"Kasumi Breathing—Horizontal Slash!"
The strike from Tsugikuni Yoriichi's bamboo sword carried such raw power that it could easily Behead even an Upper Rank demon. Muzan Kibutsuji himself would have felt the Result.
"Snap!"
The bamboo swords collided, producing a crisp, resounding clash.
Zephyr raised his bamboo sword effortlessly, blocking Yoriichi's strike with ease.
"Ha! That's an interesting attack, boy!"
Though Yoriichi's Kasumi Breathing technique could have cut through foes in the Demon Slayer world, here, against Zephyr, it was easily countered. Observing Zephyr's calm demeanor, Yoriichi realized the vast chasm separating their strengths.
"Probing attacks won't work against someone like this," he thought. "I'll have to give my all from the start."
"Whoosh!"
Yoriichi adjusted his stance, muscles coiling with energy. Tilting the bamboo sword to dissipate Zephyr's force, he pressed his legs against the ground and surged forward.
"Sun Breathing—Form Three: Blazing Sun Red Mirror!"
Flames seemed to engulf the bamboo sword as it arced toward Zephyr's neck.
"Incredible swordsmanship!" Zephyr exclaimed, eyes wide as the blade barreled toward him.
Yet, in a move Yoriichi hadn't Expected, Zephyr reached out with his left hand and grabbed the bamboo sword mid-swing.
"Huh?!" Yoriichi was stunned. He had expected a block, not a direct grab—and the speed of Zephyr's reaction left him no room to dodge.
Through his Transparent World, Yoriichi saw the immense "qi" surging through Zephyr's hand. It was absolute dominance.
"Boy, you're distracted!" Zephyr roared, holding the bamboo sword in his right hand while charging with his fist in a powerful attack.
Yoriichi leapt lightly to evade the fist, and using Zephyr's grip on the sword to his advantage, delivered a mid-air counter-kick to Zephyr's face.
"Hahaha!" Zephyr laughed, taking the blow head-on. With recoil, Yoriichi was sent several meters back.
Landing gracefully, he rose and regarded Zephyr silently. In one exchange, he had been disarmed.
Despite Zephyr's playful demeanor, his strength was leagues beyond anything Yoriichi had ever encountered a completely different dimension.
Zephyr tossed the bamboo sword back to Yoriichi, hooking a finger at him to continue.
"How much force did you use in that slash just now?" Zephyr asked casually.
"All my strength," Yoriichi replied, catching the sword and charging forward again.
This time, he used no special technique, only raw speed and repeated strikes, each aiming at weaknesses he discerned through the Transparent World.
Yet, every gap he targeted was Immediately blocked by Zephyr. The hall echoed with the relentless da-da-da of clashing bamboo.
Zephyr, relaxed as ever, commented mid-battle:
"Very good. Your angles are tricky—your sword skills are impressive. But your strength is too weak, your speed too slow. Against ordinary pirates, you're fine, but stronger foes…" He swung and crushed Yoriichi's bamboo sword with overwhelming force, sending it flying through the wall with a bang.
Yoriichi stared at the washbasin-sized hole in disbelief. The "weak strength" and "slow speed" Zephyr had mentioned were more than enough to destroy a grown tiger!
Zephyr approached, patting him on the shoulder. "Boy, you're still too weak. You have a long way to go. Train hard, and don't get complacent!"
At that moment, the dojo door swung open. A young naval officer in uniform rushed in.
"Master Zephyr! What just happened?! Why is there a hole in the wall?!"
Zephyr waved him off, smiling. "It's nothing, just playing around with my disciple. Let me introduce you—this is Tsugikuni Yoriichi, my disciple."
The officer, Victor, a kendo instructor, frowned at the damage but then glanced at Yoriichi. Despite being unaware of his abilities, he sensed the boy's potential.
"Will your disciple study at the Naval Academy?" Victor asked.
Zephyr chuckled. "Learn? Hah! He's still too young and too weak. We'll wait a bit longer!"
Victor's eyes twitched at the words, and he looked at the massive hole again, realizing just how terrifying Yoriichi's power could be.
Zephyr then led Yoriichi out of the dojo.
"Let's test your power properly. After that, I'll design a training plan tailored for you," Zephyr said with a proud smile.
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(End of Chapter)