(Extra chapter )
"Imitate first, then innovate, and finally surpass!"
Not intimidated by the old man's stern tone, Kiyokawa Izumi spoke his true thoughts candidly.
There was no shame in imitating a powerful swordsman; after all, he was still too young and too green.
He lacked the decades of accumulation of the Former Water Hashira, nor did he possess the terrifying talent of Muichiro.
To learn and to imitate was the only way for him to grow strong quickly.
"Please guide me!"
Unwilling to let this rare opportunity slip by, Kiyokawa Izumi gripped his nichirin blade and launched another aggressive attack, forcing himself through his body's discomfort.
Even Urokodaki Sakonji, who didn't think much of him, had to admit that this child indeed possessed a certain degree of resilience.
After a moment of hesitation, Urokodaki Sakonji decided to demonstrate all the forms for him!
"Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash!"
Without the slightest sound of wind or any sign of an attack, the wooden sword with its rounded edges was thrust out silently.
Kiyokawa Izumi instinctively raised his blade to block, his pupils shrinking instantly as an expression of disbelief appeared on his face.
There was no extreme burst of power, and the speed wasn't so fast that his eyes couldn't track it.
Yet, at the moment of impact, his arms trembled uncontrollably despite holding the sword with both hands.
For an old man of this age to still unleash such terrifying power—could a Breathing Technique really be this miraculous?
The key was that there was no warning at all!
The swing was silent and traceless, as if everything was being hidden.
Transparent World?
Absolutely not!
This paradoxical feeling of being light as nothing yet seemingly able to cut through anything was something he couldn't understand even with the help of these eyes.
Urokodaki Sakonji gave Kiyokawa Izumi no time to adjust as the next Move followed immediately.
Kiyokawa Izumi, whose footing was already unstable, instinctively retreated, but the next strike was far more fierce than he had imagined.
A smooth and full arc, carrying a continuous flow of power, felt like being caught in the center of a whirlpool—a sensation of being crushed emerged.
Kiyokawa Izumi's brain didn't have time to react effectively, but his body instinctively performed the Second Form: Water Wheel.
Water Wheel against Water Wheel.
But in front of this man, he couldn't manage to strike first by reacting second.
He was defeated in less than a breath.
The nichirin blade flew out of his hand, and he fell backward in a pathetic state.
Both his arms trembled slightly, and the webs of his thumbs were numb from the shock.
Without needing a reminder from Urokodaki Sakonji, he stood up as fast as possible and picked up his nichirin blade again.
Seeing this, a flash of approval crossed the old man's eyes.
'Truly impressive!'
Before he could catch his breath for a moment, a ghost-like figure appeared silently before him once more.
The crushing defeat repeated over and over.
Urokodaki Sakonji indeed held nothing back, demonstrating all ten forms of Water Breathing to him in their entirety.
The price was that Kiyokawa Izumi lay on the ground unable to rise, his none-too-clean uniform covered in dirt and his body covered in bruises.
Currently, he was unable to easily withstand a serious Move from this man.
True mastery is seen in the details; what he admired most was the old man's control over his power.
After demonstrating all the Moves, the wooden sword in his hand had not broken.
Through the observation of his Sharingan, Kiyokawa Izumi also noticed that the man's breathing changed slightly after finishing the demonstration.
Perhaps it was due to a lack of physical stamina?
"Mr. Kiyokawa Izumi, you... seem very happy?"
Tanjirou, who had been watching from the side, stepped forward to help the fallen Kiyokawa Izumi up and couldn't help but ask cautiously.
"Swordsmanship Rank increased!"
"For the host's convenience, it has been converted to a level System."
"Swordsmanship LV3"
The cold voice of the System, which usually had very low presence, rang in his ears.
How could Kiyokawa Izumi not be happy at this moment?
The improvement in his Breathing Technique wasn't great, but the improvement in his Swordsmanship was very obvious.
He had recorded everything with these eyes.
Not only that, he had also learned many useful little tricks.
Even if he encountered the Hand Demon again, without the help of wisteria flower poison and using only the nichirin blade in his hand, the winner would definitely be him!
"Mr. Kiyokawa Izumi... Mr. Kiyokawa Izumi!"
A large forehead seemed to appear in his blurred vision, and someone was shouting loudly in his ear.
The side effects of high-intensity use of his nerfed Sharingan finally appeared—this was different from previous battles where he only tried to see the enemy's movements clearly.
After meeting Urokodaki Sakonji, his Sharingan had been active the entire time.
He wasn't just trying to see the old man's movements; he was trying to memorize everything while also analyzing and imitating, which greatly increased the pressure on his eyes.
Excessive consumption, or one could say overusing his eyes.
This caused Kiyokawa Izumi's consciousness to blur, and he unconsciously fainted.
Watching Kiyokawa Izumi gradually close his eyes, a panicked Tanjirou kept shaking his body.
"He just fainted; it's nothing serious."
A calm and gentle voice sounded from behind.
"Carry him inside; he should wake up by the afternoon."
Hearing this, Tanjirou finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He gently picked up Kiyokawa Izumi on his back and couldn't help but remark with emotion.
"Mr. Kiyokawa Izumi is really working hard... I have to work even harder too!"
_______
We obtained 60 energy stones yesterday, so this is an extra chapter.
90 Energy stone -New extra chapter