A lone moon hung high in the sky, its silver light spilling over the body of Upper Rank Three, reflecting a deadly chill.
He stepped forward slowly. With every step he took, Asuka felt the pressure on his body increase.
This guy… is strong!
"Such beautiful fighting spirit," the demon said with a smile, pointing at Asuka and Kyojuro Rengoku. "I could tell at a glance. You two… you're Hashira, aren't you?"
"Be careful, Asuka, my boy. An Upper Rank demon cannot be taken lightly."
Ignoring Upper Rank Three's attempt at conversation, Kyojuro Rengoku stood shoulder to shoulder with Asuka and drew his Nichirin Blade. "For over a hundred years, the Upper Ranks have never changed. Each of them carries the blood debt of countless Hashira. They are extremely difficult to defeat!"
"I know. I'll go all out."
Buzz—!!
Right in front of Rengoku, Asuka attempted to release Nugata's form.
Strangely, Nugata did not transform into the massive serrated blade as before. Instead, its divine brilliance drew inward, its spiritual pressure growing denser, while it retained the appearance of an ordinary Nichirin Blade.
Only the red-and-black serrated patterns flowing along the blade like living things distinguished it from a normal sword.
Has Nugata… changed again?
He did not dwell on the matter. Instead, he focused completely on the Upper Rank demon before him.
"Good blade. What's your name?"
Slash—!!
Asuka had no intention of wasting words on a demon. From a great distance, he swung his sword, unleashing a flying slash!
The spiritual pressure slash, formed through a Wind Breathing technique, howled forward with unstoppable force, tearing through everything in its path!
Upper Rank Three narrowed his eyes, a satisfied smile spreading across his face, sharp fangs exposed.
He stomped the ground, unleashing his demonic power without restraint—
[Technique Development · Destructive Death · Compass Needle]
In an instant, a massive snowflake-patterned array bloomed beneath his feet, radiating a deadly aura.
This was his Blood Demon Art—his perception domain.
Within the range of the Compass Needle, all fighting spirit would be detected. The stronger the opponent, the faster the Compass Needle would respond.
He then threw several punches. The force of his fists condensed into shockwaves that collided head-on with Asuka's spiritual pressure slash!
Screech—!!
It was unimaginable. Merely the fighting spirit unleashed through the air by two powerful beings produced a terrifying friction sound like clashing blades!
Sparks flew, the air twisted, and even Tanjiro and the others in the distance, who were in the middle of rescue efforts, noticed and moved to assist.
"This is not your battle! Stand back!" Asuka shouted sternly, his expression grave.
Yet relying on mere punch winds was not enough to completely nullify Asuka's slash. The demon's eyes gleamed with greater excitement.
"Destructive Death · Disorder!"
He stepped forward and unleashed a flurry of high-speed punches, forming an impenetrable curtain of fists before him!
Boom boom boom—!!
Fists and slash collided violently. Asuka's probing attack was shattered by the demon's bare hands!
As the dust cleared, the demon flicked the blood from his hands and looked at his slowly healing wounds, grinning ferociously.
"You're strong, boy. How about becoming a demon?"
Asuka's gaze shifted slightly.
His teacher had told him before—every demon in the world was created by Muzan. If he wished, the demons under him could also share their blood to create new demons.
Was this Upper Rank trying to recruit him?
"I am Akaza, Upper Rank Three. What is your name?"
Asuka remained silent, but Rengoku spoke instead. "We are Demon Slayers. No matter the reason, we will never become demons!"
"Why not?" Akaza paid no mind to Rengoku's resolve and patiently explained. "As humans, there are so many inconveniences. You age, you fall ill, you die. How can you ever reach the supreme realm that way? But as a demon…"
"Eternal life. Train for as long as you like. One day, you will reach the realm of the strongest."
"I say, become demons. The two of you. Let us train together and fight for eternity!"
Faced with such twisted logic, Rengoku naturally refused. He raised his Nichirin Blade with righteous fervor.
"To age and to die, to cherish the present and feel the blazing heat of life—this is the beauty of humanity's brief existence."
"Strength is not merely a word describing physical power. The strength of the heart is even more important. Yet you do not understand that."
"I am the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku. I will never become a demon!"
Akaza's expression darkened. His smile faded as he clenched his fists once more. The snowflake pattern bloomed again beneath him.
"In that case… I can only kill you."
"Destructive Death · Disorder!"
With a furious roar, Akaza charged straight at the two of them!
"Unknowing Fire!"
"Cleaving Slash!"
Without hesitation, Asuka and Rengoku swung their blades and met him head-on!
Facing their overwhelming, heaven-scorching momentum, Akaza neither dodged nor retreated. Laughing wildly, he strode forward.
"Good! Excellent! This is the kind of battle I crave!"
Boom! Clang! Slash—!
Three terrifying forces collided violently!
Rengoku's Nichirin Blade erupted in golden-red flames, cleaving through Akaza's arm. But with a mere twist of his body, the wound regenerated instantly, and he countered with fist winds that clashed against Rengoku once more.
Asuka's blade lacked Rengoku's blazing spectacle, yet Akaza had no desire to confront it directly. Instead, he dodged and countered, striking against the blade or intercepting the path of the next attack to disrupt Asuka's offense.
Akaza could feel it—Asuka's Nichirin Blade was strange. When it cut into him, even he, an Upper Rank, experienced delayed regeneration.
Something was wrong. Best not to touch it recklessly.
The three of them plunged into close combat. Flames and gales, frost and fists intertwined, blasting stones and dust into the sky, leaving Tanjiro and the others staring in shock.
This was the level of a Hashira. This was the battle of an Upper Rank!
"Rising Scorching Flame!"
Seizing an opening, Rengoku immediately shifted forms, flames surging upward from below!
At the same time, although Asuka avoided a punch that grazed his cheek, the corner of his eye burst open, blood flooding his vision.
Fortunately, he relied on his perception to track Akaza's movements and also noticed Rengoku's change in form.
Spinning, he drove Nugata in a cunning thrust toward Akaza's vulnerable flank!
But Akaza, an Upper Rank who had fought for centuries, possessed combat instincts beyond imagination!
Almost instantly, he found the optimal solution. The fighting spirit around his fists compressed to an extreme, a terrifying aura surging around him.
"Destructive Death: Ten Thousand Leaves Flashing Willow!!"
He slammed a tremendous punch into the ground! The earth let out a wail beneath his fighting spirit!
Boom—!!
The ground shattered, rocks exploding outward!
A massive shockwave burst forth, blasting the two swordsmen who had been attempting to combine their attacks and sending them flying!
Asuka and Rengoku flipped backward several times before landing lightly on the ground, steadying their slightly disrupted breathing.
"Exhilarating!" Akaza laughed wildly as he stepped out of the shattered crater. The deep blue tattoos on his skin seemed to come alive, flowing and flickering. "You truly should become demons! As demons, we can fight like this forever!"
With that, he stomped the ground and vanished instantly!
"Destructive Death · Air Type!"
In the next second, he appeared midair, unleashing a storm of punches! Invisible shockwaves blasted toward Asuka and Rengoku like heavy artillery!
"Asuka, together!" Rengoku roared, and Asuka immediately understood.
"Flame Breathing · Fourth Form: Blooming Flame Undulation!"
Rengoku swung his sword, releasing a wide fan of blazing sword energy, as if igniting a raging sea of fire in midair!
It not only neutralized most of the shockwaves but also obscured part of Akaza's vision!
"Oh? A combination technique? Let me guess. From the left? From above?"
Akaza showed no fear. Instead, he eagerly anticipated their next move.
Slash—!
Asuka's figure appeared at his side like a phantom, just as he had predicted.
But what Akaza did not expect was that the Compass Needle failed to detect Asuka's fighting spirit.
At this moment, Asuka had pushed his spiritual perception to its absolute limit, capturing every minute detail of Akaza's movements.
In his eyes, Akaza's motions began to slow. Even that exquisite fist technique revealed flaws.
Heh…
He altered the rhythm of his breathing. His lungs swelled with a resonance they had never produced before—
"Storm Breathing · First Form: Sky Rend!!"