Training Arc Part 5: Shinjuro & Kyojuro Rengoku!

(1581 Words!)

Anos: 'The only ones left are Gyomei and the Rengoku family. I wonder if they are enjoying their training?'

-----------(Scene Break!)-------

(Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!)

Anos: "You all rely too much on your swordsmanship. Your breathing technique is one focused explosive power. Especially your families Esoteric Art: Rengoku. But that doesn't change that you must learn how to fight even if you were to be disarmed. And though your breathing technique already helps you in terms of explosive power, but it doesn't help deal with foes whose more experienced in close combat, and has experienced fighting a swordsman."

Anos spoke calmly as he deflected the two blades attacking him. Shinjuro and Kyojuro retreated from Anos as Shinjuro spoke.

Shinjuro: "You should be well aware that demons cannot be killed unless through decapitation with a Nichirin Blade, through wisteria poison, or by the sun. Any other way and they just regenerate."

Anos: "Just because you only have 3 ways of killing demons doesn't mean you can't surprise them by being able to fight in close corter combat when your either disarmed of your blade, or your blade is shattered. You never know how even a single second of surprise can change the outcome of a fight."

Kyojuro merely stood quietly at the side knowing that he was still to inexperienced to try speaking for now.

Anos: "Although you've trained the boy slightly, his combat experience is not rich enough. He's always battling against demons who are pitifully weaker than him, and that is never a good thing. It evokes a sense of strength, makes you feel invincible, making you more likely to underestimate the demons you fight."

Kyojuro spoke up at Anos's words. His tone deathly serious.

Kyojuro: "I will never become arrogant enough to underestimate demons."

Anos: "Maybe so, maybe not. All that matters right now is the two of your trainings. I will train you both for increasing your stamina, endurance both physically and mentally, and also your reaction speed. Of course you must train your body to be able to keep up with your reaction speed. As for your swordsmanship, it'll be easier to polish it if you both spar against one another. Considering Shinjuro's longer experience in the ways of the technique you Kyojuro will have to learn to polish your technique either by yourself or through the help of your father."

Both Rengoku's nodded their heads in understanding as Anos began their training.

(Clang! Spark!)

Anos: "Faster Kyojuro. Even if your body screams in agony, grit your teeth and continue to swing your blade."

Kyojuro: "Aghhhh!!!"

(Clang! clang! clang!)

The speed at which Kyojuro's blade was swung became faster than before. As Anos calmly deflects each of his attacks with a stick, he spoke.

Anos: "Focus on your footwork boy."

Kyojuro: "!"

As Kyojuro took a step forward to swing his sword, Anos tripped him forcing him to move his blade away from him in order to avoid hurting himself. As he crashed onto the ground, Anos placed the stick next to his neck and spoke.

Anos: "You missed a vital opportunity to counterattack. While you were falling you could have swung your blade aiming for my neck. Your blade is long enough to reach me afterall. But because you didn't counterattack, you just died."

Kyojuro: "Huff, Ugh..."

Anos: "Stand up and swing your sword following the basics. Swing your blade for a total of two hundred times for your mistake that costed your life. And make sure you focus on your footwork for each of your swings."

Kyojuro who was panting in exhaustion nodded his head before he took a deep breath and stood up. He got into his basic stance before swinging his blade. Anos nodded in satisfaction as he turned to look at Shinjuro who was laying on the ground groaning in pain. However, all the pain and fatigue he felt dissapeard when he heard Anos speak.

Anos: "Your planning to quit the position as the flame pillar aren't you?"

Shinjuro: "What's it to you?"

Anos: "A shame you don't have the motivation to continue growing stronger. And why just because of your wife's passing? What was her name again? Ah yes, Ruka Rengoku right?"

Anos's words infuriated Shinjuro who grabbed him by his cloak and screamed.

Shinjuro: "You keep my wife's name out of your fucking mouth!"

Anos snorted at Shinjuro's words and Kyojuro looked curiously as to what was going on before he focused on swinging his blade again when Anos looked at him before he spoke.

Anos: "Calm yourself, and let go of me."

Shinjuro gritted his teeth before he let go of Anos's cloak. Even if he was angry, he was still aware of the difference in not just strength, but abilities between the two of them. Anos huffed slightly as he dusted the nonexistent dust off his cloak before speaking.

Anos: "Besides, because of the death of your wife, you started to doubt the techniques mastered by the various Slayer's."

Shinjuro: "Of Course! In the end all our techniques are merely cheap imitations of the original Sun breathing. No matter how much we train we will always be inferior to the user of Sun breathing."

Anos: "And is that any reason to give up so easily? Or are you saying your so weak willed that just the loss of your wife is enough to discourage you to end the tragedy that's befell the humans? To kill demon's is your job that you've dedicated training to reach your current level of strength no?"

Shinjuro growled in anger and glared at Anos before looking away as he spoke.

Shinjuro: "I don't wish to continue with this conversation anymore. Send me out of this dimension."

Anos: "Eat first then leave."

Shinjuro clicked his tongue but still agreed. And just as he agreed, he heard his son Kyojuro scream.

Kyojuro: "200!"

After completing his 200th swing, Kyojuro collapsed onto the ground completely exhausted. Anos nodded his head in satisfaction before he picked up the exhausted Kyojuro and threw him next to his father and chanted.

Anos: "Los"

And like that many dishes appeared before them and they started eating. Once they were done, Kyojuro left to do some stretches, leaving Anos and Shinjuro.

Anos: "You shouldn't be so abusive to your children. Especially when all your doing is trying to prevent them from becoming a demon slayer and having to suffer."

Shinjuro: "What's the point of this advice?"

Anos: "Cherish your family. You may come to regret your actions and decisions you've made when they come to you in a coffin. And you will never be able to ask for their forgiveness because you only live once."

Shinjuro scoffed at Anos's words as he spoke.

Shinjuro: "For someone like you to say you only live once is funny because you seem unkillable."

Anos: "Indeed I am unkillable. But my words were for you humans. And don't try to dodge my question by giving asking a different question. Answer my question first than you ask me your question."

Shinjuro: "My families business is of no concern to you. Don't forget that your just a stranger to us. You have no rights to question my family and how I raise my children."

Anos: "True, but your job still remains. Even if you don't want to stay as a pillar, you still need to have a successor. And make sure they are strong enough to be holding the position you abandoned."

Shinjuro: "What are you getting at exactly?"

Anos: "Train your son so he won't die. His execution of flame breathing is pitiful compared to yours. Teach him the proper ways to maximise the technique, and he might become one of the strongest Hashira."

Shinjuro: "Tch. As I've said before, it doesn't matter how hard we train! And you didn't deny that the users of Sun breathing are stronger than us. Then it's pointless for Kyojuro to become the strongest when he's still inferior in every way to Sun Breathing users."

Saying that, Shinjuro left Anos who spoke up.

Anos: "Just because Sun Breathing is the strongest technique doesn't mean that it's users will be the strongest you know?"

Shinjuro who was walking away grumbled in annoyance as he replied.

Shinjuro: "Regardless, the users of Sun Breathing can simply train and eventually surpass us both in physical ability and breathing technique."

Anos: "If that's truly how you think, you will never grow stronger you know? The strength of your mind is what allows your body to grow to levels of strength untapped by the vast majority of humans. If you didn't have a strong mind to stay focused and dedicated to your training, you would have simply remained as a weak human. And just because you've learned the fact that there's a breathing technique that's superior to the technique you use you want to wallow in sorrow? Isn't that rather pathetic for someone like you?"

Shinjuro growled in anger at Anos's words before he took a deep breath, scoffed at Anos and walk away.

Anos merely smiled in amusement watching Shinjuro leave before he muttered.

Anos: "The stone pillar is the only one left. I hope he doesn't dissapoint."

Anos said these words gazing at Gyomei's direction.

{AN: "Please Be informed that I'm writing this ff whenever I feel like it. So im terribly sorry if you guys have to wait for a while. Its also because of the lack of motivation to write. That's all tq."}