"Clang!"
The shortsword collided with the Nichirin Sword.
Roy's arm bulged with veins as he forced it downward!
An overwhelming power surged along the shortsword into the Nichirin Sword, then attacked Tomioka Giyu.
Tomioka Giyu's cool eyes briefly flickered, his arm bent slightly; he hadn't expected Roy's strength to be so immense!
Completely on par with the Evil Ghosts he had fought, perhaps even... far surpassing them!
This reminded him of a towering figure... the "Rock Hashira" — Gyomei Himejima, a man who could kill an Evil Ghost with sheer strength alone!
"Water Breathing·Sixth Form·Twisting Whirlpool!"
Facing brute force, there are only two solutions: one, overwhelm the opponent with greater brute force, or two... the strategy Tomioka Giyu is adopting now: redirect and use the opposing force to his advantage!
He dropped his shoulder, giving way half a body length, allowing Roy to drive the Nichirin Sword into the ground. He drew back, narrowly scraping the shortsword, sparking a series of sparks, and instantly sent a stream of water toward Roy's neck!
"Brother Giyu is scared," Makomo clearly saw with her wide, beautiful eyes: "He probably didn't expect Eiichiro's strength to be so great."
"That's not fear; it's experience." Sabito rubbed the hilt of his sword, noticing how smoothly Tomioka Giyu redirected and drew his sword, almost instinctively completing the move in an instant, he said in a deep voice: "Before humans learned the Breathing Technique, they couldn't contend with demons."
"Therefore, learning to redirect force and using the opposing force became the mainstream method for dealing with Evil Ghosts at that time."
"Giyu is very smart; upon realizing his strength wasn't on par with Eiichiro, he quickly changed his strategy to avoid the sharp edge. This is the mark of a qualified 'Hashira.'"
"Swish——" The dazzling blade light was so blinding that one's eyes almost couldn't open...
Roy sensed danger, leaned back to avoid.. the Nichirin Sword grazed his nose, slashing through thin air, the resulting "water stream" broke the air, "howling" into the mountains, severing a thick cedar tree!
"Brother Giyu, we're on the same side!" Shinsuke had been reclining on the thick trunk of the cedar tree, watching the drama unfold, and upon seeing the blade light heading toward him, was so scared his soul nearly flew away, leaping wildly to another tree, grabbing onto Fukuda.
"Get off me, you fool!" Fukuda hooked his fingers in Shinsuke's nostrils, countered with a wrist-lock, then looked up...
"Clang clang clang...." Amidst the flashing swords and clashing shadows, in just a few breaths....
Roy, wielding the shortsword, engaged in a furious duel with Tomioka Giyu, crossing blades dozens of times in an instant!
Sparks flew and the sound of clashing metal didn't cease... Tomioka Giyu's heart was in his throat; it was unexpected that the young man could keep up with his pace!
This clearly wasn't the level of a "novice!"
"Water Breathing·Second Form·Water Wheel!" At a certain moment, seeing Roy coming at him with the sword again, Tomioka Giyu flipped his wrist, counterattacked with an upward slash, casting a circular stream to force him back... taking advantage of this gap, he took a sudden deep breath, his aura instantly changed!
"Full Concentration·Constant!" Oxygen burned faster through his lungs... His cardiopulmonary capacity soared, driving his blood to flow rapidly, his heart suddenly pounded hard, doubling its pace... in one second...
Tomioka Giyu was like a machine wound up tight, going into overdrive!
You must know, the biggest distinction between a 'Hashira' and regular members is... whether they can operate the Breathing Technique non-stop for twenty-four hours... This isn't just a test of cardio-pulmonary ability, but also a measure of one's determination and will.
Sabito narrowed his eyes and said: "Giyu's getting serious!"
"It's Eiichiro that's truly astounding," Makomo's pupils displayed ripples as she intensely stared at the youth below: "He's several years younger than Brother Giyu, yet can keep up completely, remaining unfazed."
"Brother Giyu has no choice but to respond seriously!"
With monstrous strength, a robust physique, unparalleled reflexes, and adaptability, on top of his age... as Makomo said, Tomioka Giyu didn't know what kind of person Gyomei Himejima was back then, at least... he considered that at that age, he was far inferior to Eiichiro...
"—Sccchhhh—'
Tomioka Giyu leveled the Nichirin Sword, exhaling a scorching plume of white vapor from his nostrils... his form blurred in a flash.....
Once again using "Water Breathing·Seventh Form·Shizuku Wave Pattern Stab," this time the effect was drastically different.
Behold——
A chilling glimmer abruptly thrust toward Roy's face, Tomioka Giyu, ghost-like, closed in rapidly on Roy's blind spot perception!
This is the speed boost and sensory enhancement brought by "Full Concentration"!
'This time, Brother Giyu is much faster; it seems necessary to visit the Butterfly Mansion to quicken the development of "Full Concentration·Constant"..."
The sword's tip flickered with a cold gleam... just inches away...
In Roy's eyes "whoosh" ignited two suns, calmly watching Tomioka Giyu.
Tomioka Giyu froze momentarily, before he knew what was happening, he felt that his strike toward Eiichiro, along with everything around, was infinitely slowed down, evident from... he suddenly halted!
"What's happening?"
"Why did Brother Giyu suddenly stop?"
"Did he fear hurting Eiichiro?"
Shinsuke Fukuda, who had been observing the battlefield, noticed the anomaly, stopped bickering, and leapt to the treetop, overlooking from above...
On the tall birch tree across the waterfall, Sabito and Makomo looked down in surprise, equally puzzled....
The former knitted his brows, no matter how he looked, Giyu didn't seem to mean to halt... another glance,
Roy unleashed the Eye of Truth, predicting Tomioka Giyu's attack path in advance, sidestepped, letting his blade fall into open space, stabbing toward the nearby waterfall!
"Buzz...." Ripples spread, as Tomioka Giyu regained his senses, he had already rushed to the waterfall base, his sword embedded in the rock, water poured from above, drenching him thoroughly.
He was unmoved, letting the waterfall rinse over him, turning to look at Roy, ripples stirred in his cool eyes...
"Is this swordsmanship you created yourself?"
Or is it... a domain?
Tomioka Giyu's gaze burned...
Unfortunately... it was neither...
Roy recalled the days of festivals, his conversation over tea in the snowy night with his father, Tanjuro, and honestly said: "My father taught me."
Tomioka Giyu's eyes shifted: "Your father is also a swordsman?"
To slow others' actions, to capture attack paths beforehand, someone with such "Sword Techniques"... couldn't be an obscure figure....
"But I remember, Eiichiro's father was just a regular charcoal seller,"
Makomo scratched her head, carefully recalling: "Could it be that Tanjiro lied, and he was actually a powerful swordsman hidden away in Ohno? Or like the master... a retired 'Hashira'?"
Sabito crossed his arms, frowned silently... his intuition told him that Kamado Tanjiro didn't seem to be one who would lie,
"Perhaps there is more to this story."
He fixes his gaze on Roy.
The boy touched the hanafuda earring, striking another blow toward Tomioka Giyu...
With a gentle smile: "No... he's just an ordinary father...."
'Other than being a bit frail, he's just like yours, mine, his, everyone's....'