Demon Slayer: Strength Gained with Every Swing of the Sword

"Phew…"

"It's really cold… I wonder how much longer it'll take to reach Sagiri Mountain. There seems to be a village up ahead. I should ask someone for directions."

Winter had already set in. Snowflakes were drifting down from the sky, and the world was covered in a blanket of white.

Feng Yu had been traveling for five days now. Without a map, he had to rely on asking for directions along the way.

"Excuse me, sir, can you tell me the way to SagiriMountain?"

Feng Yu approached an elderly man sitting by a house, puffing on a cigarette.

"It's up ahead, see? That mountain right there." The old man pointed ahead with his finger.

"But young man, what's taking you to SagiriMountain?" he asked, sensing the unusual time of year. It was rare for anyone to be out traveling now that winter had arrived.

"I have relatives over there. I'm going to stay with them," Feng Yu replied. "Thank you, sir. I should get going now, or it'll be dark soon."

"Alright, young man. Be careful on the road."

After bidding the elderly man farewell, Feng Yu felt a surge of excitement. He had been traveling for days and was finally close to his destination. During this time, he hadn't even had the chance to practice his swordsmanship.

Once he found Sakonji Urokodaki, it meant that his life might never be quiet again…

As time passed, deep footprints were left behind in the snow by Feng Yu's steps. The snow kept falling, making his journey even more difficult.

"This damn weather really changes fast. SagiriMountain should be close now… I think…"

Feng Yu muttered to himself as he gazed at the sky.

"I'll take a break for a while, eat something, and wait for the snow to lighten up before moving on."

Feng Yu found a sheltered spot and sat down. He took out some dry food and started nibbling.

Suddenly, a strange sound reached his ears.

"Ying… ying…"

Feng Yu turned around and found a snow-white fox behind him. But the fox seemed to be injured—its leg was trapped, and its pristine white fur was stained with a hint of red.

"It looks like a trap set by nearby hunters… Should I help it…?"

After a brief moment of hesitation, Feng Yu made up his mind. "Well, since fate brought me here, I might as well try to help it."

Feng Yu stood up and approached the snow fox to untangle it from the trap. However, the fox, possibly scared, growled in warning.

Feng Yu was unsure how long the fox had been trapped, as it didn't have the strength to fight back.

"Don't worry, I'm here to help you," Feng Yu said, as he carefully unwrapped his belongings to cover the fox's body with a cloth.

He quickly freed it from the trap. The fox initially struggled, but then it calmed down, perhaps sensing that Feng Yu meant no harm.

"There you go, you're free now. Just make sure not to get caught again."

He stood up and stepped back, allowing the fox to go on its way. But the snow fox stayed in place, staring at him with its head tilted in a curious way.

Feng Yu chuckled softly. "You little one, you were struggling so fiercely just now, and now that I've freed you, you're not even leaving?"

"If you're not going to leave, then I'll go instead."

As Feng Yu turned to pick up his bundle, the snow fox bit down on it and let out a soft whine.

It then leaned closer to Feng Yu's hand.

Feng Yu felt the soft fur and was reminded of the times he had pet cats in his past life.

"You don't want me to leave?"

He sighed, petting the fox. "I really have to get going. I've got something important to do..."

He paused, then a thought occurred to him. "How about you come with me? If you don't have a family and you're hurt, once you're better, you can decide to leave whenever you want. So, what do you say? Will you come with me, little one?"

The fox tilted its head in response.

In the end, Feng Yu didn't wait for a response. He simply picked up the snow fox, bandaged its wound, and tucked it safely into his bundle.

Despite the extra weight, the fox didn't slow him down much.

"I'll give you a name. How about 'Xiao Bai' (Little White)?"

The fox gave another soft whine.

"Haha, looks like you agree, Xiao Bai."

...

Man and fox continued their journey together.

As the sun began to set and darkness spread, Feng Yu saw a wooden house ahead, glowing with the light of a fire.

"Could it be Sakonji Urokodaki?"

Feng Yu's heart leapt, and he quickened his pace.

As he approached, he saw an old man with a Tengu mask standing in front of the house, eyeing him carefully.

"Um… Mr. Sakonji ?" Feng Yu called out. "I'm Zhongchuan Feng Yu. Someone sent me to find you."

He pulled out the blue envelope that Tominaga Yuu had given him.

"Hmm, I already know what happened," the old man said, his voice deep. "Zhongchuan Feng Yu, a fine young man. Are you sure you want to become my disciple?"

"I'm sure!" Feng Yu responded firmly.

"Good. However, you'll need to pass my test first. For tonight, rest. We'll talk more tomorrow."

With that, the old man turned and entered the house.

Feng Yu followed him inside. The warmth of the room immediately enveloped him.

Sakonji Urokodaki handed Feng Yu a bowl of warm soup, and Feng Yu gratefully accepted it. After days of eating dry rations, the warmth of the soup was a welcome change.

At that moment, Xiao Bai poked its head out from Feng Yu's bundle, nuzzling against his chest.

"I almost forgot about you. Mr. Sakonji , this is Xiao Bai..." Feng Yu explained, telling the old man about the fox's situation.

Sakonji Urokodaki said nothing but went to prepare some herbs. He placed them into a pot to brew.

Finally, he applied the herbs to the fox's injuries.

That night, Feng Yu slept soundly with Xiao Bai curled up beside him.

Unbeknownst to him, Sakonji Urokodaki was staring at him, a thoughtful look on his face. It was as though two shadows had appeared behind Feng Yu...

The Next Day

After a night of applying medicine, Xiao Bai's injured leg, which had been infected and swollen, miraculously began to form scabs.

By early morning, Xiao Bai was already jumping around energetically.

"Mr. Urokodaki, good morning!"

Feng Yu greeted Sakonji Urokodaki with enthusiasm.

"Mm."

Sakonji Urokodaki responded indifferently, his tone flat.

"Mr. Urokodaki, does the trial begin now?" Feng Yu asked, looking at Urokodaki with a serious expression.

"You will know once it gets dark," was all Sakonji Urokodaki said.

With that, he turned and went back inside to prepare food.

Feng Yu couldn't help but feel a little helpless. He knew that after nightfall, Urokodaki would lead him up the mountain and, just before dawn, make him descend. But the path down would be part of the trial—an endless series of traps. Feng Yu remembered watching the anime in his past life, where Tanjiro managed to avoid the traps with his sharp nose, though he was still covered in injuries. It was easy to imagine how tough the trial would be.

"Well, no turning back now. Since I've chosen this path, I'll have to grit my teeth and push forward. For now, I'll practice swinging the sword. Every little bit helps. I'll activate the system now; I have a feeling that when it starts, something unexpected might happen…"

With that thought, Feng Yu grabbed his wooden sword and began to practice his swings.

"Heh ha~"

"Heh ha~"

Inside the house, Sakonji Urokodaki, who had been watching Feng Yu, tilted his head slightly behind his mask.

"Perhaps this boy really is different..."

He recalled the letter from Giyu Tomioka, which had been delivered by Kasugai Crow :

Sakonji Urokodaki,

There is a boy who wants to become a demon slayer. I've sent him to you. He has enough courage to face demons with only a regular weapon. He even knows that demons can't be killed and that they need to be restrained by binding their limbs. His family was killed by demons, and his physical recovery is extraordinary. I suspect he might have the rare blood type you mentioned. This boy also has the basic skills to wield a sword, and maybe, he can break through and inherit the legacy. Please consider training him. I know this request is difficult for you, but I hope you understand. Please take care of your health.

Giyu Tomioka

Soon, the sun began to set.

Sakonji Urokodaki turned to Feng Yu and said, "Follow me."

The sun set quickly.

At the same time, SagiriMountain began to reveal why it was called the "SagiriMountain."

A thick fog enveloped the entire mountainside. The deeper they went into the mountain, the thinner the air became.

Even Feng Yu, with his physique, felt it was getting harder to breathe.

He stayed close behind Sakonji Urokodaki, carefully noting the path.

Strangely, Feng Yu found that this body seemed to have an exceptionally good memory. The path from just a moment ago was already clear in his mind.

"Perhaps it's something the system enhanced..." he thought to himself.

Before long, Sakonji Urokodaki stopped and turned to Feng Yu.

"From here, make your way back to the house at the foot of the mountain. I won't wait for you until dawn. If you return before dawn, you'll have passed the trial," he said.

Feng Yu wanted to ask something, but just then, a large mass of mist suddenly appeared, and Sakonji Urokodaki's figure vanished without a trace.

"Wow, he's fast. And this is exactly like what they said about Tanjiro in the anime," Feng Yu muttered to himself.

"But I don't have Tanjiro's sharp nose..."

Feng Yu sighed lightly, but immediately steeled himself. Staring at the thick fog that made it impossible to see the path, he closed his eyes. The route he had mentally noted reappeared clearly in his mind.

"I've got the route. Now I just need to avoid the traps!"

"This is really testing my reflexes and speed…" he thought.

…

Back at the wooden house, Sakonji Urokodaki was changing the medicine on Xiao Bai.

Xiao Bai gave a soft whine.

Sakonji Urokodaki stroked Xiao Bai's fur and said, "He's on his way back. If he doesn't make it by dawn, it means he's not qualified. But in a way, that would be a good thing for him."

Xiao Bai seemed not to understand, continuing to hop around happily.

Meanwhile, Feng Yu was having a much harder time.

He fell into deep pits, was struck by large logs, and battered by bamboo rods. His clothes were torn, his body caked in dirt, and his face was covered in fresh blood from newly opened wounds.

His head, face, and body were all covered in bruises and cuts.

"I can't keep going like this! Even if I make it to dawn, I won't make it down the mountain in one piece..." Feng Yu thought.

"Calm down! I need to stay calm..."

"Hah... Hah..."

Feng Yu stood still, breathing deeply in the thin air, allowing his increasingly anxious thoughts to slowly calm.

With each breath, his chest rose and fell, and it felt as though he entered a strange state. His blood flowed faster, and his heart beat quicker.

"What's going on? Where's all this energy coming from..." he wondered, but before he could think more, his breathing slowed, and the strength left his body.

"No, this is wrong. This power, it's the strength from my breathing. Did I unknowingly reach some kind of state?" Feng Yu thought to himself.

"This might be the only way for me to pass the trial..."

With that thought, he quickly repeated the breathing technique. Having learned from the first time, it didn't take long for him to enter the state again.

"Hah... Hah..."

At this moment, the only sounds in Feng Yu's mind were his own breaths and heartbeat.

Then, he set off.

Feng Yu sprinted forward, his speed doubled compared to before. He managed to dodge several traps along the way.

However, even so, he was still caught off guard by a few quick traps.

…

That night, neither Sakonji Urokodaki nor Xiao Bai slept, both waiting for the door of the wooden house to open...

Feng Yu, however, was near his limit. His body covered in injuries, he felt as though his bones were about to fall apart.

But the faint red glow that shone through the thick fog became his only source of strength.

"Almost there... Just a little more..." he thought, gritting his teeth.

With his last ounce of strength, Feng Yu opened the door to the wooden house and smiled.

"Mr. Urokodaki, I did it..."

Then, he collapsed onto the ground.

In the distance, the first light of dawn appeared, signaling the beginning of a new life… 

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This is the combine chapter of 6 and 7. I hope you guys will enjoy it. Do a review or let me know any problem in the comments. Happy reading.