Chapter 14: Chapter 14
The demon's mind was in a frenzy, the word 'RUN' repeating over and over as it turned, desperate to escape its doom. But before it could even take a second step, Ali was upon it, his left hand poised to strike.
**BOOM!**
Ali's strike connected with the back of the demon's head, causing it to explode with such force that three trees ahead of it were obliterated, each with massive holes punched through them. The trees collapsed in a heap, their destruction resembling that of a cannon shell hitting them.
Ali looked down at his left arm, now covered in the ominous black stripes, noticing them only now. 'Fuck' he thought, moving his arm away from his face just as the entire limb, from shoulder to fingertips, suddenly exploded. Blood gushed from the stump that was once his arm, the entire limb gone.
Most people would be writhing on the ground in agony from such pain, but Ali was no stranger to losing limbs. He couldn't even remember how many times it had happened before. Slowly, from the stump, bone began to extend, followed by blood vessels and muscle, as his arm regenerated, good as new.
Ali observed the demon's body, now disintegrating into black ash. 'I guess I've found my breathing technique' he mused, flexing his newly formed left arm. 'But why did it have to be something monstrous like that? Why not a holy light that cleanses demons from the world like an angel or something?' Ali sighed, realising he would have to figure out how to stop the aftereffects. He definitely didn't want to explode every time he used it.
Mitsuri arrived moments later, just in time to see the last remnants of the demon's body disappearing. She looked around at the carnage left behind by the battle, her eyes landing on Ali, who appeared perfectly fine except for his left arm, which was bare, the sleeve of his bodysuit shredded.
"How? How did you kill the demon?" Mitsuri asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.
"I used my breathing style," Ali replied nonchalantly.
"But that's not possible without a Nichirin blade! And since when did you have a breathing technique?" Mitsuri pressed.
"I figured it out just now," Ali said, brushing off her concern. "A breathing technique that suits me. And somehow, it kills demons without a Nichirin blade, as you can see. But I can't show it off just yet—I've only used it once, and I don't know how to control it."
As they walked back to the village, Mitsuri kept asking Ali questions about his newfound breathing style, but all she got in return were vague answers. Ali insisted he needed to practice it first before he could explain anything further. They arrived back at the village, where Mitsuri dropped off the boy and rejoined Ali. In the village square, Mitsuri announced that the demon was dead and the villagers could return to their lives without fear of the monster in the forest. This news was met with cheers and gratitude, the villagers offering whatever gifts they could muster, though Mitsuri refused them all.
Two men even offered their daughters' hands in marriage to Ali, but he quickly shut them down. The girls were not attractive enough to interest him, he thought privately.
Mitsuri and Ali stayed in the village for the night, departing early the next morning. They returned to the Ubuyashiki compound by the afternoon. Mitsuri waved goodbye to Ali as she hurried off to report the mission details to Ubuyashiki.
Ali went straight to the Butterfly Mansion, where he found the trio—Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke—training in the hall with the three sisters assisting them. They all stopped when Ali suddenly appeared at the door without notice.
"Everybody out. NOW," Ali commanded in a tone that left no room for argument. The sisters scurried away quickly, while the three boys looked at him, confused.
Before they could ask anything, Ali stepped further into the room. "I need the room to myself. Go practice somewhere else!" Ali said coldly. The boys exchanged glances and sighed, gathering their equipment from the ground and walking out compliantly. They all knew how strong Ali was. Even if they teamed up, they didn't stand a chance against him—not even close.
After blocking the door behind him with whatever he could find, Ali walked to the centre of the room and stripped naked, tossing his clothes to a far corner so they wouldn't get dirty from what he was about to do.
'I can't remember the last time I was this excited to train. Who am I kidding? I've never been this excited' Ali thought, standing in the centre of the room. He was working with what he saw as magic—real, tangible magic. Breathing techniques in this world seemed like sorcery to him. He could accept that the air in this world was different, that it could enhance strength. But the forms, the colours that emerged when a Demon Slayer performed their techniques, and the black stripes that covered his own hand—those were undeniably magical.
Ali focused on replicating what he had done in the forest, but with less intensity. He took a small breath, directing the energy up his left arm. It was difficult at first, but because he was using a small amount of energy, it only resulted in broken bones and ruptured muscles, not a full explosion like before.
And so began a gruelling cycle. Ali would complete the technique, regenerate from the damage, and try again. This continued for two hours until he could finally sustain a thin strand of black markings on his arm without causing any damage. He tried the same with his right arm and encountered no problems. But when he attempted to direct the energy down to his legs, he realised he needed more energy to reach and fully strengthen them. More energy required more focus and technique, which resulted in tearing apart every muscle in his legs and damaging some of his internal organs.
The training continued until midnight. 'I'm surprised no one knocked on the door, especially Shinobu. I told Mitsuri to keep it a secret from the masses that I found a new breathing style, but I'm sure Shinobu would have heard about it from Ubuyashiki. Thankfully, I ate a lot at the village. It should last me until morning' Ali thought as he prepared to resume his training.
Ali's training continued nonstop until the first rays of sunlight crept into the room. He had made significant progress in mastering his new breathing technique. Now, he could activate it more quickly and had successfully directed the black markings to various parts of his body—even multiple areas at once. However, the most he could handle was a medium-sized breath's worth of energy concentrated in his arms. Any attempt to channel more energy, or to direct it to different parts of his body, still resulted in injuries.
Satisfied with his progress, Ali put on his clothes and removed the makeshift barricade from the door. He stepped out of the room for the first time since the previous day, the mansion still shrouded in silence as all the other residents slept.
'I need to take a bath to clear my mind,' Ali thought, heading toward the bathroom. Inside, he found several tubs for bathing, but his destination was the exceptionally large one that had been recently built just for him—it was the only one that could accommodate his size comfortably. He put up the "in-use" sign outside the bathroom and submerged himself in the clean, cold water of the large tub.
Ali dunked his head underwater and stayed there for five minutes, allowing the coolness to soothe his mind and body. When he finally resurfaced, he thought, 'I've made quick progress in a short amount of time, all thanks to my body's resilience and the control I have over it. Without these advantages, this would have taken me months at least. I should continue training until I'm confident I can send markings all over my body simultaneously in a combat situation without exploding like a balloon.'
Leaning his head back against the wooden edge of the tub, Ali closed his eyes, letting his mind and body relax. The cold water worked wonders in easing the strain from his intense training session, preparing him for the next round of gruelling practice that lay ahead.
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