Two of them!?
Are you kidding me?
Kiyokawa Izumi's expression shifted slightly, but he didn't turn and run.
Because he knew full well there was zero chance of escaping from two demons.
At this moment, he hated the original owner's overestimation of his own abilities even more.
How did you dare to participate in the Selection without mastering a Breathing Technique?
'A Breathing Technique, in essence, is about using a specific breathing rhythm to forcibly increase oxygen intake in the lungs and stimulate blood circulation, thereby significantly enhancing physical capabilities.'
'Deliberately controlling the frequency, rhythm, and depth of breath.'
'Is this similar to the principles of certain breathing methods from my previous life?'
Kiyokawa Izumi's mind raced at this moment.
He had to master a Breathing Technique to improve his survival rate.
He suddenly thought of some videos he had seen in his previous life.
For instance, Japanese Karate had a similar Dantian breathing method, with abdominal breathing at its core, inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth.
Inhaling silently, not with ordinary shallow chest breathing but sinking it into the lower abdomen; then, when exhaling, forcefully tightening all muscles and making a sound to instantly boost core stability and explosive power.
Many traditional martial arts videos also emphasized synchronizing breath with movement, with the saying that every punch must be accompanied by an exhale.
Besides that, certain breathing exercises in Yoga seemed similar as well.
A flood of fragmented memories appeared in his mind, and Kiyokawa Izumi seemed to reach a faint realization.
Of course, it was just an illusion.
In the previous two battles, although he had given his all, he hadn't deliberately controlled his breathing rhythm.
Recalling the scenes of the original owner practicing the Breathing Technique, he began to rhythmically adjust his own breathing.
This only took a moment.
While he certainly lacked confidence in his own strength, in all fairness, facing two demons at once in his current state meant the odds of winning were truly slim.
Just then, a demon with long black hair suddenly leaped out of the forest, clearly intending to strike first.
"At least give me a leg! Don't think of hogging him!"
Following closely behind was a short-haired demon, roaring with a mix of reluctance and anger.
"In your dreams! He's mine!!"
The long-haired demon's body was extremely emaciated, but its arms were exceptionally long, and its legs were unexpectedly powerful, allowing it to leap four or five meters high with a single bound.
Its speed seemed much faster than the second one.
'The speed is indeed fast... but fortunately, with these eyes, it's still within the range of what I can see clearly.'
Life-and-death combat offers a very obvious boost to one's strength.
Kiyokawa Izumi became much calmer than before; though he retreated repeatedly, he showed no signs of panic.
However, the long-haired demon's slender arms caught him off guard. With an attack range far exceeding that of a normal person, coupled with those long, thin claws, Kiyokawa Izumi hurriedly raised his nichirin blade, barely managing to block with the hard blade.
Long furrows were dragged into the dirt ground, and his deliberately maintained breathing was interrupted, becoming rapid.
"You're quite a bit stronger than those other humans. I bet your flesh will taste even more delicious, won't it?"
Saliva dripped as the long-haired demon looked at him with a greedy gaze.
'Me?'
'It says my strength is high?'
Kiyokawa Izumi felt it was somewhat absurd.
The demons trapped on Wisteria Mountain were like frogs at the bottom of a well, ignorant of the vastness of the world.
'Speed is fast, but the strength is about the same as an adult man... I can block it!'
Kiyokawa Izumi made his assessment, glancing out of the corner of his eye behind the demon. The other one had been distanced, which meant that at this moment, he only needed to focus on the one in front of him.
Adjusting his stance and gripping the hilt of his nichirin blade tightly with both hands, Kiyokawa Izumi said silently to himself.
'Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash!'
His tightened muscles exploded at this moment, and a fluid, smooth slash was swung out.
However, reality is not a novel after all.
Perhaps because he didn't shout the name of the Move out loud, he failed to successfully execute the Water Breathing, First Form.
Then again, how could it be that simple?
Thinking the name of a Move in one's head and being able to use it—such a wonderful thing probably only happens in dreams.
It was just an ordinary swing of the blade; the long-haired demon instinctively raised its arm to block.
The power was insufficient, and the speed wasn't fast enough; the demon's arm wasn't severed, only the surface of the skin was sliced.
But what use was that?
External injuries were never an issue for demons.
Failing the strike, Kiyokawa Izumi quickly distanced himself, feeling little disappointment.
As the second short-haired demon approached, a bit of sweat dripped from his forehead. Though he was panting slightly, his focus intensified.
"Perhaps I really am a bit stronger than those ordinary swordsmen."
Kiyokawa Izumi said softly, looking at the two demons before him.
"If you want to kill me, one of you will likely have to die as well."
"Who will it be?"
"You, or you?"
Kiyokawa Izumi didn't actually like talking nonsense during a fight.
But wasn't there no other choice right now?
Wasn't it because he couldn't win?
A bit of verbal intimidation could also be useful.
The brief exchange just now was enough to prove he had the determination to fight and wasn't the kind of coward who would turn and run at the sight of a demon.
To kill him, a price would indeed have to be paid.
Even if they gave their all to kill him, a deathbed counterattack would leave the demon who killed him severely wounded.
In such a situation, how could that demon compete with the one beside it for his corpse?
Demons are not creatures without intelligence.
They could understand the meaning behind Kiyokawa Izumi's words.
The long-haired demon paused slightly, its gaze lingering briefly on its injured arm.
"You go! I'll let you have this human!"
It turned and said this to the demon beside it.
"Huh? Are you kidding me?"
The short-haired demon looked at Kiyokawa Izumi's eyes with some wariness, becoming hesitant at this moment.
The selfishness inherent in being a demon was fully revealed at this moment.
"So, which one is coming first?"
"Perhaps you could cooperate... as long as you trust each other... but can you really trust the other person without reservation?"
Kiyokawa Izumi sheathed his long blade, lowering his center of gravity slightly into a drawing stance.
Don't be fooled by his relaxed tone; in reality, he wasn't relaxed at all.
If a swordsman who had mastered the Water Breathing Technique were to pass by right now, with these eyes, he might gain quite a lot.
"The mountain wind is really cold!"
With a soft sigh, he stepped forward, only to see the two demons in front of him retreat together.
The eerie balance made the human and the two demons all hesitant to make a Move.
But this was ultimately temporary.
In less than three minutes, the craving for food finally suppressed everything else.
The long-haired demon, unable to endure any longer, struck first.
It perhaps was very confident in its own strength.
Or perhaps it was worried that continuing this standoff would attract other demons, leaving even less to share.
If that one were to be drawn here—a faint trace of fear was hidden in its crimson pupils.