With both feet off the ground and suspended in mid-air, it was difficult to exert force in such a posture.
The world felt as if someone had pressed the slow-motion button, and his slightly aching brain began to work at high speed.
Hadn't he already expected that he wouldn't succeed in cutting it?
Stay calm!
To be able to maintain his composure in such a desperate situation was already a rare feat for Kiyokawa Izumi.
'I can clearly see the incoming arms, but I can't dodge them.'
'With nowhere to push off, I can't effectively dodge in mid-air.'
'The front half of the nichirin blade is buried deep within the demon's flesh; it won't be easy to pull out in time.'
'Not good, not good, not good!'
In less than the time it took for a single breath, Kiyokawa Izumi had made his decision.
He suddenly exerted force to the right, using his body weight to forcibly snap the nichirin blade.
Due to momentum, the moment the nichirin blade broke, his entire body tumbled to the right.
Through this action, he successfully dodged most of the attacks—though the fall was quite pathetic.
There was no time to cry out in pain or readjust; almost the instant he hit the ground, he rolled backward violently.
As expected, several more arms burst out from the ground.
Successfully predicting the Hand Demon's attack wasn't something to celebrate; it all came at a price.
He had broken his own nichirin blade!
If it couldn't be pulled out, then break it.
This decisiveness even surprised the Hand Demon.
For a swordsman to break his own weapon with his own hands was undoubtedly ridiculous to the Hand Demon.
Without a nichirin blade, wouldn't a weak human like you be doomed to die, without any power to resist?
Creating some distance, Kiyokawa Izumi quickly stood up.
'About a third of the blade is broken. Fortunately, it should still be barely usable.'
'My stamina is heavily depleted, and there's a faint pain in my forehead and eye sockets. I've overused my eyes.'
'But there is good news—I've finally mastered the Breathing Technique!'
Slightly adjusting his breathing—in this world of Breathing Techniques, breathing could achieve many unimaginable things.
By deliberately controlling his breathing rhythm, Kiyokawa Izumi entered the state of Total Concentration Breathing.
Because he forcibly increased the oxygen intake of his lungs, it caused his lungs to overexpand, leading to a slight sense of discomfort.
As the excess oxygen entered various parts of his body through blood circulation, Kiyokawa Izumi even felt his body temperature rising. The sound of his heart beating rapidly seemed to ring in his ears.
His free left hand gently touched his forehead. Whether it was an illusion or not, his body temperature really did feel significantly higher.
It shouldn't be... probably not... the Awakening of the Demon Slayer Mark, right?
It couldn't just be a cold, could it?
No time to think. Kiyokawa Izumi noticed the Hand Demon pulling out the half-blade embedded in the top of its neck.
Most importantly, the wound did not heal at a visible rate; instead, faint purple-black patterns appeared.
Perhaps the toxin remaining on the blade was taking effect.
The Hand Demon's astounding regenerative ability was being suppressed.
With just one more slash, Kiyokawa Izumi was confident he could sever its neck.
The Hand Demon seemed to realize this as well, covering the wound with even more arms.
The intelligence of demons really shouldn't be underestimated!
He couldn't give it too much time to recover. At this point, with no way back, Kiyokawa Izumi stepped forward.
All aspects of his physical fitness had significantly improved.
Regrettably, he could faintly feel that Water Breathing wasn't that compatible with him.
'Total Concentration!'
'Water Breathing, Third Form: Flowing Dance!'
Kiyokawa Izumi suddenly erupted, kicking up fallen leaves from the muddy ground. Thick arms extended from the front, sides, and underground, trying to block his path.
Facing this situation, he didn't hesitate and used the Third Form directly—he hadn't mastered all the Moves, let alone the Eleventh Form created by Senior Brother Giyuu.
But he had mastered the first three forms, after all.
With the help of these eyes, he precisely dodged most of the attacks.
He didn't easily strike with his blade unless it was absolutely necessary.
In just an instant, Kiyokawa Izumi was once again in front of the Hand Demon.
Right then, behind him, four severed arms fell to the ground.
This was his Third Form!
Continuous like flowing water, slashes could be generated from any direction without the slightest pause.
'Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash!'
The Hand Demon's pupils shrank slightly, surprised by Kiyokawa Izumi's speed. Several more arms burst out, attacking from multiple directions, cutting off any idea of jumping.
Horizontal slash!
A sharp flash of the blade flickered past. By the time it registered, Kiyokawa Izumi had already leapt into mid-air.
Although he had blocked most of the attacks with the First Form, it was only a horizontal slash with a limited interception range, and the Hand Demon had an extraordinary number of arms.
Facing the remaining ones, Kiyokawa Izumi did not dodge. A hint of madness appeared on his relatively handsome face.
'Second Form: Water Wheel!'
His body spun in the air, his muscles erupted, and the blood in his body felt as if it were burning.
He couldn't let it turn into a war of attrition; he couldn't give it time to recover.
One last Move to decide the outcome.
If this dragged on any longer, his body and eyes wouldn't be able to hold out.
'Come on!!'
Kiyokawa Izumi shouted silently.