With Kagaya's departure, the solemn atmosphere in the courtyard that had been forcibly suppressed because of Kagaya's presence instantly vanished like melting snow.
In its place was a thick, volatile battle intent, like a powder keg ready to explode.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Just as Kagaya left, three figures blocked Yamada's path with perfect synchronization.
"Hey, kid. Although Master gave you privileges, I haven't swallowed my anger yet."
Sanemi twisted his neck, which had been kicked painfully earlier, his bones making a "crack crack" sound. His bloodshot eyes stared intently at Yamada.
"I was careless just now and didn't use my Breathing Technique. I don't believe someone like you, who doesn't even draw his nichirin blade, can be that strong."
"Sanemi is right!"
Kyojuro strode forward, his eyes burning with intense heat, his voice booming. "Young Yamada! To be able to slaughter all of Mount Fujikasane, your strength is undoubtedly top-tier! But as a swordsman, if we don't communicate with the blades in our hands, how can we truly understand each other?! I, Flame Hashira Rengoku Kyojuro, officially challenge you to a duel!"
"Although your taste in clothes isn't flamboyant at all, and your arrogant look just now was quite irritating, I admit that the way you flipped Sanemi with one hand earlier did have a shadow of flamboyance."
Tengen pulled out the two giant twin blades from his back, clashing them in mid-air to create sparks, a fanatical smile spreading across his face. "Count me in. Let me see if you really are the kind of monster Master spoke of."
Even Tokito Muichiro, who had been sitting aside in a daze, tilted his head curiously, his gaze falling on the black sword with purple patterns at Yamada's waist. "Although I'll probably forget your name as soon as I turn around, your sword looks very interesting. Can I see it?"
Seeing this group of Hashira who had instantly turned into battle maniacs and surrounded Yamada, Shinobu, standing to the side, helplessly pressed her forehead.
She knew it. These proud guys would never be completely convinced by a newcomer just because of one sentence from Kagaya. Without a bloody fight, they wouldn't acknowledge Yamada.
"You guys, don't go too far." Giyu frowned, his right hand resting on his sword hilt again, preparing to step forward to help Yamada out.
"It's fine, Giyu." Yamada spoke, interrupting Giyu's movement.
He slowly turned around, facing Sanemi, Kyojuro, Tengen, and the others. There was no panic on his face. Instead, a bloodthirsty smile with a hint of excitement appeared.
"A duel? Sure."
Yamada casually pulled off the Haori draped over his shoulders and threw it to Shinobu, then flicked his left thumb.
The Kusanagi Sword, entwined with dark purple lightning patterns, instantly unsheathed half an inch. A heart-stopping, bone-chilling killing intent erupted from Yamada's body without reservation.
Under this aura, even the surrounding air seemed to become viscous.
"However..."
Yamada slightly raised his head. His originally pitch-black pupils transformed into an extremely eerie scarlet in a tenth of a second. Three black tomoe spun wildly within the blood-colored eyes, emitting a terrifying pressure that made it feel as if one's soul would be sucked in just by looking at them.
Yamada's gaze swept across the faces of the Hashira one by one, the arc of his lips becoming more and more arrogant.
"Fighting one by one is such a waste of time. You guys should just come at me together. Let me teach you for free what true power is."
"You arrogant brat! I'm going to teach you a lesson you'll never forget!"
Sanemi's already explosive temper was instantly ignited by Yamada's taunt to "come at me together"
Boom!
The ground beneath Sanemi's feet instantly exploded into a deep crater. Cyan wind pressure swirled around his nichirin blade as he charged toward Yamada's face like a violent tornado, tearing through the air.
Wind Breathing, First Form: Dust Whirlwind Cutter!
Sanemi didn't hold back at all with this strike, imbuing it with terrifying destructive power. Even a Hashira of the same level would have to avoid the brunt of such a sudden, lunging draw.
However, Yamada, standing in place, merely tilted his head with extreme nonchalance. In the vision of his scarlet Three-Tomoe Sharingan, Sanemi's lightning-fast trajectory, his muscle exertion points, and even the minute air currents from the blade slicing through the air were all slowed down countless times, clearly imprinted in his mind.
Swoosh!
The nichirin blade, wrapped in wind pressure, slashed down, nearly grazing the tip of Yamada's nose. The sharp wind plowed a deep trench over ten meters long into the ground behind him.
"What?!" Sanemi's pupils shrank suddenly.
He didn't just dodge it? He perfectly evaded the strike with the smallest of movements without retreating a single step?
"Your speed is barely passing, but your movements are too easy to read." Yamada's cold voice rang in Sanemi's ear.
At the same time, Yamada's left thumb, gripping the hilt of the Kusanagi Sword, gave a sudden push.
Clang!
A pitch-black sword with purple lightning patterns was unsheathed, striking toward Sanemi's wrist at an extremely tricky angle.
At this critical moment, two piercing explosions suddenly rang out from both sides of Yamada.
Sound Breathing, First Form: Roar!
Tengen had appeared to Yamada's left at some point. His two exaggeratedly large twin blades slashed down, accompanied by the violent explosion of special gunpowder, instantly turning Yamada's position into a sea of fire.
"Well done, Tengen!" Obanai sneered from a tree branch, just about to draw his sword to block Yamada's escape route.
But in the next second, everyone's expressions froze.
The dust cleared.
Yamada, who should have been blown back or seriously injured, had disappeared. In his place was a charred... pine log?
"A log?! Where is he?!" Tengen's eyes, decorated with red makeup, widened, his face looking like he'd seen a ghost.
What kind of unflashy trickery is this?
"Above!"
Kyojuro's voice boomed.
He snapped his head up, his eyes erupting with a burning fighting spirit. Gripping his crimson nichirin blade with both hands, he exerted sudden force in his legs, soaring upward like a burning meteor.
Flame Breathing, Second Form: Rising Scorching Sun!
A violent, crescent-shaped flame slash surged from bottom to top, striking toward Yamada, who was standing on a tree trunk in mid-air.
"Good timing."
Yamada looked down at the scorching flames, the wildness at the corner of his lips growing even more pronounced.
Clang!
The Kusanagi Sword with purple lightning patterns was finally fully unsheathed.
Simultaneously, the massive amount of lightning-attribute Chakra within Yamada's body began to pour frantically into the blade.
Chirp... Chirp...
The piercing sound of birds chirping instantly echoed throughout the courtyard.
Extremely violent, high-density purple lightning danced and extended wildly on the blade of the Kusanagi Sword, turning the black sword into a dazzling blade of thunder.
Yamada didn't dodge. Instead, he gripped the sword with one hand and slashed down with extreme brutality against Kyojuro's flame strike.
Lightning Release: Chidori Blade!
Boom!!!
Purple lightning and crimson flames collided violently in mid-air.
A terrifying shockwave swept out in all directions from the two of them, making the clothes of the surrounding Hashira flutter wildly.
"Ugh! Such heavy force! And this lightning..."
Kyojuro's face changed drastically in mid-air.
The moment their blades crossed, he felt an irresistible, terrifying force pressing down from the other's single hand. Not only that, but the wild purple lightning actually conducted through his nichirin blade, instantly sending his arms into a state of severe paralysis.
Bang!
After a stalemate of less than a second, Kyojuro, renowned for his strength and explosiveness, was forcibly smashed back to the ground from mid-air by Yamada's single strike.
He retreated seven or eight steps before barely stabilizing himself, his arms still trembling uncontrollably.
"Are you kidding me... he suppressed Rengoku with one hand?!"
Standing on the porch, Shinobu covered her mouth, her purple eyes filled with shock.
Although she knew Yamada was strong, seeing him toy with the Demon Slayer Corps' highest combat power like a plaything was a visual impact that words simply couldn't describe.