To The Stars | Tokito Muichiro x OC

76 • Hellish Training

Inori sweatdropped at the intense tension filling the laboratory. She somewhat expected this, but it wasn't really an ideal atmosphere to have in such a dire situation.

"Shinobu-nee, it's fine, please." Inori had to drag Shinobu's hands away from her sword. "I already met Tamayo-san and Yushiro-kun before. I may have been moving under Oyakata-sama's orders, but he gave me full authority on the final decision. I trust them."

"Fine." Shinobu sighed, relaxing her facial muscles. "I'll set aside my differences for our ultimate goal. We need to hurry though. We don't know when the battle will happen."

"If I may, I believe we will have more than enough time." Tamayo pulled out a stack of notes and papers. "Thanks to Inori-san and Tanjiro-san's blood samples, I managed to have a huge headstart. If we're efficient, we can finish your project and still have time to create more."

"Then, it's best for us to get started immediately." Shinobu turned to face Inori. "Are you sure you can be here, Inori-chan? You still have your Pillar Training and all."

"It's been decided that my main focus will still be Pillar Training, but I will still try to participate in our project to the best of my ability."

·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚☆.｡.☆.｡.:*☆ ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙

Murata was dying. No, he was sure what he was experiencing was worse than death.

"Oi! Inori! Don't hold back on me!"

"You're doing great, Inosuke-san! Keep at it!"

"Gyah! Inori-chan! Save me!"

"A little bit more, Zenitsu-san!"

Murata now understood why most of the members were stuck in Inori's technique development training. The Star Pillar was currently parrying off Inosuke and Zenitsu's relentless attacks by continuously switching between all the breathing styles she had mastered, and she was doing it without much difficulty, all while she was supposedly still recovering from her injuries.

"I've heard the rumors but...isn't this an overkill?" Noguchi whispered. The other slayers, sans the two oversensed monsters who were fighting on par with a pillar, were forced to stay back and watch lest they get caught in the crossfires. "Hoshizora-sama mastered eleven breathing styles...isn't that too overpowered?"

"Oi! Monbiksu! Don't get in my way!"

"Gyah! Don't hit me, you dumb pig!"

"And those two are keeping up with her like it's totally normal." Shimamoto fell to his knees. "You know, I was part of Hoshizora-sama's team on one mission years ago, so I kind of expected this, but man...isn't this too much?"

"Mate, you were part of one mild mission, I was one of the hunters who watched her nearly get killed by Upper Moon One. Believe me, this is nothing."

Unsurprisingly, Inori managed to defeat both Inosuke and Zenitsu. The two slayers were sprawled on the dojo floor, looking battered and bruised. The Star Pillar herself was looking majorly better, the only indication of her struggle being her rapid breaths.

"You two did well today." Inori beamed, clapping her hands. "Finish the obstacle course and you're free to go to the next pillar. That goes for all of you, obstacle course now." Tilting her head upwards, her smile didn't waver. "Kanamaru, go do the obstacle course and monitor them for me, won't you?"

"Caw! Okay!"

Murata, along with the rest of the slayers, groaned at the command. When he was still at the Mist Estate, Muichiro often went over the fence to supposedly help Inori create an obstacle course that was basically just heavy logs, boulders, and sharp bamboos adjusted to swing around like a vortex. Inori had told them it was inspired by Upper Moon One's attack and Murata thought he saw a slayer pass out.