~A Special Demon~

~Chapter 4~

Tanjiro POV

I see Sakura stumble a bit "Sakura?" I asked in a worried tone. Then she falls to the ground unconscious and her lance falls down next to her. "Sakura!" I shouted and went over towards her. "Bring them inside." Urokodaki said. I picked up Sakura and walked inside of the small house and Urokodaki laid out two futons. I laid Sakura down on one of them and I put the basket down and opened it once there was no sunlight in here. Nezuko was sleeping so I carefully took her out and laid her on the other futon and let them both sleep. "I'll make sure to take care of your sisters for you." Urokodaki said. I turned towards him "Thank you." I said and then we walked up the mountain. I was getting exhausted and my legs were starting to buckle. I was starting to feel dizzy too and then Urokodaki finally stopped and turned towards me.

"Now, from here, go back down to the house at the foot of the mountain. This time, I'm not going to wait until daybreak." Urokodaki said and then he disappeared. I gasped 'Is that all' I questioned. " I see. He thinks I might get lost in this thick fog." I said to myself. 'I just have to get back by daybreak, right? That's easy. With my nose, I've already memorized Urokodaki's scent.' I thought and I got moving. I not far down the mountain I tripped on something. I stumble a bit, but caught my balance. I looked around, but then rocks hit me in my face. I stumble again and fall into down a hole. 'A cover pit. So, there are traps all around. That's the deal huh?" I questioned climbing out of the pit. Then my hand triggers another trap.

I quickly get up and look around, but a log hits me right in the back of the head. I get up 'Crap, crap, crap. If I keep walking into these traps like this, I won't make it down the mountain by morning. And besides, this mountain. The air here is thin. It's way thinner here than on the mountain where I use to live. That's why I'm gasping for air like this and feeling so dizzy.' I thought panting like crazy. I start running back down the mountain 'Will I make it? I might pass out.' I thought. 'No, I have to make it back.' I thought. I stopped and closed my eyes 'Control your breathing and sniff out all those traps.' I thought and I managed to calm my breathing down and I began to smell around. I gasped and opened my eyes and began to run down the mountain dodging a lot of the traps. 'Alright got it piece of cake. These traps were set by a human which means their scent sticks out to me.' I thought.

Then I got hit by a piece of bamboo and I landed on the ground. 'But I guess that doesn't solve all of my problems because I'm still not athletic enough to dodge every single one of them.' I thought. 'I'll make it back no matter what. For Sakura and Nezuko!' I said in my head. Then I finally got back to the house panting "I have returned." I said before I fell on my knees and ended up going to sleep.

Time skip

As of today, I'm going to start keeping a journal for Sakura and Nezuko. I'm descending the mountain again today. I'll train so that I can survive through the Final Selection. Day after day I've made my way down the mountain and I'm starting to learn how to avoid most of the traps, because I'm much stronger now and somehow I've gotten even better at picking up more scents than before. However the traps are getting more and more difficult. I'm starting to think he wants me dead. Today, I carried my sword with me down the mountain, but it made moving a lot harder. The weights throwing me off, I get caught in every trap. Today I swung the sword, actually not just today. That's been everyday, as soon as I'm down the mountain I swing until I feel like my arms will fall off. 

"Swords are very fragile." Urokodaki said and that's how my training started. Though strong along the blade edge, it's very weak on the sides. So obviously you have to apply force where it's strongest. The direction the blade is facing and the direction you swing have to be exactly the same, otherwise it will break. Urokodaki told me "If you ever break your sword, I'll break every bone in your body." He sounded just like that too, very ominous.  Today, I fell down. I'm training to do it as softly as possible, so I can get up quickly from any position. I raise my sword, charged Mr. Urokodaki to try to kill him. Meanwhile, he's unarmed, barehanded, but he's ridiculously strong. He throws me over his shoulder every time and I roll to the ground. Today's lesson was about breathing techniques and fighting forms. "Total Concentration Breathing?" I questioned. "That's right, also I'm going to teach you how to use all ten water breathing forms. Start by taking a long deep breath, so the oxygen flows into every cell in your body. This will enhance your healing ability and stabilize as well as energize your spirit. Now relax your arms and shoulders, but keep your lower body braced." Urokodaki said.

I did what he told me "Good, now breathe." He said. I get yelled at for not bracing my stomach. and clobbered into a pulp. My next lesson I had to become one with the water. As of now, Sakura and Nezuko have been asleep for six months the entire time. Urokodaki sent for a doctor to come look at them, but he couldn't find anything. So, why are you two still sleeping? I'm scared. I'm worried that one morning I'm gonna wake up and they'll be dead. Everyday that thought haunts me. Coming down the mountain is even tougher now. I start higher so the air's even thinner. More than a few times I thought I was gonna die. "That's it. I've taught you all I can." Urokodaki said. I've been on Mount Sagiri, for a year and suddenly this.

"The rest is all up to you. You have to prove if your capable of advancing to the next level." Urokodaki said. "Come with me." he said. I followed him to somewhere and I gasped a bit seeing a huge boulder. "If you can cut this boulder in two I'll allow you to enter the Final Selection." He said. I looked at him and then back at the boulder. Is that really even possible? Can a sword cut through that? I'm gonna fail. My sword will break. Then Urokodaki started to leave "Urokodaki hang on a second! Urokodaki!" I shouted, but he walked away leaving me with the boulder. After that day, that was it he never taught me anything again. I took my sword out and turned towards the boulder. I hit it with my sword, but it didn't even make a scratch. 

From then on, I spent everyday practicing what I learned from Urokodaki. All the basics like holding my breath and staying flexible. It's a good thing I wrote it all down in this journal. But, still even after six more months I can't cut through the boulder. It's frustrating. Not enough! I'm not training hard enough! I gotta do more! More! Unless, am I no good? And Sakura and Nezuko just die just like this? I'm about to give up! It's impossible! I slam my head against the boulder "Come on Tanjiro! You can do this!" I said to myself."Silence!" I heard another person say. I gasped and look up and I see this guy with a fox mask on. "It's unseemly to whine, so knock it off." He said. Who's this guy? He has no scent and what with the mask?

"A demon slayer bears his suffering in silence. Isn't that what you want to be?" He asked. "Then start acting like it." He said and he jumped up and brought his wooden sword down to hit me. I blocked it with my sword handle, but he kicked me in my face. I landed on my back and I was on my knees. "Your slow, weak, and immature. That's not what I call a demon slayer." He said. "What do you think your doing?" I asked him. I'm trying to figure out what you think you're doing." He said. "What do you mean? I'm training." I said. "How long do you plan to keep sitting on your butt? Take a fighting stance." He said. I stood up and got in a fighting stance. "Come on then. Give me your best shot." He said. "But your sword's made of wood, I could hurt you." I said. He started to laugh and I was confused.

"How thoughtful of you. I greatly appreciate your concern, but you honestly think you'd even be capable of giving me a scratch?" He asked and then he quickly ran towards me. That I could barley see him and I barely blocked his attack. "Rest a sure nothing to worry about. I'm far more powerful than you are, I've already cut through my boulder." He said. So it is possible? He kept attacking me and he knocked me to the ground. "You've obviously haven't learned anything. You haven't mastered any of your training. Especially's Urokodaki's concentration breathing. Didn't Urokodaki teach you?" He said. He knows Urokodaki? Who is he? "All you've done in your training was memorizing the information. Your body still has no clue on what it needs to do. What the hell what have you been up too for the past year and a half?" He questioned. I block his sword again "All of it has to be hammered into your flesh! More! More! More!" He shouted. 

"You have to  make sure you never forget any of the secrets Urokodaki taught you! Pound it into the marrow of your bones!" He yelled. "I'm trying! I'm giving it all I've got everyday! Except I'm not getting anywhere! I can't. I don't think I can do it!" I shouted. "You can! Man up! Cause if you wanna be a demon slayer, there's nowhere than forward!" He shouted. "Give it your all! Show me just what your capable of!" He shouted before he knocked me out.