Cry

Chapter sixteen ( edited )

The training started abruptly. After a brief meeting with Kaguya-sama. People who have yet to reach a marking state will train to get there while the slayers who have reached a marking state will aim to be able to maintain the state at will. It was found that the mark will only form after the body has reached it's limit so the goal is to reach that limit and draw out the mark, then learn to maintain it without being at death's door step. 

I walk into the mountain for Himejima-san's training. His training for Pillars being the 12 hours sitting under the waterfall and pushing a boulder up the mountain. Meaning the whole training will be endurance based. 

I smirk. It's a long while since I did physical mountain training. Stripping myself of my top, I'm left in bandages covering my chest and  pants identical to Inosuke minus the fur. I've never been shy about showing skin, there's no point in starting now just because a bunch of men are around me training. 

After easily pushing my boulder around, I sit my self comfortably under the waterfall. The pressure of the water makes me want to slouch but I breath and hold my form. I calmly watch the younger ones trying to push and drag boulders around. They won't be able to do it without a certain level of control on their breathing, not that I should be telling them this when I'm already feeling tired and worn out from just sitting under a water fall. I feel a presence sitting beside me. Looking over, I see a head of black hair. 

" Oh Genya. Hello." He bows slight greeting me and then focuses on looking straight. 

" are you not cold? Your so skinny, won't you catch a cold?" I can see the skin on his arms turning into turkey skin. 

" No I am ok. I've been training under Himejima-san for a while and I got used to how cold the water is. " He turns his head to look towards me and I can't help but smile. 

" You really do look just like your brother. Mean looking eyes and missing eyebrows but you seem to have a better personality that Sanemi." I give him a smile and I see the red form on his cheeks. 

" I actually have so much to talk to you about but the most important thing is that I'm going to be your sister so you can call me something like Nee-san or something like that. Inosuke calls me Nee-chan or sometimes he calls me boss. Up to you." I pause give him some time to process.

" The reason I say this is because, I'm ganna marry your brother. but that's a secret until he grows enough balls to tell you himself. so don't tell him I told you."  His eyes grow wide like saucer. 

" Marry? " I give him a sad smile. 

" After everything is over, after the world is a safer place. We're going to get married and I'm going to make him happy. He'll never admit it but he's so broken, so scared of loosing people.  So Genya, don't die. Until we get married, your the only family he has and I'll make sure he doesn't die either. " I pat his back.

" Does he hate me? I blamed him for something that he didn't do. So I'm sure he hates me because of it." He mutters and I barley hear him over the roaring of the water fall. 

" No.. Never. I know for a fact that he could never hate you. You hear me. He would do anything for you. He loves you more than he could ever love himself. Don't ever doubt that. He's just worried about you. I promise. " I smile and close my eyes. 

A shiver crawls up my spine. This water is really cold. 

" I heard you can't use breath. What me to give you a hint? Maybe you can learn my breath. " I give him a thoughtful.  

He gives me a hopeful look. Even I can see that he's never has a teacher. 

" Alright, I'll teach you and by the 12 hours is up, you'll be able to use beast's breath or something like it." I give him my best smile. 

I start my lesson soon after starting with explaining what exactly a breath is. 

" your muscles are a machine. Machines need energy to work and for our muscles, oxygen is energy. So that being , if you can breath deeply in a highly intensive situation, your body is getting an overwhelming amount of energy. That's what using breath is. Do you understand?" 

He nods and I think about it. Being under the waterfall and in the cold is the perfect opportunity to practice breath. 

" Focus on a feeling. Be it on the feeling of the water hitting your back or the faint sounds of your peers. Breath so that you can feel it better.  Focus only on that one feeling. We'll work on that first since you should have already build up your lung and such naturally being taught by Himejima-san" He nods and closes his eyes. 

After an hour or so, I hear his breathing evening out, at least more so than when he started. 

" It's easier to be under the waterfall when you can breath properly right?" I ask him and he opens his eyes slowly. 

" Using breath isn't just so that you can focus. Now you have to learn how to focus that energy on something. You'll have to figure out your style on your own but I can give you some things to practice. Focus your energy on your hands and try to push against the waterfall. With enough energy, you should be able to look up and shield the water from your face. " 

He tries and utterly fails. Almost drowning with the sheer amount of water that rushed into his face. I laugh and pound his back for to get a grip. 

" Once you can do that, your a breath user. What you call your breath depends on what you do with it. For one, I use it to enhance, my physical sense of the earth as well as muscle strength. Tanjirou uses his breath the change his energy flow. From flowing like a river to powerful like a flame. Himejima-san uses his to be reliably strong like a stone.  Do you get it?" He seems to understand and I nod for him to start working on trying to stop the waterfall. I see Himejima-san peering at us from the tree. I smile at him. 

Though he wasn't supposed to, Genya ended up training with me for my 12 hours under the waterfall. Any one can see the progress he's made just by learning how to breath deeply. It's definitely came easier to him than my brother and his friends simply because Genya is working back words. He already had a vessel suitable for a breath user, he just needed to learn a breath. 

With the 12 hours finally done, I stand up on shaky legs, My legs seeming as they forgot how to work. I end up falling into the river and Genya, being the sweet heart he is, trying to help me, ends up falling in too. 

I drag him to the bank and lay there. The cold finally catching up now that I am not under the constant water. I see the boy shivering as well. I smirk when I feel the presence of our beloved Sanemi. Of course he won't have the guts to actually hand the things to us. He's to much of a prick. 

" Don't look now but looks like we have a visitor. " I whisper and start to stand up. Turning around and looking behind a tree, I find the things our visitor decided to leave us. 

our package containing towels and some warm food. 

" How bout we start a fire and warm up before heading back " I suggest and he nods.