Kaigaku's grip tightened until his knuckles turned white. Damn you, Izumo Tatsuya! You know I can't master this move, yet you bring it up in front of Master! Are you trying to humiliate me on purpose?!
"Senior... you know I can't do... Thunderclap and Flash," he argued, his voice dry.
Tatsuya began to pace around him, his gaze like a scalpel. "The Old Man told you: Thunderclap and Flash is the core of the core. It is the foundation and the soul of our style. He also told you why you can't use it. Do I need to repeat it for you?"
"No... that's enough." Kaigaku looked away. He knew what his Master said—that he lacked the suicidal resolve and the courage to charge forward without looking back.
Resolve? Courage? Kaigaku's inner voice snarled. Those are for fools! Only a genius who survives has value! Charging into certain death isn't brave; it's a waste!
"It's been so long, and Master has taught you everything," Tatsuya's voice was low but piercing. "So, Kaigaku, what are you afraid of? Is it because you saw us fight and realized you'll never reach that level? Are you afraid of losing to me and getting another lecture? Or..." Tatsuya stopped directly in front of him, close enough to see his own reflection in Kaigaku's pupils. "...Are you afraid of failure itself? Afraid to admit you just can't do it?"
Tatsuya unbuckled his wooden sword and tossed it aside. He stepped back ten paces, leaving nothing between him and his junior.
"Kaigaku, let me ask you," Tatsuya's voice turned cold as a tempered blade. "When you stand before a demon and you're already paralyzed by fear, how can you protect anyone? If the demon is stronger, faster, and meaner than you... what then? Do you just turn and run?"
If I don't run, I die! Kaigaku screamed internally, though he didn't dare say it.
"You are a member of the Demon Slayer Corps!" Tatsuya's voice boomed like a crack of thunder. "Behind you are innocent people! Your sword is your dignity! Kaigaku—you can't run! Demons don't give you the chance, and your duty doesn't allow it! Once you hold this blade, you are on the front line. One step back is an abyss!"
"Put away your calculations and your 'risk-reward' assessments, Inadama Kaigaku..."
Tatsuya stood straight as a spear. He slowly raised his right hand, his index and middle fingers joined together, pointing them directly at the space between Kaigaku's eyebrows. Those two fingers felt colder and heavier than any steel.
"Watch closely," Tatsuya said with a chilling calm. "Since you don't know how to swing your sword, then feel... exactly what it's like to be locked on by a Thunderclap."
Vroom—!
An indescribable wave of terrifying killing intent swept across the clearing. The air felt frozen. Kaigaku felt a jolt of electricity shoot up his spine. He had no doubt: Tatsuya was prepared to take his head with a single, lethal strike.
Those were just fingertips, yet they radiated a sharper edge than a real blade. Kaigaku felt his breath, his movements, even his heartbeat pinned down by those fingers. Cold sweat soaked through his shirt. His arm trembled, and his stance began to crumble.
Is this... the aura of someone who has actually killed demons?
Under the crushing pressure, a thought grew from his terror: I can't just wait to die! I have to strike first! Second Form! Break him!
The moment Kaigaku's muscles coiled to launch his attack—Zip!
The world vanished. His vision was obscured by a dark shadow. No, not darkness—it was Tatsuya's fingers. They had crossed the distance instantly, appearing less than an inch from Kaigaku's eyeball. He could feel the sheer sharpness and the heat of the golden lightning embedded in those fingertips.
Tatsuya had performed a true Thunderclap and Flash... with his bare hand.
Kaigaku stood frozen. A violent sense of shame exploded in his chest. This wasn't guidance; it was Tatsuya stripping away his last shred of dignity and trampling it into the dirt.
"AAAAAAHHHH!!!" Kaigaku let out a beastly roar. His reason snapped. To hell with seniority. To hell with guidance. He didn't care that Tatsuya was unarmed. He forced his Thunder Breathing to its absolute limit and swung his wooden sword with a shriek of tearing air.
"SECOND FORM: RICE SPIRIT!!!"
A chaotic, unrefined mess of strikes, fueled by pure rage, hacked at the empty air where Tatsuya had been.
Inside, the aroma of tea dispelled the winter chill. Kuwajima took a sip of the amber liquid—the premium tea Shinjuro had sent. He looked at Tatsuya. "You beat him again? I saw him run back looking like he'd seen a ghost."
Tatsuya sighed, leaning back. "I wasn't beating him. I was trying to force a Thunderclap out of him. But... in his rage, he just performed every form from Two to Six in a mess." He shook his head. "He's too tight. His mind is full of 'what-ifs' and schemes. He can't let go."
Kuwajima stared at the bare peach branches outside. "Let him be. Perhaps I cannot teach him the First Form. Some things cannot be forced." His gaze grew distant. "Let the demons of Fujikasane teach him. In a life-or-death moment, a person either breaks or finds something to cling to."
"Maybe... finding a disciple like you was just a stroke of luck. I can't hold others to your standard."
Tatsuya looked at his master's tired profile and said nothing. I hope so... but I suspect he'll just turn and run when the time comes.
The tea was still warm when the sound of wings interrupted them. Shiun-sai dove onto the windowsill.
"Mission calls of thunder and flame / In Tokyo city, a demon to tame / Slay the darkness, win your name! Caw!"
"Caw—! A demon has appeared in Tokyo! Kanoe-ranked Slayer Tatsuya, move out immediately!"
"Kanoe already? Well, duty calls. Your disciple is off to save the world, Old Man!"
Tatsuya grumbled playfully but moved fast. He snatched a few wrapped tea cakes from the table and stuffed them into his pack. "I'm off! I'll visit again soon!"
Kuwajima didn't even look up as he sipped his tea. He flicked a heavy, oil-paper-wrapped bundle through the air with perfect accuracy. It landed right in Tatsuya's pack. "Double red-bean filling. A gift for becoming a Tsuguko. Now get out."