Chapter 79: Boiling Battles & Bathing Buddies 

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A week has passed since the experiment with Daki, and I've been training even harder than before ever since.

With the assault day on Muzan approaching, it's crucial for me to get as strong as possible. However, I've also noticed that my strength gains through training alone are slowing down.

Each day, I'm pushing my limits, maintaining total concentration to reap maximum benefits.

As for my techniques, I'm confident I've reached a level where I can defeat Doma without much effort.

So my primary focus during training has been to maximise my speed, agility, and footwork, knowing their critical importance in the upcoming battle against Muzan.

Facing Muzan's skeletal whips without the necessary speed to counter would spell instant doom; he could slice through you in the blink of an eye. And the thought of any potential power-ups he got would only make it more difficult. 

So endurance became my main focus. I knew the coming battle would be a marathon, not a sprint. To wield the Hybrid Style effectively against Muzan, I needed stamina beyond measure. In the past, my low constitution limited my ability to sustain it for long. But through training and the continuous usage of Total Concentration, I was able to stretch my endurance to new heights, which was able to handle the high pressure from {Hybrid Style}.

As for my spiritual power, I finally made some andvancents. I realized that infusing it into my glaive required my fighting spirit as a conduit – a connection I finally achieved today.

Panting heavily, I heard a voice ahead. "You've grown much stronger than I even imagined, Ace," Rengoku praised.

Grinning, I wiped the sweat from my brow. "Thanks, Rengoku-san. You're no slouch yourself."

Rengoku laughed heartily. "Compared to you, I'm as slow as a snail."

Mitsuri chimed in with her signature warmth. "You've surpassed us, Ace."

I simply smiled, surveying the scene before me. Four Hashiras lay on the ground, battered and bruised, their exhaustion evident.

Among them were Gyomei, Rengoku, Mitsuri, and Sanemi – they were able to push me to my limits. Also engaging in an all-out battle with them provided the perfect opportunity to test the infusion of my spiritual energy into my glaive.

Clang! Swish!

Sounds of swords clashing were also heard to my left. Turning sideways, I could see the duo of Yuki and Kanao engaging in a tag team battle with Iguro and Muichiro.

They were putting up quite a good fight, as their techniques complemented each other well. However, they were still slightly weaker than the Hashira duo, about 30% weaker.But that was understandable; surpassing a marked Hashira would not be so easily possible.

One other thing worth noting was that all the Hashiras had their Demon Slayer marks tattooed on their bodies. This time, they were neither faint nor temporary.

They were pronounced and permanently etched into their bodies, just like Tanjiro's or Yoruichi's. Giving them a basic permanent boost to their various capabilities.

Basically the reason the original Hashiras' marks were temporary was because their Breathing styles were not refined enough in comparison to Sun Breathing and Moon Breathing. 

But still their version is still very weak compared to Yoruichi's mark, since what they have is an acquired one, compared to an Innate one.

'Only my mark rivaled the innate one, thanks to its origin in a superior technique.' I thought, looking over the markings on my hands.

As the sun began its descent, casting a warm glow over the training grounds, we decided to wrap up our session. With some of the Hashiras busy training other Demon Slayers, they had to go early, leaving only Shinobu and me on our way to the Butterfly Mansion. 

"Any progress on the poison and the antidotes?" I inquired, recalling the poison Shinobu and Tamayo had used against Muzan in the original. 

"They're 90% complete," Shinobu replied. "Thanks to Tamayo-san's expertise. But we still need some more time, at least a week more, to be completely sure."

I nodded. A week might seem like a short time, but considering they are literally making a poison that could age someone 50 years in a mere minute. 

"You don't plan to use the sacrificial lamb tactic again, do you? To get Muzan affected by the poison," I said, observing Shinobu's reaction shift from surprise to mild shock.

But her expression softened as I continued, "I can see the poison in your system, saturating it completely. Even a single drop of blood is enough to kill a low-ranked demon."

After a moment of processing my words, Shinobu's surprise gave way to a calm acceptance. "You have good eyes, Ace."

"Before, I was indeed thinking of sacrificing myself against Doma to kill him or atleast weaken him, but thanks to you, I don't think I have a reason to die in such a way anymore." A soft smile graced her lips, a glimmer of gratitude shining in her eyes.

"And as for Muzan, originally I had planned to use Daki to bait him out. But since you asked me not to, I gave up that plan, so it will be a little complicated now to inflict him with poison," Shinobu explained.

I nodded thoughtfully. "Well, be careful about Tamayo too. I think she has the same plan as you, to sacrifice herself and poison Muzan. And I can also see Muzan doing it too, to get information about our plan by absorbing her."

Shinobu's expression darkened a little . "I see. I will talk to her and try to come up with some other plan,". They had forged a good connection during their time conducting experiments together, and she couldn't bear the idea of letting her friend die in such a manner.

After that, we had some normal conversation before arriving home. I bid Shinobu farewell and made a beeline for my own room. I had an urgent need for a shower, feeling the weight of dirt and sweat clinging to my body after hours of intense sparring. With no time to waste, I hurried straight to the bathing quarters.

Once there, I quickly shed my robes, stripping down naked before slipping into the bathtub filled with scented warm water.

Ah, this was one of the things I loved about being here – the comfort of always having a warm bath ready and waiting anytime. The soothing warmth enveloped me, easing the tension from my muscles as I leaned back and allowed myself to relax.

Lost in the sensation of the warm bath, I was suddenly jolted awake by the gentle touch of a hand caressing my shoulder. I quickly turned to see the culprit, only calming down, after seeing it was just Shinobu.

"Don't startle me like that. I almost thought it was a ghost," I grumbled.

Shinobu smirked, leaning against the edge of the tub. "You fight against demons and you're scared of ghosts?"

"Ghosts are supposed to be scarier than demons, aren't they?" I countered.

"Not when they're not real. What's scary about something that doesn't exist? Demons, on the other hand, are much scarier because they not only exist, but they can kill you and eat you rather than just scare you," she said.

"I see. Are you completely sure ghosts don't exist?" I asked, recalling the many wandering souls I'd encountered in this world, tethered by either regret or unfulfilled revenge.

"Are you saying they are?" she questioned, her skepticism evident.

"With demons existing, I'm sure ghosts can exist too. In fact, I've seen one," I said.

"Really? How do they look? Do they look scary?" Shinobu's curiosity was piqued.

"Remember when I mentioned my eyes? I wasn't exaggerating. And as for how they look, they appear the same as humans," I reiterated.

"You're clearly just throwing things around now," she dismissed skeptically. "At least, even if they exist, shouldn't they look scary?"

"You don't believe me?" I asked.

Shinobu nodded. "I will believe you when I see one."

"Well then, I just have to let you see one when I find one," I declared.

"I'll wait for it then," she replied, dropping the topic with a shrug.

"So let me ask you a question now. Why are you in the bathroom with me now and talking casually with me?" I inquired, curious about her sudden presence.

"Pft. I was waiting when you would ask that. But you seemed to not mind and continued talking, so I did too," she chuckled.

"That didn't answer my question," I pointed out.

"Well, if you want an answer to that, then..." Shinobu's words trailed off as she stood up, her movements fluid and graceful and her clothes began to fall from her body, like a flower falling off from its stem, revealing her clean, pristine body, and because she hadn't been in any sparring, thus were no traces of dirt or sweat…

"Since the attack day is approaching, and there's no complete guarantee that we'll come back alive, I thought it's better we leave no regrets behind. Don't you think so, Ace?" Shinobu's voice was gentle, her words laden with meaning as she approached me

"Do you mind completing one of my wishes?" Shinobu's voice was as gentle as water, yet undeniably alluring.

"I don't think there's any man who would deny that request," I replied, my voice tinged with a mixture of desire and anticipation. 

Without hesitation, I stood up in the tub, pulling her into me and bringing our lips together in a passionate kiss.

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