"Breathing techniques really have all sorts of varieties. Which 'Breath' are you practicing, by the way? Practice for training? Or..."
Nae glanced at Hatsune, feeling embarrassed as she lowered her head. "No... it's not that. It's the 'Love' in love."
"'Love' in love? How can there be a breathing technique with such a name?" Hatsune was momentarily puzzled.
Training in breathing techniques should be a serious matter. Even if you don't talk about it in highfalutin terms, it should at least be passable. Where did this 'Love' word come from?
"My sister taught me this breathing technique. You've seen our family's situation—we eat a lot, yet our bodies are like this. So, my sister has always had trouble finding a partner. Later, when she joined the Demon Slayer Corps, it was also to find a partner. That's how the 'Love' word came about."
After saying this, Nae blushed and stole a quick glance at Hatsune before quickly looking down again.
Hatsune was speechless once again. As the saying goes, "If you're not of the same family, don't enter the same door."
It turned out these two sisters were both treasures—one joined the Demon Slayer Corps to find love, the other to eat her fill.
Hatsune nodded solemnly. "I see. I didn't expect there to be such a beautiful story behind this breathing technique. Your sister named it 'Love Breathing' because she wanted to find love. As for you, since you're in it for the food, you should call it 'Eating Breathing,' don't you think? I think you should consider changing it."
The first half of his statement sounded quite comforting, but towards the end, Nae realized he was teasing her again. She lightly tapped Hatsune's arm with her hand, pouting, "You... you're mean. Don't tease me."
"If you think 'Eating Breathing' doesn't sound good, you could call it 'Food Breathing'; that sounds more elegant."
"You..." Nae raised her hand as if to strike, but in the end, she sighed and let it drop. "You..."
"What about you? I heard you mention 'Ice Breathing' earlier. Does that mean your breathing technique is also a derivative?"
"Yes. I was born and raised in the snowy mountains. When I was a child, I got lost in the mountains during a heavy snowfall. I encountered an old man along the way who taught me a breathing technique and two martial arts moves. Looking back, that old man was probably also from the Demon Slayer Corps."
"Why did you join the Demon Slayer Corps? Like you said, I joined for food, but what about you?"
Upon hearing this question, Hatsune couldn't help but tremble slightly. His wounds had already healed, yet he still felt a burning pain—not physically, but in his heart, a pain so deep it took his breath away.
Why did I join the Demon Slayer Corps?
To save my sister and kill that man named Akiyama.
With no answer forthcoming, Nae turned to look at Hatsune. She noticed his cold and intense gaze, which chilled her to the bone.
Startled, Nae couldn't help but recoil, her body leaning away as she looked at Hatsune with fear and confusion in her round, innocent eyes.
The two stared at each other, the tension palpable. Gradually, the killing intent in Hatsune's eyes dissipated, replaced by a hint of guilt. He reached out a hand towards Nae.
After hesitating for a moment, Nae also extended her hand and took his. She felt the icy coldness of Hatsune's palm.
Hatsune pulled Nae up from the ground, apologizing sincerely, "I'm sorry. I scared you just now."
"It's okay." Nae tried to force a smile that seemed unbothered, but her expression was stiff and forced.
"I'll tell you about this later."
"Oh..." Startled by the scare, Nae momentarily forgot what she was asking about. After a brief recollection, she remembered it was about why Hatsune joined the Demon Slayer Corps. She quickly nodded twice, indicating she understood.
Nae couldn't imagine that her casual question would have such a profound impact on Hatsune, causing him to feel this way. She felt a twinge of self-blame and began to suspect that Hatsune's perpetual coldness might be related to this matter.
After this incident, the atmosphere between them became somewhat awkward.
On the other side of the mountain, Kimura was directing his team with precision, intercepting the demons' attacks methodically.
The circular defensive formation proved effective; no matter from which direction the demons attacked, the corresponding team members blocked them.
On average, every three team members worked together to defend against one demon: one main attacker and two others assisting from the sides. Combined with breathing techniques and the effects of the Sun Wheel Blades, they managed to easily repel the demons.
Even if someone accidentally got injured, other team members promptly stepped in to continue defending while providing first aid to the injured.
Although the barrel-like defensive formation could barely withstand the demons' attacks, everyone could feel how feeble and powerless this passive defense was.
Demons possessed infinite vitality, were tireless, and even if they were injured, they could recover in a short time. Humans, on the other hand, got injured, became tired, and most importantly, lost their confidence.
In just the first half of the night, single demons and groups attacked no less than twenty times. No matter how strong the team members were, it was impossible for them to continue standing in the circle for several hours straight, fending off the demons' attacks.
Many team members showed signs of fatigue. Besides physical exhaustion, their psychological tension and fear added to their weariness, no longer as enthusiastic as they were at the beginning.
Even Kimura, as the team leader, felt his hand trembling as he held his blade. In fact, by now, he had realized that concentrating everyone's actions together was a bad idea.
As the saying goes, many people have great strength, but not all the time.