The Multiverse Voyager

"Person speaking"

"Person thinking"

"Other Entity speech"

"Other Entity thoughts"

"Attacks"

[{Chapter Start}]

*tring tring*

Upon hearing the sound of the alarm, I waved my hands around from the bed. When my hand finally landed on the clock, it stopped beeping, and I groggily rolled out of bed, falling onto the hard floor. My mask, which I hadn't taken off all night, stayed firmly on my face.

"I hate mornings," I muttered as I got up. "I hate the sun in general. I prefer the atmosphere of nights, especially rainy ones." After a moment, I shook my head violently, trying to shake off the lingering sleepiness.

The events of the previous day played over in my mind. I had almost lost my life, but instead of the fear any normal person might have felt, I was left with a strange mix of exhaustion and exhilaration. Still, I have no intention of dying to that demon. Today is going to be different. I have a plan.

Skipping breakfast, I ate a medical food pill designed to heal the body instead and headed deep into the forest. Taking a deep breath, I let the crisp morning air fill my lungs—a stark contrast to the polluted air of my old world. My mission was clear: find the perfect training partner—a giant boulder.

I know trainee slayers aren't supposed to be able to slice boulders in half with precision, but that demon is far too powerful to be ordinary. It manipulated an entire forest, for crying out loud. I'll need something extraordinary to stand a chance, which is why I'm borrowing Urokodaki-sensei's boulder training method. Granted, it wasn't designed as a training method but as a way to weed out unworthy disciples. That doesn't matter to me.

I've been able to sleep with my mask on, which means I'm getting close to mastering Total Concentration: Constant. That's power, sure, but without precision, it's a liability. I'd risk breaking blade after blade from exerting too much pressure the wrong way. That's why I need to master enough precision to slice through a boulder cleanly.

After about an hour of wandering through the forest, searching for the perfect boulder and discarding several along the way, I finally found one that seemed just right. It was a decent size and perfectly shaped—not too big, not too small, and heavy enough to make my muscles scream.

"Alright, big guy," I said, gripping it. "You're coming with me."

My already sore muscles protested as I hoisted the boulder off the ground. My arms felt like they were on fire, and my legs threatened to buckle with every step, but I refused to stop. Slowly, with gritted teeth and a trail of crushed leaves and disturbed soil behind me, I managed to bring it back to my shed.

I let it drop with a heavy thud, the sound echoing through the clearing. Leaning against the massive stone, I wiped the sweat from my brow, panting hard.

Grabbing a wooden training sword from the corner of the shed, I turned to face the boulder. My Nichirin blade was sacred—I couldn't risk damaging it during practice. Taking a deep breath, I assumed a stance. I'm aware that Tanjiro used a metal katana to cut the boulder, but I'm going to go a step further and cut it with just a wooden sword.

With a shout, I swung. The sword hit the boulder and bounced off with a jarring thud, sending painful vibrations up my arms. "Tanjiro made this look so easy. Freaking protagonist energy," I muttered, shaking my head.

Figures.

I sighed and shook out my tingling hands. "Guess it's back to basics."

The rest of the day was a blur of swings and failures. Again and again, I struck the boulder, Blisters formed on my hands, my arms burned, and my whole body ached. But I refused to stop. By the time the sun began to set, the boulder was still unscathed as I dropped the sword with my hands shaking.

As night fell, I staggered back to the shed, drenched in sweat and exhausted but still determined. The training armor I'd been wearing all day felt like dead weight, and I tore it off, but the mask stayed. Its weight was oddly comforting. I decided to have some dinner and inject myself with some medical stims to further promote the recovery of my muscles.

Picking up the wooden sword again, I ventured back into the forest. The crickets chirped softly, and the occasional rustle of leaves kept me company. Under the moonlight, the boulder cast a long shadow that seemed to mock me.

"Round two," I whispered, gripping the sword tighter.

I closed my eyes, centering myself. In. Out. Slow, steady breaths. I pictured water flowing through a stream, letting the rhythm calm my mind and body. The forms of Water Breathing I'd been studying floated through my thoughts, guiding my movements.

With a shout, I swung again. The sword struck the boulder, and though it didn't leave a mark, the vibrations weren't as harsh this time. My stance was firmer, more balanced. A small, satisfied smile spread across my face beneath the mask.

The night stretched on as I continued my relentless practice. The boulder remained as stubborn as ever, but it was teaching me something important: patience, discipline, and the value of perseverance.

"LIKE HELL IT IS THIS ISN'T TEACHING ME SHIT, ESPECIALLY NOT PATIENCE," I screamed continuously swinging at the boulder with frustration. The boulder stood before me, Its surface was as undamaged. My wooden training sword felt heavier with each swing, the weight of failure pressing down on me.

"Come on... Just a little progress," I muttered, gripping the sword tighter.

Another swing. Another jarring impact. My hands screamed in protest as vibrations shot up my arms, threatening to dislodge the weapon from my grasp. I let out a frustrated growl, glaring at the unscathed surface of the boulder.

"This isn't working," I admitted through gritted teeth.

I dropped the sword and sank to the ground, leaning my back against the stone. My breathing was ragged, and my body felt like it was made of lead. For the first time, doubt began to creep into my mind.

"Am I even capable of this?" I thought aloud. "Tanjiro had a whole squad of mentors, innate talent, and—ugh—protagonist energy. And here I am, barely scraping by, trying to brute force my way through this."

I sighed, tilting my head back to look at the stars. The vast expanse of the night sky stretched above me."I guess I'm not talentless either, having learned Water Breathing in just a month compared to his two years."

My gaze shifted to the boulder, its rough edges highlighted by the soft silver light. It felt like an unmovable force" Maybe I was too hasty about this, I shouldn't have rushed it" I sighed placing my hand on the boulder. "My mind is a mess, I don't know what to do, what to think, nor do I have enough time to get my shit together. The days just sort of blur together at this point."

I sighed "Maybe…I should try going to another world"

"Quit whining brat, it's unmanly"

Immediately I felt goosebumps, my hair standing on my arms and neck as I instinctively dodged a strike placed at my back. I quickly picked up the wooden sword that I dropped on the ground as I got into combat position. I looked at my attacker squatting down on the ground, his orange hair covering all his facial features.

"Men aren't supposed to whine about their problems, they should man up and take them head-on"

'An attack here?' I thought 'Impossible, this area is protected by Wisteria and my UV lamps'

"Also, another World huh?" The man said getting up and dusting his clothes "That explains all the weird things you brought here"

The man moved his orange hair revealing a fox mask.

"Sabito?"

"You know me?" He said incredulously "I didn't know Urokodaki-Sensei mentioned his past students to anyone"

But how? I thought these guys were bound to Mt. Sagiri, how are these guys here? No wait, why did I assume they were bound spirits? They died in the final selections and yet they were still at Mt. Sagiri. Maybe, they're bound to Urokodaki-Sensei's disciples instead?

I was brought out of my thoughts as a huge force slammed into my gut knocking me back. Regaining my senses I quickly did a flip to stabilize myself on the ground just in time to intercept Sabito's overhead strike with my own Wooden Katana.

"How dumb are you to wander off in your thoughts when someone with a sword is in front of you? Sabito mocked me, quickly using his legs to perform an overhead kick on my chin, making me momentarily blank out before coming back to my senses as I unleashed a quick strike at Sabito who managed to block it but skidded backward from the force.

"Your strength and speed surpass mine," Sabito said as he dashed in front of me. I quickly brought my sword up to guard anticipating his strike, but he managed to somehow move swiftly beside me before I could react, slamming the hilt of his sword on my head."And you're still losing"

'Amazing' I thought disregarding the pain and insults 'The way he moves, it's just like dancing. It's as if there's no inertia on this guy.'

"Do you know why?" Sabito questioned as he dodged my strike by splitting his legs and ducking, quickly balancing on one of the legs and performing a sweep kick on me. I helplessly watched him do so in under a second, lacking the reaction speed to do anything as I fell on the ground.

"You're rigid as hell," He said, pointing his wooden sword at my throat "You practice Water Breathing, but you only move your arms. I saw your battle in the forest. The only times you used your lower body was with your water-breathing forms to move out of an attack's way."

He removed his sword from my throat as he stepped back, walking towards my shed "Water Breathing isn't just unleashing cool moves, it's about becoming as fluid as water itself. While your somehow inventing two water breathing moves were impressive, it was completely unnecessary if you just knew how to move"

"I…" I tried to speak but couldn't say anything as I listened to his harsh criticism. He was correct, the only thing I've been using for my Water Breathing was moving my hands, whereas someone like Giyuu was constantly moving about, only stopping to use his 11th form. Even Tanjiro never stopped moving.

"This training suit," Sabito said coming out of my shed and bringing out my suit "is limiting you. You're purposefully reducing your agility and mobility by wearing this hunk of garbage as well as that weighted Katana of yours. You're practicing Water Breathing not Stone Breathing."

I watched blankly as Sabito broke apart the weighted clothing with his wooden sword, somehow slicing the metal suit in pieces with just a wooden sword."Free your body, become water itself and you will flow through your problems with no problem"

"Using the whole body," I whispered. 'And to think there was a time when I used to laugh at memes of Izuku finally discovering he could his legs when I haven't even been using mine. This shit is a lot harder to realize in reality huh?'

The thought was like a spark in the darkness. It wasn't about how hard I could swing or how much force I could exert. The boulder wasn't an opponent to overpower—it was a puzzle to solve. I hated puzzles.

I stood up, my muscles protesting the sudden movement and my head monetarily spinning, and picked up the wooden sword again. This time, I didn't swing blindly. I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. In. Out. Slow and steady, like the rhythm of a flowing stream.

I went through the Water Breathing forms through my mind once more, but this time, I didn't just think about them—I felt them. The fluidity of water, its ability to flow around obstacles and wear down even the hardest stone over time.

I opened my eyes, a newfound clarity sharpening my focus.

"It's not about cutting through you," I said, addressing the boulder as if it could hear me. "It's about finding the path of least resistance, basic fucking physics that I somehow overlooked, applying a large amount of pressure and concentrating it into a small area to cut through you, just like how a glass window of a car can resist bricks being thrown at it but immediately breaks when a small rock is thrown at it."

I adjusted my stance, grounding myself. The wooden sword felt lighter in my hands now, as if it were an extension of my body. I swung, not with brute force but with precision and intent, leaned in with my whole body, my legs boosting the force of the sword in my hands.

"I AM WATER"

The sword met the boulder with a solid thunk, but this time, it didn't jar me at all. The vibrations were smoother, almost harmonious. I removed the wooden sword, revealing a small cut through the boulder.

I stared at the mark, my lips curling into a triumphant grin beneath the mask.

"There it is," I breathed.

Inspiration had struck and I finally felt like I was moving on the right path. It wasn't going to be easy, but I finally understood what I needed to do.

"Look at you," Sabito said striking me out of my thoughts "You figured it out quick huh? You've got a sharp mind on you" Sabito said walking over to me, and then sweeping my legs again making me fall down. "If only your body was as sharp as your mind"

He motioned me to get up."From what I understand of your situation, you don't have much time left before the final selection, so we're skipping over the textbook explanations and going straight to practice. Your body is extremely rigid, even more than that boulder."

"Your muscles are stiff from wearing that suit for a long time, making sudden movement extremely difficult. I'm going to beat you up until your muscles can finally twist and bend at unnatural angles. This will also train your reaction speed which is utter garbage too."

Sabito's words rang in my ears as I stood up, my legs trembling beneath me. Every inch of my body was sore, but a flicker of determination burned in my chest, refusing to let me quit.

"BRING IT ON FUCKER" I said, gripping the wooden sword and falling into a defensive stance. Sabito's grin widened behind his fox mask as he lunged at me with a speed that was almost supernatural.

"THAT'S THE SPIRIT," Sabito said "BUT THAT'S NO WAY TO TALK TO YOUR SENIOR FUCKING BRAT"

The next few hours were a relentless barrage of strikes, blocks, and falls. Each time I tried to react, Sabito seemed to anticipate my move, exploiting every flaw in my form. My muscles screamed in protest, unused to the extreme movement as I pushed myself to keep up. Sweat dripped down my face, mixing with the dirt from countless tumbles to the ground.

"You're improving," Sabito said, his voice carrying a grudging respect. "Barely."

I glared at him, panting. "Thanks for the encouragement."

"You'll thank me when you survive," he shot back. 

He dashed to my side, his wooden sword darting toward my side. I watched the strike approaching as I forced my body to move, my muscles twisting and tearing as I somehow twisted at the last second, narrowly avoiding the strike. I fell to the ground and with a final strike using all of my strength countered with a swift upward swing. To my surprise, Sabito had to step back to dodge.

'It took me years to master Water Breathing and how to properly implement it' Sabito thought back to his days when he was alive. 'not only did he learn the basics of Water Breathing and the sword in a month, but he even grasped and somehow implemented the proper way to use Water Breathing in just one night.'

'This kid' Sabito thought 'He's a genius…no, at this point this kid is a monster. Even now his body is adapting and strengthening. His reaction speed is somehow improving as well.' A small smile appeared on Sabito's face beneath his mask.'But, if anyone can kill Muzan Kibutsuji, it's this kid'

"See?" he said, his tone almost approving and surprised as well. "You're finally moving like you mean it."

I looked at Sabito as I panted heavily from the beating I received the entire night.

I felt my body as I flexed my muscles. It was small, but they no longer felt as restricted as before. Each movement became more fluid, more instinctive. I could feel the rigidity leaving my body as I focused on my Water Breathing. I jumped up while still lying down on the ground and stood back up, immediately regretting that action as even more pain flooded my body.

Dawn began to break, painting the horizon in orange and gold, Sabito lowered his sword. "That's enough for now," he said, his tone softening. "You're not there yet, but you've taken your first real step."

I dropped to my knees, the wooden sword falling from my trembling hands. My chest heaved as I tried to catch my breath, but a small smile tugged at my lips. For the first time since this journey began, I felt like I was truly on the right path to becoming stronger.

"Rest for a few hours," Sabito said, turning away. "Then get back to work. The Final Selection isn't going to wait for you."

"Sabito," I called after him. He paused, glancing over his shoulder. "Thanks."

He waved a hand dismissively. "Don't thank me yet. You still have to cut that boulder."

As he disappeared into the forest, I turned back to the boulder, its surface still had the shallow cut I'd managed to make. It stood as a reminder of how far I still had to go—but also of the progress I had made.

I clenched my fists, determination arising in my chest. "I'll cut you down," I vowed, my voice firm. "Just wait and see."

I wouldn't stop until I succeeded.