In the Demon Slayer Corps, it was strictly forbidden for members to attack each other without reason.
But Taka was not a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, and Sanemi was not a Hashira who strictly followed that rule.
The force transmitted through the scabbard was so strong it nearly sent the wooden sword in Taka's hand flying!
He gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his arms, using all his strength to resist this inhuman force.
"Hiss..." A suppressed intake of air escaped Taka's mouth and nose. He activated the Total Concentration Breathing that Tetsushinki had taught him, trying to use the physical enhancement from the Breathing Style to overpower the white-haired man before him.
"Heh..."
Sanemi let out a sneer, his wrist flicking casually.
Hum—
A blue-green air current violently transmitted through the scabbard!
Taka felt his arm go numb, could barely hold onto the heavy wooden sword, and his body even began to lose balance, staggering as if about to fall.
And almost instantly, the end of Sanemi's scabbard was already thrusting heavily towards his shoulder!
With a dull thud, Taka was hit solidly. The vicious force directly slammed him down, sending him crashing heavily onto the cold dirt ground.
Sanemi slowly paced forward. His tall figure blocked the sunlight, casting a shadow that enveloped Taka.
"What's wrong? Is Hayama's training only capable of producing weaklings like you? If you encountered a demon just now, you'd already be dead!"
The harsh words carried the most cruel truth. In a real sword fight, no one waits slowly for you to assume your stance… everything happens in the blink of an eye.
However, Taka wasn't quietly lying on the ground waiting for Sanemi's nasty laughter to continue echoing.
The moment he fell, he instinctively activated Wind Breathing, wrapping the faint blue-green air current he had gathered around his wrist.
Using the momentum of his fall, he pushed off the ground and actually launched himself upwards, charging straight at Sanemi!
Thud!!
Taka slammed heavily into Sanemi's chin, directly knocking the Wind Hashira onto his back!
Without waiting for Sanemi to react, he quickly gripped his wooden sword and, riding this momentum, fiercely slashed down at Sanemi's falling body!
"This kid...."
In the distant shade of the trees, Tetsushinki was watching this scene, his heart also somewhat shaken.
Wrapping Wind Breathing around one's body to add cutting damage to physical attacks was a method only proficient users of Wind Breathing would encounter.
Tetsushinki hadn't been hiding it from Taka… it was simply that Taka was still honing his Wind Breathing sword techniques, and he hadn't yet taught him this concept. Unexpectedly....
Just by seeing Sanemi attack him with a scabbard accompanied by Wind Breathing during their fight, he immediately comprehended this method of application....
"You little brat!" Sanemi's chin throbbed with pain, but a flicker of surprise showed in his eyes.
He didn't draw his blade, merely met the attack with his fists and feet, also wrapped in Wind Breathing!
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Sanemi's body executed an exaggerated spin in mid-air, not only dodging Taka's full-power downward slash but also beginning to grapple with him!
The dull sounds of flesh colliding echoed in the training ground. Sanemi initially intended to hold back, just wanting to test Taka's strength, but Taka fought like a desperado from the streets, every move vicious and crafty, all aimed at Sanemi's vital areas like chest and abdomen!
This forced Sanemi to gradually exert more force, and the situation began to develop unfavorably for Taka.
Finally, after a particularly crafty slash, Sanemi reluctantly swung his scabbard again, blocking Taka's blow, the blade trembling with a hum.
"Hey! Kid! Are you for real?"
"…"
Seeing Taka wouldn't respond, Sanemi grew impatient and decided to just end this farce.
Shing—!!
In the blink of an eye, his Nichirin Sword with its green, sawtooth-like blade pattern was drawn. The characters [Destroyer of Demons] on the blade began to flicker with an ominous light.
"Let me see what you've learned from the old man! Wind Breathing: First Form...."
'Not good!' Tetsushinki was startled. His figure blurred as he moved to stop Sanemi from going crazy!
'This kid! Still so reckless and irascible!'
Taka also instantly felt the change in the white-haired man's aura opposite him. It was obvious the other party was brewing a terrifying strike!
The Reiatsu Fluctuations within him began to tremble madly, roaring at him to get out of the way!
But, unbeknownst to anyone, Taka made a move that surprised even the approaching Tetsushinki.
He directly discarded the wooden sword in his hand, instead untying the cloth strap that had been tied across his chest. At the very moment Sanemi's thrusting wind blades were gathering, he drew his long sword from its scabbard with a clatter in mid-air!
"Fang Thrust!"
A violent, grey-black air current carrying a tearing wind sound also exploded on the battered blade Taka swung!
Clang—!!
Boom!!
The grey blade light and the azure wind pressure collided with a tremendous roar!
The deafening sound of metal striking metal was like a thunderclap from flat ground! Violent air currents instantly exploded with the two at the center!
Dust, grass clippings, and gravel were violently rolled into the sky, forming a turbid air vortex several meters in diameter! Startling countless birds from the forest!
The ground shook violently, cracks spreading like a spider web, and even the disciples on the front mountain of Hayama felt the commotion over here!
Rrrip! Rrrip!
A tear appeared in Sanemi's tough uniform sleeve! Several thin, bloody scratches appeared on the bronze skin of his muscular arms!
Taka on the opposite side was much the same. The wind blades produced by their collision went berserk, continuously tearing at the outer clothing and skin of the two!
Taka, however, was in a worse state, with deeper and more numerous wounds on his body.
Boom!!
Accompanied by an explosive sound, the whirlwind generated by their clashing blades completely detonated!
Sanemi staggered a few times but remained standing. Taka fared worse… his whole body flew backwards as if thrown, crashing heavily into a thick tree trunk, shaking down countless leaves with a thud!
Although he had overpowered Taka, Sanemi didn't feel particularly pleased.
He frowned slightly, looking down at the wounds on his body.
Leaving aside the fact that he'd been injured by a kid still in training... for now, he had to admit the old man had good judgment, picking a decent successor....
But the problems are with these wounds....
This wasn't a simple cutting pain… it felt like a strange, burning ache, as if countless tiny teeth were incessantly gnawing and tearing at the wounds....
Accompanied by this burning pain, he felt the flow of his blood seemed hindered by some invisible force, as if it was being... drained away?
He raised his arm and noticed that near his wounds, there were indeed faint traces of grey-black energy fluctuations, barely visible to the naked eye, unlike the air currents of Breathing Styles....
"What the hell is this?" Sanemi's voice dropped low. The previous contempt and amusement completely disappeared, his expression turning somewhat grave.
"A Blood Demon Art?"
Sanemi didn't understand, but suspicion had already arisen in his heart. He tightened his grip on his Nichirin Sword and walked doubtfully towards Taka.
But at that moment, Tetsushinki had already leaped over his head, slowly landing in front of him.
"Show some restraint, Sanemi!"
"....Tetsushin-sensei, I wish you a good day."