Baiting the Stalker

--- Chapter 51 ---

After having a sumptuous breakfast, Tenma slowly leaned on the window frame and enjoyed the morning breeze. As for the girls, he already told them to run around the inn a few times. 

"Nii-chan, I hate you!" Eri's shout echoed outside.

"Haha, then hate me more, Eri." Tenma chuckled. "Use that hatred to drive yourself to become stronger." 

Eri pouted while glaring at Tenma, swearing that she wouldn't forgive him until he gave her that special lollipop.

Shinobi and Kanao glanced at each other and shrugged. Although Eri had trained in the morning for years, she wasn't a morning person. She hated mornings with a passion.

Meanwhile, Mitsuri wasn't affected by this morning's jogs. Honestly, this wasn't challenging with her 'unique' constitution. She could have run several miles without getting tired. 

This jogs? Well, it's light work. 

However, Mitsuri quickly realized Shinobu's breathing rhythm was more complex than hers. The same goes for Kanao and Eri. 

It feels like they are putting shackles on themselves, deliberately making the simple exercise harder than it should be.

"What's wrong with your breathing?" asked Mitsuri.

Shinobu raised his eyebrow and replied, "It's nothing." 

Mitsuri pouted, "Come on, don't lie to me like that, Shinobu~!" 

"..." Shinobu's body jolted at Mitsuri, who acted coquettishly. 

She sighed, "Fine, it's just the Restriction Breathing Method for training your physique." 

"Anyone can learn it as long as your control over breath is perfect enough." 

"This... I never heard my instructor mention such a method." Mitsuri was confused.

Shinobu rolled her eyes, "Because it's too dangerous for a newbie. If you couldn't control your breath, your blood vessels would explode." 

"Then, how could a little girl like Eri do it?" Mitsuri's face became pale because Eri was too young to do dangerous training. She completely forgot that this "little girl" just slaughtered a bunch of demons last night.

Shinobu was speechless. She looked at Mitsuri as if she was looking at a fool. Then, she remembered this girl was as naive as a doe.

Mitsuri has only become a "Demon Slayer" recently. All this time, she only trained herself and did nothing else. Simply put, she hasn't seen much of this world to know everything. 

Shinobu didn't know why those pesky elders of the Demon Slayer Corps shielded Mitsuri so much, but this was not a good thing. 

After all, Mitsuri won't reach her full potential if this keeps going on. 

'Don't tell me...' Shinobu grabbed Mitsuri's hand and checked her pulse with her fingers.

"Mitsuri, your training..." 

"Was it instructed by a middle-aged man with an unkempt look? He has a scar on his left eyebrow and lips." 

Mitsuri pondered a bit, "Yeah. I called him "Instructor" as he never told me his name." 

Shinobu's face darkened, "No wonder." 

Kanao listened to their conversation and overheard Shinobu mentioning a middle-aged man and his appearance. Her eyes shrink slightly, coldness slowly condensing in her pupils.

Not far away, the Shadow Hashira also frowned. As far as he knew, the quality Shinobu mentioned only appears in one person in the Demon Slayer Corps. 

Hanami Kuzo!

Yes, the previous Flower Hashira. 

Jin Kagemaru clicked his tongue in amazement. He obviously recognized Shinobu and knew her sister was the current Flower Hashira, Kanae Kocho.

He also knew Kocho Sister didn't have a good relationship with the former Flower Hashira due to something. If he guessed right, it has something to do with Ex-Hashira's extreme training method. 

He squinted his hawk-like eyes at Mitsuri, 'This girl is the one with a 'monster' constitution, one in a million genius.'

Back to Shinobu and Mitsuri.

"What's wrong?" Mitsuri asked in confusion. 

"Can I also use the Restriction Breathing Method?" 

Shinobu freed Mitsuri's hand and said cruelly, "With your physique, the Restriction Breathing Method is useless. Even if you force it, the effect would be abysmally low." 

"Oh..." Mitsuri was disappointed. She wanted to get stronger, at least as strong as Tenma.

"I only said the Restriction Breathing Method is useless. I never said you can't use another method," Shinobu added casually.

"Oh!" Mitsuri's eyes lit up.

Shinobu glanced at Tenma and saw him nodding gently. She sighed and explained, "I have a drug called Soldier Pill. Its function is to increase the body's activity by 30%, which means your physical training speed and result will be 30% higher than normal." 

"There is such a good thing?" Mitsuri was amazed.

No, even Shadow Hashira was amazed. He didn't know such a drug existed, even in the Demon Slayer Corps.

It only means one thing. Shinobu developed it!

'No, Shinobu girl looked at the mysterious man before answering Mitsuri's question. As if she was looking for confirmation, and the latter nods.' Jin Kagemaru deduced with his heart. 

'Does this mean that a mysterious man can create a Soldier Pill?' 

Meanwhile, Tenma smiled faintly because Jin Kagemaru must be dying out of curiosity. After all, Soldier Pill could increase Demon Slayer Corp's performance by a leap.

Soldier Pill is a primary Body Tempering Pill Tenma devised and refined using thirty kinds of herbs around Kawami Village. Of course, no ordinary method could process these herbs perfectly. 

Besides Tenma, who possessed God's Tongue and mastered all elements of Tao, only Shinobu could make Soldier Pill. Even then, her success rate is not higher than 70%.

69% is not by any means lower. In fact, Iris praised Shinobu a lot for her talent in this field.

Unfortunately, this talent was 'highly' overshadowed by Shinobu's talent for making poison. 

In Shinobu's left hand is a brown pill with an unpleasant bitter medicine scent.

"So, I only need to eat this and start training, right?" Mitsuri said with bright eyes.

Shinobu nodded, "Yes." 

Mitsuri smacked Shinobu's hand up, allowing the Soldier Pill to fly and enter her mouth. 

She swallowed it and felt her body warm up. Her skin also moistened as sweat started coming out. 

"This felt amazing..." She groaned softly.

Shinobu smirked, 'You won't say that after the effect is over.'

"Soldier Pill's effect only lasts for two hours, but your physique might lower it to one hour, so you better start running or swinging your sword according to your Breathing Technique." 

"Go!" 

Mitsuri huffed and began running like a madman, flashing to the forest instantly. Her speed is so fast that ordinary people can only see dust.

Shadow Hashira narrowed his hawk eyes because Mitsuri's performance shocked him. Although Mitsuri was 'physically' gifted, he doubted she was this fast before using Soldier Pill.

'Body Activity by 30%, huh?' He thought solemnly.

'This pill also can be used as a trump card when fighting demons.'

One hour later, Mitsuri returned with drenched clothes, which hugged her well-developed figure tightly. Shinobu and the other girls looked at her figure and clicked their tongues in annoyance. They are envious.

Mitsuri fell and breathed like an angry bison. "So tired!"

Tenma shook his head at this sight, "Shinobu, clean Mitsuri up and give her the Recovery Pill." 

"After that, we can continue our journey." 

"Okay." Shinobu dragged the heavy Mitsuri to the nearby bathhouse and even changed her clothes. 

Fifteen minutes later, Shinobu returned with the newly dressed and energized Mitsuri. 

"Are you okay now?" Tenma asked curiously.

Mitsuri waved her hand, "I'm okay, Tenma-kun. The pill is so amazing. I feel so much better after eating it." 

"Well, then. Let's grab our house and return to Kawami Village." Tenma nodded calmly. 

The five rode the horse out of the town, and Jin Kagemaru followed them closely. Tenma smirked because Shadow Hashira had fallen into his trap.