked deep into my eyes. "Not while I can prevent it... Not while I live... I'll always keep taking care of my family..."
...
I couldn't help but smile...
Damn... this guy... what was this? As far as I remember, Tanjiro was the protagonist of the shounen anime, not you...
"I assure you, Tanjuro, you'll be able to keep taking care of your family." I offered, finally handing him the Purification Powder pill. "Here, your cure. Drink it and decide later if you'll teach me."
The man looked at the "medicine" for a moment before tossing it into his mouth, swallowing it without hesitation.
It didn't take a second for him to start coughing again, but this time, without blood, just smoke... Black smoke.
I could hear the door behind me open, and someone running towards Tanjuro before he raised his hand, stopping the person, who by the sound of the footsteps, I assume was his wife.
This continued for at least half a minute before his coughing stopped, and he took a deep breath for the first time since I arrived here.
Right after, I saw him put his hand on his chest, as if sensing something, before commenting, as if talking to himself.
"I... I don't feel pain anymore?" It was a rhetorical question, but still, I answered.
"No, and congratulations... you're cured." I said as I stood up, stepping out of the way, as, as I expected, not a second later, a wave of Kamado children invaded the room, running towards their father while shouting.
I quietly left the room, letting them have their family moment...
I stood outside the house, watching the snow alone, waiting for the sounds of crying and laughter to fade away...
[...]
POV: Tanjuro Kamado.
I can't remember the last time I breathed without feeling pain, but it was a good sensation.
Even better because I felt like my illness had really gone away, it wasn't something temporary... Devas-san had truly cured me...
"Come on, kids, let your father get up; you'll end up suffocating him." I heard my wife, Kie's voice, coming from outside my "cocoon" that my children had made by jumping on top of me.
When I managed to move, I joked, taking a deep breath.
"Air! Finally, I've been saved!" Laughter always made everything worthwhile.
I stood up, tousling my children's hair, earning a "annoyed" look from Nezuko, as she didn't like it when I messed up her hair.
Still, the smile on her face betrayed her feelings. The smile on everyone's faces, including mine... Speaking of which, where was the man who cured me?
"Where did Devas-san go, dear?" I asked Kie, who just shook her head.
My oldest son, Tanjiro, answered me.
"Outside, at the door, I can smell him there; he's just... standing and waiting?" No matter how many times I saw it, I was always amazed by his sense of smell.
My wife seized the opportunity. "Why don't you go there and thank the good man for curing your father?" She asked, pointing to the door.
Without hesitation, the first to run was Rokuta, my youngest son, followed by Nezuko, who always kept an eye on him, and the rest right behind.
Moments later, when it was just my wife and me, she turned, hugging me and giving me a long kiss before resting her forehead on my chest.
I could feel her tears wetting my haori... She must have been holding back until now...
"I'm not leaving, Kie... not anymore..." I hugged her, pulling her closer to me.
"I know, dear..." She murmured. "I know..."
We stayed embraced for a few seconds before she raised her head and asked.
"Why did you trust him?" She didn't stop hugging me, just lifted her face.
Why did I trust him... that was a good question...
"For two reasons, dear. The first, he didn't lie once." I used Transparent World throughout our conversation; at no point did his heart race, it always remained calm.
Either he was the greatest actor in the world, or he didn't lie... I'm going with the second option.
"Hmm..." She hummed, wiping tears on my haori. "And the second reason?" She asked.
The second reason...
"My intuition said it was a good idea." I commented jokingly. "And it was my intuition that made me marry you; I never doubted it..." I got a light tap and another kiss for that.
Unfortunately, I had to stop the kiss, as I heard a shout from outside.
"You'll never catch me alive, you rascals!"
Followed by laughter and sounds of what I imagine are snowballs being thrown.
"Let's go save our benefactor before our children bury him in the snow." I commented, starting to walk, my wife holding my arm...
Even though Devas-san didn't cure me out of the kindness of his heart, being a business, I'll teach him the best I can... After all, I still had my pride.
I promised I would teach him, so I would.
[…]
POV: Devas Asura [First day]
After losing the snowball war against the army that Tanjuro was creating, the Kamado troops returned home, and I went to talk to their father.
I chatted a bit with the man, mostly about his illness and the training.
Basically, I gave him antibiotics and told him to take them from time to time based on the prescription Stark gave me, or, in this case, the prescription that the doctor Stark went to inquire about.
As for the training, I didn't waste time, starting it on the same day.
I already had a strong body, and my lung capacity was good; still, I needed to train it, but that was something for later.
The first thing Tanjuro had me do was learn the forms of the Hinokami Kagura... in other words, dance steps...
[(MOD)GeniusBillionairePlayboy]: Hhahahahahaha. Dancing, you went there to learn to dance? How do you even, seriously? There's not a day I watch the stream that I'm not surprised by something you do! (Iron Man laughing on the floor emote).
[(MOD)WhiteHuntressLive]: Correct your posture, try to keep your back straight and breathe slowly. I've been taking dance lessons practically my whole life, listen to me, and you'll do well! (Proud Snow White emote).
[TohsakaHeiress]: A ritualistic dance? I remember reading about it a few times. Is there a special reason for you to go to another world just to learn it? (Curious Chibi Rin emote).
[AdvocateOfGenderEquality]: Dance? Are you guys crazy?! This thing is a mass destruction technique, capable of making a fifteen-year-old break the sound barrier! I'm totally copying, just letting you know! (Generic guy with a cheerful smile emote).
[BestToadSannin]: It's a dance... but at the same time, it's not. It's a hidden fighting technique inside a dance?.... How curious. (Sap coining the chin emote).
[AsuraLady]: I took some dance lessons too; you're doing well, much better than several girls who were in my class... (Little lion with a pink mane waving calmly emote).
[(MOD)GryffinHouseMatron]: Don't be embarrassed, Devas, you're doing well; you should see my students when there's a dance event... My feet hurt just thinking about teaching them... (Black cat with a witch hat rubbing the paw in pain emote).
Of course, Stark wouldn't miss the chance. It was me practically handing him ammunition for free, and a lot of ammunition!
Kazuma also recognized Kimetsu, which was an anime he had watched a while ago. Honestly, that was good; Kazuma being a nerd neet would help me a lot since I didn't know many animes, only the most famous ones.
In case he knew something useful in any world, I could use him as a nerdy Wikipedia or something like that.
I had given this "mission" to the entire (CHAT), actually, if they recognized any of my three daily missions, they were supposed to let me know.
I just didn't know whether to warn Kazuma about trying to copy a technique from a completely different world with completely different power systems...
There's a reason why I haven't learned any jutsu yet, trying to imitate Chakra, when I didn't have it, using my mana, was asking to end up blowing up a limb or two... Well, it was his choice in the end.
I'm sure Aqua will revive him if his lung explodes or something.
My thoughts were interrupted by Tanjuro's voice correcting me beside,
"Wrong! Use this muscle, not this one." He corrected my posture, moving my body and hitting one of the muscles on my chest and leg with a wooden stick.
It didn't hurt, obviously, since he barely put any force into it, but still, I felt like some kind of circus animal being trained... Well, at least I was learning fast...
... Well, until five hours later, when I started the breathing exercises. And I can only say one thing... My lung hurt like hell!
The problem wasn't my lung capacity, as I could basically hold my breath for a good ten minutes. No, the problem was that I was, for the first time in my life, breathing "correctly."
It took me a while to get the hang of the correct way to breathe in the Hinokami Kagura, but when it happened, I took a deep breath; right after, I practically coughed my lungs out, feeling my body energized.
I almost passed out from inhaling so much oxygen out of nowhere.
But it was a good feeling; I felt at that moment that I could basically punch the ground and make a huge crater... until I started breathing normally again, and that feeling passed.
The rest of the day was basically that, me training the breathing and, at the same time, following the dance steps that Tanjuro taught me along with some advice from Weiss, Saya, and McGonagall.
"Are you sure you don't want to use the guest room?" Kie, Tanjuro's wife whose name I had found out, asked me.
"No, thank you. I don't want to bother. Besides, I usually sleep alone on my travels; it's strange to have company in the house..." And there was also the fact that if any of their kids decided it was a good idea to prank me while I slept, there was a good chance that same child would explode, with me waking up thinking it was an attack. I don't think the Kamado family needs a new wall painting, thank you very much.
"Alright... Still, don't set up your tent too far away; the night is dangerous..." Tanjuro commented next to his wife, looking at the moon.
"Trust me, Tanjuro... I know very well how dangerous the night is..." Here, much less than in Terraria...
"Good night to both of you." I waved as I walked to my tent, which was a bit far from the Kamado's house.
I waited for the lights in the house to go out before leaving my tent.
I had turned off the stream some time ago, so there was no one watching me.
Without wasting time, I went back to training, following what I had learned that day, the steps and the breathing.
I didn't have time to sleep; I could do that when I got back to Terraria... My body could handle it, and besides, I had something to help with fatigue.
-//-
[Heart Valve (Ring - Living - Evolutive)]
Type: Accessory
Prefix: None
Durability: 616/639 (Regenerable).
Rarity: Green
Ability: Converts the user's mana into vitality with an efficiency of 2/1 (Author: 10 Mana = 5 Vitality)
Ability: As it was previously part of a living being, even though it is made of pieces of metal, the Heart Valve can evolve by continuously absorbing mana.
Description: A valve that appears on top of a mimico's heart when it reaches adulthood.
It serves to regulate its metabolism, turning mana into vitality, allowing the mimico to go for months, even years, without eating anything, just waiting for its next prey.
Note: If the [Heart Valve] goes without receiving mana for long periods, the [Evolutive] part will be lost, and the "ring" will die.
-//-
The "Ring" that I had taken from inside the mimico, or rather, its heart valve.
I had no use for this item before, as my mana capacity was tiny, but now, in addition to my mana having grown, I had practically infinite "Artificial Sapphires" after all...
I took the "ring" in my hand and placed a small "Artificial Sapphire" inside its circumference; quickly, the small blue stone disappeared, and at the same time, the veins of the ring glowed in red as they pulsated.
Nothing there said it had to be my mana.
The ring was also not affected by impurities; I checked a few times, as I didn't want to end up giving the ring a "heart attack."
Now it was just a matter of me setting up some matrix that connected the ring to a container, which I would fill with "Artificial Sapphires," and I would have another thing that increased my regeneration.
This, along with the Band of Regeneration, would practically ensure that my body could function indefinitely as long as I had food and water.
My mind was another story; mental fatigue would eventually catch up with me... But as my goofy friend used to say.
"Forget about psychologists, the key is to see how far the mind can endure."
A crappy phrase from one of my best friends.
I won't lie; he had some mental issues... maybe. Well, probably, but still, the phrase fit well here.
I put the ring on the index finger of my right hand, and I could feel vitality starting to flow through my body.
Well... let's get back to training then...
[...]
POV: Devas Asura [Second day]
I trained all night and basically felt like new, without any fatigue.
Of course, I spent some good "Artificial Sapphires," but still, it was little compared to what I had, after all, "burning" twenty-five thousand zombies yielded a good amount of them.
One thing I noticed while training was that the Hinokami Kagura seemed... wrong, in a way.
I had no difficulty in doing the poses or breathing correctly, but still, it was strange... in a way, as if I were wearing a T-shirt inside out.
It was uncomfortable, but not too much.
I continued training until about five in the morning when I turned on the stream.
I took this time to eat since I was a bit hungry. A few protein bars later, and I went back to training.
This time, I ignored the forms and positions of the Hinokami Kagura, focusing solely on training my breathing.
Honestly, it was an absurd feeling, as if I were, for the first time, using my body the right way.
My body moved more easily, my muscles seemed stronger, my breath brought so much oxygen to my blood that I felt like with just one breath, I could go for more than half an hour without breathing again.
After about, around six thirty in the morning, Tanjuro woke up and came to me, returning to training me.
Since I wasn't training the positions and forms, he basically helped me correct how I breathed, showing how he used the technique, the muscles he used, and how he breathed.
I was a complete amateur compared to him.
I could maintain this "state" of breathing for a few minutes before losing concentration. My body could continue, but it would go back to the breathing pattern I had breathed my whole life.
Not Tanjuro; he could stay like this for much longer, even with his body being many times weaker than mine.
Frankly, this only motivated me even more, so much so that I focused the training exclusively on my breathing and went to the top of this mountain where the Kamado family lived, where the air was thinner.
I stayed there the rest of the day, basically inhaling, holding my breath, and repeating, ignoring everything around me, paying attention only to my body and the tips Tanjuro gave me.
I almost hit the man on the head when I saw him basically in slippers and a thin haori following me to the top of the mountain.
Son of a bitch! I had just cured you of a lung disease; don't you have any sense?
I threw some warm clothes at him and made him put them on, of course, interestingly, he barely blinked when he saw me take the clothes out of nowhere.
Just shrugged and kept going, asking only if I was a yokai or a forest god.
I laughed a little and denied it, obviously, especially when he called me a god; couldn't be further from what I was.
I continued talking to the man in the meantime, him asking some questions about where I was from, what my house was like, and everything else.
I ended up explaining about the VoidBag, well, more or less, explained about the "Travel Spaces" and my "magic." Simplifying everything, obviously.
Did I need to explain? No, he hadn't even asked; I ended up doing it because it would be strange to explain after his house disappeared out of nowhere.
Because obviously, I'll make them move from here, even if by force, after all, there was a Michael Jackson on the loose; it was better for them to stay near a place with hashiras or something.
Interestingly, it was after it got dark, when I said goodbye to Tanjuro and turned off the stream that something happened.
The stream gave me a "Ping," my status appearing in front of me.
[(Spiritual Core) formed!]
"What the hell?!"
I'm sure I ended up waking up some animal that was hibernating, but what can you do.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, as I said up there, here's a little explanation.
First, this chapter is shorter than usual, for the same reason there haven't been chapters these last few days.
I had to take not one, but two exams; there was a glitch in the college computer, and I ended up having to redo the exam the next day, and it was a pain!
At least I finished the second semester of college, so I'M FREE!
Having said that, let's get to the chapter.
I tried my best to make the conversation between Tanjuro and Devas natural, not something like an NPC dialogue.
But as I explained, I was kinda busy with exams, so if something seems off, I apologize.
As for the training, I have something planned.
As for Devas comparing himself to Tanjuro... It's not a nerf on Devas, but rather showing how much of a monster Tanjuro was.
Seriously, the guy was a master in the Breath of the Sun, being able to use the Transparent World and the "Selfless State."
I really like the theory that if he were alive when Muzan attacked the Kamado family, Muzan would have at most managed to kill Tanjuro, who would hold off the Demon King until the sun rose, forcing him to flee.
As for Devas's knowledge, he's seen up to the middle of the third season, so there's a lot he doesn't know! Like the Transparent World and other things.
As for the Breath of the Sun... I've already finished that arc in my head, frankly, I loved its ending, the way Devas evolved mentally and physically using the Breath of the Sun.
I won't give spoilers, but know this. The Hinokami Kagura is originally a dance to praise the gods, mainly Amaterasu.
Devas feels "strange" using it, something may or may not happen before he leaves Kimetsu.
Now, as for the (Spiritual Core).
I didn't make that up; in fact, it's something used in Kimetsu, in the movie more specifically, the Mugen Train.
I'll use that in the story, along with the breath, to explain why the hunters were so strong. Obviously, the breath is the main thing, but I took the opportunity to add something "Spiritual" to Devas.
As for the merging of energies, Mana, Spiritual Energy, and others he may or may not acquire.
I'll explain that in the future, or rather, Devas will, while learning something to help him.
As for the [Heart Valve]. Thought I forgot about it?
Nope, I had that planned for him for a long time; I was just thinking about which "battery" the ring would be connected to.
As for the Halberd, Devas should talk about it in the next chapter. It was supposed to appear in this one, but I didn't have time for that.
Well, I wrote too much for an "explanation"; I'll stop here.
Good night and happy reading to those who stay!
PS: Comment what you think!
PSS: Devas's friend has a good phrase; I use it a lot.
PSSS: After this mini-arc, which should last about two more chapters, Devas will do something in Terraria, a medium arc that I also liked since it introduces two bosses!
Which ones? Secret, but here's a hint: It's not any part of the guy on the moon.
PSSSS: About the NPCs, a quick survey. If possible, comment on what you think of their personalities so far. I had to improvise with them, but I think they turned out cool. (In the next arc in Terraria, they'll be more present, a mini spoiler, some of them will be Devas's "team").
And about the members of (CHAT) too, if I managed to personify them well:
Alalia
Dylan
Robyn
Charlotte
Gilbert
(CHAT)