Akaza withdrew his fist with a faint smile, clearly pleased.
"Not bad, Raiden. You are stronger than I expected. But this is only the beginning."
Before the words fully settled, he vanished again.
In the next instant, he reappeared at Raiden's flank. His fighting spirit condensed violently.
"Destructive Kill, Void Style."
This was no longer a simple test. Invisible strikes poured down like a torrential storm, dense and relentless.
Rengoku stepped forward, shielding Raiden without hesitation.
"Flame Breathing, Fourth Form, Blooming Flame Undulation."
His voice rang clear through the night.
Flames coiled around his Nichirin blade, expanding outward as he swung. A roaring vortex of fire spiraled into existence, its heat igniting the surrounding air. The blaze surged forward to meet the invisible barrage.
Explosions erupted as flame and compressed force collided.
Each impact flashed brilliantly, lighting the darkness in bursts of crimson and blue. The vortex absorbed strike after strike, parrying the unseen blows. Yet the Void Style relentlessly chipped away at the swirling inferno, the two forces locked in a violent stalemate.
The battlefield distorted under the pressure. Dust and sparks rose in spirals, and the scent of scorched earth thickened.
Finally, in one thunderous collision, both techniques shattered simultaneously.
The vortex collapsed. The invisible barrage dissolved. A shockwave rippled outward, stirring dense smoke across the ground.
Through the haze, Raiden watched Akaza's silhouette, then glanced at Rengoku.
This was the turning point.
Soon, the battle would shift fully into close quarters. From here onward, Rengoku would begin to sustain real injuries.
Raiden forced himself to remain calm.
Rushing blindly would only worsen the outcome. He needed to support Rengoku carefully, minimizing the damage.
When the decisive moment came, he would enter the Transparent World.
Even before refining his breathing further, he had managed to suppress Sanemi Shinazugawa briefly in that state. Now, after strengthening himself further, restraining Akaza long enough to shift the momentum was possible.
"Raiden, be careful," Rengoku said.
Then he disappeared in a burst of heat, leaving behind spiraling embers.
A sharp hum cut through the air as Rengoku reappeared before Akaza, his blade arcing upward toward the demon's chin.
"Excellent speed," Akaza said lightly, tilting his head just enough for the flames to graze his cheek.
The strike missed cleanly, but Rengoku did not pause. He shifted his grip and slashed again, pressing forward with unwavering intensity.
The battlefield erupted once more.
Blue fighting spirit clashed violently against crimson fire, producing a barrage of deafening impacts far denser than before.
"Kyojuro," Akaza said as he exchanged blows, "if you continue to refuse, your remarkable swordsmanship will vanish with you. Does that not sadden you?"
"I refuse," Rengoku answered firmly.
Akaza's smile widened, revealing stark white teeth.
"Then let the remainder of your life entertain me."
His attacks intensified. Each strike tore at the air, his movements sharp and merciless. Rengoku parried every blow, but under the relentless assault, his footing began to strain.
Flames still roared from his blade, yet against Akaza's cold, piercing fighting spirit, their brilliance slowly diminished.
In a dense exchange, Akaza found an opening.
His fist crashed against Rengoku's Nichirin blade with crushing force, sending the Flame Hashira flying backward.
Rengoku hit the ground hard, dust exploding around him. He steadied himself with his sword, rising despite the impact.
Akaza approached slowly.
The ferocity in his eyes faded, replaced by something resembling regret.
"Still unwilling to become a demon, Kyojuro?" he asked quietly. "This is the difference between us. If you accepted, you could fight alongside me for eternity."
Rengoku lifted his head. Blood streaked his face, yet his gaze burned undiminished.
"I will never become a demon."
His voice was steady.
Akaza was about to respond when his eyes flicked across the battlefield.
Where had Raiden gone?
Had the boy fled?
As that thought crossed his mind, a sharp chill ran down his spine.
Killing intent flooded the air behind him.
Without hesitation, Akaza drove his fist toward the rear of his neck.
"Thunder Breathing, First Form, Thunderclap and Flash, Tenfold."
The voice came from directly behind him, the most difficult angle to defend.
Akaza's reaction was fast, but rushed.
Raiden's blade, wrapped in crackling lightning, slid along the joints of Akaza's fist and tore downward to his wrist.
Steel bit through flesh.
Akaza's eyes widened slightly.
He had been cut.
Raiden did not allow him a moment to process it.
The remaining nine strikes followed instantly, each slash faster than the last. Lightning roared with every movement. Raiden's white haired figure blurred into afterimages as he circled Akaza in rapid succession.
Akaza attempted to counterattack, but Raiden's speed denied him a fixed target. Every time he prepared to retaliate, Raiden had already shifted position.
Pressure mounted.
For the first time, Akaza felt as though he stood within the heart of a thunderstorm.
Each strike was precise, aimed with calculated intent. When one blade skimmed across his neck, leaving only a shallow cut, a rare sensation flickered through him.
Danger.
Within seconds, the Tenfold attack concluded.
Raiden slid to a stop.
Akaza's arm hung mangled and torn, blood pouring freely before regeneration began to close the wounds. The limb that had once deflected Nichirin blades head on now appeared ravaged under the relentless lightning assault.
For the briefest moment, silence returned to the battlefield.
And Akaza's gaze toward Raiden had changed.