Katame’s body and head were disappearing as though they had turned to ash.
“Who are you?”
Tatsuo asked the man who had suddenly appeared.
The large man looked back at Tatsuo. He had particularly striking makeup around his left eye.
“If you must know, I am the flamboyant, flamboyant, flamboyant god of festivals, Uzui Tengen, the Sound Hashira.”
The man pointed at himself with his thumb as he introduced himself, and Tatsuo’s brow twitched slightly.
“Why did you interfere in my fight?”
There was clear irritation in Tatsuo’s voice.
“Wait... You’re not a Demon Slayer?”
The man who had introduced himself as Uzui Tengen looked mildly surprised.
“That guy and you both keep talking about the Demon Slayers. What exactly are they?”
“Simple. They’re an organization that kills ‘demons’—those things that prey on humans.”
“...Those things. So you’re saying there are a lot of monsters like that.”
“That’s right. Demons exist all across the country.”
Tatsuo fell into thought for a moment.
The race of the one he had been fighting was demons. And the claim that they existed throughout the land did not sound like a lie.
He had not seen one eating a person, but judging from the Demon Slayers lying dead, they were at least beings that harmed humans.
Still, separate from that, he was irritated that this man had interfered in his fight.
“Whatever the case, you interrupted my battle. Uzui, was it? Then you’ll have to keep me company instead.”
Tatsuo said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world, his face unreadable.
“I’m busy. If you’re looking for someone to fight, find someone else.”
“Are you scared?”
“What?”
“I said, are you scared to fight me?”
“Hah... You really are anything but flamboyant. Fine! Then I’ll set one condition instead.”
Tatsuo tilted his head.
“If I win, you join the Demon Slayers.”
“...Fine. If you win, that is.”
“Then let’s make it flashy!”
In an instant, Tengen’s figure vanished.
Tatsuo instinctively turned his head to the side.
There, Tengen had already reappeared, holding a massive cleaver in each hand.
Tatsuo did not stand still either. He immediately twisted his waist and swung his guandao.
Tengen’s cleaver and Tatsuo’s guandao collided in midair, sending sparks flying.
Tatsuo was surprised. He was being pushed back in strength, little by little.
This is the first time I’ve ever been overpowered in strength. What kind of ridiculous muscles does he have?
He grumbled inwardly, but Tengen was just as startled.
This guy isn’t losing much at all in strength. You’ve got to be kidding me—how does a body like that have this kind of power?
Tatsuo was the first to step back. He drew a light breath as he retreated.
The two of them reset their stances, and this time Tatsuo was the first to charge.
Their figures appeared and vanished over and over again. Wherever they disappeared, only the metallic clang of weapons remained.
Tengen moved incredibly fast. He darted at high speed, searching for openings in Tatsuo’s defense and unleashing countless chained attacks.
Tatsuo was not as fast as Tengen, but he counterattacked at a speed that was still exceptional. And as the battle dragged on, he began to keep up with Tengen’s pace.
At first, the blade only grazed his collar a few times. As the exchange continued, it no longer touched him at all.
The corners of Tatsuo’s mouth began to rise. He was more exhilarated than he had ever been in his life.
“Good! Uzui! This is it. This is the fight I wanted!”
Tatsuo kicked off the ground and twisted his body diagonally.
It was the same strike that had split Katame clean in two.
The result was different this time. Tengen evaded the attack at incredible speed.
As the slash cut through empty air and landed, Tengen leaped in. The two blades closed in on him in an instant.
Tatsuo quickly leaned his body back. Tengen’s blades sliced through the air. Tatsuo tried to take advantage of the opening and stab him with the tip of his staff.
“Ghk!”
But Tengen’s kick, which sensed the dodge even faster, was quicker. It landed perfectly.
Tatsuo was sent flying by the kick.
“Not bad. You managed to counter in that situation.”
Tengen said it with what sounded like admiration.
There was a dented mark on his abdomen. He had countered while Tatsuo was taking the kick.
“You’ve got enough skill to be a Hashira. If you joined the Demon Slayers, you’d become one in no time, in a very flashy way.”
“You talk too much, Uzui. Focus on fighting me now.”
Tatsuo, who had already gotten back up, said it with his golden eyes flashing.
“Ssssss... Huuuu...”
Tatsuo drew in a deep breath and exhaled.
With it came a flood of air. And with that air, his body began to heat up.
It felt as though he were burning. A technique he had devised after learning about breathing.
His body accelerated. The world slowed down. Strength filled his hands. Right now, it felt like he could smash a boulder apart with his bare hands.
Normally, this technique put an enormous strain on his body, so he never used it unless he had to.
But things were different now. After a few exchanges, he had realized that he could not win in a normal state.
So he used it. There was no need to worry about accidentally killing his opponent. He had already noticed that the other man was not fighting at full strength either. There was nothing to hesitate over.
Uzui Tengen sensed that something had changed in Tatsuo.
The atmosphere has changed.
Those blazing golden eyes were like a hunter’s.
For an instant, Tatsuo vanished from Tengen’s sight.
He disappeared?
Before he knew it, Tatsuo had reached him.
This is different from before! He wasn’t fighting seriously until now!
He hurriedly swung both cleavers to defend himself.
This isn’t my imagination! His speed and every other physical ability have gone up!
Unlike before, he was the one being pushed back.
What is this guy? He’s pretty flashy, isn’t he? Looks like I can’t afford to hold back.
He deflected the attack with a bit of finesse and kicked out.
Tatsuo blocked it, but it was not a serious problem. What mattered was the slight opening.
He immediately pulled gunpowder from his clothes and threw it.
The gunpowder exploded a moment later. Tatsuo came through the cloud of dust.
He did not seem to have taken any real damage.
Tengen easily met Tatsuo’s attacks, which had become even faster than before.
The only difference was the explosive sound that rang out every time their weapons clashed.
As Tengen continued to defend, he leaned both arms back while evading Tatsuo’s strikes.
[Sound Breathing First Form: Roar]
With a massive explosion, Tatsuo was forced back.
That opening reversed the flow of battle.
Now it was Tengen attacking, and Tatsuo defending.
[Sound Breathing Fifth Form: String Performance]
Tengen charged forward, spinning the chain connecting his two cleavers.
Explosions burst from the blades as they pressed in on Tatsuo.
A barrage of explosive slashes attacked from every direction.
Tatsuo leaped far back, then countercharged while sending countless slashes straight ahead.
In the blink of an eye, their blades collided again and again. The two swordsmen, both beyond human limits, continued to clash without pause.
How much time had passed? The pitch-black night was ending, and the sun was about to rise.
The first to stop was Tatsuo.
“Kgh... Cough...”
Blood spilled from his mouth as he dropped to one knee. The recoil from the technique had finally caught up with him.
His body was far from unharmed. Blood flowed from the shallow cuts scattered across him, and soot marked both his clothes and skin.
“This body is the victor.”
Tengen’s condition was not good either. He, too, had quite a few cuts, and blue bruises were visible all over his body.
The mountain was already in ruins. Countless trees had been destroyed, and the ground was cracked or gouged out in deep scars.
“Caw!”
From somewhere, the cry of a crow rang out.
“That’s...!”
Uzui Tengen looked startled as he saw the approaching crow.
“Why... is Master’s crow...?”
As Tengen’s confusion deepened, the crow opened its beak.
“Uzui Tengen and the unnamed swordsman there. Lord Kagaya is summoning you.”
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