Why does the world show a health bar? !

Cutting through a giant boulder might seem easy at first glance. If we were talking about unrestricted combat, I could just grab a sledgehammer and smash the boulder to pieces, achieving the goal.

But for a swordsman, the challenge is to turn their blade into a sledgehammer and use it to cut through the boulder.

Honestly, that's incredibly difficult.

Li Mo, a modern guy, was completely at a loss.

How did Tanjiro manage it?

Under the guidance of Makomo and Sabito, he found the "fault line" of the boulder and completed the test. Being able to see the fault lines later in his battles proved to be a great help for Tanjiro.

So, what exactly is a fault line?

The answer is: I have no idea.

Thus, for the first week, Li Mo spent all his time outside of basic training sitting in front of the boulder, thinking.

Brute force was definitely out of the question. The sword would likely break before the boulder did. Li Mo hadn't tried it, but he knew that his sword would give out before the rock.

"Junior, have you figured it out yet?"

"Makomo, you're as quiet as ever."

Makomo appeared without making a sound. Or perhaps her footsteps were just too faint.

Agility was her greatest strength. For her, this was probably just second nature.

Li Mo, on the other hand, couldn't make his footsteps quieter, just like he couldn't eat quietly.

"Ah, so it's already this late."

"Huh? Can you answer me first?"

"The answer is, of course, I haven't figured it out yet! If I had, would I still be sitting here?" Li Mo stood up, flicking a wooden practice sword into his hand with a light tap of his foot.

Makomo silently drew her own wooden sword from behind her back.

Today's sparring session had begun.

If daily training was like studying, then sparring was like an exam—a process of integrating everything you've learned.

Theoretical knowledge alone is dangerous.

Their sparring had started three days ago. At that time, Li Mo was still sitting in front of the boulder, completely unable to sense any fault lines. Did a boulder even have fault lines? Li Mo might as well believe the boulder had its own breathing. Later, Makomo came over, equally frustrated with the test.

Then, Li Mo suggested that instead of worrying endlessly, they should spar. Who knows? Maybe through sparring, they'd figure it out.

Didn't Tanjiro manage to cut the boulder after sparring with Sabito?

The two of them used wooden swords, not real ones, but that was enough.

"Your speed has improved again since yesterday. How do you do it, Makomo?"

Makomo's strength lay in her agility. From the moment the fight began, she constantly adjusted her position, making it impossible to predict where her attacks would come from.

Demons were once human, so they retained many human habits.

"Training."

Makomo's voice came from behind.

Li Mo's wooden sword swung around with lightning speed. The two wooden swords clashed, and if they had been real blades, sparks would have flown. The clash was over in an instant.

Makomo quickly retreated, putting distance between herself and Li Mo.

This scenario played out every day, multiple times. When Makomo moved, Li Mo could barely keep up, forced to adopt a defensive stance and react to her attacks.

Despite his strength, he could only swing at air.

It was exhausting.

But in recent sparring sessions, Li Mo often came out on top. Makomo had a fatal flaw.

"Hey, Makomo. What if Mr. Urokodaki stops liking you?"

Li Mo began to taunt her, using Makomo's attachment to Urokodaki against her. Maybe if Makomo were calm enough, she could ignore it. But…

When cicadas chirp incessantly, don't you find it annoying?

Then—

A sharp whistling sound cut through the air as Makomo appeared in front of Li Mo at top speed, leaping into the air and swinging her sword!

The wooden sword came down from above, aiming for Li Mo's head.

"Got you, Makomo."

Leaving the ground was a foolish move. Most people couldn't maneuver in mid-air, making them easy targets. Even if the opportunity was fleeting.

It was still an opportunity.

Li Mo dodged the attack and, as Makomo landed, placed his wooden sword at her neck. "Makomo, you're too easily shaken. That's your biggest weakness."

Makomo was too emotional. She could be easily provoked by words, leading to mistakes.

Then, Li Mo withdrew his sword, humming a folk tune as he headed down the mountain.

"Alright, that's enough for today. Let's go home and eat."

Then, he heard a threat from behind.

"Tonight, I'm not cooking."

A crisis! A major crisis! A catastrophic crisis!

If Makomo didn't cook, Urokodaki would have to do it. And with his temper…

Li Mo wasn't looking forward to that.

"Senior Sister, I'm sorry!"

He turned around, dropped to the ground in a dramatic bow, and pleaded in a pitiful voice.

"And you should start washing your own clothes."

"Senior Sister, I can't survive without your help."

A true man knows when to bend. Was it worth suffering through chores just to save face?

What's the value of pride, anyway?

With Makomo's help, Li Mo only had to wash his underwear. Everything else was taken care of by her.

Makomo sighed. She noticed his gaze lingering on her legs. Was he admiring her? Definitely not. This guy preferred mature older women.

He was probably thinking about clinging to her legs and begging for help. He'd done it once before, and Makomo had been helpless.

Remembering that embarrassing moment, she felt like he had her completely figured out.

"Then don't bring it up again."

"Yes, Senior Sister. Of course, Senior Sister."

He clearly wasn't listening.

Makomo knew his character—he'd hear something with one ear and let it out the other. She decided to ignore him and walked home with a stern expression.

If you don't go to the mountain, the mountain will come to you.

Li Mo followed beside her, chattering nonstop. "Senior Sister, Senior Sister. I wasn't wrong, you know. You're too emotional. You look like a cold, aloof beauty, the kind who shows no emotion. But inside, you're so sensitive. I just teased you a little, and you lost your cool. That's dangerous."

"Shut up."

"Okay, I'll shut up."

Shameless—that was her junior. He was a flippant guy who often crossed the line with his words. But Makomo had to admit, a lot of what he said was true.

Her mistakes often came from emotional reactions.

Today was no exception. She shouldn't have jumped.

But the anger had been too much.

Makomo used to be a very expressive child, but since coming to Urokodaki, she had learned to hide her emotions. She had lost the days when her face was full of life.

Today, the cabin was unusually quiet. When they entered, no one was there.

"Ah, Mr. Urokodaki isn't home today. Where did he go? Did he leave for a trip? Senior Sister, look, there's a letter from him over there."

Listening to her junior's fawning words, Makomo sighed. "Where's the backbone you showed half a month ago when you went to the stream to eat alone, Junior?"

"Is it my fault for being lazy, Senior Sister?"

Makomo ignored him and went to fetch the letter. Urokodaki's handwriting explained his whereabouts.

Today, a member of the Kakushi had come to see him, so he would be away for a few days. He told Makomo and Li Mo to get along during this time.

After relaying this to her junior, all she got was an "Oh," as if he didn't care. Urokodaki's absence didn't affect their training. He hadn't been teaching them for a while now.

All that remained was the test.

"Come help me."

"Got it, Makomo."

The address shifted from "Senior Sister" to "Makomo." When he needed something, she was "Senior Sister." When he didn't, she was just "Makomo."

Makomo shook her head. Maybe she should stay angry a little longer?

"By the way, Senior Sister, I've decided not to go to the boulder tomorrow. Let's do our sparring at home instead."

"No."

Little did she know, this was the beginning of Li Mo's "slacking off."