Horitake chuckled, saying a spar was no problem at all, and moved into a ready stance.
Jigoro and Zenitsu watched Yae with looks of pure pity, but neither of them said a word.
Yae herself was starting to suspect that she had made a terrible, heat-of-the-moment decision. She was starting to panic. However, the arrow was already on the string—it had to be fired. Words once spoken are like water poured on the ground; they cannot be taken back.
Yae swallowed hard, staring nervously at her senior brother across the clearing.
Senior Brother... he wouldn't actually hit me that hard, right?
Uh... probably not.
Then it's fine! I'm definitely no match for him, but if I can force him to use even a fraction of his true strength, it'll be worth it. At least I'll get to witness the grace of a true powerhouse. No loss there!
Comforting herself with these thoughts, Yae's previous lightheartedness vanished, replaced by a mask of grim determination as she locked eyes with Horitake.
Horitake remained impassive, but internally, he was impressed.
Not bad, not bad at all.
Setting aside her actual combat strength, her mindset was excellent. Even after realizing she was in over her head, she could regain her composure this quickly. This kind of mental fortitude was rare and well worth nurturing. If trained correctly, she could become another rising Hashira for the Demon Slayer Corps.
Jigoro and Zenitsu quickly backed away, giving the two enough room for their bout.
Standing there with an air of effortless calm, Horitake spoke.
"Junior Sister, don't worry about hurting me. You can attack however you like. Go all out. No matter what you throw at me, I can handle it. Tell you what—let's set a rule. If you can force me to draw my sword, you win. How's that? Simple enough, right?"
To Yae, however, this "rule" tasted like an insult.
She felt like her senior brother was looking down on her. Was she really so weak that an all-out attack wouldn't even warrant him drawing his blade? This was going too far!
Little did she know, Horitake wasn't exaggerating in the slightest.
Nursing a spark of indignation, Yae fell into her stance and unsheathed her katana. Taking a deep breath at a specific, rhythmic frequency, she activated her breathing style. Arcs of blue electricity began to crackle and dance across her body.
"Senior Brother, excuse me!
Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash!"
Yae's entire being blurred as she lunged forward with explosive speed, swinging her blade toward Horitake in one fierce, sweeping motion!
Using the First Form as an opening move was a tactical choice. It was energy-efficient, fast, and packed a punch—perfect for testing an opponent whose true limits were unknown.
Horitake stood his ground, watching his sister's assault with a detached gaze.
He didn't reach for his hilt. He didn't even activate his Heavenly Thunder Breathing. He relied purely on his raw physical conditioning. With casual ease, he extended his left hand, two fingers—index and middle—snapping together.
Clink!
Yae's Thunderclap and Flash came to a violent, screeching halt. It was as if she had slammed on the brakes; her momentum was utterly neutralized.
Yae's eyes bulged as she stared at her weapon. Her katana was caught firmly between her brother's two fingers.
How is this possible?! That was the only thought screaming through her mind.
On the sidelines, Jigoro and Zenitsu reflexively closed their eyes.
Zenitsu was purely praying for his senior sister, hoping the "Big Brother" wouldn't school her too traumatizingly.
Jigoro, meanwhile, was full of exasperation. I told you not to go overboard, but did you have to crush her spirit like that?!
Shocked to her core, Yae finally felt the first true inkling of the gargantuan gap between them. Panic and a creeping sense of dread began to take root in her heart at Horitake's terrifying display of strength.
Frightened, she tried to yank her sword back and retreat.
However, Horitake's fingers were like iron pincers. No matter how hard Yae pulled, the blade wouldn't budge.
She couldn't move forward, and she couldn't pull back. Yae was trapped in a humiliating stalemate.
She looked at Horitake with a pitiful, slightly aggrieved expression.
Horitake was the type of person who was easily swayed by a soft touch but hardened against force. Seeing his junior sister looking at him like a kicked puppy, his heart immediately softened.
At the end of the day, she was his junior sister. She should be doted on. He realized he was being a bit too harsh.
With that thought, Horitake relaxed his fingers.
Yae successfully wrenched her katana free.
However, the moment the blade was loose, Yae's expression shifted instantly. The "pitiful, aggrieved little sister" disappeared, replaced by a fierce, battle-hardened warrior. Instead of taking the chance to retreat, she lunged forward with a ferocious glint in her eyes, aiming her blade straight for Horitake's neck!
"Thunder Breathing, Third Form: Thunder Swarm!"
As she spoke, blue lightning flared around her. Her strike unleashed a series of spinning, wave-like electrical attacks that spiraled toward Horitake's throat!
Horitake was momentarily stunned.
Well, I'll be. Junior Sister, were you just faking that "pitiful" look?!
One moment she was a helpless little bunny, and the next, the bunny had transformed into a savage tigress!
Good! Very good! Now THAT is a disciple of our lineage!
"Since you're playing for keeps, I won't hold back either!"
Flashing a wild, predatory grin, Horitake raised his left hand. Without a second thought, he met the incoming blade with a devastating, naked punch!
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion echoed through the clearing. Yae's Thunder Swarm was shattered by Horitake's fist.
But it didn't stop there. The force of the punch slammed into the flat of Yae's blade, causing the steel to hum and vibrate so violently that she nearly lost her grip.
Terrified, Yae channeled her breathing to the limit and leaped backward.
As she retreated, her worldview was beginning to crumble.
What just happened?
Her senior brother had used nothing but his bare fist—pure flesh and blood—to smash through a Thunder Breathing technique. He had nearly sent her sword flying with just his knuckles!
How is that possible?! Is his physical constitution even higher than a demon's?
In a sense, she was right. Horitake's physical specs were far beyond those of an average demon, and even surpassed many of the stronger ones. He could easily handle Yae using nothing but pure martial arts and physical prowess.
There was another reason he didn't use his Heavenly Thunder Breathing.
The lightning generated by Horitake's style was true, celestial lightning. The lightning generated by standard Thunder Breathing was, at best, "mortal" lightning. Celestial lightning held absolute authority over mortal lightning; if Horitake actually used his style, he would have obliterated Yae's defense in a single breath.
That would be boring. So, he stuck to pure Taijutsu.
Panicked and shaken, Yae kept her breathing active, darting rapidly around the perimeter. She used the dense peach trees for cover, circling Horitake and waiting for an opening.
She had no choice but to keep moving. That single punch from Horitake had left a lingering shadow on her soul. Until she saw a clear opening, she didn't dare strike again.
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