Chapter 842: Calmness
Chapter 842: Calmness
"How dangerous," exclaimed Kanroji Mitsuri, her expression tense as she watched the scene unfolding on the curtain projection within the headquarters' wooden cabin. "It seems too soon for Tanjiro to face the Twelve Kizuki, and Inosuke and the others are in an even tougher spot."
Although Tanjiro and his companions had gained additional sword techniques from their training with Shinobu, putting them a notch above their usual strength at this point in the original timeline, they were now up against three genuine Lower Rank One demons, significantly raising the challenge they faced.
Fengye, sipping his tea as he observed the battle, remarked, "Zenitsu and Inosuke are a bit lacking, but Tanjiro can now handle a Lower Moon. He'll emerge victorious soon."
Kanroji Mitsuri blinked, a look of surprise on her face. "Really? He'll win that soon?"
Almost as if in response to her words, the situation on the battlefield took a sudden turn.
In an instant, Iguro Obanai and Zenitsu found themselves at a severe disadvantage. Despite their accelerated growth compared to the original timeline, they still fell short when facing genuine Lower Rank One demons, and the battle quickly became a perilous affair.
However, Tanjiro, having initially employed the Water Breathing technique, seized a fleeting opportunity after its use. He unleashed the Hinokami Kagura, a manifestation of the Sun Breathing technique. During his encounter with Rui, this technique was still incomplete, but now, after his rigorous training, Tanjiro could fully utilize its power.
The Sun Breathing technique, when unleashed, surged with might, obliterating the Blood Demon Art of the Lower Rank One demon with scorching intensity. Taken by surprise, Tanjiro forcefully rushed in front of the demon, and his blade sliced through the demon's skull!
A fatal blow!
As a Lower Rank One demon, ranked fourth among the Lower Moons, only slightly above Rui, this demon's neck stood no chance against the explosive power of the Sun Breathing technique. More importantly, though, he had grossly underestimated his opponent.
Initially, Tanjiro had displayed strength comparable to Zenitsu's by using the Water Breathing technique, quickly falling into a severe disadvantage. This led the demon to toy with him, never expecting Tanjiro to abruptly unleash a completely different and extraordinarily powerful breathing technique. The sheer force of it caused the demon's body to tremble involuntarily.
It was the fear that Upper Moon One's cells held for the Sun Breathing technique.
These factors combined to seal the Lower Rank One demon's fate, as Tanjiro's single strike took his life before he could even unleash his full potential or employ any secret techniques.
"Damn... How... I still had tricks up my sleeve... Curse you..."
The decapitated head of the Lower Rank Four demon expressed his disbelief, his form crumbling beyond recovery.
The sudden demise of the Lower Rank Four demon drew the attention of the entire battlefield to Tanjiro.
This turn of events caught everyone off guard, including Rengoku Kyojuro.
"Well done!" Rengoku Kyojuro exclaimed, his spirits lifted. He had been aware of the trio's capabilities, which was why he brought them along on the mission when he couldn't find other suitable companions. Tanjiro's performance had settled his worries.
He turned to Akaza and said, "It seems my subordinates are proving their worth."
"...Trash," Akaza muttered, his expression sour. From a distance, he stared at Tanjiro, a strange, inexplicable shudder running through his body.
Although Tanjiro's sudden display of power was surprising, it should have been far from enough to threaten Akaza. Yet, he felt a tinge of trepidation. Was it fear?
No, it wasn't his own fear, but rather, the fear of the cells of Upper Moon One within him.
Why? Akaza wondered, his confusion evident.
Due to this momentary distraction, Rengoku Kyojuro managed to stabilize his position, no longer at Akaza's mercy.
"Mr. Rengoku!" Tanjiro called out, not wasting time after slaying the Lower Rank One demon.
"Don't worry about me. Go support them!" Rengoku Kyojuro replied immediately.
"Yes!" Tanjiro acknowledged and promptly joined the battle where Zenitsu and Inosuke were struggling.
"The results of their training are impressive," Kanae said softly as she watched Tanjiro's movements, then turned to Kanao and asked, "You must have taught him some Sun Breathing techniques, right? Otherwise, he wouldn't have mastered this original breathing style so quickly."
Kanao glanced at Fengye and whispered, "I only helped a little."
Mitsuri Kanroji, who had gone to encourage Tanjiro during his training, spoke up, "I also went to guide Tanjiro with his Sun Breathing. After all, I once had the perspective of omniscience, so my understanding of the Sun Breathing technique is absolutely clear."
"With just a simple guide, Tanjiro was able to avoid many detours, which is why he was able to truly master and demonstrate the Sun Breathing technique here," she added.
As Fengye watched the scene unfold, his eyes reflected even more visions, and then everything returned to silence. He took another sip of tea and set down his cup.
"The trajectory of fate remains unchanged," Fengye murmured.
His words caught the attention of Mitsuri Kanroji and the others.
"What... do you mean by the trajectory of fate?" Mitsuri asked, puzzled.
Fengye slowly explained, "I won't spoil the story for you just yet."
Although Rengoku Kyojuro had become much stronger and gained a deeper understanding of swordsmanship, Upper Moon Three, Akaza, had also enhanced his powers. Not only had he eliminated his weakness at the neck, but he had also received more blood from Muzan, ensuring his strength surpassed that of Rengoku.
Among the Pillars, only the Stone Pillar, who had a naturally perfect human physique, and Shinobu and Butterfly Ninja, who had received power from Fengye, could barely hold their ground against Akaza. It would take at least two Pillars to join forces to have a chance against him.
Rengoku still couldn't match him.
Just as Fengye had foreseen, in the end, Tanjiro and his companions gruesomely defeated the last two Lower Moons, but all three of them were severely injured. Meanwhile, during his confrontation with Akaza, Rengoku's injuries kept worsening, and the critically wounded Tanjiro and his friends couldn't intervene in this level of battle.
Finally, as the sun rose, Akaza fled, and Rengoku's injuries became fatal.
"Ahhh, Mr. Rengoku..."
Seeing how Rengoku protected Tanjiro and the others until the very end, Mitsuri burst into tears. "If only I had gone to help him..."
Fengye smiled bitterly and shook his head as Mitsuri wiped her tears on his body. "His efforts in this life have earned him a lifetime of happiness in the next. There's no need to be too sad. Besides, he's facing death with serenity. Trying to change this outcome would be a desecration of his will."
As he spoke, Fengye flicked his finger, and a faint light disappeared into nothingness. Rengoku's will had earned his recognition, and he granted him luck for his next life.
Hearing Fengye's words, Mitsuri couldn't stop her tears. "But I still feel so sad... Mr. Rengoku is gone... I want to kill that bastard Muzan..."
Fengye remained silent and gently rubbed Mitsuri's head.
If he wanted to, he could resurrect anyone who had died, or even erase the concept of 'death' from this world. However, there weren't many people whose lives he wanted to save and who held deep regrets about their deaths.
(End of Chapter)
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