Chapter 5: The Fox Mask Boy
Another week passed. The snow melted slowly under Tanjiro's feet, but the fire inside him only grew hotter. His body had changed—leaner, tougher. The boulder, once immovable, now shifted daily. He could feel it: progress.
But Urokodaki had grown strangely silent.
Then, one evening, as Tanjiro wiped sweat from his brow after a day of sparring…
"Tomorrow," Urokodaki said, voice steady. "You will cut the boulder."
Tanjiro froze. "The… boulder?"
Urokodaki nodded, gaze fixed on the giant rock at the edge of the clearing.
"If you can split it, you'll be ready. If not, you leave."
Tanjiro's breath caught.
"Leave?"
Urokodaki didn't repeat himself. He turned and disappeared into the mist.
---
The Next Morning…
Tanjiro stood before Shirōmaru, the boulder that had become both friend and enemy. He drew his wooden blade, exhaling slowly.
Total Concentration Breathing.
He struck.
The blade bounced off with a dull thud.
Again. Thud.
Again. Crack.
Again—
"Stop hitting it like you're swatting a fly," came a bored voice from behind.
Tanjiro spun around, startled.
A boy stood on top of a branch, arms crossed. He wore a fox mask with a wide smile carved into it. His hair was silver-blue, and his uniform was tattered like a wind had tried to tear it off.
"Who—?"
"I'm Sabito. You're Tanjiro. Urokodaki sent me."
Tanjiro blinked. "Wait—you're—"
Before he could finish, Sabito dropped down and charged.
Tanjiro barely brought his blade up in time. Wood clashed on wood, echoing through the clearing.
Sabito didn't relent. His movements were sharp, clean, and brutal. He attacked like he wanted to break Tanjiro's ribs, not just his stance.
"You hesitate," Sabito growled. "You breathe too late. You swing like a lost child."
Tanjiro grunted, parrying. "Why are you so angry?!"
"Because you'll die if you stay weak."
Sabito's strike knocked Tanjiro back into the dirt.
---
Later That Day…
Tanjiro sat, panting. Sabito leaned on the boulder, arms folded.
"You're not bad. You're just... not good."
Tanjiro chuckled through sore ribs. "That's fair."
Sabito studied him. "What do you want to protect?"
Tanjiro's eyes narrowed. "My family. My sister. Everyone I can."
"Then learn. Fast. Because when your blade finally cuts—" he tapped the boulder—"this will feel easy compared to what's coming."
He vanished into the mist before Tanjiro could respond.
---
The Days That Followed…
Sabito returned every morning. His sword was merciless. His training, relentless.
But he taught.
How to breathe with purpose. How to read an enemy's shoulders before they moved. How to feel your stance in your bones.
Tanjiro fell a hundred times.
Then ninety.
Then fifty.
---
Mini-Scene: "Zenitsu's Night Terrors"
Back at a small inn near the capital, Zenitsu lay under a blanket, eyes wide.
"Did you hear that? That was a demon. I heard the growl. I heard the breathing."
The old lady running the inn peeked in. "That was my husband snoring."
Zenitsu screamed. "IT'S ALREADY POSSESSING HUMANS!"
He ran straight through the paper wall.
Outside, Inosuke was wrestling a scarecrow.
---
Back to Tanjiro…
On the seventh day, Tanjiro stood once more before the boulder. He closed his eyes.
Sabito watched from the shadows.
Total Concentration. Water Breathing.
"First Form—Water Surface Slash!"
He moved.
A clean arc.
A sudden, crisp crack.
When he turned, his eyes widened.
The boulder had split. Right down the middle.
He dropped to his knees, overwhelmed. "I… I did it."
Sabito stood nearby, arms crossed.
"About time."
Tanjiro turned toward him, but Sabito was already walking away.
"One more thing," the boy called over his shoulder. "Next time we meet… you'll have a real sword."
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