Crossover Anime: Starting with Bankai from Demon Slayer

Asuka felt even more uneasy and hesitated to speak for a moment.

But he also knew that the dangerous aura emanating from the old man in front of him was something he couldn't resist.

The second most important lesson Rukongai taught him was: don't talk back to big dogs before you have the strength.

He remained silent for a few seconds before slowly speaking.

"...Asuka"

"Does it have a surname?"

Seventy-eight.

"Um...."

The old man didn't ask about the name. In this world, nameless and faceless homeless children roam the streets and alleys, either being eaten by ghosts or captured and sold by those with black hearts. Whether they have a surname or not doesn't matter.

"Flying Bird, the wounds on your body were caused by a demon... Three fatal wounds didn't kill you; your vitality is incredibly strong. Don't waste it!"

As he spoke, he handed the bowl of medicine to Fei Niao.

Seeing the distrust in Asuka's eyes, he said in a deep voice, "I can sense that you are different from them. I know that's the difference between street thugs and ordinary people, but here, everyone is the same."

"If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't need to go through all this trouble."

Hearing the old man say this, Fei Niao twitched the corner of his mouth, and he felt that there was some truth to it.

So he stopped insisting and drank the slightly warm bitter medicine in one gulp, without spilling a drop.

The old man nodded and pointed to himself with his only remaining right hand.

"My name is Arashizaki Tesshin, and this is my training ground—Hayama, a place dedicated to training swordsmen for the Demon Slayer Corps."

"I'm sure you've already seen what a ghost is. That was my mistake; I didn't expect there to be ghosts haunting the area around Hayama without me noticing..."

"Normally, to become a disciple of the training institute, one needs to undergo some basic tests... But as an ordinary person capable of killing demons, I believe these tests are unnecessary."

Arashizaki Tesshin then pointed at Asuka and asked the question that concerned him most:

"The Demon Slayer Corps said they found numerous lacerations at the scene... Kid, how did you do that?"

Asuka's pupils contracted sharply, and the old man Arashizaki noticed this as well, looking at the other person with a solemn expression.

What should I do? Should I tell her? Asuka thought quickly, trying to come up with a story.

He had already remembered part of it: the tattered longsword in his hand was a special weapon called Asauchi, which could sense the user's inner world and release special power.

Although he wasn't sure if he had already mastered this power, it was clear that it didn't belong to this world. Would revealing the truth to the other party bring him trouble...?

Just as Asuka was thinking quickly, Arashizaki Tesshin provided the answer for him:

"I've lived for decades and heard of some people in this world who are born with the ability to grasp the mysteries of breathing and swordplay... Are you one of those people?"

"Breathe..." Asuka opened his mouth, his cunning and caution quickly forming a coherent explanation as he stammered, trying to recall, "...I don't know, I only remember that at the time...I wanted to avenge the old man, and in a fit of rage, I swung and slashed wildly..."

"Sometimes, the knife would carry... a gale like a dog barking, completely out of control... other times, it would just feel like I had a sudden surge of strength..."

Arashizaki Tesshin listened quietly to Asuka's fragmented and chaotic description, his brows furrowed.

"An uncontrollable gale..."

He can sense the flow of a person's aura.

The boy in front of me was lying, but it didn't seem like a complete fabrication; it was more like an exaggerated metaphor.

Is he exaggerating his power to intimidate me? Or is it simply a matter of distrust, leading him to emphasize his strength as if he's afraid I might harm him...?

He stared at the bird for a long time, sensing the flow of its aura. It was a pale red aura, indicating that the bird still harbored hostility, but had no malicious intentions.

To protect himself... Arashizaki made his own judgment.

"That's it..." His voice was calm and steady, and he had made his decision.

Perhaps this is just a rare, unrefined, and uncultivated fighting instinct; that is perhaps the most reasonable explanation.

"Whatever it is, the fact remains that you can kill demons. Make good use of it; it will be one of the important things that help you survive."

"One of them?" Asuka repeated the word in confusion, while Arashizaki Tesshin had already stood up.

He walked to the door of the Japanese-style room, gently opened it, and left without turning around, only saying one sentence:

"Hayama is not a chaotic street; no one will steal your food or hurt you for no reason."

"Once you can stand firmly, I'll show you what real wind is like."

The door was closed, shutting out the birds from the outside world.

Asuka remained silent, gazing at the unreal, warm Japanese-style room before her.

After thinking for a moment, he climbed back to Asada's side, hugged her, and climbed into the warm quilt, carefully wrapping himself up tightly.

Perhaps it was the old man's words that piqued his curiosity, or perhaps he simply wanted to stay here peacefully for a few more days.

He once again drifted into a hazy dream.

A few days later, outside the training ground.

When Asuka finally stepped out of the Japanese-style room, she discovered that the area was a cluster of buildings that occupied almost half of the mountaintop.

The training grounds are divided into indoor and outdoor areas. The place Miss Pear Blossom is taking him to now is a large open space that has been carved out on the western slope of the mountain.

The wind at the mountaintop was even more biting and cold, carrying fine snow and withered leaves, which would soon turn a person's face red.

Asuka stood at the edge of the outdoor training ground, wearing a light green kendo uniform that Miss Rika had given him, which didn't fit him quite well, over his clothes. Underneath, he wore the old cotton coat that the bald old man had left him, which had been washed and mended.

The temperature is very low today, and in principle, the sick person should not be allowed to come out in the wind, but Asuka's vitality is indeed as Arashizaki said, unusually tenacious.

In just a few days, with the help of herbs, the scabs formed and slowly healed, much to Miss Pear Blossom's surprise.

Although some movements still cause a dull ache, at least I can move freely, which makes Asuka very satisfied.

He still held onto his worn-out katana, his eyes fixed on the tall, one-armed figure in the arena, Arashizaki Teshin.

The old man was still dressed the same, but today he had a heavy-looking, mottled wooden knife in his hand.

He stood there quietly, facing the distant, layered peaks, as if he had become one with the howling mountain wind.

"Watch closely, kid."

Arashi didn't turn around, but he could already sense Rika and Asuka's arrival.

"This is—the breath of the wind!"

The moment the words left his mouth, Arashizaki Tesshin's aura changed instantly!

If Arashizaki just now was like an invisible being that had merged into the heavens and earth, becoming one with the mountain wind.

Now, he was like a sharp blade drawn from its sheath, instantly cleaving through the air between heaven and earth, or like a tornado rising from the ground, abruptly leaping into the perception of a flying bird!

Arashizaki Tesshin gripped the wooden sword tightly, raised his only remaining right arm, and unleashed a powerful and terrifying killing intent that could tear everything apart!

call--!

The wind trembled with his breath, and the air hummed with his movements.

Wisps of bluish-white gas hissed as they flowed into his mouth and nose, transforming into a powerful force that spread throughout his limbs and bones!

The wooden sword was wreathed in chaotic air currents, which even condensed into an almost tangible emerald green light!

"Wind Breathing - Fourth Form: Rise Amidst the Sandstorm!"

Arashizaki Tesshin lowered his body and shouted in a deep voice, drawing a semicircle with his wooden sword in front of him and then fiercely slashing upwards!

*Sizzle!*

A sharp whistling sound exploded in the air! The bird felt a piercing pain in its eardrums, and its vision blurred suddenly!

The next moment, he saw a sight he would never forget.