In the forest clearing.
A gentle breeze occasionally blew across the clearing, carrying a few fallen leaves.
"Come, fight me."
Sabito tightly gripped the wooden sword in his hand, pointing it straight at Su Yan's nose. A hearty voice came from beneath the scarred fox mask, "As long as you can defeat me, I will acknowledge you. Whether it's becoming a Shikigami or a Nen Beast, it doesn't matter!"
Hearing Sabito's words, Su Yan couldn't help but wonder if he had said something wrong just now.
'I don't think I ever said anything about wanting Sabito to become my Nen Beast, did I?'
But on second thought, what he said earlier didn't really matter. After all, Su Yan knew very well that the dying wish of the Water Breathing disciples was to kill the Hand Demon on Mt. Fujikasane.
Even if he cleared things up, a fight with Sabito, the strongest of the Water Breathing disciples, was inevitable. He had to defeat him to prove he had the ability to slay the Hand Demon.
Since that was the case...
Su Yan raised his hand and conjured a white oak wooden sword. Looking at Sabito in front of him, he said softly, "Never mind, I'll play along with you for a bit."
"Play?"
Just this lighthearted word completely ignited the fighting spirit in the heart of the boy with pale orange hair.
'Since he can say such frivolous words, his strength shouldn't be weak, right?'
'You'd better not disappoint me.'
Sabito stomped hard on the ground, his body shooting forward like an arrow.
"Water Breathing! Fourth Form! Striking Tide!"
He immediately unleashed the fourth sword form of Water Breathing with great force. A pale blue watery light surged along the wooden sword, carrying the turbulent momentum of an ocean tide as it rushed madly toward the enemy ahead.
Perhaps it was because the sword forms of the Breathing Styles were specifically created to slay demons.
Or perhaps Sabito intentionally wanted to test Su Yan's strength.
The target of his attack was actually Su Yan's neck, and he held nothing back, going all out right from the start.
As the blade's gleam drew closer, Su Yan felt as if he could hear the sound of crashing waves approaching his ears.
However, facing this situation, Su Yan didn't panic at all. He lightly raised his wrist, casually holding the wooden sword vertically in front of him.
Clang!
This simple block felt like an immovable mountain had been erected in front of him.
No matter how much force Sabito applied with both hands, the wooden sword in his grasp couldn't advance a single inch.
On the contrary, the force rebounding from the blade made his hands go numb from the recoil.
Sabito shook his hands and couldn't help but marvel, "What incredible strength!"
'If it's this level of strength, combined with a Breathing Style, he might actually be able to cut off that Hand Demon's neck.'
'But just this isn't enough.'
'He has the strength, but I haven't seen his combat skills yet.'
"Water Breathing! Third Form! Flowing Dance!"
Sabito took a deep breath, his lungs filling with freezing air.
His body was instantly enveloped by pale blue water currents. His movements became as agile as flowing water, weaving around Su Yan and leaving behind streaks of blue afterimages in the air.
The wooden sword in his hand continuously carved out one blue arc of light after another.
"Not bad."
Although Su Yan had never fought Giyu Tomioka, he had seen the Water Breathing he used when fighting Busujima Saeko.
He noticed that despite both being Water Breathing, the sword forms used by Sabito were of a completely different style than Giyu Tomioka's.
If Giyu Tomioka's Water Breathing style was like a tranquil lake hiding incredible power beneath its surface...
Then the Water Breathing executed by Sabito was like ocean waves relentlessly crashing against coastal reefs.
Endless and continuous.
"Sun Breathing! Eleventh Form! Solar Halo Dragon Dance!"
Facing such an offensive from Sabito, Su Yan couldn't help but get a little serious.
The tip of the wooden sword whipped up clusters of golden-red flames. The blade seemed to be wreathed in solar fire, resembling a golden fire dragon winding around it.
He continuously unleashed curved slashes, their trajectories forming the shape of a flaming dragon's head.
Every strike accurately hit the wooden sword constantly being swung by Sabito.
The scorching flames dissolved Sabito's offensive like a blazing sun melting spring snow, dissipating it into nothingness.
'An Onmyoji using a Breathing Style?'
A trace of astonishment flashed through Sabito's eyes.
Although he couldn't tell what school of Breathing Style Su Yan was using, judging from his sword techniques and breathing rhythm, it was undoubtedly a Breathing Style.
However, this astonishment didn't last long. Sabito said indignantly, "Since you're also using a Breathing Style, why aren't you taking the initiative to attack? Are you looking down on me?"
"Water Breathing! Seventh Form! Drop Ripple Thrust!"
Sabito's heart tightened, and he immediately used the fastest sword form in Water Breathing.
No chopping or slashing, just a thrust at maximum speed to pierce a single point.
Shinobu Kocho's Insect Breathing was a derivative of a derivative of Water Breathing. It could be said that the essence of her Breathing Style was completely born from the Seventh Form of Water Breathing.
Therefore, apart from being fast, this move had nothing else.
The phantoms produced by the thrusts were like countless silk threads, covering Su Yan's entire body like a torrential downpour.
"If that's the case, then let's end this battle as you wish."
Seeing the serious attitude displayed by the boy, Su Yan also put away his casual mindset.
Without using Nen, he unleashed the move he was most comfortable with in Sun Breathing.
"Sun Breathing! Twelfth Form! Flame Dance!"
Instantly, scorching golden-red flames burst from the tip of the sword.
The white oak wooden sword in his hand seemed to be enveloped by the sun, and even the surrounding air felt dry.
Su Yan swung the white oak wooden sword, the blade's gleam accurately striking Sabito's sword.
Crack!
The wooden sword in Sabito's hand snapped in response.
The surging blade light continued to slash forward mercilessly until it split the fox mask on the boy's face in half.
It revealed Sabito's youthful face beneath the mask. Just like the fox mask he wore, there was also a winding scar on Sabito's youthful face.
"How can this be?!"
Sabito's face was full of astonishment.
He had already used all his strength, yet he didn't expect to be defeated so easily by the other party.
'Such strength... perhaps he has already reached the level of a Hashira in the Demon Slayer Corps?'
Sabito couldn't help but ask, "Just who exactly are you?"
"Just a passing Nen user, remember that," Su Yan said calmly.
"Hahaha, a Nen user?"
Sabito laughed freely, as if he had heard something amusing. He then looked at Su Yan and said seriously, "Very well, I acknowledge your strength. Please tell me your name."
"As long as you can help me kill that Hand Demon on Mt. Fujikasane, whether it's becoming a Shikigami or some Nen Beast, I agree to it."
"..."
Su Yan scratched his head and said somewhat awkwardly, "Actually, the only one I wanted to tame was Miss Makomo..."
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]