Akaza charged at Horitake with supersonic speed, his momentum ferocious!
"Destructive Death: Shatter Form—Ten Thousand Leaf Flashing Willow!"
It was the same Ten Thousand Leaf Flashing Willow, but this time, Akaza didn't slam his fist into the ground. Instead, he launched a devastating punch straight at Horitake's head!
This strike could shatter the earth itself! Horitake didn't dare falter.
He spun around, purple lightning surging across his body, converging onto Radiance. Taking a deep breath, he declared, "Thunder Breathing: Second Form—Chidori!"
The shrieking Chidori erupted once more, its piercing cry resounding. Horitake swung Radiance, imbued with Chidori, meeting Akaza's punch head-on with unyielding force!
Boom! A deafening clash roared through the air, aura spiraling wildly, lightning crackling. The piercing Chidori and the ruthless aura-fueled fist collided in a deadlock, neither yielding an inch!
Akaza gritted his teeth, glaring with fury, and pressed his assault. "Ten Thousand Leaf Flashing Willow! Ten Thousand Leaf Flashing Willow! Ten Thousand Leaf Flashing Willow…"
His heavy, relentless punches hammered toward Horitake's head.
Horitake refused to back down, wielding Radiance's Chidori with ferocity—slashing, chopping, thrusting, smashing, each move more ferocious, more powerful, more breathtaking than the last!
Between them, lightning exploded, and aura boomed incessantly.
The ground beneath them, battered by the relentless impacts and explosions, was reduced to a ravaged wasteland, a construction site of ruin!
But Akaza wasn't limited to punches. After countless strikes, he suddenly shifted tactics. "Destructive Death: Foot Form—Crown-Severing Slash!"
Akaza raised his leg, delivering a brutal kick toward Horitake's head, swinging upward with the force of a thunderbolt aimed straight at his jaw.
Horitake knew with absolute certainty that if this kick landed, his jaw would be shattered to dust, leaving him unable to speak or eat for the rest of his life!
How could he let Akaza succeed?
"Thunder Breathing: First Form, Revised—Godspeed Spin!"
In the original story, Zenitsu wielded Thunder Breathing's Godspeed. Horitake had developed his own version of this move, even using it against Yushiro. Now, with his mastery over lightning honed to perfection, he had refined it further.
Godspeed Spin allowed Horitake to erupt with incredible speed in a split second, spinning to his enemy's rear in the blink of an eye! Purple arcs of electricity crackled around him, his speed rivaling the Flash himself. In an instant, he appeared behind Akaza, leaving a semicircular trail of lightning in his wake.
The maneuver was so fast that Akaza's Crown-Severing Slash struck only air!
But Akaza had kept Destructive Death: Compass Needle active all along.
By sensing Horitake's aura, he detected his sudden repositioning behind him!
Though shocked by Horitake's terrifying speed, Akaza remained unfazed now that he'd sensed it.
Horitake, now behind Akaza, swung Radiance in a fierce slash aimed at his neck!
Akaza swiftly pivoted, launching a backward kick. "Destructive Death: Foot Form—Flashing Swarm Light!"
This technique saw Akaza deliver rapid, repeated kicks with a single leg to one spot, each strike infused with extreme aura, creating a dazzling explosion of light!
Horitake's swift slash was interrupted by Akaza's ferocious kicks. He reversed his grip on Radiance, ducked low, and seized the moment, poised for action. "Thunder Breathing: Second Form, Revised—Chidori Sharp Spear!"
A massive surge of purple lightning condensed, gathering onto Radiance, held in a reverse grip. From the blade's tip, Chidori Sharp Spear shot forward with devastating speed!
This caught Akaza completely off guard.
He hadn't expected lightning to be used like this!
The distance was too close, mere inches apart, and Akaza's Flashing Swarm Light was still in motion, leaving him unable to retract it.
Even though he sensed it, there was no time! Akaza could only dodge as best he could, minimizing the damage.
Swish! The blindingly fast, razor-sharp Chidori Sharp Spear pierced Akaza's right side, just below his ribs.
This wound was severe, striking his internal organs!
Though the lightning prevented Akaza from regenerating, he was no ordinary human—he was a demon, Upper Moon Three, with vitality far beyond mortal limits!
Even with a piercing wound, the pain only fueled Akaza's ferocity.
His eyes widened, bloodshot with rage! "Destructive Death: Foot Form—Crown-Severing Slash!"
Another Crown-Severing Slash, this time a sweeping side kick from right to left!
The "Severing" in its name meant this kick cut like a sharpened blade, its destructive power unmatched!
Horitake hadn't anticipated Akaza's immediate counterattack despite such a grievous wound.
He nearly failed to react, managing only to raise his left arm, cloaked in lightning, to block at the critical moment.
Bang! A thunderous impact rang out as Akaza's brutal kick sent Horitake flying! As he was hurled back, Chidori Sharp Spear dissipated involuntarily.
Horitake crashed through a tree, skidding across the ground, leaving a long trail in the dirt.
This was a bit humiliating!
Akaza clutched the gaping, bleeding hole in his side, his face a mask of murderous intent, his vow to kill Horitake burning in his heart!
Horitake, leaning on his blade, scrambled to his feet. Spitting out a mouthful of blood-tinged saliva, his own ruthlessness and ferocity surged within him.
Both locked eyes, their auras flaring, unyielding and formidable!
Akaza roared, stomping the ground with such force it cracked and trembled, his blue aura erupting in a wild surge!
Fueled by that aura, Akaza charged at Horitake with a bellow!
Horitake took a deep breath, purple lightning surging around him, crackling like a storm of thunder and clouds.
He, too, unleashed his lightning and roared as he rushed toward Akaza!
"Destructive Death: Annihilation Form!"
"Thunder Breathing: Second Form, Revised—Thunder Tiger Kill!"
Akaza bellowed, channeling a massive surge of aura into his fist, unleashing a devastating strike toward Horitake!
Horitake remained composed, his blade radiating terrifying lightning. The energy coalesced into a towering thunder tiger, three to four meters tall, roaring as it lunged at Akaza!
Finally, their techniques collided head-on! Annihilation Form's aura clashed with Thunder Tiger Kill's lightning!
A catastrophic explosion of lightning and aura erupted, sending shockwaves and roars in all directions, upheaving layers of earth!
But this time, Horitake was at a disadvantage!
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