Amane Ubuyashiki had anticipated this situation. She had tried to lay the groundwork earlier, but it seemed the alcohol had prevented Shinjuro from absorbing much of what she said.
She quickly tried to stop him. "Please calm yourself, Shinjuro!"
But the man could no longer hear her. Rage had overwhelmed his numbed nerves. With veins bulging in his right hand, he crushed the ceramic sake jug outright.
The shards hit the floor with a sharp crack, and the ringing sound of a Nichirin blade leaving its scabbard mixed in with the noise.
The memories of the swordsman within him were reawakened. What he exhaled was not merely the breath of alcohol but Flame Breathing laced with it.
As Flame Breathing cycled back through his body, Shinjuro lunged instantly toward Sukuna.
His Flame Breathing was not yet at full power, but the flames enveloping his body still vaguely took the form of a tiger.
Just from the stance, Sukuna did not need to think. He recognized Fifth Form: Flame Tiger. Calmly drawing his own Nichirin blade, he blocked the thrust with a simple First Form: Shiranui.
What...!?
Shinjuro was stunned. He had not expected Sukuna to be capable of using Flame Breathing at all, let alone blocking his Fifth Form with only the First.
Sukuna spoke calmly. "I already know Fifth Form: Flame Tiger. Show me something I don't know."
Even as he spoke, Sukuna's blade did not stop moving. He twisted his sword in the air and went straight into Second Form: Rising Scorching Sun, aiming to take Shinjuro's head.
But Shinjuro was a former Flame Hashira. He recognized his own techniques clearly. Steadying his blade after Sukuna had just deflected it, he raised a downward slash as defense with Third Form: Blazing Universe.
Warmed up by the earlier Fifth Form: Flame Tiger, the flames of Shinjuro's Third Form: Blazing Universe were now essentially back to normal. Even so, they were still noticeably weaker than the flames radiating from Sukuna's own Flame Breathing.
In an instant, the two flame-wreathed Nichirin blades collided. A metallic shriek rang out.
Not only did Shinjuro's descending Third Form: Blazing Universe fail to block Sukuna's slash, his entire body was sent flying backward by Sukuna's strike.
What kind of strength is this...!?
Because of the alcohol, Shinjuro stumbled upon landing and nearly fell.
He privately thanked his luck that Sukuna had not pressed the attack. If he had, there was no way he could have defended himself.
But Shinjuro, in his ignorance, did not know that if Sukuna had truly wanted him dead, back when he blocked Fifth Form: Flame Tiger with First Form: Shiranui, he would have done more than simply deflect the blade, his head would have flown off along with it.
Sukuna did not pursue. Instead, he replayed Shinjuro's just-executed Third Form: Blazing Universe in his mind. He asked casually, "What was that just now? Third Form? Fourth Form?"
"Third Form: Blazing Universe..."
Shinjuro's face was dark, but he answered the question regardless.
The two brief exchanges had already made him realize the overwhelming strength of the man in front of him. He had calmed down and stopped acting rashly, even though he desperately wanted to kill the man who had murdered his son.
Once Sukuna finished reviewing the memory and confirmed he had fully mastered Third Form: Blazing Universe, he turned his attention back to Shinjuro. He continued in a deliberately provocative tone.
"Alright, next is Fourth Form? You're far weaker than Kyojuro. Hurry up and show me everything so we can be done with this."
"What did you say!?" Shinjuro roared, his hands gripping his Nichirin handle with crushing force.
"You're deaf? I said you're far weaker than Kyojuro." Sukuna said, then added, "You want to kill me to avenge your son? If you think you can, then by all means, try."
Sukuna crooked his finger toward Shinjuro.
Under his gaze, Shinjuro assumed the starting stance of Ninth Form: Rengoku. He pushed his own Flame Breathing to its absolute maximum.
Seeing that his opponent had chosen to go all out with the ultimate move, Ninth Form: Rengoku, Sukuna abandoned the idea of mastering every single form of Flame Breathing.
The remaining forms were likely just variations on the basic ones he had already seen. They held no real practical value for Sukuna. Using them or not using them would make little difference.
The fact that Shinjuro had chosen to settle things with the ultimate form, Ninth Form: Rengoku, was proof enough that the other fundamental forms were largely useless in higher-level combat.
"Flame Breathing Ninth Form: Rengoku!"
Shinjuro poured every last ounce of his being into the coming slash. This was the strongest attack he possessed.
Sukuna calmly sheathed his Nichirin blade. He laughed lightly.
"Honestly. In the end, you people only ever have this one move. I'm already sick of seeing it."
As Shinjuro came charging at him like a hellish inferno of flame, Sukuna simply expanded his technique and applied the property of Cleave to his fingertips.
Before Shinjuro's Nichirin blade could reach his body, Sukuna casually raised his hand and flicked the blade with his finger.
Seeing Sukuna raise his hand, Shinjuro had no idea what he was trying to do.
He did not think Sukuna was trying to humiliate him. He assumed some kind of Blood Demon Art was coming. Even after others had explained it to him, Shinjuro still instinctively thought of Sukuna as a demon.
The next moment, Sukuna's finger collided with the Nichirin blade. A clear ringing sound echoed. Under Shinjuro's horrified gaze, the blade snapped and flew from his hand.
"What!"
Shinjuro reacted quickly. He twisted the broken blade in his hand and executed Fourth Form: Scarlet Flame's Winding. Even with a broken sword, he was determined to wound Sukuna.
Seeing Shinjuro's shifting blade movements, Sukuna laughed.
"Oh, haven't seen that one before. That wouldn't happen to be Fourth Form, would it?"
Even as he spoke, Sukuna raised his hand. Using his two fingers, now enhanced with the expanded application of Cleave, as a blade, he put his newly learned Third Form: Blazing Universe into practice.
In one stroke, he severed not only the broken blade in Shinjuro's hand but Shinjuro's entire right arm as well.
Blood sprayed through the air. The shock in Shinjuro's eyes transformed in an instant into utter despair.
Sukuna looked at the despair in Shinjuro's eyes with satisfaction. Killing him outright would have been too easy. Making him live on, unable to avenge his son, carrying that pain and humiliation, was a cruelty far worse than death.
Before leaving, Sukuna spoke one final sentence to Shinjuro, who was clutching his shoulder stump in despair.
"You're not even worth Killing."
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