Chapter 25: The Inheritor of Sun Breathing (Part Three)

"But I want to go and thank him in person, to express my gratitude for saving my life."
Tanjiro Kamado, upon hearing this, understood the dangerous nature of the Flame Pillar, Han Yu, yet he still wished to pay his respects.
"Tanjiro, are you crazy? Didn't you hear her say that person is really dangerous?"
Zenitsu Agatsuma stared wide-eyed, incredulous at Tanjiro's intention to seek out Han Yu.
"I want to see for myself how powerful a Pillar can be,"
Inosuke Hashibira was also greatly intrigued.
"I'm not going. Just listening to the terrifying sword wind that person wields these past few days has kept me from sleeping."
Zenitsu Agatsuma, seeing that even Inosuke wanted to go, spoke with some fear.
His hearing was unusually sharp, able to pick up countless sounds and read people's emotions through them, even distinguish between humans and demons.
From the sounds alone, Han Yu gave him the impression of an icy fortress.
He couldn't read any emotion from Han Yu's heart, but he could sense the terrifying strength Han Yu possessed.
The sounds were far more frightening than those he heard on the mountain during the final trial.
Previously, Zenitsu could hear some faint sounds of Han Yu's movements.
But lately, whenever Han Yu went on a mission, he couldn't hear a single sound of his movements.
All signs pointed to Han Yu being an incredibly dangerous person.
Approaching such a dangerous individual for no reason was, in Zenitsu's view, an utterly unwise decision.
"Inosuke, you want to go too? Then once Mr. Han Yu returns, let's pay him a visit,"
Tanjiro ignored Zenitsu's words and looked at Inosuke with some delight.
"I just want to see how strong he really is.
If he's the strongest, then by defeating him, I can become the strongest,"
Inosuke replied boastfully.
At that moment, Kanao Tsuyuri, who had not voiced any opinion before, saw Inosuke's arrogant demeanor and remembered the events of the final trial on the mountain.
One must show respect before Han Yu, or risk a beating.
Although Aoi Kanzaki didn't know, she had heard about it from her elder sister, Shinobu Kocho.
Back then, Han Yu attended the Pillar meeting only once.
The Wind Pillar and the Serpent Pillar nearly came to blows with Han Yu, and almost lost their lives to him.
So Shinobu had advised her not to approach the Chrysanthemum House.
Otherwise, her inability to speak might be seen as disrespect, potentially provoking Han Yu's wrath.
Tanjiro Kamado's honest and humble nature made him fit to pay a visit.
But Inosuke's noisy, reckless attitude could easily ignite Mr. Han Yu's anger.

She reached out to stop him, but opened her mouth and couldn't utter a word.
"What's the matter, Miss Kanao?"
Tanjiro Kamado sensed the urgency in Kanao Tsuyuri's heart and asked with some confusion.
Kanao pointed at Inosuke and shook her head.
"Huh? Are you trying to say something to me?"
Inosuke saw Kanao pointing at him and shaking her head vigorously, but couldn't grasp her meaning.
Though his sense of touch was extremely acute—able to detect killing intent without seeing—it was hard for him to sense anything from someone without murderous intent.
"Tanjiro Kamado can go, but you cannot..."
Kanao paused, her words broken as she waited for instructions.
"Why can Tanjiro go but I can't?"
Inosuke was even more baffled.
"You'll die... Mr. Han Yu dislikes arrogant and foolish people,"
Kanao sensed Inosuke's growing anxiety, waited a few seconds, and spoke again.
"His temperament and yours are probably the worst match..."
Zenitsu recalled some things upon hearing this, and spoke with a hint of fear.
"Is Mr. Han Yu injured somewhere?
But from what I've observed, your movements during training haven't slowed at all—in fact, they've only grown more refined."
Just then, Shinobu Kocho's gentle voice drifted from above the rafters.
"I'm only here to find someone,"
Chu Fan, atop the edge of the Chrysanthemum House roof, spoke to Shinobu Kocho, who had blocked his way from dozens of meters away.
"It's only children's curious scuffles—you wouldn't be petty enough to take offense, would you?"
Shinobu had been present all along, aware that her younger sister and the boys were discussing Han Yu, so she kept her guard up.
"I have no intention of taking offense. I'm just here to find someone,"
Chu Fan replied.
"Well, let it be said in advance: no fighting inside my Butterfly Mansion,"
Shinobu smiled brightly at Chu Fan's words.
She had to be cautious, for Chu Fan had been with the Demon Slayer Corps for some time now.
According to the intelligence received, Chu Fan could turn his entire body into flames; ordinary attacks couldn't harm him at all.
Thus, despite so many missions, Chu Fan had never once come to the Butterfly Mansion as a patient in need of medicine.
And Shinobu watched Chu Fan train almost daily, witnessing his power grow stronger and stronger.
Even a simple slash was now so fast she could barely see it.

"Agreed,"
Chu Fan knew Shinobu was wary of him, but he had no intention of making a move, so he readily accepted her condition.
Tanjiro Kamado, Zenitsu Agatsuma, Inosuke Hashibira, and Kanao Tsuyuri were all in the courtyard and saw the figure standing atop the rafters.
In the blink of an eye, Chu Fan stood before them.
"So fast..."
Inosuke's eyes narrowed as he witnessed the arrival of the white shadow, deeply shocked.
This speed surpassed even that of the Pillar who had once saved him.
He couldn't even voice his desire to defeat Han Yu, for his body, through touch, felt as if a living flame stood before him, threatening to burn him.
Zenitsu, upon seeing Chu Fan arrive, realized he hadn't heard a single sound—confirming his suspicions. This man was even stronger than when he'd first met him on the mountain during the final trial.
Or perhaps this was Chu Fan's true power.
"Kanao, take the others inside,"
Shinobu, amazed at Chu Fan's speed, quickly regained her composure and floated down from the roof, giving instructions.
Kanao, receiving the signal, hurriedly led Aoi Kanzaki and her three younger sisters into the house.
"Mr. Han Yu, thank you so much for saving our lives,"
Tanjiro Kamado, though awed by Han Yu's strength, quickly responded, bowing deeply at the waist and expressing his gratitude loudly.
"Tanjiro Kamado, you must be curious how I know your father.
Why, upon seeing Nezuko, a demon, did I not strike her down, but instead chose to help you?"
Chu Fan gazed at Tanjiro Kamado, noting how gratitude came before fear or astonishment, and spoke.
"Yes,"
Tanjiro raised his head, answering earnestly.
The more he heard about Mr. Han Yu, the less he understood these things.
"Your father, Tanjiro Kamado, is the true inheritor of the Breath of the Sun. That is why I protected you,"
Chu Fan said, looking at Tanjiro Kamado.
At these words, Tanjiro Kamado, Inosuke Hashibira, and Zenitsu Agatsuma were not particularly shocked.
But Shinobu Kocho's eyes narrowed sharply.