"Flame Breathing, Fourth Form: Blooming Flame Undulation!!"
All of the "shockwaves" were blocked by the flame vortex without exception.
Then, the moment Akaza landed, Kyojuro actively closed the distance and drew his nichirin blade!
He understood that if the fight continued at a distance, it would be very difficult to cut off Akaza's neck.
Therefore, close-quarters combat was the best option!
However, this action of his made Akaza appreciate him even more. After easily dodging Kyojuro's strike, he said excitedly,
"What excellent reaction speed!"
Having failed in one strike, Kyojuro showed no signs of stopping, continuously swinging his nichirin blade, trying to sever Akaza's neck.
Yet, each of Akaza's punches, while defending, also carried a ferocious offense!
This made it impossible for Kyojuro to find an opportunity to cut Akaza's neck.
"This excellent swordsmanship will also disappear with you! Kyojuro! Aren't you sad?!"
This time, Kyojuro finally responded to Akaza.
"Everyone is like this! As a human, it should be so!"
At the same time, Kyojuro noticed Inosuke and Tanjiro trying to come help, and immediately shouted to stop them,
"Don't Move!! If your wounds reopen, they'll become fatal! Stay put!"
Seeing Kyojuro still daring to be distracted, Akaza smiled, somewhat annoyed, "Don't worry about the weak, Kyojuro! Use your full strength!"
"Focus your attention on me~"
Kyojuro ignored what Akaza said, seized the moment he landed, and instantly swept his nichirin blade horizontally!
However, this kind of surprise attack clearly could not harm Akaza.
Akaza leaped up, avoiding Kyojuro's horizontal slash.
He grabbed the ground with his hand, using the momentum to spin his body and punch Kyojuro in the head!
But his casual counterattack gave Kyojuro an opportunity to seize a weakness!
After blocking Akaza's punch with the back of his nichirin blade, Kyojuro rebounded quickly, instantly slashing Akaza in the back!
This strike directly sent the incredulous Akaza flying into the forest!
Clearly, Akaza hadn't expected Kyojuro to deliver such a blow.
This wasn't over. Kyojuro burst forth again, also rushing into the forest.
He wanted to press his advantage and directly slay Akaza!
But reality was harsh. Akaza was not only unharmed but also attacked from the front!
Kyojuro knew his stamina was rapidly depleting. He couldn't go head-to-head anymore!
Seizing the moment Akaza swung his fist, Kyojuro leaned forward, accelerating sharply to get behind the tree behind Akaza!
Using the blind spot of the tree, Kyojuro slashed at Akaza's neck!
But unfortunately, Akaza's gaze had been following him as Kyojuro moved.
He immediately retreated, allowing Kyojuro to cut off his arm.
Seeing this, Kyojuro didn't give up, gripping his nichirin blade with both hands, intending to strike down again.
But this time, Akaza's leg was faster, kicking fiercely towards his head!
Although he blocked it with his nichirin blade, Kyojuro was still sent flying directly by Akaza's terrifying force.
Bang----
Kyojuro crashed heavily to the ground, sending dust flying.
Seeing this scene, Inosuke and Tanjiro shouted anxiously and worriedly,
"Mr. Rengoku!!"
"Big Eyeballs!!"
As the dust cleared, Kyojuro knelt on one knee, propped up by his nichirin blade.
His heavy gasps indicated that his stamina had dropped to a critical level.
Akaza slowly emerged from the forest, and seeing Kyojuro in that state, he once again persuaded him,
"Become a demon, Kyojuro."
"Then fight with me forever, and become stronger together!"
"You have the qualifications for it, Kyojuro!"
Kyojuro frowned, breathing heavily, but his voice was filled with determination, saying,
"I refuse!"
"Let me say it again, I despise you!"
"I will never become a demon!!"
As he spoke, Kyojuro stood up, preparing to continue his attack.
But a familiar voice made him stop.
"Well said, Kyojuro!"
"Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant Flux!!"
That's right, our Mr. Tomioka Giyu had finally arrived!
A brilliant blue water Dragon, with incredibly powerful momentum, mercilessly blasted towards Akaza!
Akaza had sensed this, however, because Tomioka Giyu's equally terrifying fighting spirit had been fully exposed from ten meters away.
But there was one thing Akaza hadn't expected: Tomioka Giyu's speed was too fast, so fast that he couldn't even use his Move.
With a "boom," the ground shattered, and dust flew everywhere!
Seizing the remaining time, Tomioka Giyu quickly retreated to Rengoku Kyojuro's side.
"You rest for a bit; I'll take it from here."
"Tomioka... I'm fine!" Kyojuro refused Tomioka Giyu's suggestion without thinking, "That demon is Upper Rank Three, very difficult to deal with!"
"Let's together..."
"Don't worry, Kyojuro!" Tomioka Giyu's eyes were calm, and his tone was full of confidence.
"It's not long until dawn. You recover your stamina first, then come help me, though you might not even need to."
"It can't kill me in a short time."
Then, Tomioka Giyu glanced at Tanjiro again, saying somewhat helplessly, "Junior Brother, why do I always see you in such a sorry state every time?"
"Uh..." Tanjiro froze awkwardly, but then he said joyfully, "That's great, with Senior Brother Tomioka here, Mr. Rengoku will be fine!"
"Ha... Half-haori! You came just in time!"
Ever since he was tied up last time, Inosuke had completely remembered Tomioka Giyu (except his name).
"Oh? Senior Brother Tomioka?"
Akaza had already finished regenerating at this point, his gaze fixed on Tomioka Giyu, and he asked with a smile,
"My name is Akaza, it's a pleasure to meet you, strong one!"
"You must be a Hashira too, right? It's obvious at a glance; your fighting spirit is even stronger than Kyojuro's!"
"Ah, you should also become a demon! That way, you might be able to reach that supreme realm!"
Tomioka Giyu was expressionless, but he thought to himself, 'This one really is Muzan's HR director, so dedicated.'
"My name is Tomioka Giyu, and it's not a pleasure to meet you, Akaza!"
Tomioka Giyu was not in a hurry to act. After all, he was here to rescue Kyojuro, and furthermore, he couldn't kill Akaza right now.
Even if he could desperately cut off Akaza's head, he couldn't guarantee that Akaza would be truly defeated.
If anything went wrong, it could very likely lead to both him and Kyojuro dying right here.
"How pathetic, Akaza. Becoming a demon? Gaining so-called immortality? That's just something Kibutsuji Muzan has bestowed upon you."
"Strong one? Haha, how could a true strong one become someone else's dog?!"
"You'll understand later, becoming a demon is nothing to be proud of."
Having said that, Tomioka Giyu sighed inwardly, realizing that relying on words alone was useless.
Because Akaza's fist was already smashing towards his face.
"Don't be rude to Lord Muzan!!"
--------
Guys if you want to support me and read some chapters in advance please do check out Pitreon.com/AnonymousWriter6