"'The Transparent World' is not the power to 'see the flow.' It is the power to 'alter the flow.'"
I looked at the boy, Michikatsu, who spoke these incomprehensible words while effortlessly blocking my Unknowing Fire.
It’s not the power to see the flow, but to alter it?
"Do not fear. It is no different from the Breathing you already possess."
Flame Breathing
Moon Breathing
2nd Form: "Rising Scorching Sun"—!!!
2nd Form: "Pearl Flower Moongazing"
Two blade auras clashed, but the one being pushed back was, without a doubt, me. Our power was equal, yet he was piercing through my movements without missing a single detail.
This is a swordsman who has entered the Transparent World. A level of precision so absolute it evokes not just awe, but terror!
The wall between us is too high!
Honestly, at this point, I can’t even bring myself to be jealous!
In this trance-like state, as we verified each other's blade paths, only one thing came to mind.
What Michikatsu had said: 'You must discard.'
What is he telling me to discard?
And what on earth does he mean by saying it is the same as Breathing?
What exactly is he trying to tell me?
Still! He has always been like this!
Even if I couldn't understand him immediately, there was always a deeper meaning in Michikatsu’s words.
I must find the answer hidden within his vague statement!
I accelerated my breathing even further.
Hrrrngh—!!!!!
Flame Breathing
Moon Breathing
1st Form: "Unknowing Fire"—!!!!
1st Form: "Dark Moon, Evening Palace"
Clack—!!!
The wooden swords collided, sending the sand of the training ground flying from the impact.
I still can't reach him. But I will not give up!
I was the one who dragged him onto this thorny path of the Demon Slayer Corps! I am the senior who walked this road before him!
How long will I continue to lag behind? How long will I be the one protected? I am the Flame Hashira, Rengoku Tenjuro!
The reason I could find my own flame within the darkness, the reason the Demon Slayer Corps could rise to this height...
It was all because of you, Michikatsu!
And because of that!
I don't want to spend forever staring at your back! I want to try walking in front for once!
This isn't the noble heart of the strong protecting the weak!
It is simply the stubborn pride of a senior!
Because a senior who constantly falls behind his junior...
Flame Breathing
Is just plain uncool!
3rd Form: "Blazing Universe"—!!!
"The entertainment ends here."
Moon Breathing
10th Form: "Under the Moon · Unveiling"
The flow reversed, and my roaring flames were extinguished by his blade.
"Lord Rengoku, have you found the path?"
"No, not yet! I haven't grasped it at all!"
Michikatsu smiled faintly.
"Unlike back then, it will be a bit tighter this time. Therefore..."
I gripped my sword tightly.
"I will beat you as much as necessary until you find the path, Lord Rengoku."
"That is exactly what I desire!"
"Just like when you derived Flame Breathing from Sun Breathing three years ago."
Flame Breathing
"Memorize everything, absorb it, and then chisel away the unnecessary parts."
5th Form: "Flame Tiger"—!!!
■■■■■—!!!
"Leave only what is necessary for that movement and close off the rest."
Clack—!!! Clack—!!! Clack—!!!
It hurts.
I am the one attacking!
But the moment I enter his domain, everything is chiseled away!
The tiger’s neck is severed, and even its claws are shaved off!
And as time passes, his power only grows stronger!
It’s like facing the Water Hashira, Lord Sakata! He allows absolutely no attacks to land!
To break through this technique, I too must enter the Transparent World!
How much time has passed since we crossed swords?
Haa! Haa!
My breath is becoming increasingly ragged, and my hands are starting to shake.
The more I clash blades with him, the more I feel like I'm being whittled away!
I never ran this short of breath even when first learning Breathing. With the Mark, my physical abilities are incomparably stronger than before, yet...!
Still, my fire has not gone out!
Flame Breathing
8th Form: "Sweeping Wildfire"—!!!
Three consecutive slashes tore forward as if to devour him.
Moon Breathing
2nd Form: "Pearl Flower Moongazing"
Michikatsu blocked all three slashes simultaneously by drawing a wide arc with his sword.
Hrrrngh.
Accelerate a little more.
Set your heart ablaze.
From all the lines of death I have walked until now. From the world I viewed from those depths.
As he said, chisel away everything except what is necessary.
Chiseling away is no longer difficult. Just as Michikatsu said, didn't I carve away from young Yoriichi's Sun Breathing, combine it with my own flame, and find Flame Breathing?
This is nothing more than an extension of that!
Use myself as the fuel.
Forge my own body.
Burn everything!
Correct breathing, correct movement—to draw out maximum power with minimum action.
Hrrrrrngh—!!!
Moon Breathing
Flame Breathing
5th Form: "Moon Spirit Calamitous Eddy"
4th Form: "Blooming Flame Undulation"—!!!!
Agile and rapid slashes are blocked by a vortex of fire.
Every time I face Michikatsu’s sword, his skin is chiseled away in my vision.
Moon Breathing
Flame Breathing
4th Form: "Total Eclipse · New Moon"
2nd Form: "Rising Scorching Sun"—!!!!
Every time I meet his eyes, the white bones within me reveal themselves.
Moon Breathing
1st Form: "Dark Moon, Evening Palace"
Flame Breathing
3rd Form: "Blazing Universe"—!!!!
As we exchanged dozens of blows, every internal organ began to reflect transparently.
This is...
The world Michikatsu sees. The Transparent World.
My senses open up, and my ability to predict movements and evade attacks rises drastically.
Not only can I see the movement of his lungs and the flow and constriction of his blood vessels, but I can also feel my own muscle contractions faster and more vividly.
It’s strange. Is time slowing down? No. The movements simply look slow!
If I blocked by intuition before, now...!
Clack—!!!
I predict his path and strike his attack away.
I can see it!
And that’s not all!
Now that my senses have expanded, I can feel things I never could before!
I feel as if I can manipulate bodily functions that are normally unconscious!
Michikatsu is surely watching my body with the Transparent World!
In that case!
I will combine the Breathing that allows the body to do more with the Transparent World that allows one to perceive more!
By manipulating the alignment of my bones, the contraction of my muscles, and the flow of my blood, I can deceive his world!
Flame Breathing
1st Form: "Unknowing Fire"—!!!!
Did the Transparent World malfunction?
Just a single blow. It was only one strike, but I allowed an attack to land.
I definitely predicted Rengoku's internal flow and swung accordingly.
But I was wrong?
Please don't do things that are too far removed from human understanding. I feel like I'm going to get brain damage.
"Rengoku's attack connected?"
Thanks for the briefing, Shimotsuki.
His attack and precision have become even sharper than before. Don't tell me... did he enter the Transparent World?
At the very least, reaching it in a single day is obviously impossible; I expected it to take about a month!
Once again, Rengoku's internal flow began to twist.
He can forcibly change his flow to deceive me? The Transparent World has a feature like that?
"Have you... reached it...?"
Rengoku nodded silently.
I can no longer predict his flow with the Transparent World!
Does that mean Rengoku is standing on a dimension repeatedly higher than mine?!
Impossible!! That can't be!! Surpassing the current me!! Such a thing is—!!
"Here I come, Michikatsu! This is...!"
Rengoku stomped the ground hard enough to make the earth rumble. Just like Minase's Thunder Breathing, cracks began to spread from where his foot was planted.
He looked at me with a stance that seemed ready to gouge out everything in its path.
"The Flame Breathing Esoterica, which I was able to complete thanks to you!"
This terrifying fighting spirit...! No, wait, that's not it.
Hey! You talented bastard!
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