Horitake attacked with his finger-sword, and Yae defended with her katana.
Yet, it was blatantly obvious that Horitake's two fingers held the upper hand. Every time his fingers collided with the steel blade, the katana let out a low, vibrating hum. It was a testament to how formidable those two fingers were—and how razor-sharp the purple arcs of electricity dancing between them truly were.
Horitake pressed his advantage, step by step. He systematically constricted Yae's breathing room, forcing her into a desperate retreat where she could do nothing but focus on parrying.
Cold sweat drenched Yae's forehead. The pressure was immense.
Her senior's offensive was like an all-encompassing net; there wasn't a single gap for her to slip through. Aside from pouring every ounce of her will into her defense, she could only fall back. There was simply no window for a counterattack.
Terrifying... he's absolutely terrifying!
Grit and determination fueled her. While her blade moved in a frantic blur to intercept his strikes, her mind raced, analyzing the flow of the duel for even the smallest crack in his armor.
If this continued, her defeat wouldn't just be inevitable—it would be crushing.
I have to... at least find one chance to strike back!
Suddenly, her eyes widened. There! An opening!
She knew, deep down, that a warrior of Horitake's caliber shouldn't have such an obvious flaw. It was almost certainly a trap he had laid out for her.
But did she have a choice? She had to seize it, trap or not!
With a sharp exhale, Yae poured her strength into a desperate slash.
As expected, the strike met nothing but air.
Horitake shifted his body with the weightless grace of a falling leaf. At the same time, he hooked his toe behind her heel in a seamless, understated motion.
Yae nearly pitched forward into a humiliating face-plant. Fortunately, her reflexes saved her; she twisted her body mid-air, stumbling for several paces before finally regaining her balance.
Even then, she didn't dare lower her guard. She spun around instantly, raising her katana to meet him once more.
Horitake remained composed, continuing to duel her with nothing but his two fingers.
The battle grew more intense. Horitake moved with a calm, breezy elegance, while Yae fought with gritted teeth. One side was relaxed and poetic; the other was struggling for survival.
Watching from the sidelines, Zenitsu felt like he couldn't take it anymore.
His senior sister was being suppressed to such a degree that she had zero chance of fighting back. Even when she did manage a strike, it failed to produce the slightest result.
Zenitsu covered his eyes with his hands, unable to watch the "slaughter," while silently praying that his "Big Brother" wouldn't leave his sister with a lifelong psychological scar.
Beside him, Jigoro reached out and smacked the back of Zenitsu's head.
"Zenitsu! What are you closing your eyes for? Watch closely!"
"Grandpa, watch what? Watch Sister getting beaten up? What's the point of watching a one-sided fight like this?"
Jigoro looked at his pupil with an expression of exasperated disappointment. He pulled Zenitsu's hands away from his face and pointed toward the field, forcing him to see what was actually happening.
"This isn't just a spar anymore. He's 'feeding' her moves."
Zenitsu's jaw dropped. "What? Feeding her moves? You mean Big Brother is... training her mid-fight?"
"Exactly. It looks like he's suppressing her, but in reality, he's forcing her to squeeze out every drop of her latent potential. While he pushes her to the limit, he's guiding her techniques, forcing her forms to become more fluid and her foundations more solid. This is a rare, golden opportunity for her. I expect that after this session, Yae will show a significant leap in progress."
"Oh... so that's how it is..." Zenitsu murmured, his eyes widening in realization.
Jigoro had seen it, and the person in the thick of it, Yae, had felt it too.
Her senior wasn't just testing her; he was tempering her. He was pushing her into a corner specifically so she could find her way out. As the exchange continued, Yae noticed that the clunky, rigid transitions between her sword forms were vanishing. Her movements were becoming more intuitive, more seamless—everything was starting to fall into place.
He's helping me!
With that realization, Yae's spirit surged. Her exhaustion was replaced by a fresh wave of excitement as she renewed her assault.
Horitake continued to train her for a long time. It only ended when Yae's stamina finally bottomed out, leaving her gasping for breath as she sank to her knees on the grass.
Despite her disheveled appearance, a bright smile lit up her face as she knelt there. She could feel it—the tangible growth in her own strength. It was all thanks to him.
"Huff... huff... Thank... thank you... Senior!" she managed to wheeze out.
Horitake smiled and helped her up, pointing toward the cool shade under a nearby peach tree. "Well done. You've got skill and spirit, as expected of my junior sister. You're exhausted; go over there and take a rest."
"Huff... okay... understood."
She gripped her katana, trying to steady her ragged breathing, and began the heavy-footed walk toward the shade. After a few steps, she couldn't help but look back and ask:
"Senior... are all the Hashira in the Demon Slayer Corps as strong as you?"
Horitake shook his head without hesitation. "No, no. I am the strongest in the Corps—that's a publicly acknowledged fact. The other Hashira are incredibly powerful in their own right, but to be blunt, they aren't 'monstrous' in the same way I am."
Hearing this, Yae let out a long sigh of relief. "That's good. At least there's still hope for me to become a Hashira one day."
With that, she continued toward the shade, looking forward to resting with her master and her junior brother.
However, while her master could rest, the junior brother was out of time.
Just as Yae reached the shade, Horitake's voice rang out with blunt authority:
"Zenitsu! Come over here!"
Zenitsu's face turned pale instantly. "Huh?! Me?! Big Brother, you're calling me? You must have the wrong person! What do you want with me?"
"What else would I want? Training, sparring, feeding you moves—just like I did with Yae. I'm going to use this chance to boost your strength as much as possible."
"I... I think I'm good, right? I don't really need—"
"Stop talking nonsense! Get over here, now!"
"Yes, sir!"
The moment Horitake's tone took on even a hint of edge, Zenitsu's courage evaporated. He scrambled over to obey. He didn't dare cross Horitake; in his mind, defying his "Big Brother" was a shortcut to the afterlife.
And so, Horitake began training Zenitsu. Just as he had with Yae, he used the pressure of combat to squeeze out the boy's potential, forcing him to refine his techniques into a cohesive, deadly whole.
Back under the tree, Yae plopped down onto the grass to recover. As she caught her breath, she watched her senior brother put her junior through his paces.
Jigoro looked at his disciples with a satisfied grin and asked Yae, "So? How would you describe your senior's strength?"
Yae replied with utmost gravity:
"Unfathomable."
That single word made Jigoro burst into hearty laughter.
"Unfathomable is exactly right. Your senior is a once-in-a-century—maybe even a once-in-a-millennium—talent in the history of the Demon Slayer Corps. There is no shame in losing to him. To receive his personal guidance is a stroke of incredible luck. I'm just glad he's your senior... and even gladder he's my student."
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