"Is that so? I despise weak humans as well. The sight of weakness disgusts me."
Akaza's tone was calm, almost conversational.
"Then it seems our standards are completely different," Rengoku replied evenly.
"In that case," Akaza continued, extending a hand toward him, "I have an excellent suggestion. Would you like to become a demon?"
The invitation carried no mockery. His eyes were sincere.
"Impossible," Rengoku answered without hesitation.
Akaza studied him carefully. "I knew you were strong the moment I saw you. You are a Hashira, aren't you?"
"I am the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku."
"I am Akaza."
His gaze shifted to the white haired young man standing beside Rengoku.
"And you, kid?"
"Raiden."
Akaza tilted his chin slightly as he observed him.
Rengoku's fighting spirit burned like a blazing sun, condensed and unwavering. Raiden's presence was different. His fighting spirit was not as overwhelming, yet the sharp precision of his Thunder Breathing earlier had forced Akaza to take him seriously.
"Very good," Akaza said. "And you, Raiden. Would you like to become a demon? As a demon, you could step into a realm beyond what even this Flame Hashira has reached."
The temptation in his voice was genuine.
Raiden glanced briefly at the sky behind Akaza, then back at him. He shook his head.
Become a demon?
He had no interest in trading sunlight for eternity in the shadows. Power without freedom meant nothing.
"Rejected again," Akaza muttered softly. "That is unpleasant."
His expression cooled.
"Blood Demon Art, Destructive Kill, Compass Needle."
He stomped the ground.
The earth cracked outward from his foot as if it had turned to fragile ice. A massive snowflake patterned compass spread beneath him, glowing with eerie precision. Its lines shifted subtly, reacting to the fighting spirit around it.
"Since you refuse," Akaza said calmly, "I will kill you."
He vanished.
In the next instant, he was upon them.
Raiden and Rengoku moved at the same time.
Steel met flesh.
Raiden's Nichirin blade flashed with lightning, each swing cracking through the night like a thunderclap. Rengoku's blade burned bright, flames spiraling outward with every strike, illuminating the battlefield in waves of heat and light.
The clash was ferocious.
Their movements blurred, air twisting under the pressure of their speed.
The Compass Needle beneath Akaza flickered with each exchange. With every strike he launched, razor sharp shockwaves burst outward from the compass, slicing toward Raiden and Rengoku with deadly precision.
"So fast… I can't keep up," Tanjiro whispered, eyes wide as he tracked fleeting sparks of flame and lightning through the smoke.
Inosuke muttered under his boar mask, stunned. "That big eyed demon is strong… but Raen too…"
He clenched his fists in frustration.
He had not even beaten Raiden in a proper duel yet. How had the gap grown this wide?
Akaza allowed Rengoku's blade to sever his arm cleanly.
His expression did not change.
The limb regenerated instantly.
"To this day, I have never killed a Flame Hashira," Akaza said thoughtfully. "Nor has any Hashira accepted my offer. Why do you think that is, Kyojuro Rengoku?"
Before Rengoku could answer—
"Thunder Breathing, Second Form, Rice Spirit."
Lightning flared beside Akaza.
Raiden's blade shot toward his neck in a clean, decisive arc.
Akaza twisted his waist, blue fighting spirit surging around his fist as he struck toward Rengoku to force distance, then leapt back.
"You are truly irritating," Akaza said, narrowing his eyes at Raiden. "It is impolite to interrupt."
The main exchange was between him and Rengoku, yet Raiden was far from irrelevant. Each time Akaza gained momentum, Raiden's blade appeared at his throat without hesitation.
Even for an Upper Moon, casually risking decapitation was unwise.
"If you insist on interfering," Akaza said, "I will eliminate you first."
"Blood Demon Art, Destructive Kill, Air Type."
He leapt into the air and punched toward Raiden.
The strike did not rely on physical contact. Instead, his fighting spirit compressed to its limit and burst forward through the air itself. The pressure alone tore at the ground.
Raiden did not move immediately.
His senses sharpened to their peak.
Knowing the technique was one thing. Facing it was another.
At the final moment, his perception locked onto the distortion in the air. He shifted slightly to the side and swung his blade toward what appeared to be empty space.
Clang.
A metallic collision rang out as steel met compressed force.
The air rippled violently, dust lifting from the ground in widening rings.
Akaza's eyes flickered with surprise.
Very few could directly perceive and counter the Air Type.
Raiden's response exceeded his expectations.
Rengoku, watching from nearby, felt the change in Akaza's attack but could not immediately discern its form. He had begun moving closer to assist.
Raiden exhaled, flexing his slightly numb fingers.
"It strikes through the air," he said calmly. "Extremely fast."
Rengoku nodded once, understanding.
Raiden's blood stirred.
For once, he was not overwhelming his opponent, nor restraining himself. This was a battle that demanded everything.
The clash with Akaza did not intimidate him.
It excited him.
___
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