Chapter 822: Crimson Eyes of the Other Shore
Chapter 822: Crimson Eyes of the Other Shore
Crack! Crack!
The sound of shattering ice crystals rang out continuously.
Shinazugawa Sanemi and Shinazugawa Kanae's flawless coordination, the fusion of their identical breathing techniques, and their combined sword styles created an unparalleled might that momentarily suppressed Upper Moon Five, Gakuta.
Insect Breathing complemented Flower Breathing, covering its transitional flaws, and Flower Breathing masked the shortcomings of Insect Breathing attacks. Their synergy, coupled with incredible speed, left Gakuta with little opportunity to unleash his Blood Demon Arts in the short engagement.
Although young, both Sanemi and Kanae were seasoned and formidable Hashira in their own right. At this moment, they had a clear understanding of Gakuta's weakness.
Overly reliant on Blood Demon Arts!
As an Upper Moon, Gakuta possessed overwhelming power, once even dominating Akaza to secure the position of Upper Moon Two. However, he had a noticeable flaw—his strength relied heavily on his Blood Demon Arts.
In other words, compared to his Blood Demon Arts, his close-quarters hand-to-hand combat abilities were significantly inferior. Moreover, while his Blood Demon Arts were instantaneous, they were constrained when used at extremely close range.
In simpler terms—a mage stuck in melee range.
If he could create some distance and calmly unleash his Blood Demon Arts, his wide-area attacks would surely overpower Sanemi and Kanae, no matter how well they coordinated their efforts.
However, Gakuta had been too carefree when facing the Shinazugawa sisters, underestimating the power of their synchronized breathing technique. As a result, he found himself in a highly unfavorable situation.
Even though he had realized his mistake and desperately wanted to create some distance, the sisters, equally aware of this critical moment, were not about to let him off the hook so easily. They stayed glued to him, engaging in close-quarters combat, each sword strike threatening his neck, aiming for the fatal spot, intending to sever his head.
Originally, Shinazugawa Shinobu's petite frame and thirty-seven-kilogram weight meant that her sword swings lacked the power to behead a demon. However, after witnessing and training in Makomo's swordsmanship, she had gained insight, compensating for this significant shortcoming. Now, her Nichirin Blade also held the power to directly threaten demons.
Ding! Ding! Dong!
Amidst fluttering flower petals and butterflies, Gakuta waved his two folding fans up and down, constantly fending off the relentless attacks from Sanemi and Kanae. The smile had completely vanished from his face.
His gaze shifted between the two sisters, and he backed away step by step, constantly trying to create some distance, only to be pursued relentlessly by the duo.
"I've grown a bit careless," Gakuta thought, his expressionless face belying the calculating look in his eyes. "I didn't anticipate their breathing and sword techniques to blend so perfectly, to the point of fusion. If I forcefully unleash my Blood Demon Arts at this distance, I might be able to freeze them for a moment, but there's also the risk of having my neck sliced..."
As the former Upper Moon Two who had lived for over a hundred years, Gakuta's combat experience was no less than that of any Hashira in the Demon Slayer Corps. He discarded random thoughts and focused on finding a gap in the sisters' coordination.
His power was immense, and even as the sisters pressed him in close-quarters combat, not giving him an instant to unleash his Blood Demon Arts, forcing him to retreat step by step, he never let his guard down. Despite their relentless assault, Sanemi and Kanae couldn't breach his defenses.
The occasional strikes that landed on his body instantly healed because they didn't target his neck.
At his level, only attacks aimed at his neck would be effective; anything else was useless.
As time passed, Gakuta gradually calmed down, and a hint of composure returned to his eyes.
As long as they couldn't deliver a truly decisive strike, the longer the stalemate dragged on, the more advantageous it would be for him. After all, as a demon, his stamina was virtually limitless, and no matter how intense the battle, his strength wouldn't wane over time.
On the contrary, as humans, Kanae and Shinobu's high-intensity attacks and all-out breathing techniques could only be maintained for an hour or maybe two. The longer it went on, the more their stamina would deplete, and even without any openings, their strength would gradually diminish.
In his assessment, there was no way Kanae and Shinobu could sustain this ferocious assault for more than four hours or drag the fight out until dawn!
As soon as their stamina showed signs of faltering and they slowed down, even for a moment, he would immediately seize the opportunity to counter-attack with his Blood Demon Art, and the tide of the battle would turn in his favor, leaving the sisters at his mercy.
Just as Daki had assessed the situation, Kanae and Shinobu were well aware of the precariousness of their position.
"Things aren't looking good if this keeps up," Kanae muttered.
"Damn it, if only I were stronger..." Shinobu clenched her Nichirin Blade, her teeth gritting in frustration.
She and Kanae had executed their combination flawlessly, but it was her slightly inferior strength that prevented her blade from posing a direct threat to Daki during their relentless assaults.
If only she possessed Kanae's power and strength, Daki would have been in grave danger, perhaps even defeated by now!
If only she were a little taller...
If only her weight were a little heavier...
Regretfully, there were no 'what ifs' in this situation. Her petite stature of just fifty-one inches in height and seventy-three pounds in weight made her so light that an average man could easily lift her with one hand. This naturally limited the amount of strength she could exert.
While her speed and agility were indeed remarkable, they didn't translate into a truly decisive advantage when facing an Upper Moon demon.
On the other side, Kanae also had a clear understanding of the battle's progression, and after a flurry of thoughts, she quickly made a decision. A glint of determination flashed in her eyes.
Almost as if they shared a telepathic connection, the instant Kanae made her choice, Shinobu seemed to instinctively sense her older sister's intent, and her gaze shifted in Kanae's direction.
"Sis..." Shinobu's heart clenched involuntarily.
She knew that among the forms of Flower Breathing her sister Kanae had mastered, there was an ultimate technique called 'Crimson Eyes of the Other Shore.' It involved exerting pressure on the eyeballs, enhancing dynamic vision to an extreme degree for a short period, resulting in terrifyingly enhanced eyesight.
However, due to the immense pressure exerted on the eyes during its use, there was a significant cost to this technique—an extremely high risk of permanent blindness. The longer it was used, the greater the chance of eye damage.
But at this critical juncture, they had no other choice! Shinobu was well aware that they had to seize this opportunity to slay Daki, or else, if they allowed him to break free and retaliate, it would be them facing peril, and they would no longer pose a threat to him.
In perfect harmony, as soon as Kanae made her decision, she took a slight breath, activating her breathing technique and transitioning into the ultimate form. Her once bright eyes suddenly took on a crimson hue!
Flower Breathing, Final Form—
Crimson Eyes of the Other Shore!
(End of Chapter)
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