Chapter 172 Contradiction
When Tanjiro arrived at Iguro's side, he sensed something ominous. He looked at the other person standing there and subconsciously greeted him.
"Shut up, or I'll kill you!"
Tanjiro was stunned by the aura emanating from Iguro. The other party said in a sinister tone with a dark face, "I heard from Kanroji that they arranged a very easy training for you... I'm not that naive."
After speaking, Iguro waved his hand lightly, signaling Tanjiro to follow. As he walked, Tanjiro's gaze gradually focused on the execution ground—no, the training ground—ahead. Before him were figures tightly bound by thick ropes, arranged at various angles, and Tanjiro could smell their terror.
It silently tells of their helplessness and despair.
"Um," Tanjiro turned around, sweating profusely, "what crimes did they commit?"
“…Let me think.” After pondering for a moment, Iguro smirked and said with an unfriendly expression, “The sin of weakness, the sin of forgetting, the sin of being troublesome, the sin of making me unhappy.”
That's terrible.
After that, Tanjiro began extremely rigorous training. Mr. Iguro's requirement was that he only needed to land one hit to succeed, but it was actually very difficult.
Mr. Iguro's attacks would come from between the bound team members. Because of the strange twisting of his sword, which moved like a snake through the narrow gaps, Tanjiro could never defend against them.
What makes it even more difficult is that Tanjiro's heart is always filled with contradictions and struggles when he fights back. Even a wooden sword, once it strikes and leaves a wound, leaves a mark. Before each swing, he can clearly hear the heartfelt cries of his unfortunate comrades echoing in his mind: "Please, please, don't hit me..."
This was like a heavy shackle, binding his hands and feet, making each of his attacks hesitant, and his hands trembling incessantly from tension.
Under these circumstances, four days later.
Tanjiro gradually learned how to find openings in Iguro's attacks, and his swordplay became more precise and decisive. He used the rhythm of each breath to adjust his footwork, dodging Iguro's fatal blows while launching counterattacks.
Then, he cut off the other person's haori, ending the training session. But what saddened Tanjiro was that he was still disliked by the other person until the very end.
Tanjiro walked to the vicinity of Sanemi's dojo. As he turned the corner, a terrifying face suddenly appeared in front of him. Although he recognized Zenitsu, he was still startled by the face.
"Aa ...
"Tanjiro, please take me with you. I can't stand up anymore. I can't go on. I finally made it here. I climbed over the wall with great difficulty and concealed my presence. My life is at stake. I'll be killed."
Zenitsu threw himself on Tanjiro, roaring and crying, leaving Tanjiro at a loss.
"Snap—".
A hand pressed down on Zenitsu's head, and Sanemi's face, as black as the bottom of a pot, appeared before them: "Choose, go back to training or let me kill you."
"Aaaaaaaahhhhhh, please have mercy on me! Aaaaaaahhhhh!"
"It's so noisy, I'm moving out."
Sanemi knocked Zenitsu unconscious with a single chop and walked forward angrily. Tanjiro had no choice but to carry Zenitsu on his back and follow him.
"Long time no see. I'm participating in training today. Please take care of me."
Tanjiro was the first to greet him, but Sanemi glanced at him and said fiercely, "Don't be so smug, I don't agree with you."
"It has absolutely nothing to do with you, and I don't agree with you either. You stabbed Nezuko!"
Tanjiro said nonchalantly, then strode forward, leaving Sanemi stunned.
"...How dare you!"
Once training began, Tanjiro understood why Zenitsu was crying and screaming so much; the training was simply too harsh. It consisted of simple attack drills involving slashing Sanemi, continuing until Zenitsu vomited and fainted.
Even Mr. Iguro would give more rest time, but Sanemi had no rest time during his training.
However, Tanjiro's attacks are even more terrifying; the slightest moment of carelessness will result in serious injury and a return to treatment.
night
Tanjiro walked wearily with his face swollen like a pig's head. On the very first day, he was already covered in bruises and vomited everywhere.
"Wait a minute, brother, I have something to say..."
The sudden sound caught Tanjiro's attention. He peeked over and saw Sanemi and Genya.
"Stop bothering me! I don't have a younger brother. If you don't behave yourself, I'll kill you!"
"Besides, you look like you have no talent at all. Don't join the Demon Slayer Corps; you can't even breathe properly, so don't call yourself a swordsman."
Sanemi's blunt words made Genya lower his head. Sanemi turned and left without hesitation, causing Genya to call out in a panic, "Wait...wait a minute, big brother. I've been wanting to apologize to you."
"Get lost. I don't care at all."
Genya was heartbroken by Sanemi's wave, and Tanjiro, who was secretly cheering him on, also fell silent.
"How could this be... I... went so far as to devour the ghosts of the Battle Gate until now..."
His words made Sanemi stop in his tracks and turn around with a gloomy expression.
"What did you say? What did you just say, kid? You ate it?"
In that instant, Tanjiro sensed something was wrong and rushed forward to push Genya aside, sending them crashing out the door together, startling Zenitsu and all the other members outside.
"Stop! What are you doing? Are you going to kill Genmi?"
Tanjiro shouted angrily, while Sanemi walked out with a gloomy face and bulging veins on his forehead: "I won't kill him. Killing him is very simple, but if he violates the team rules and makes him unable to fight, he must resign from the Demon Slayer Corps immediately and I will let him go."
"What a joke! You have no right to do this! Didn't you just say you don't have a younger brother? Anyway, don't interfere. If you're not his older brother, don't get in his way. I will absolutely not let you cripple him."
Genya froze, blood streaming down his face where Sanemi had just slashed him. Sanemi, however, grew even angrier, forcefully and swiftly attacking Tanjiro with his wrist, aiming a punch for his abdomen, but Tanjiro grabbed his wrist and blocked it.
The two began to fight, and Tanjiro was thrown to the ground by Sanemi. He shouted at Zenitsu, "Zenitsu, let Genya escape—please!!"
Ahhh, you idiot, don't call me by my name! Give me a clever code!
"Tanjiro! Brother, wait-"
Genmi wanted to go up, but Zenitsu grabbed him and ran outside.
"Who are you? Let me go!"
"Let them fight. Is that your brother? He's a complete lunatic. It's pathetic."
"Don't insult my brother!!"
"Aren't we companions???"
Genya punched Zenitsu in the face, and the team members rushed forward to pull Saneya away, creating chaos on the scene.
"..."
Ichiro, who came to visit Tanjiro after hearing that Tanjiro had been beaten so badly by Sanemi that he was vomiting, asked: Is this a training ground for taking beatings?
"Enough is enough!!"
Yuichiro kicked them apart, the sound silencing the brawl. Zenitsu rushed over, wailing, "Yuichiro, I have something to tell you..."
As a result, both of them received reprimands from their superiors, Tanjiro ended the training, and forbade the two of them from getting close.
"Wow, hitting your brother? That's really awful—but your face looks normal."
Ichiro leaned against the door and said sarcastically, which made Sanemi, who had just been scolded, glare at him fiercely.
"You're asking for it! I'll kill you."
"Then I'll spar with you today. I haven't participated in your previous sparring sessions, but I'll give it a try today."
Yuichiro looked up, a provocative smirk playing on his lips; he still remembered the grudge from the previous meeting.
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