"You're here already? Wait there for a moment, I'm changing."
The sudden voice made Obanai stiffen. He turned sharply toward the entrance of the room.
When did he get there?
Just moments ago, he had carefully scanned the entire courtyard. Even Kaburamaru had checked every corner, and neither of them sensed anyone inside.
Obanai glanced at the snake resting on his shoulder. Kaburamaru tilted his head innocently, as if to say it had seen nothing either.
Raiden stepped down the stairs after finishing changing his clothes and spoke calmly. "Have you tried entering the Transparent World?"
"Yes," Obanai replied with a nod. Kaburamaru shifted slightly, clearly uneasy under Raiden's presence. The pressure from him felt overwhelming.
Raiden frowned. He had only just sent Shinazugawa away, and now another quiet one had come to train. Troublesome.
"So, you mean you've already entered the Transparent World?"
"No."
Raiden sighed and walked down the steps slowly. "Come here. Let me see your progress. And remember what I told you about the key points of the Transparent World."
Obanai froze for a moment.
Raiden had no intention of drawing his Nichirin blade. How was he supposed to test his progress if Raiden did not even defend himself? His sword was specially made, and one mistake would not end lightly.
"Don't worry about me," Raiden said casually. "Just attack."
Obanai exchanged a glance with Kaburamaru. The hesitation in his eyes slowly faded.
In the next moment, his body shot forward like a snake. His movements were flexible, light, and strangely unpredictable as he rushed across the courtyard.
A faint trace of interest appeared in Raiden's eyes.
That footwork was unusual. There was a strange rhythm hidden inside it, something that felt completely different from ordinary movement.
As expected of the Serpent Hashira.
In Raiden's eyes, what he saw and what he heard were completely different. His senses picked up the true rhythm behind Obanai's movement more clearly than his sight did.
Obanai's speed suddenly increased. Just as he reached Raiden, he leaped into the air and slashed down with his Nichirin blade.
He was certain he would win.
At this distance, and with Raiden still not drawing his sword, the attack should have been unavoidable.
But the moment the blade was about to touch him, Raiden vanished.
Obanai's sword cut through empty air.
His pupils shrank.
How did he disappear? Was it some kind of instant movement?
Everything happened too fast for him to react.
Then Raiden's voice came from directly behind him.
"Your breathing is messy. Completely chaotic. And why did you jump into the air to attack?"
His tone was calm, but every word struck like a hammer.
"Unless you're absolutely certain you can finish the fight in one move, don't fight in the air. That's basic combat knowledge, isn't it?"
Raiden could not sense any progress in Obanai's Transparent World, but what he could see clearly were the problems in his combat style.
He had learned many techniques that could only be used in mid air, and every single one of them was powerful. Even so, Raiden himself did not dare use them lightly against someone like Kokushibo.
Once you leave the ground, you lose control. If the attack fails, you fall into a completely passive position.
Obanai felt slightly embarrassed, though it did not show on his face.
He had rushed in because Raiden did not draw his sword. He thought he could finish the fight instantly.
Clearly, he had overestimated himself.
"Again," Raiden said calmly. "And don't repeat such basic mistakes."
Obanai moved again.
His body twisted like a snake as he rushed forward, the strange rhythm of his footwork filling the courtyard once more.
Raiden remained calm.
The first time he saw that movement, he had been cautious. But once he understood the rhythm behind it, the threat disappeared completely.
No matter how hard Obanai tried, he still could not touch him.
It felt as if Raiden was moving through a group of invisible snakes, slipping through every attack effortlessly.
Every failed strike hit Obanai's confidence harder than the last.
And Raiden's voice continued to echo in his ears.
"What kind of breathing is that?"
"Daydreaming while fighting?"
"Too slow. With your speed, I could kill you dozens of times before you even noticed."
The calm tone made it worse.
Every word pierced straight through Obanai's composure. His mismatched eyes trembled slightly as his emotions became more unstable.
Kaburamaru sensed the change and hissed softly at Raiden, trying to defend his master.
Raiden glanced at the snake once, and Kaburamaru immediately retreated.
Finally, Obanai's emotions exploded.
He gathered all his strength and unleashed his technique.
"Snake Breathing, First Form."
His blade flashed.
The attack was fast, unpredictable, and almost impossible to track. The slash twisted through the air like a living serpent, striking directly toward Raiden.
This was the move he missed the least since becoming a Hashira.
But Raiden only raised his hand.
A thin, nearly invisible thread appeared in front of him and stopped the Nichirin blade effortlessly.
Obanai's eyes widened.
That attack had been blocked so easily.
"That's better," Raiden said calmly. "Keep that feeling."
Obanai's progress was faster than Shinazugawa's, but that did not mean his talent was greater. He was already a Hashira, and even three days of training would make some difference.
Time passed quickly.
The sun slowly moved across the sky, and the bright afternoon light gradually turned warm and golden.
The training never stopped.
The two of them continued to move across the courtyard again and again, blades flashing, footsteps echoing, and the sound of steel cutting through the air growing sharper with every clash.
Finally, when the sun began to set, the training came to an end.
Obanai collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily, his entire body soaked with sweat.
Kaburamaru gently rubbed against his cheek as if comforting him.
Raiden yawned and stretched lazily.
"Same time tomorrow."