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Chapter 576 - Ch.576 Mark Resonance

Haku darted through the forest, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

He had to admit, the Demon Slayer swordsmen vying for the nine Hashira seats were quite skilled. After realizing something was amiss, they quickly adapted, making it so that Haku searched for hours without finding another swordsman.

"Attack!"

A shout rang out from the trees above.

Swish, swish, swish.

Three figures leaped down, their blades slashing toward Haku.

Haku's gaze sharpened as he met them head-on. "Water Breathing, Sixth Form: Whirlpool!"

In an instant, Haku leaped into the air, twisting his body in an almost impossible manner to narrowly dodge the trio's ambush. He then reversed his Nichirin Blade, striking all three with the flat of the blade.

In a single moment, the fight was decided.

After landing, Haku glanced at the three and thought to himself, "Compared to the demonized Tomioka Giyuu, these swordsmen are still too weak."

During his training on Sagiri Mountain, he had learned that the swordsman who invaded the shinobi world, guarding the island's anchor point alone, was Urokodaki Sakonji's disciple—the former Water Hashira, Tomioka Giyuu.

Thus, whenever he clashed with other swordsmen, he couldn't help but compare them to Giyuu.

However, he also understood that Giyuu, as one of the Demon Slayer Corps' nine Hashira, was already exceptionally strong. During the shinobi world invasion, Giyuu had been demonized, shedding the frail human body and absorbing vast amounts of chakra, enhancing him in every way.

Comparing these swordsmen, who were vying for the new Hashira positions, to a demonized Giyuu was clearly unfair.

After summoning Kasugai Crows to call for aid for the three downed swordsmen, Haku set off again.

Soon, he encountered two more swordsmen—one was Agatsuma Zenitsu, who had previously introduced the others to him, and beside Zenitsu was Kanao.

"Haku!?"

Seeing Haku in his dog-faced mask, Zenitsu's heart sank.

Kanao drew her sword without a word and charged.

Haku didn't waste words either, meeting her head-on.

In the blink of an eye, the two were locked in fierce combat.

Kanao's strength was noticeably above that of the average swordsman, but she was still no match for Haku. After just a few exchanges, Haku had her completely suppressed.

"Stop fighting, you two!" Zenitsu fretted from the sidelines.

After forcing Kanao back with a single strike, Haku pointed his blade at Zenitsu. "You, join in."

Zenitsu froze, then realized Haku's intent—he was determined to defeat all the contenders. With no choice, Zenitsu drew his sword and joined the fray.

Since it was Zenitsu, Haku held back. After tangling with Zenitsu and Kanao for a bit, he finally knocked them both out.

"So… strong!" Zenitsu, sprawled on the ground, gasped in awe.

Kanao stared at Haku in a daze, seemingly unprepared for the sheer power of this mysterious, masked swordsman.

"Have the Kasugai Crows call for help. Rest here," Haku said before turning to leave.

As he moved through the mountain, Haku mentally tallied, "Besides me, there should only be one swordsman left on Mount Fujikasane."

Counting the swordsmen he had defeated, there were sixteen in total. That left only the female swordsman who practiced Sun Breathing.

Haku searched until he finally found her, Nezuko, on a cliff.

She seemed to have been waiting there, unsurprised by Haku's arrival. Staring at him, she slowly drew her Nichirin Blade.

In the distance, several trainers and swordsmiths had ascended the mountain, observing the showdown between the two swordsmen from afar.

"Who do you think will win?"

"Nezuko, probably!"

"That kid named Haku isn't simple either. I feel like he hasn't even used his full strength yet!"

"I still believe in Nezuko. She's already at Hashira level!"

They whispered among themselves.

Before this, they had never doubted Nezuko's strength, but after witnessing Haku defeat over a dozen swordsmen, many began to waver.

On the cliff, Haku faced the sweet-looking yet cold-eyed girl, his expression growing serious.

Though they hadn't clashed yet, he had a faint sense that she was likely the strongest among the dozen-plus swordsmen.

Nezuko spoke slowly, "I can't lose until I find my brother!"

"Unfortunately, I have my own reasons for not losing," Haku replied.

Nezuko nodded, as if acknowledging his response, then charged forward in a flash. "Sun Breathing, Sixth Form: Bone-Burning Sun!"

For a moment, Haku was dazed, as if he saw a dragon of flames spiraling toward him.

An ordinary swordsman might have been paralyzed with fear, but Haku, a shinobi, had seen plenty of Fire Release techniques. Such a spectacle didn't intimidate him—it only ignited his competitive spirit.

He raised his Nichirin Blade. "Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide!"

Clang, clang, clang.

In an instant, the two were locked in combat.

The clash of their Nichirin Blades rang out ceaselessly, each strike sparking bursts of light. Their speed was so great that they left afterimages in their wake.

"This girl is no ordinary opponent!" Haku thought, inwardly shocked.

For her slender frame to wield Breathing Style with such power, matching him to this degree, was truly surprising.

But admiration aside, he never forgot the mission he bore. Activating Rapid Strike in secret, he instantly surpassed Nezuko's speed, parrying her blade and sending her flying with a kick.

Boom.

Nezuko crashed hard into the cliff wall, blood trickling from her mouth.

Just as Haku thought the fight was over, Nezuko, ignoring her injuries, charged again with her sword. "I can't lose! Sun Breathing, Twelfth Form: Flame Dance!"

At the same time, a mark resembling a scorched wound appeared on her forehead.

The distant trainers and swordsmiths gasped in unison. "Is that… a Mark? Nezuko has awakened a Mark?"

For the veteran trainers and swordsmiths, the Mark was no unfamiliar concept—many swordsmen in history had awakened it.

"What's going on? Her speed's increased so much!" Haku was startled, raising his blade to meet her.

After parrying a few strikes, Haku noticed that Nezuko's speed had surged dramatically, and her strength had grown significantly as well.

As he continuously channeled Water Breathing, he felt something ignite within him, a power on the verge of erupting.

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