And now the long and unrelenting training session begins. And boy, what a start for Setsuna. I mean, having been dunked into freezing cold water in the middle of the Winter, that sounds like suicide. But, it comes with learning one hell of a sensing ability. The chilling breath style will bring plenty to the table, especially since it has the most forms out of any other breathing style in Demon Slayer. The next highest being Water Breathing with 11. And, it comes with three sword styles, each containing four of the forms. So versatility can be added to the list for this breath style too, I guess. Some time will have passed in this chapter and i'll state it at the beginning so you're not confused. Now, let's get back into the story. Enjoy!

Nine months have passed by now. And each day that went by hurt more than the last. I've suffered through multiple injuries including broken arms, concussions, cracked ribs, a broken leg, a bear slashing my chest, and falling from a tree and being impaled through my right leg from a log on the ground. But after everything that's happened, i'm still standing. 

As of this point, I've learned ten of the twelve forms of the Chilling Breath Fighting style. The first four of the Motoryu sword technique include the Misty Aura, Chilling Snake Sting, Icicle Fang, and Everfrost. Each were incredibly tough to master, but after about 2-3 months, I finally was able to control and use each one to its full capabilities. 

Moving on after them was the beginning of my actual sword training. The next four forms revolved around the Ittoryu sword technique, meaning "single blade." This meant wielding the sword with both hands. Torako didn't trust me with a real sword at first, so we trained with wooden ones instead. She showed me the proper movements, speed, and strength I needed for each form. And, in time I came to master them faster than I thought I would. 

Forms five to eight include the Frozen Gale, Icewing, the Hoarcry Ambertooth which is a quick draw technique, and the Aurora Vanish which uses the cold air around me to shroud myself in a snowy aura. The last one was by far the hardest I've had to learn so far as it required me to control the flow of snow without there even being snow to begin with. After so much time passing by, we've gone into the Summer season and all the snow is long gone. Torako taught me that this technique was more of an illusion so I wouldn't be creating real snow, just a false image to fool my target. 

And, after those four were complete, we moved on to the final four forms. These ones were the strongest but also the most difficult to master. They revolved around the Nitoryu sword technique, which means "two sword." But the only problem was that I only had one. Torako told me this is where my greatest form of unpredictability shines. By wielding one sword in the two sword style, it'll be much harder for my enemies to read my movements. And, I was taught that this is more of a mix between the first two sword techniques, using a sword in one hand and using my free hand as my other sword. 

The final four forms within this sword fighting technique include Iceflinger, Wise Fylos, Sabretooth, and the Fenrir Storm. Out of these four, I've so far mastered the first two, and i'm now working towards the Sabretooth eleventh form. It revolves around myself performing an upward slash with both my sword and free hand. 

Today, beginning at the same time as usual, I got up and changed into my clothes. Torako gave me a change in schedule as she told me to use the two hours before sunrise as my own personal time to train. I left her home and went to my now usual place for training. It was an incredibly large and thick elm tree, an unusual sight for this area. I'd been using it as a target for all of the forms, and with my wooden sword, i'd made several huge gashes within the base of its trunk.

"Begin with form one...." I said as I closed my eyes and calmed my breathing. I felt my internal body temperature drop rapidly as I could now see my own breath coming from my mouth, despite there being Summer temperatures. 

"Feel the warm air all around...." I calmly said as several orange lights began to appear around me. Some were brighter than others as whatever they were were closer to me. And, the longer I kept up this form, the more clear these lights became as they outlined what they truly were. The trees, the rocks, even creatures around me. I could see them in all directions without even having to turn my head. 

"Expand the chill of the body into the air...." I said as I could feel the air pocket forming around me, just as Torako told me long ago. I then reversed the position of my wooden sword in my left hand, keeping it parallel to my arm as I then straightened out my hand, keeping my fingers straight out and firmly planted together. I then lowered both of my arms as I took in one last deep breath. 

"And with it, I strike!!" I roared as, in one swift movement, I swiped both my wooden katana and free hand straight up in an arcing motion, making contact on my practice tree with both of them. The intense drop in my body temperature turns my skin as cold as ice itself. So, swinging my hands or something i'm touching essentially makes it become a lethal frozen blade. And I couldn't have proven it any better as my sword and hand made clean parallel deep slices in the the centre of the tree trunk. 

"Not too bad...." I heard someone say as I quickly turned around to see who was there. Watching me silently behind a nearby tree was Torako. 

"How did I look? Anything I need to improve upon with this form?" I asked her as she walked up to the tree to inspect the cuts I made. 

"It's been almost two weeks since you began your training of this tricky form. However, judging by these slash marks..... let's see.... the edges are all smooth, even the ones made by your hand. It looks as though you scooped out the wood, something not commonly seen when swiping with a sword. This is very impressive." Torako said as she came back over to me and patted me on my head. 

"It may still be early, but let's have some breakfast. I'm sure you must be hungry." Torako said to me as I shook my head. 

"No, i'm alright. I'd prefer to stay out here and train." I said as she now shook her head. 

"I understand that you want to learn these forms as fast as you can but they're simply something that cannot be rushed. And you need to keep your strength up. One must always remember to eat...." Torako began to say as my stomach started to growl. 

"....And something tells me you were lying to me." She jokingly said as I sighed and gave her a nod. The two of us then started walking back to her home but midway back we ran into a small pack of wolves, at least five strong. We stopped moving, as did they and we all stared at one another. At least until all the wolves began to close in, creeping forward. 

"Remember your training, Setsuna. There shouldn't be any need for fear or harm here." Torako said as I began to use form one again. I cooled my body and calmed my breathing, creating the chilled air space around me. Torako did the same as I could sense her body's heat drop as well.  The wolves came right up to us both as we kept eye contact the entire time. But they showed no signs of aggression whatsoever. The five wolves simply moved past us and went deeper into the forest, not giving a care for us at all.

"Nicely done." Torako said to me as we continued on our way back to her home.

"Thank you. I'm just glad I was finally able to learn that form. Otherwise, all those wolves would've been on me." I said as she gave me a nod. We then entered her home and had breakfast together. Today, it was more eggs and some rabbit I caught a few days ago. 

"You've made even more progress with your training, Setsuna. It truly is remarkable how quickly you're learning each and every form. When I trained with my master, it took me nearly twice as long as you. And now, you only have one form left to master." Torako said to me as I grew a surprised expression. 

"What, did you just say....?" I began to ask as she interrupted me with a nod. 

"Yes. After watching you earlier, attempting to perfect the Sabretooth technique, I can confirm that you've mastered it." She said as a big smile grew on my face. 

"YES!!" I cheered. 

"However, the twelfth and final form of the Chilling Breath technique will test everything you've learned thus far. It is more difficult to control than all the others combined." Torako said as a feeling of worry now sprouted within me. 

"The Fenrir Storm.... what does it take to learn it?" I asked as she let out a sigh. 

"We will cross that bridge when we get there. For now, just enjoy your breakfast." Torako said to me as I took her word and finished eating. It tasted so good, the rabbit meat was so juicy and tender. And, when we finished and tidied up the dishes and table, Torako sat me down in a chair and began cutting my hair. 

In the nine months i'd been training, I never actually put any attention towards my hair and it grew to lengths I've never seen it at before. When I started, my hair reached just below the top of my shoulders. But now, my black hair reached all the way down to my butt. It was a sign of my growth and progression, at least to me. 

Torako cut some off, leaving it at about half the length, around my mid-upper back area. She then tied it into a ponytail and told me it's best for someone with longer hair to have it styled this way. It's harder for an enemy to grab onto it. 

"Thank you." I said to her as she gave me a nod. But then, without saying anything, she picked up her sword and something else which she put into her kimono. She then grabbed her tiger mask and put it on the top of her head before walking to her front door. 

"Come with me." She told me as I picked up my wooden sword and walked over to her. 

"You will not need that." Torako said as I gave her a stern nod. I left my wooden sword behind and followed her out into the forest. We began to climb the nearby mountain, going about halfway up it before coming to a cave entrance. We traversed the cave until we reached an opening. And what awaited us on the other side was absolutely stunning.

As we left that portion of the cave, we came to a carved out stone bridge, about one hundred feet long that rested beside a sparkling waterfall. 

"I've been on this mountain before but.... I had no idea this place existed..." I said in awe as we stopped in the centre of the bridge. The sun was just beginning to rise over the mountain, finally giving us some better light and making the waterfall shine even more. 

"This place is sacred to me. It is where my master helped me complete my training. And, it is where I will help you complete yours." Torako said as she turned and faced me. 

"Can you please show me how to perform the twelfth form of the Chilling Breath Style?" I asked of her but she shook her head. 

"The final form is not one that can be shown. It is self-taught and can be used in many different ways. Only in combat can one learn to use it." Torako explained as she reached into her kimono and pulled out another sword. She then threw it over to me as I caught it in my right hand. 

"This is..... it's a real katana...." I said with surprise. 

"Up until this point, your battle to achieve mastery of the twelve forms has tested your body. For nine months, you fought your self. Your body's limitation were all matched and were overcome by your own passion, courage, strength, and mind. But now, you face a different opponent. Now...." Torako began to say as she moved her tiger mask down over her face. 

"...You face me...." She said as she unsheathed her own katana and took a ready stance. 

"So..... in order for me to fully master the style, I must defeat the current master." I said as Torako gave me a nod. 

"Correct. If you can disarm me or make me concede, then I will admit my defeat to you. Assuming you can do that, of course." Torako said as I unsheathed my sword. It felt heavy at first but as I grasped it with both of my hands, its weight quickly went away. It honestly felt like I was holding my fishing rod again. 

"Chilling Breath Style: sixth form...." I calmly said as I brought my sword to my left side, holding it perpendicular away from me with both hands. 

"Icewing!!" I roared as I swung my blade with all my might as Torako. But, as swift and agile as I was, she near effortlessly deflected my attack with her own sword. 

"Beginning in the middle, I see? Interesting...." Torako said as she used her brute strength to push me back. I nearly fell over but I found my footing. 

"How am I supposed to defeat someone with their own fighting style? It sounds like an impossible task. She's had years to perfect herself and I've only had months." I thought as Torako now charged me. 

"First form: Misty Aura...." She said as I felt her body temperature drop, and I could feel the freezing air pocket around her as she neared. 

"And ninth form: Iceflinger!!" Torako shouted as she brought her sword and free hand straight up into the air, and then lunged forward. When she planted her front foot into the ground, she swiped her hand and sword down. From both of her sides, dozens of icy pellets emerged within the air and came flying at me.

"Second form: Chilling Snake Sting!" I said as I quickly shoved my sword into the ground and moved my fingers into position. I then quickly did the figure-8 formation and brought my left hand close to my cheek. 

"Don't focus on just the attack. Focus on everything around you.... focus on Torako...." I thought as I thrusted my hand forward, bringing my second back to my other cheek. I struck the first ice pellet and shattered it to pieces as I continuously swapped positions of my hands, breaking apart each and every attack before they could hit me.

"Third form: Icicle Fang!" Torako shouted as she planted her sword in the ground, just as I did as she quickly rushed me. She brought one of her hands straight up into the air and the second straight down to the ground.

"Fourth form: Everfrost!" I shouted as I attempted to counter her. As Torako swapped the positions of her hands, bringing the first down and the second up, I spun my body, pivoting with my right foot as I extended my right arm straight out. A clenched my fingers tightly together as I took my swing at Torako. 

She sliced the sides of my body with her hands as I struck her lower chest. We tore up each others clothes but neither of us made contact with each others skin. But, looking closer at both of us, we could see ice forming where we made contact. These were the two strongest forms of the no sword style, and both create a critical after effect on its target.

"Fascinating. Despite knowing you had no chance to dodge my attack, you chose to strike me instead of making the fool's attempt at running. But, with all that bravery comes stupidity. Humility. You are far from making me give up, Setsuna. And I will show you just how far apart we truly are." Torako said as she took a few steps back and pulled her katana out of the ground. I did the same as I grasped mine with only my left hand, keeping my free one extended straight out. Torako held her with both her hands as she prepared to make the next move. 

"Chilling Breath Style: eighth form: Aurora Vanish!" Torako said as she began to wave her sword around herself rather elegantly. But with it, and the mix of her freezing air pocket, she began to make the illusion of real snow appear around her. And, with a much harder swing forward, Torako sent all that snow flying right at me. 

"Tenth form: Wise Fylos!" I shouted as I reversed my sword in my left hand and held both of my arms straight out to my sides. I leaped forward and simultaneously spun my body, swiping my sword and free hand through the incoming snow illusion. I cut right through it as I emerged on the other side. However, Torako was gone, nowhere to be see in front of me. 

"First form: Misty Aura..." I said as I cooled my own body temperature. I knew Torako had used this form on herself earlier, so the likelihood of me locating her with it was very small. But, if her body had warmed up even in the slightest, i'd be able to detect her.

"Feel the warmth around you..... Feel Torako's movements....." I calmly said to myself as I expanded the cool air around me into my air pocket. And, I could feel an ever so small source of heat. And it was directly behind me, about twenty feet up in the air. 

"Seventh form...." I said as I sheathed my katana and waited for my moment to strike. I felt for when the small heat behind me grew closer as it quickly dropped for me. And, when it neared five feet, I striked. 

"...Hoarcry Ambertooth!" I said as I grasped my katana with both hands firmly and, as fast as I could, unsheathed it. I pivoted on my right foot as I spun my body completely around, swinging my blade as it made contact with the blade of Torako. 

"So you were able to find me, after all. I thought my temperature would still be too low for that, but I guess in my older age I've started to forget some things..." Torako said as she backed off to about ten feet away from me. 

"Not bad at all, Setsuna. But, I can tell you're becoming quite tired. This fight is nearing its end...." Torako said as she was indeed correct. I was getting tired, as evident by my heavy breathing. And that meant that I had to finish this quickly. 

"Fifth form...." The two of us said at the same time as we both held our swords with both hands, holding it to be parallel with the front of our bodies. We both then raised our katanas as high above our heads as we could as we prepared our next moves.

"...Frozen Gale!" We simultaneously shouted as we both swung our blades straight down. And from our swings, combined with the cool air pockets around us, we unleashed waves of freezing cold wind that soared past one another. 

"Second form: Chilling Snake Sting!" Torako shouted as she used only one of her hands and performed her figure-8 formation with it. She then brought that hand close to her cheek and thrusted it forward, smashing her hand against my cold wind attack and ripping it apart with her strength. I however went for a different approach. 

"Eleventh form...." I began to say as I let go of my sword with my right hand and then reversed the swords direction in my left. I held both it and my free hand straight down, both touching the ground as I suddenly swung both straight up into the air.

"Sabretooth!" I shouted as I sliced Torako's wind attack apart, making it dissipate. But, in the midst of my attack, Torako made a leap for me.

"Twelfth form....." Torako said as she raised her sword straight up with her right hand, then extended her free left hand straight down. She began to front flip forward, turning herself into a double bladed windwill that was slicing its way right for me. She was coming from above so I thought it would be best to defend myself from that angle. I bent my left hand inward until I laid my sword across both of my hands.  

"Fenrir Storm!" Torako roared as she first brought her free hand down on me. She struck my sword with so much force that she brought me down to one knee. Then, her sword came down. With just the one swing, she chopped my sword in two, cutting it clean in half as she also left a small scratch on my right cheek.

"No..... I..... I lose......" I thought but my determination was forbidding me from quitting now. 

"No way! I've come too far and worked so hard to lose here!! I will master this style! I will beat you! I will be a demon slayer!!" I thought as I grasped the grip of my broken sword tightly in my left hand as I also tightened my grip on the broken upper half of the sword in my right. The blade dug into my skin but if I could pull this off then it would be worth it. 

"Twelfth form...." I said as I began to pivot with my left foot while also slightly leaning to my left. I brought my left arm down as I began to turn, and shortly after I followed with my right. I swung below myself in one fluent motion until completely spun around, now bringing my blades back up for a rising slash. 

"FENRIR STORM!!!" I roared as I first slashed with the broken sword in my left hand. Torako did the same as me, holding her sword across herself as I made contact. And, just as she did, I sliced her sword in two. But, I was still not finished as I was now bringing up the broken blade in my right hand. I slashed upward and made contact with Torako's mask. I split it in two at an angle and I watched as the pieces fell off her face. She looked utterly stunned at this development, to see that I took the thought of my defeat and her victory and used it against her. 

"Impossible....." Torako said with shock as she dropped her broken sword. Meanwhile, I dropped to my knees in complete exhaustion as I grasped my right hand. It was bleeding quite a lot from me holding the upper portion of my sword. 

"I did not expect you to learn it so quickly. And yet, you made it your own on your first attempt. When my master fought me so I could learn the twelfth form, he informed me I was the quickest to learn it. And, it took me nearly 2 months of fighting him to perform it. But for you to have performed it on your very first try..... it's simply remarkable....." Torako said as she too dropped to her knees and then lowered her head to bow to me. 

"Setsuna Ookami..... as you teacher in the ways of the Chilling Breath fighting style...... I now declare you have learned and mastered all twelve forms of defense and combat. As of this very moment, you now become the bearer of this style. As its newest master, one day it will be your duty to teach this incredible technique to the next generation. Uphold the highest form of honor and fight with the upmost grace and beauty on the battlefield." Torako said to me as I reached down and lifted her up. 

"Thank you..... master..... I promise..... I won't bring shame to you..... or the legacy of this style...." I said as I hugged her, crying into her right shoulder as she hugged me back.

"I know you won't....." She said as gleams of sunshine rained down on us as the mist from the nearby waterfall filled the air with beautiful golden sparkles. 

-2 Hours Later-

After the trek back home, Torako bandaged up my right hand and stopped the bleeding. We had lunch together as usual but I noticed Torako wasn't eating very much this time. 

"Is something wrong?" I asked her as she let out a sigh and then put down her bowl of rice. 

"Not really. It's just that..... well, soon our paths must part ways." She said to me as I put my bowl down as well. 

"Is that really what has to happen?" I sadly asked as she nodded. 

"If you truly want to become a demon slayer, then that means you'll be traveling all across this country to wherever you are needed. You won't have any time to stay with me soon." Torako said as I became curious. 

"Now that I've mastered your fighting style..... tell me..... how do I become a demon slayer?" I asked. 

"To be honest, your training couldn't have been completed at any better time. Next week on Fujikasane mountain, there is an event going on known as "Final Selection." And, all who aim to become demon slayers travel to the mountain to compete in the event. If you're lucky to survive, then you earn the title to slay demons." Torako explained to me. 

"What exactly do you have to do during this event?" I asked her as she shook her head. 

"I unfortunately am forbidden from informing you. The trials of a demon slayer must remain a secret to all." Torako told me as I nodded in understanding. 

"Then what can you tell me?" I asked her as she gave me a small smile. 

"That I know you will surely pass." Torako said to me as I now grew a smile. 

"In one week, your trial will begin. And in that time, I shall fix your blade. After all, a demon slayer needs her sword." Torako said as I gave her my broken blade. 

"In time, you will have no use for this weapon. But even so, the only request is that you keep it with you at all times. As a reminder of our time and training together." Torako asked me as I gave her a stern and determined nod. 

"I promise I will. And, I promise I will not fail you! As the new master of the Chilling Breath Style, I vow I will become the greatest demon slayer in the world!" I declared as Torako gave me a nod in return. 

"But always remember.... no matter what the situation may be, live your life as if it were your last. Full of joy, passion, and courage." She told me as she went on to continue eating her lunch, as did I. 

She's taught me everything she knew, and now it was my turn. When this "Final Selection," comes around, I will not falter. I will survive. I will prevail!