The Good Demon [KNY]

Part 9: Training

Akai slept soundly. He dreamed fondly of brutally murdering Muzan and the upper moons. He also had a weird dream about Aoi, which was unusual.

"Get up, pervert!" The three sisters were back and smacked his face with a carpet beater.

"OW!!! Stop!" Akai guarded his face.

"Today starts your training!" The three girls barked.

"Fine dammit! I'll get up! Just go away!" Akai shooed the children off.

*later*

Akai stood in the rehab training room since it was the only open one at hand. He had gotten dressed in his own demon slayer uniform. Shinobu was standing at the side, along with every other pillar. They were here to subdue Akai in case there was any trouble. Akai could see a table covered in medicine cups.

"What am I supposed to do, Ms. Kocho?" Akai shrunk into a shy child.

"You simply need to pick an opponent. Once you do, the two of you will sit at the table and try to splash each other with medicine cups. If you see your opponent grab a cup, you can hold their hand down to make them choose another cup." Shinobu explained the game and gestured towards a group of younger slayers. Akai had the option of Kanao, Aoi, and Sanemi's brother by the smell.

"Eny, meeny, miny, you!" Akai suddenly whipped his finger and pointed it straight at Giyu. "I chose Mr. Tomioka!" Akai shot back to his normal size and cracked a cocky smile.

"...Akai, that's not how this-"

"I'll do it." Giyu said surprisingly. Everyone in the room turned to Giyu. That had not expected that. Akai chuckled with anticipation.

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Akai sat down at the medicine table. Giyu did the same.

"Ready... Begin!" Aoi shouted the start off.

Akai locked eyes with Giyu for a moment, before shooting his hand forward to grab a cup. It was stopped by Giyu. Akai tried again. Stopped again. He tried again faster, stopped again and again. He repeatedly reached for cups, only to be stopped by the water pillar's defense. Akai took in a deep breath and flexed. He drew out an explosive burst of energy and shot his arms out at lightning speed. Giyu matched his speed evenly.

"How are you doing that!?" Akai said through his attacks.

"This is the power of a pillar." Giyu said indifferently.

Akai gritted his teeth and made his hand movements into blurs. Yet still, the water pillar defended.

"You have to break!" Akai taunted.

"You're weak."

"GRRRR!!!" Akai growled.

Akai kept at that speed for minutes. The veins on his forehead bulged and he clenched his jaw. He was making headway, soon he saw Giyu was getting slower by a fraction of a millisecond every block. Akai'd just have to wait. Akai cracked a smile on the 15-minute mark, Giyu's defense was falling. And the water pillar soon looked as tired as him.

"When will you crack, Mr. Tomioka?"

Giyu stayed silent. He finally seemed tired out. Akai smirked.

"He won't see this coming..."Akai thought. He drew his hands away quickly and shot up his knee. Akai kicked the table up, sending medicine in the air towards Tomioka. Giyu lept back while dipping his hands and feet in the green liquid.

"Well shit. He saw it coming." Akai also stuck his hands in the medicine midair and sidestepped around the table. He broke into a full-on sprint towards Tomioka, who had gotten into a defensive pose. Akai sidestepped to the left and right multiple times as he advanced, hoping to throw off Giyu.

"Water Breathing... Eleventh Form: Lull." Giyuu said softly. Akai sensed something wrong and stopped running. He stood 5 feet away from Giyu, who was standing still. Curious, Akai extended a hand, only to have it be hit with an invisible blow once it was 4 feet away from Giyu.

"Woah..." Akao said under his breath. He tried again, this time a punch. Deflected. "It's that blocking shit all over again..." Akai thought and growled. He took in a deep breath and began hammering at it with a flurry of blows. His attacks were deflected, but Akai still pushed off. He pushed through Giyu's technique inch by inch. "Almost there... Almost there! Almost!" Akai's hands were only a foot from Giyu's face when all the bones in Akai's hands suddenly shattered. "Oh shit." Akai thought before being blasted by a wall of hard blows, Akai was sent back with fist marks all over his chest and stomach as Giyu stepped forward and opened his palm.

"Water Breathing... Seventh Form: Piercing Rain Drop." Giyu shot his hand forward and into Akai's face. He flattened Akai's nose and sent him flying back. Sanemi broke down laughing while all the other Slayers winced.

Akai landed flat on his ass and hit his head on the floor. He layed on the floor in disbelief for a few seconds before sitting up. He stared at Giyu, not conveying any emotions. The pillars were ready to subdue him in case he went into a rage.

"That was awesome, Mr. Tomioka!" Akai smiled widely and clapped his hands as blood dripped from his nose. The other pillars sighed a breath of relief and Giyuu averted his gaze in embarrassment.

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Over the next month or so, Akai was trained in many different gruesome and hard ways. He was trained under mainly Shinobu, but he received guidance from the other pillars. He also learned to get along well with all the pillars. Sanemi still remained bitter though.

Akai also learned new names. There was Genya, Sanemi's brother. Along with Naho, Kiyo and Sumi. The three girls that teased him all the time.

And after two months came the final test.

Akai stood in front of a giant boulder with a spare Nichiren blade (this boulder is twice the size of Tanjiro's boulder).

"Cut the boulder in half, and you will become a demon slayer." Shinobu said.

"Hm..." Akai studied the boulder. He wasn't sure he could slice it. But he knew he was good with fists. He could create a bare-handed breathing style and use it to slay demons in a way they'd never expect. He had to pick something to name it after. So he chose the night sky. The stars and the cosmos were the only things that gave him company over the thousand years of imprisonment. Akai would call it...

"Breath of The Cosmos..." Akai dropped his sword and made a fist.

"First form:" Akai whispered as he pulled his fist back.

"Piercing meteor..." Akai punched straight into the boulder, piercing into it like Tomioka's seventh form of Water Breathing. But there was a twist. Akai's arm glowed for a split second before a flash of light went off in the boulder and it exploded. Shinobu and Giyuu who had been observing him stared wide-eyed at what happened in front of them.

Akai, who had shrunk again, stared at his arm. It glowed like heated steel before returning to normal. Akai panted, exhausted.

"Does that count?" Akai turned to Shinobu.